Let’s begin with a true story: when asked to write a post regarding my stance on sewing and if it was a dying art, I looked at my boss disgusted at the idea that people would question the relevance of sewing. My grandma taught me how to mend clothes when I was 5, and my love for sewing only grew from there. Sewing was fun, so I went on to take as many sewing classes in grade school as I possibly could. I went on to study the product development of textiles in college, so I must admit, I’ve been surrounded by sewing enthusiasts for a good chunk of my life. However, I quickly realized that not everyone has walked in the same path as me, so I began my research endeavors to find out if sewing is a dying art. Here we go!
Sewing was once done out of necessity, but with the rapid increase in the development of fast fashion, there’s no longer a need to make clothes at home, is there? However, sewing has always been a way to make things that fit your needs, and the personalization that sewing offers is now drawing Millenials and Gen Z’s in. This new generation of sewists desire to make their homes and garments unique and special to them, and they want to do it for less than retail value. And with the advancement of the internet, young sewists are no longer at the mercy of a fashion house to make money from their creations; they can create, sell, and receive an income from them with ease.
The textile industry is growing, and there’s an increase in resources and programs arising to teach and develop sewing skills. While Family and Consumer Science departments in High Schools are dwindling, there’s no shortage of free websites that teach sewing machine and garment construction basics. There are options for pursuing a textile oriented career when furthering your education and from experience, colleges that offer fashion and merchandising programs continue to grow and receive funding for updated materials and machines. The resources found in these programs are not always exclusive, and fashion and sewing clubs and classes are typically open to students in any major.
Some retailers are also catching on to these innovative ideas creating spaces for crafters, including sewists, to rent machines for projects, take classes to learn new skills, and have access to the tools needed to display and market their creations. Other stores have started programs for bringing in old clothes to learn how to re-purpose and upcycle, even providing sewing repair kits to encourage sewing. Mood Fabrics’ own Mood U offers classes that teach sewing skills like attaching zippers and other practical applications that are open to the public.
Millennials make up nearly half of the crafting segment, according to Forbes, so the interest is there; the quintessential part is to keep making shifts in the right direction that attract and accommodate the tech-savvy and expressive upcoming generation of crafters, sewists, and hobbyists.
It’s easy to assume that sewing is an outdated art form, but fortunately that’s just not true. The sewing community and its technology are ever-changing and ever-adapting, attracting the new generation of sewists. Sewing companies are producing a wave of smart sewing machines including WiFi connectivity capabilities, sewing cams that can record or take pictures during stitching when connected to a smart device, equipped with app syncing technology to easily access tutorials or connect to social media for sewists to share their creations with the world. Even in the industry, different materials call for the introduction of various types of sewing machines, increasing the demand for sewists and sewing machine production. The new innovations being developed in the sewing machine sector are estimated to increase sales of sewing machines by several percent by 2023.
My research leads me to see a prosperous future for sewing. Sewing is still being taught and with so many resources available to learn how to sew, it’s nearly impossible to say that the tools needed to become a sewist are not accessible. At the very least, numbers talk and the projected forecast that estimates an increase in sewing machine sales is rather promising.
Whether you’re a sewing vet or you stumbled across this post by chance, what are your thoughts on the art of sewing; do you think it’s alive and well or struggling to stay relevant and how do you think that retailers can reel the new generation of sewists in? Sound off below!
Don’t forget to check out MoodFabrics.com and MoodSewciety.com for all of your sewing needs and browse through our blog for free sewing patterns, trend reports, DIY tutorials, and more!
56 comments
I am 56 and have sewn since I was a little girl, so it is difficult to imagine a life without sewing. There was a time from the late 80s to early 2000’s that resource choices as far as garment/fashion fabrics and supplies were very limited but the sewing machine industry seemed to keep innovating, probably due to the popularity of quilting, so I am very grateful for that. Now that garment sewing has become more popular there is an incredible amount of choices for nearly everything sewing related and I am happy about that as well. I think the practice of the art of sewing will ebb and flow as it always has but those of us who are dedicated to the craft will always sew and will always be willing to pass our knowledge on to subsequent generation.
