I've been blogging for nearly five years, and in that time the online sewing world has developed enormously. There are so many sewing blogs, numerous independent pattern makers and an abundance of online fabric retailers. Sewing is so mainstream there is a primetime BBC programme dedicated to it. Along with these developments, it seems as if sewers are rising to the challenge and raising their skill level.
Right now, it's fairly common for bloggers to make jeans and bras, two items which I would consider at the upper skill area of sewing. Many enthusiastic sewers have an overlocker (serger) in addition to a regular machine - I have one and it's so useful. Now, coverstitch machines seem to be the new thing to have.
What interests me is this interaction between developing skill levels of sewers and the material available to facilitate their skills, be that a coverstitch machine or a complex pattern that everyone seems to be making.
I also wonder what the next big thing is - after you've made your own bra and some jeans, what next? Have you noticed any trends in the sewing world, and what are they? Do you even care much about trends and developments? Now the online sewing world is so active, there is inspiration everywhere and it can be overwhelming rather than inspiring.
If you've been sewing for longer than my 5 years and have a bit of a longer overview, I'd love to know what you think of today's sewing world.
K x
I'm 51 and have been sewing since I was 12. I think it's very exciting that if I want some obscure notion or fabric I can just order it. This makes a huge difference in the projects I make.i also find it curious how , as you noted, everyone starts sewing jeans or bras, at the same time. When I worked in a fabric store in the late 80's , we would do that to some extent with certain patterns or styles. I have always wanted to try new things and I have no interest in the art teacher look that other people my age adopt. No dangly bits on my clothes please. Sorry I had to throw that in!
ReplyDeleteIt's great to be able to find so many things online that would previously have been so much more difficult to get. On the flipside though, sometimes it's TOO easy to order fabric with a few clicks. Bad for the wallet :-)
DeleteAs someone who turned 50 in December, so a similar age to Tammy, I'm curious (and somewhat alarmed, hehe) to know what the 'art teacher' look is!! But I don't go for danglies either! Jen
DeleteI started sewing about 8 years ago, I was 16 at the time. A friend and I took lessons once a week, the two teenagers in a class where the average age was well above 50. I’m so happy sewing is becoming more popular in Belgium. It is still not as mainstream as it is in the UK but it is a lot easier to find supplies. There are more fabric stores and the range of fabrics is expanded to accommodate a younger public. There is a new sewing magazine ‘la maison victor’ that offers modern sewing patterns. Recently I started buying pdf sewing patterns online. I do own a overclock, well actually my mum does, there is a sewing corner in my room. I have no idea what the next new thing is going to be for me, I hardly ever wear jeans and I like the fit of my retail bras so the interest is small to make those myself. The next thing I want to try is a vintage sewing pattern.
ReplyDeleteJoin our Vintage Pledge Nathalie! You can pledge to make just one vintage pattern
DeleteI really think that to expand one's skills, and also to keep the variety going, it takes sewing for others. But I can't see that becoming a trend in itself, which is understandable. As I am about as trendy as three china ducks, whatever it is I doubt I'll be doing it - no bras or jeans here! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat point, the process of sewing for someone else involves a whole new set of fit challenges and likely sewing a different type of garment or using a fabric you wouldn't normally choose
DeletePart of me wonders if the sewing community has really grown, or if more people who sew are finally finding their way to the internet. Some of the best seamstresses I know want nothing to do with blogging or online communities. Others, didn't know it existed and are jumping in late(r) in the game.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been sewing for very long yet, but I find myself hungry for more CONSTANTLY. I'm not currently interested in jeans and/or bras, but I have made a pair of sandals at a shoe making school, and I returned there a couple weeks ago to learn how to sew with leather and make my own handbag. I'm fairly resistant to anything "trendy". For me, the whole point of sewing (especially from vintage patterns and fabrics) is to have something that nobody else does or can. I think that the creative process is a never-ending path. Many people keep wandering and don't often end where they started.
That's very true with blogging, often your original intentions with a sewing blog change as you become interested in new things. I also love vintage patterns for the reasons you give. It's nice to read about people using patterns that are different from the mainstream hot and popular patterns
DeleteI think things have improved in some ways but sewing I s far from being mainstream. We have one tv show, only six episodes long. Compare that to the amount of cookery programmes there are!
