There was an age when sewing was not just a necessity but an enjoyable pastime. Thanks to TV shows like Project Runway and the growing number of hot new Australian designers, these days have returned.
For a while, there sewing was strictly for grandmas and library nerds only. In the last few years, however, sewing has come back in vogue.
No longer sitting dormant, the trusty old Singer is being dusted off and given a good workout.
Surprisingly, it’s the younger generation who’s embracing this trend. With home economics and design such popular school subjects, the seamstress of today is young and funky.
School students are aspiring to more than just the ability to sew a button on, but appreciating sewing for the creative outlet it is.
They start off making canvas bags and simple garments and then progress to something more challenging – until suddenly, they find themselves stitching their own wedding dress!
Given the technology-saturated world in which we live, it’s refreshing to see the return of such a traditional art form.
The beauty of sewing lies in its simplicity – rather than a host of different gaming controllers and machinery, sewing just calls for a skilled hand, needle and thread (and perhaps a sewing machine and overlocker).
Sewing is also extremely versatile. From ornate decorative work to purely functional stitching, seamstresses are really only limited by their imagination.
There’s a social side to this craft, too. A circle of ladies sitting around having a yarn is a pretty common sight. In fact, this behaviour has been amusingly labelled “Stitch n’ Bitch.”
This phrase has been used to refer to social sewing and knitting groups since World War II. While previously, the main discussion might have centred around what was being cooked for dinner, these days, Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton are more likely to be the main topics of conversation.
While there’s still somewhat of a stigma attached, men are also increasingly getting in on the sewing action – think Alex Perry and Josh Goot.
Whatever your motivation or gender, there’s no doubt that sewing is a much-celebrated pastime and is as relevant today as it was hundreds of years ago.