It’s a lot easier to access all the resources needed for sewing today, but we’re thankful for sewists like you who remember a day when it wasn’t quite so easy. Thanks for sharing, Kim.
I have been volunteer teaching sewing the past 5 years at a boys and girls club summer camp program. I bring machines, fabric, and a weekly project for 12 kids each week to do. What a joy, the Lord has blessed me with to be able to do this work. Most of the kids parents don’t sew, but Grandma does. I have to limit the number of boys in the classes . Yes they love making something with their hands instead of just pushing gaming devices for points. Thanks for the article and God bless sewers and quilters 🙂
I am always so happy to see so many blogs and Instagram accounts dedicated to sewing. While people don’t have to sew their own clothes anymore, I think that most people would love to be able to create their own clothes. I definitely don’t think that sewing is a dying art!! TV shows dedicated to sewing like Project Runway and Great British Sewing Bee would not be on the air if sewing was a dying art.
Thanks for giving this post a read, Linda, I agree with you, and we love Project Runway here at Mood!
Everyone should learn to sew,even a little bit. Small jobs like repairs and hems are easy and will save a ton ! From beginner to master many people enjoy quilting! According to many nurses and teachers it can be very therapeutic and fullfilling to restore their souls after all the caring service. Also it is a perfect artistic outlet.
Sewing is very useful, as well as fun. Thanks for your comment, Gail.
As a nurse, I agree. Sewing is definitely therapeutic.
I also started sewing when I was 5 or 6 because I wanted clothes for my Barbie dolls. As the years have passed I have seen a change in how sewing is seen. But it seems to be coming back to the for front. My local library even offers free beginner sewing classes. I now am trying to teach my granddaughters the joy of sewing. They love making things for themselves. And they now come over to use one of my 7 sewing machines on a regular basis. So no sewing is not dieing, it my have lost some ground since I started sewing, but it is on the way back. The next generation it take it farther then we ever dreamed of.
It’s great to hear that your local library is staying ahead of the curve by offering sewing classes! I love that you’re sharing your love of sewing with your granddaughters – they’ll be able to carry that skill with them as they grow. Thanks for sharing, Ina!
Even if it’s “dying,” it will never die. It may go through phases, but it’ll always be around.
Fabric is much cheaper than clothing, and it’s a very fun and relaxing hobby.
There are a ton of free tutorials and classes, and lots of people online willing to help and share ideas. The community is there. And if nothing else, you can bet that Singer, Brother, etc. wouldn’t keep producing new models of sewing machines if there wasn’t a profit in it.
I think you’re right! Thanks for your comment, Devin!
I disagree with fabric being cheaper than clothing. It depends on we’re you shop. Walmart has $5.00 t-shirts, $15.00 dresses and so on. I am not saying they are good quality, but if you are on a budget cheap clothes can be found.
I have been seeing since I was about 8 or 9 from my mother & grandmother. Then when , I married I had 4 daughters I hoped they were going to learn to enjoy sewing they did, but as they got older they figure mom would do it all if fooled them . I don’t leave near any of them so I figure they would have to or have but it ready made or pay somebody to make it I don’t ask..
It’s never too late for them to learn, thankfully the sewing community is a wonderful one full of endless resources! There’s still hope, Sara! Thanks for your comment!
I have been sewing since my early years ,I love it and I love to see the creations that are made, I do not think it is a dying art,I think it is just morphing into something new .itaught my daughter to sew as a teenager all her friends came to her to alter their clothes. We need to continue teaching anyone who wants to learn .
I couldn’t agree with you more- sewing is useful and fun! Thanks for sharing, Kelly!
I wish they would put home economics back in high schools. Thats where many learn.