ReplyDeleteI've seen the death of haberdashery sections in department stores. Wool shops becoming a distant memory, people preferring cheap and poorly made clothing to making their own!
However, for me, the Internet has been fantastic. Through blogs like yours, I've discovered a whole new world of sewing, talented people and even tutorials.
Keep blogging, you guys keep me inspired to constantly learn and try new styles!
Baby steps with the TV coverage! It would be interesting if there was an instructional TV sewing show, along the lines of a Delia Smith/Jamie Oliver for sewing. I think (hope) that fabric, wool and haberdashery shops are making something of a resurgence though, to meet the demands of a public more interested in crafts. But there is also a massive online market too which didn't previously exist
DeleteI have been sewing (and knitting) by hand since I was about 5 and my machine since I was about 7, almost 40 years! I think sewing has become less mainstream. So few fabric shops now and as for wool shops, one or two new ones don't make up for all that have sadly passed before. We were all upcycling clothes before it was ever a thing. That punk DIY ethic when we really did make our clothes because you couldn't buy them, well unless you shopped in London and had bags of cash. None of this trendy indie pattern malarky. :) We all made whatever we thought was great (heavy emphasis on thought). I hope that sewing is here to stay, not just a passing internet fad. It would be nice to get that level of creativity again. Oh, and I sound like my Mum. Xx
ReplyDeleteI really do hope that sewing is here to stay too BUT that it doesn't follow on the same lines of fast fashion and that it reflects a growth in people wishing to become more thoughtful consumers.
DeleteInteresting post. I've been sewing for about 5 years but probably only aware of the online world for about 3. I have noticed a change though, even in that relatively short time. I have no real interest in sewing my own bras. I had no interest in sewing jeans until the release of the Ginger pattern, which I like because it seems to cover everything I like in a jean. And because I am wearing jeans a lot more at present.
ReplyDeleteI do find the whole thing very inspiring, but also very overwhelming. The more options and inspiration available, the more pressure there is, I think (just pressure on yourself, to be clear). But I'd rather that than limited options, if I'm honest. When I was pregnant, there were lots of new patterns released that I didn't buy, and nothing fell apart. I can buy them at a later date if I still want to. For me, I just need to keep perspective, and only buy patterns (and fabric) when I plan to make the garment!!! I look forward to seeing what's next, regardless of whether or not I join in.
It's definitely good to be able to keep focussed on what you really want/need to make instead of being led down other tantalising paths. The easy part is buying the fabric and patterns, getting time to sew them is so much harder!
DeleteWell, from the title of the post I thought you were quitting to start something new, so I'm glad that's not the case! I think that, while sewing jeans and bras etc is very impressive, surely it's the sort of hobby where you can keep improving and discovering new techniques and different/better ways of doing things, so it probably doesn't have a expiry date to an individual. If we're talking just about the next trend...I have no idea. When I first started sewing more seriously about ten years ago, I never talked about anything crafty with my non sewing friends. And even with them, it was only about sewing craft, never anything else like knitting etc. I like that being crafty has become a good thing and not something only your grandma would do, but since I have no idea what coverstitch machines are, I might be out of touch here... :)
ReplyDeleteNo plans to quit, don't worry. In fact no plans to branch out much at all right now, just to keep taking advantages to opportunities to sew so that I can make things I love to wear. No bra making for me, in the near future anyway.
DeleteYou do have the most interesting topics of discussion on your blog. I'm a young 'un who hasn't been sewing that long but my grandmother is an excellent seamstress who used to work in a small industrial setting and as a home-based seamstress for many years. From talking to her, I feel today's new sewists are more focused on perfection in fit and construction - I certainly agonise over fitting issues and mistakes that she wouldn't give a rats ass about. She just sewed from the packet and that was it. There also seems to be a return to natural fibers, such as quality 100% cotton and silk, whereas the latest delivery of fabric I received from her stash were 100% awful polyester. Perhaps synthetics were seen as a new and trendy item when they came out, with a luxury status assigned to them. Of course, this is all anecdotal so it could be just her! But I get the sense that her fellow seamstresses were equally blasé about the craft (in her time) as it was an everyday skill that most women practiced.
