Homemade haute couture: the popularity of do-it-yourself duds
A recent article in lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk
It could be concern for the environment, or simply the threat of recession, but sales of sewing machines are rocketing - and making your own clothes is the height of fashion.
Last week, Argos reported that sales of selected sewing machines have rocketed by 50% in their stores in the past 12 months. Explaining this phenomenon, they cite increasing concern for the environment, awareness of social issues and a backlash against the "throwaway society". They need only add the words "credit crunch" to give a complete picture of why sewing has suddenly become popular again. Woolworths has also just reported a similar trend, with sewing-machine sales growing by 258% in the same period. Their explanation? "We think it's down to more home economics classes being taught in school, the increasing popularity of fancy-dress parties and the death of the high-street tailor."
Source: lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk
And those figures show that a trend that has been bubbling under for a decade has finally hit the mainstream. The crafting revival began in earnest in 2000, when Debbie Stoller, editor of popular US feminist magazine Bust, took a fresh approach to the traditional skills of knitting and crochet, reinventing them for contemporary crafters. She wrote the knitting book, Stitch and Bitch, and soon groups of the same name were gathering in clubs, bars and cafes across the world to make stuff together. In the UK, other groups started, too, including Knitchiks (knitchicks.co.uk), the Cast Off knitting club (castoff.info) and IknitLondon (iknit.org.uk).
Source: lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk
This creative revolution means that anyone new to sewing need not worry that they will be stuck making the nasty, old-fashioned items that used to be a mainstay of the pattern books, modelled by frighteningly clean-cut couples with immobile barnets. These days, there are plenty of cutting-edge books around, and the internet is a fantastic resource for those new to crafting.
Source: lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk
A recent article in lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk
It could be concern for the environment, or simply the threat of recession, but sales of sewing machines are rocketing - and making your own clothes is the height of fashion.
Last week, Argos reported that sales of selected sewing machines have rocketed by 50% in their stores in the past 12 months. Explaining this phenomenon, they cite increasing concern for the environment, awareness of social issues and a backlash against the "throwaway society". They need only add the words "credit crunch" to give a complete picture of why sewing has suddenly become popular again. Woolworths has also just reported a similar trend, with sewing-machine sales growing by 258% in the same period. Their explanation? "We think it's down to more home economics classes being taught in school, the increasing popularity of fancy-dress parties and the death of the high-street tailor."
Source: lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk
And those figures show that a trend that has been bubbling under for a decade has finally hit the mainstream. The crafting revival began in earnest in 2000, when Debbie Stoller, editor of popular US feminist magazine Bust, took a fresh approach to the traditional skills of knitting and crochet, reinventing them for contemporary crafters. She wrote the knitting book, Stitch and Bitch, and soon groups of the same name were gathering in clubs, bars and cafes across the world to make stuff together. In the UK, other groups started, too, including Knitchiks (knitchicks.co.uk), the Cast Off knitting club (castoff.info) and IknitLondon (iknit.org.uk).
Source: lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk
This creative revolution means that anyone new to sewing need not worry that they will be stuck making the nasty, old-fashioned items that used to be a mainstay of the pattern books, modelled by frighteningly clean-cut couples with immobile barnets. These days, there are plenty of cutting-edge books around, and the internet is a fantastic resource for those new to crafting.
Source: lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk
I was JUST talking about this phenomenon a little bit ago with my SIL....that, and tying it into straightedge, and homemaking, and all those other old-fashioned things. :p
ReplyDeleteHi! Thanks for visiting me :)and for your comment.
ReplyDeleteI love all of these hats I'm seeing. I'm a multicraft-a-holic too. Have a great day!
Cheers S.L.N.