I know I’m thankful that my high school offered it. Some companies and establishments are beginning to offer more sewing classes, so keep your eyes peeled for those! Thanks for your comment, Vicky!
I also enjoyed home economics classes, but frankly my mom taught me more. The school systems are so pressed for time with all the things they are mandated to teach. Perhaps this is where town/city recreation departments could step in. They could offer classes at every level and in short increments. I once took a couture sewing class offered through a recreation department and it was incredible. I also took a quilting beginner class and learned a lot. The benefit of a rec sewing program is that these classes do not have to meet government mandated standards and they can quickly adapt to meet the interests and needs of the participants.
I started sewing at 3 or 4 years old with a threaded needle, a handful of buttons from mother’s button jars, and a piece of border lace. It was meant to keep me quiet and occupied. I was the oldest and mother was really busy! But I figured out hand sewing really fast and begged mother to teach me how to use her Featherweight. She said no, I was too young. That changed when I figured out how to use the treadle, including the long skinny bobbin! From making my own clothes in grade school to costumes (even now) I have a room full of inspiration. Bins of fabric, notions, beads and threads. And yes I use it all! This skill is a life long love and creative comfort. She who dies with the most fabric wins!! 🙂
I’m thankful for the curious ones like you that have a true love for sewing! Thanks for sharing, Louise!
I am 47 and have been sewing since I was 9 years old. I didn’t know., at that early of an age, that I would enjoy sewing so much and it is my outlet when everything else seems to be falling apart around me. I have taught all 11 of my neices and nephews to sew because I felt they needed to know how to do it. I have always told them that I’m not always going to be right there when you need something fixed. I am happy that they know how to sew and that I was taught by my mom and my grandma.
You are apart of the community that is helping to keep sewing alive! Thanks for sharing, Tracy.
Hi Stephanie,
I really loved your blog and articles about sewing. I would love to speak to you further about some possible collaborations off line if you are interested. Thank you.
Thanks! I will be in touch with you soon.
It can’t die because if sewing dies we will not have clothes to wear, no blankets to cover is when it is cold.
Anna, you are right! Thanks for your comment!
I don’t remember when I first learned to sew. I know my my test me to embroider when I was 7 or 8. Since then, I’ve just been improving my skills, and I’m 65 now! The home ec class I took in junior high helped, but mostly I learned from my mother, books, or the internet. I learned on a Singer 99K and I’ve come back to it, even (cautiously) sewing knits with it. It’s more expensive now to make something than to buy it, but it’s also more ethical. That’s why I search second-hand stores for sheets and tablecloths! My two daughters love asking me to mend their things, but so far they haven’t tried to learn to sew themselves, even though I gave them a class at JoAnn when they were in high school. Oh well, there’s time!
I became interested in sewing at about age 5 when an older girl used to come to my Mom’s Beauty Shop with her Mother. The girl would bring her doll and doll clothes she had made. I was fascinated and hooked! It wasn’t until I was in the 7th grade and had a Home Making class that I learned how to use a pattern and I made my first top! As the years went by I would make some clothes for myself, my Mom and my Sisters and even for a friend. After I got married and had my daughter, I would make matching clothes for her and I as she got a little older. I also made several dresses for my Mom and even made an outfit for my little Brother one Easter! My daughter was a flower girl many times and I made all her dresses and even some other flower girls dresses too. When my older Brother and his wife got married, I made her dress and train, and headpiece with a veil. I also made my bridesmaid dress and some other bridesmaids dresses and headpieces. I’ve made many things over the years like cushions, comforters and matching draperies. My biggest undertaking was upholstering my 1977 Honda Accord car seats! I started with the backseat. I took off the original ones and ripped the seams then used the parts as the patterns! Then I did the front passenger side and left the driver’s seat for last. They came out very nice!
I have really enjoyed sewing over the years and I’m getting ready to make some purses, tote bags and coin purses and hopefully other things that I haven’t made in the past!