ReplyDeleteI think your comments about today's sewers vs. the past are spot on. My mum sewed and I don't think would have made anything more than basic alterations (shortening or lengthening). I suppose that because so many more people sewed, from necessity, that most people were happy with pattern fit as it was. I've definitely seen many shoddy examples of sewing and garment finishing in vintage homemade items! But there would have been people who did know and care about getting fit right, just they were a smaller percentage of the overall.
DeleteI agree about the fabric too - it must have been revolutionary when synthetic fabrics were developed because all the washing and laundering previously required would have been so tiresome.
I think that sewing sustainably is becoming a big thing. I've been sewing for more than 50 years (eek!) and I've noticed that there is much more awareness about where clothes come from and where they end up, either in landfill or in third world countries where they contribute to the destruction of the local garment industry, and local economies. Green economics is becoming an important area of scholarship. I am delighted when I see how many young men and women are learning to sew and make their own clothing and can't help by being impressed at the fearless way in which they tackle garment construction and perfect fit.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, it really got me thinking (and clearly other people too!)
I really hope that sewing sustainably does become increasingly important. As home sewing is obviously a growing industry, I would hate for it to become like the fast fashion industry. Already it seems like there are so many fabric collections and often such excitement over them that I wonder if that rend will increase. Glad you enjoyed the post!
DeleteI've been sewing since I was a child as my mother is also a sewer and she taught me. I've already done the jeans and bra thing (about 15 years ago) and now I've moved on and am sewing historical clothing. I've also dabbled in quilting which I said I'd never do and have gone back to knitting and learned to spin and weave. I think the thing is if you run out of things to do in one craft you'll learn a new craft to feed that hunger to learn, and after a while you go back to sewing and try things you never thought you'd do. In my case I now have an eighteenth century wardrobe suitable for a merchant's wife, 3 quilts in the house and another in the WIP pile and plans for many more things.
ReplyDeleteSounds like an impressive wardrobe! Interesting to hear how you have satisfied your desire to learn more crafts
DeleteVery interesting and reflective post. Sometimes it's good to stop and think for a moment. I've been sewing since I was a young 'un, I remember sewing my school skirts at 12 because I was too tall for RTW at that time. I can't remember when I started sewing but my mum and granny taught me and we also made a skirt at school (unlined).
ReplyDeleteMy sewing machine is a good solid 'retro' New Home that I got for my 21st birthday. It does all I need it to and has more stitches than I need or use. I've come back to sewing after a break of about 5 years. I just got really fed up with the declining quality of fabrics and decreasing length of RTW clothing which meant I've been having real problems getting clothing of reasonable fabric quality and fit at a price that doesn't make your eyes water! So it was back to sewing but my goodness what a difference in those 5 years! I love how the blog world has meant I can learn and improve my sewing. How do I make a sleeve head? Google it and I'll find a blogger with the answer. My sewing has really improved!
I don't know what the next big thing will be and don't care! I want to sew good clothing that fits me we'll. It's probably easy to sew things that will look good on a blog but will stay in my wardrobe unworn. I want to make clothes for me to wear and if they happen to look good on my blog, that's great. I'm a very selfish sewer and happy about it!
I'm with you on the length, I'm tall too and was fed up with RTW dresses that were indecent. Nothing wrong with sewing for yourself either, it's a wonderful thing to be able to do and be liberated from high street clothing
DeleteI've been seeing various amounts since I was taught at school age 10. Unfortunately life is too busy right now to follow trends or experiment much, but the abundance of inspiration is nice. I feel like I could find a pattern for most styles these days, whereas years ago there was just what a few main stream pattern companies were offering and magazines. Other than that you had to draft your own. I can't predict where the sewing world will be in another 10 years time but something I would dearly love to see is the resurgence of fabric shops. There was one in every small town when I was a teenager. I have noticed more wool shops reopening so it would be nice if fabric followed suit, however with the rise of the Internet and demise of the high street I might be hoping a bit too much!