I’m 71 years now and don’t plan to stop sewing ever!
I also make jewelry and have a webstore on Etsy!
Sewing is practical and therapeutic for sure and it certainly is never too late for your daughters to learn! Thanks for sharing, Glenda!
I am almost 64 and l started sewing 2 years ago! I love it! I’ve always wanted to learn. My mom was a great sewist but did not want to teach her young son to sew. I asked! She was a great parent, we adored one another., it just was a different time. I think of her now when l’m at my sewing machine. Sewing is in my blood!
I am an artist who paints with bright colors, so l sew with bright colors and mix patterns. I’m bringing back Mod from the 60’s, with some hippie thrown it. People are already saying l should do my own line. Flattering, but that’s not my intention. I paint to inspire others to paint. I draw to inspire others to draw. You like my reversible duster? Cool! Thanks! Grab some fabric you love and get to work. It’s fun!
I’m amazed at how many people have said to me, “How are you doing this? (I’m taking classes.) I’ve always wanted to learn how to sew!” It’s never too late to find a new passion!
My Dad just turned 90, he watched his Mom make patterns and sew. I was told before my gram married she was a seamstress. When I was born I was the first girl in three generations, didn’t learn to see. There were 4 boys in my family before I came, all my Girl clothes (not hand me downs) until I was about 8 yrs old were sewn by my gram. My dad was a machine electrician, blue collar factory worker until he retired. He created and made matching/ coordinating square dance outfits while I was growing up. When I was pregnant he made my prego pants, dresses and tops for the office. I never learned to make clothes, I started with quilt top piecing by hand when I was about 30 yrs old. I have made beautiful pieced quilt tops for gifts, but don’t like to quilt. Ever time I’m at my sewing machine I think of both gram and dad. There’s always something in process and hate leaving project big or small unfinished. There is always stashes of gift giving items. Scarfs, burb pads, doll quilts, phone purse, card wallet, zip pouch, purses and best of all, my favorite hot pot pads and Amish star mini kitchen quilt. Just turned 60 this yr, Looking forward to retiring in a few yrs, so much fabric so little time
Sewing truly is a wonderful art and I’m so happy you’ve been enjoying it! If you ever make anything using our patterns or fabric, please tag us in your posts so that we can check it out. Thanks so much for your comment, Timmothy!
Yes us guys do sew too (contrary to what some think!) Most automotive upholstery shops are staffed by as little as one man (the owner or proprietor) I’ve had classic cars in the past (still do) and now days an interior job is about $1500 on up so it pays to go buy a used industrial machine and do it yourself after acquiring the skill and save big money.
I’m 51 now. My grandmother tried teaching me when I was little, but then she moved too far away. She made a good portion of my clothes and at Christmas she made all the grandchildren matching outfits ( one year we were all Holly Hobby with a matching shirt for my brother). I took sewing in junior high. When I visited her, she would give me small projects. I made a few things for my kids when they were little. Now I’m just waiting for either kid to finish college and move out on their own so I can have a craft room and really start making things. One goal is to learn how to use my great grandmothers 1926 treadle Singer. It’s what my grandmother learned on.
I hope you can restore that vintage beauty and keep it running smoothly for a long time! I’m glad that sewing is filled with many beautiful memories surrounding your family. Thanks for the comment, Michelle!
I am an sewing educator and it gives me
great pleasure to have this conversation. Sewing will nof die. What will happen and is happening is that . Many who have discovered their creative talent will find ways and means to manifest them .which would lend itself to learning the skills involve.
I think you’re right, Gwenda! Thanks for giving this post a read!
I just discovered quilting two years ago, at age 60. I love the fabrics and colors! I have a great deal to learn; my skill level is no where near where my interest level is! But I am on the road to learning and people have been wonderful. Viva la sewing!
I love the design piecing part of quilt making, not so much hand quilting. I like to finish the project than hand quilt. If you like color popping look into Seminole designs. Great for edging on gift giving, really adds a personal thoughtful touch. Super for scrap busting or small cloth purchases.
I’m so happy to hear that you discovered quilting and that you’re enjoying it. Thanks for your comment, Kelly!
I am 44 and learned to hand sew when I was probably 5 or 6. Got to use my mom’s machine when I was 12 and joined 4-H for a year. Through the 90s and early 00s, I did a lot of cross-stitch but not much else. As an adult, I wanted to learn to knit, which led to a class at JoAnn’s. That taught me about all of the other classes they had and soon, I was taking sewing classes whenever I had the time and money. I have just started my fourth year of a quilting “Block of the Month” club. I don’t know if it was because of my own experiences or not but I feel like there might have been a downtrend for a little while in the late 90s/early 00s but have seen an uptick since then. Most of the regulars in the quilting class are older than me but there have been a couple of women in their thirties and one in her twenties that have attended some classes. Also, in Ohio at least, Jo-Ann’s went from offering “summer camp” classes for kids a few years ago to having year round kids classes now. I think that’s probably a good sign!
Petra, I love hearing that companies are offering classes more frequently to educate aspiring sewists!
At the ave of 74 I have returned to a job at an elementary school doing after school care. I am so overjoyed to be teaching many of these children to sew. They range from 7 to 12 years old and they are learning both hand and machine sewing. I am certainly not a pro but can pass my enthusiasm and the skills I have. We are having a wonderful time and several of the boys have commented on how calming sewing is. The parents are amazed at what these children can accomplish.
It’s fantastic to hear that children so young are learning how to sew! Keep up the good work and encouraging the youth, Mary!
About 30 years ago I saw a beautiful knife pleated skirt in the Sunday New York Times Magazine, which cost around $2,000. I thought to myself: “I can do that!”. So I bought some easy sewing patterns and taught myself to sew. It was not long after that i was sewing my own beautiful knife pleated skirts. I have been sewing ever since.
With endless resources available, it’s easy to learn to sew and advance as far as you’d like to. Thanks for your comment, Liz!
Unfortunately, the smaller sewing stores are seeing a decline in sales/customers. My local sewing shop sold me a very good 2nd hand serger dirt cheap because they said “no one is buying machines anymore”. Maybe the internet is making it harder for small mom and pop shops to stay afloat. With that in mind, if you do sew, visit your local little sewing centre instead of buying things online. Not only will they be much more informative and helpful than a website, but often they can give you amazing deals too!
I was taught to sew by my parents and the programs they used to offer in school, but for years I did the easy thing and just bought all my clothes. I did always find that stores never had the right fit for my body, which is slim and long yet also curvy. It was practically impossible to find pants that fit me nicely and weren’t way too short. Or, they’d fit ok in the legs, but the rise would be riiight up in my business.
I finally re-visited the art form after my husband and I bought a vintage RV which needed re-upholstering. After I realized that I was not just able to reupholster but actually quite good at it, I got right back into sewing with a PASSION and a strong desire to customize and create things I could wear.
I have made several outfits just using the free patterns offered by this site. Some of my faves are the Cypress dress, Poplar Overalls, Ercilla Suit, Gilia Dress, Bluebell dress, the Gladiolus and Rosemary Blazers — just to name a FEW!!
I wanted to thank you all for making such awesome, fashionable patterns available to people like me. You guys deserve a medal for making the patterns so easy to understand (especially with the photo tutorials). Also, from the photo shoots you all seem like such a fun group of talented people.
Wow, this was great to read about Millenials. I’ve sewn or wanted to all my life but didn’t have any family members who knew how to sew, so I had to wait till I was almost 30 before I found a teacher/mentor and have loved sewing ever since. I teach now and love seeing the lightbulb go on when the students realize they can make ANYTHING now that they know how to sew! But even more fun is to see younger people coming to sewing, which I believe will happen more in the 20s now that manufacturers are trying to do more sustainable and ethical manufacturing of clothing. That will create a huge cost in clothing and push more people into wanting to learn to sew only to find out all the customization and creativity that they can also sew into each of their garments!