ReplyDeleteThat's great that you have noticed a greater range of patterns, there is just SO much choice now
DeleteIt's funny as I was thinking about new sewists earlier this week and how fast everyone is improving their skill sets! It's kind of mad how quickly people are going from sewing their first dress to making undies and jeans, but so fearless and inspiring! I've been sewing forever (over 20 years, eek) and I have never known so many other fellow sewists with so much to talk about. I always felt like a I was alone with my hobby, but then I discovered last year that everyone was doing it and talking about it and it has been amazing. As far as the next big thing goes, I feel that this must slow down at some point mustn't it? The pace of sewing reminds me of my working life, which was fairly hectic. The same energy is being applied and I'm certain that people will change direction eventually and practice slower sewing (even me). Whatever though, the skills being tackled at the moment will be with these individuals forever, so that's brilliant! Good post! X
ReplyDeleteI also love being able to connect with people to enjoy what was previously a solitary hobby. The internet has been truly wonderful for that. But a slower and more considered approach would be good, with more care taken of fit and thought of environmental concerns and sustainability
DeleteI never have a plan, it's just a matter of what fabric I've found and if there's a pattern in my stash suitable!
ReplyDeleteThis week its all been about using up the scraps that have been cluttering up the spare room for far too long. Now I've done that I can see what I've got left to play with - looks like I need to find some vintage fabric very soon! x
Using what you have is the epitome of thoughtful and sustainable sewing -I love scrap projects and need some ideas for more before my scraps burst out of their under bed storage space!
DeleteI wonder- if you sew for the challenge, will you feel like you peeked at some point and lose interest?
ReplyDeleteI think if that's your main motivation then you would, but like Rachelle commented, if you're that kind of person you'd find another craft to challenge you so you become a master of many
DeleteI, for one, am really thankful for the internet when it comes to sewing. I hardly have any options for sourcing supplies locally, and don't know a lot of people in my "real life" who sew on a regular basis (and when they do, it's quilting.) So it's great to have a place I can go and talk about how excited I am over my most recent finished project or moan about fitting woes, and people actually care! I wouldn't say I'm necessarily trendy when it comes to my sewing, as it usually takes me awhile to get to whatever the latest indie pattern that everyone is excited about is. But I am glad that pants and jeans are becoming more of a thing, since I wear those frequently/have made both. I haven't jumped on the bra bandwagon yet, and we'll see if I actually feel like it once I feel like I can fit lingerie with any amount of lasting accuracy again.
ReplyDeleteIf I had to make a guess, based on what I've been seeing in several of the more popular blogs, it seems like a lot of people are leaning toward the minimalist/mix-and-match capsule wardrobes, sustainability, and "slow sewing". I can get behind the latter two, but I'm way too much of a clotheshorse to fully embrace the first!
It's wonderful to be able to share your excitement with people who truly understand what it means to set in a sleeve without puckers (one day...one day...) I'm on board with slow and thoughtful sewing too
DeleteShoes... I can see it coming. Everyone's gonna be making shoes. Except me, that doesn't float my boat
ReplyDeleteShoes... I can see it coming. Everyone's gonna be making shoes. Except me, that doesn't float my boat
ReplyDeleteHa ha, OK, you called it, Amy! I can't imagine being able to make any kind of shoes I'd want to wear (sandals, maybe). But who knows, maybe I'll look like an idiot for saying that in 5 years time...
DeleteOne of the thing I see is that the beginners can learn to sew well much quicker and tailor their learning to what they want to do whereas before it was more rigid, you had to start with a straight skirt (I think a straight skirt is an awful first project, they are not hard to make but so hard to fit!) then move on. Now if you want to make a coat, you can read everything there is to read and watch all the videos and dive right in.
ReplyDeleteI see more outerwear than I have ever seen, I am self taught and it took me about 20 years before I dared make a jacket. With all the ressources available, you can make one with very little practice if this is what you want to make. I find that amazing!
That's a great point, I think there are definitely more exciting options available for beginner sewers now which probably helps capture their imagination and inspire them. I tried learning to sew when I was a teenager - a skirt, and I abandoned it pretty quickly!