Many of the comments reflect a love of sewing and crafting but the other side is financial. All brides need some altering on their gowns and in some areas they have to scramble to find a decent seamstress to work on these complicated garments. While bridal chains pay their backroom seamstresses $11 an hour, an independent seamstress can earn $60+ an hour working from home. Recently I have heard from a chain that they realize there is a shortage of qualified willing seamstresses to work on these dresses and are going to start an education program which seems like the logical step. This year, as I turn 70 after sewing for clients for 50 years, I am mentoring a young woman who thinks that doing bridal sewing will suit her. I have my fingers crossed that it will work out so that I can bow out and do more creative sewing as I have a new sashiko machine waiting to be tested and a felting machine dying to chew through saved scraps of wool and silk over the years.
Having read this I thought it was extremely enlightening. I appreciate you spending some time and effort to put this article together. I once again find myself personally spending way too much time both reading and posting comments. But so what, it was still worthwhile!
Reading this article one year later, the answer to this article is very oblivious. Due to the pandemic, it seems everyone was rushing to get a sewing machine and/or clearing out fabric from every store. It felt good to have this skill and using it to help out my community. I will never forget how many hours I put in on the floor at work and then coming home to making mask the rest of my night for 5 months. I have never sewed so much in my life. The upside to 2020 I got back into sewing .I went from making masks to actual wearable garments like cardigans to jackets.
In regards to this article, in my opinion, sewing is more popular than one year ago with it being the top search last year. We learned from March 2020 when there was a N95 shortage, that you either had to learn to sew, brush up on your sewing skills, or order from Etsy :). Sewing is now an essential skill and for my generation we are now recognizing that this skill can be your life saver, literally.
I recently read early on in Betty Freidan’s “Feminine Mystique” a criticism of the home sewing industry as a way to orient women’s interests toward homemaking. As a millenial who sews because of ecofeminist impulses, I found this to be a stark contrast to my experience of the crafting industry today. I see it filled with environmentalists, innovative creatives, and feminists trying to reclaim a positive body image. I’ve even begun teaching a trans friend of mine who to sew because she has such a hard time finding clothes that fit. She needs her clothes to fit, she says, because her credibility as a woman depends on it. (We all experience that to some degree as the know-how of being a woman is associated with fashion, but the stakes are much higher for her.) I do not believe that sewing is a dying art AT ALL. It is finding a new place in the social consciousness.
No! Sewing is not a dying art! I am 70 years old and I began to hand sew at 8 and later to sew on a Singer sewing machine. I went to an all girls catholic high school that didn’t offer home economics, but we had the luxury of taking Home Economics at the Voc Tech next door to our school. We had a dedicated teacher, it was a great education and I loved every minute of it! For me it was such a thrill. I got my first serger in 1986 and it changed my life forever! I remember taking my serger to work and a friend would bring hers and we would each sew a sweatshirt(which were popular then)on our lunch hour in the board room! I find enjoyment researching the internet on how to sew something in a more professional manner because I don’t always like the way some patterns are drafted for a rather faster way. That leaves me unsatisfied, but because I still love to be challenged and line my coats etc.., the internet has filled that need for me. Not only is there so much to learn, you can learn so much for free! And everyone is so encouraging! The art of sewing is not dead…there’s too many sewists out there keeping it creative, interesting and very alive!
Hi Marjorie! Wow, we loved hearing about how your relationship with sewing began. We got such a kick out of picturing you taking a serger to work in 1986, and sewing sweatshirts in the boardroom with your friend! I have a Kenmore machine from the early 80s and it’s so heavy, I can’t imagine taking it back and forth. Yes, the internet is such a great resource for all hobbies, especially sewing. You can learn something new everyday! Are you currently working on any Mood patterns?