DeleteI love this post and I especially love all the comments it's generated! Initially I thought you meant the next big craft trend too. For me, knitting went more mainstream first, then sewing. So I thought, what next, woodworking? I think that would be cool, btw. Or leather-tooling...hmm.. Clearly I am a multi-crafter, and master of none, ha!
ReplyDeleteNext big craft trend - you might be right with leather working. I've seen a few people make leather bags and sandals
DeleteI have been sewing for 46 years, and was pleased to discover the online sewing community as I have no sewing friends. Also the increase in online fabric shops has been wonderful, I actually stopped sewing at one point because I just couldn't find fabric and supplies. These two things have prompted me to start sewing again, and it is a very similar story with knitting. I was really inspired by the sewing bloggers who made beautifully constructed and fitted garments, and were very generous with sharing their knowledge. I would have to agree about the shift to making bras and jeans, and I probably read less blogs these days. Sewing is a wonderful hobby, and I am pleased there has been such a revival. I am also pleased that you intend to carry on blogging.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful comment Susan. Your story is one that reflects the success of the increased popularity of sewing. What a shame you had to stop before but fantastic you were able to take it up again
DeleteI've been sewing for ~30 years (which sounds ridiculous!), and it is *great* to see it becoming more and more popular in the sense that it means that more people are getting involved in something that I've had so much joy from. Happy times. The rise in available equipment is like any hobby - companies will try to find ways to use as much of one's disposable income as possible. Just like home cooking - kitchen aid with various attachments anyone? Like others, I hope home sewers become more mindful and mature - in terms of material used (something that costs £2 a metre new isn't necessarily good!), and in terms of what is being sewn (for one's own style rather than the same T-shirt that everyone else is making). I sound grumpy, but really it would just be more interesting :-)
ReplyDeleteMindful sewing is a great term, and I think that idea is definitely catching on. And yes, a bit of variety on blogs is nice too, I've been enjoying reading blogs which don't feature the usual indie pattern suspects, because it can get dull seeing the same patterns everywhere. I have definitely made many an indie pattern in my time (and still do) but like to mix it up a bit more with vintage.
DeleteReally thought provoking piece. Definitely got me thinking. I do think that the big companies like john Lewis are jumping on the band wagon, I wonder if there will be a steady increase in the kits and introduction to sewing books, turning up in Asia and tescos. When I started many years ago before my baby break, I found it hard to find a general book, now there are so many and they are all very similar and the kits are expensive.
ReplyDeleteI want to move away from a quick turn over and sew for me, invest in fabric and patterns and challenge myself, in fact I'm a very selfish sewer! I want to shop much less for clothes. My main aim is to learn to change patterns and adapt them and enjoy the problem solving.
I haven't been sewing for very long, 5-6 years, and blogging only for a few month. When I started back home in Romania, it was like a sewing black hole, there was nothing available, no patterns, no lessons, no bloggers, just a few sewing forums that sounded like Chinese to my beginner self. When I moved to the UK, I was amazed at how many sewing lessons, fabric shops, even sewing machine shops there were. And since I started blogging, a brave new world with a fantastic community opened. What I hope the next big thing will be for other countries to catch up with the UK and have sewing go so mainstream. I would absolutely love to see a Romanian Sewing Bee!
ReplyDeleteAnd a second point, I agree with Fadanista Sue about the green sustainable sewing angle. I would like to see more people at least refashion (instead of throwing away) more clothes, and use sewing to breathe life into old things, even if they can't sew from scratch. The Sewing Bee alteration challenge has hopefully got a lot of creative juices going.
And lastly, Indie sewing is great and well done for home sewers to support them, but it does get a bit dull. I would like to see more sewers mixing things up, fankenpatterns ahoy! And some more creative, wacky, off the beaten track indies designs. Personally, I would love to make my own shoes one day, but I have a feeling it will be more in the space of 3D printing than actually making them...
Great post!
Next trend: tailoring! It's gonna be all discussions of horsehair weft, pre-made suit-fronts, pulling apart and re-shaping sleeve headers, and Instagrams of people multitasking padstitching with cocktails while waiting for their pedicure to dry.
ReplyDelete