Thanks to 'Project Runway,' sewing is hip again
Jane Burns — 7/17/2008 12:16 pm
Michelle Stocker/The Capital Times
Kayla Garland of Cottage Grove creates new clothing out of vintage apparel.The patterns can be created with a 3-D virtual supermodel straight out of a video game. The fabrics can be as organic as grass-fed chickens. The clothes themselves have style and flair.
In other words, sewing isn't solely Grandma's hobby anymore. The rise of the craft movement and a growing do-it-yourself vibe in American culture has given garment-making a boost, particularly among younger people.
"I think it's got a little more status now," said Maria Kurutz, a lecturer in the textile and apparel design program at UW-Madison. "The difference between 'homemade' and a 'one-of-a-kind creation' has turned the tables."
A popular TV show hasn't hurt, either. "Project Runway" began its fifth season on Bravo this week, helping to inspire a whole new generation of designers.
"It has validated what we do," said Danyel Harlem-Siegel, a fashion design major at UW-Madison. "In high school, if I said I wanted to major in fashion design, it was like it was some slacker thing to do."
Those who sew for pleasure are growing in numbers, too. The Home Sewers Association reported that there are 35 million sewing hobbyists in the U.S., up from 30 million in 2000. Time magazine reports that sales of Singer sewing machines have doubled since 1999.
Tim Olson, who owns Jerry's Sewing and Vacuum on the east side, noted that sales at his store have gone up 15 percent a year since 'Project Runway' went on the air.
"Until 2000, 2001 it was very steady, but now our sales have increased," he said. "There's no question 'Project Runway' has impacted this industry. It's the shot in the arm we needed."
Some sewing classes in MATC's Adult and Community Education program for summer and fall filled shortly after schedules were posted. Classes at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores are the rise, too, according to spokespeople for the corporation.
As Amber Eden, editor of Threads magazine, told the Orlando Sentinel: "Sewing is the new knitting."
Not playing by the rules
Unlike knitting, sewing is far less portable. But what it does have going for it is a certain anarchy. In an age where most people wear mass-produced clothes they bought at the mall, those who sew their own clothes can improvise and make something all their own.
"It's totally not by the rules," said Monona resident Margaret Jankowski, who founded the locally based Sewing Machine Project to donate machines to areas hit by disasters such as Hurricane Katrina. "It's not sewing by the same rules. There are no rules. It's not just picking out a pattern and sewing a skirt."
Many of today's sewers are taking vintage garments and reinventing them to create a new look.
"Most of what I see around is DIY (do-it-yourself)," said Kayla Garland, 18, who sews and designs her own clothes, mostly out of used clothing. "People are obsessed with that stuff. I'd see kids at school making bags out of random pieces of clothing that they have."
Cydney Alexis, 34, is taking her third sewing class at MATC. She first learned to sew as a teenager and even moved to New York to work in the design industry before returning home to Wisconsin and going to grad school. Now she's relearning to sew, and her goal this summer is to make a dress.
Alexis was quick to credit "Project Runway" for much of the current interest in design and sewing. But she also said that she saw more interest even before that show began.
"People are returning to a lot of women's arts. You don't really want to get stuck doing something that's stereotyped as 'women's work,' but on the other hand, it's important culturally to go back again," she said. "A lot of women are picking up things that have been devalued."
Kurutz sees a cultural shift, too.
"These students' parents were not so much into that, you know? Sewing had that homemade stigma, and you didn't want that," she said. "Now, there's more of an appreciation for the organic. Handmade is unique, and handmade is good. It's got that stamp of individuality."
Trish Pulvermacher, who teaches sewing at MATC, said she has students who range in age from teens to 90s. Expressing their creativity is a big part of it, she says, but it's also a response to the frustration with what's available in stores.
"They can't find clothes to fit them," she said of her students. "They're frustrated when they do go to ready-to-wear stores, either by the prices or the lack of quality."
More than needle and thread
Sewing's image might be changing, but some of the basics remain. You need a machine, and unless you are really skilled, you need a pattern.
Machines can range from $50 for a basic model to into the thousands for a more professional machine. Patterns can be found at sewing supply stores or online for around $15, and are frequently found in craft magazines.
But patterns have also moved into the future. Bernina's My Label 3D pattern software provides a figure model that can be tweaked to specific measurements. It retails for around $500. Another top computer pattern maker, PatternMaster, creates thousands of possibilities and retails for around $200.
Garland started sewing when she was in grade school. Her clothes have been seen in shows during Madison Fashion Week in April and earlier this month at a Fashion Friday local runway show at the Cardinal Bar. (Her work can be seen at www.myspace.com/maverickclothingco.) While she hopes to make sewing a career, she is thrilled to see others learning the skill.
"I want people to start sewing things," she said. "First of all, it's really cool when you get things that are your own style. And it's awesome for the environment. Being able to sew yourself, you can use things so much more and really cut down on how many items we're producing."
One national trend is sewing lounges, where people can come in and use a machine or work in a group environment. In Madison, classes are held at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores' creative university at the west side store; Walcott Sewing & Vacuum, and Jerry's Sewing and Vacuum on the east side; and through MATC's Community Education program. Jankowski said there are hopes for a Madison sewing lounge in the future, but so far nothing is being planned.
Getting into it
The key to getting started, sewers say, is keeping it simple. Alexis is intrigued by some of the beautiful fabrics available online and at stores like Gayfeather Fabrics on Williamson Street but doesn't want to spring for more expensive material until her sewing skills improve.
Garland suggests new sewers try reconstructing other clothing to start.
"Find a cool-pattern T-shirt and make it into a pillow," she said. "Google any DIY site; you can find out how hard or easy a project is. Take old clothing and mess with it; see what you can make out of it."
Kurutz said newcomers need to be wary about what a pattern's directions say.
"They say, 'Make it in two hours,' " she said. "I say to my students that involves two hours of actual sewing, not everything else you have to do."
Kurutz had another warning for those who learn to sew. Once people find out you can do it, look out.
"You're creating something, and when you wear it, people say, 'Where did you get that?' " she said. "And you can say, 'I made it.' Of course, when you say that, someone says, 'Can you make me one?' "
Jane Burns — 7/17/2008 12:16 pm
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Community Comments
Thu. Jul. 17, 2008 9:43 am
GHarri says:
Sewing, like carpentry, is the original DIY. If you can pull it off, it's great. If not, you might want to consider hiring a pro. Good debate on that topic here:
http://digits.hrblock.com/ssDigits/digits.php?rType=1&sPath=2405&sNode=2405&uId=293
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Community Comments
Thu. Jul. 17, 2008 12:21 pm
says:
As someone who's been sewing for over 35 years, I think it's wonderful to see more people getting into it. Sewing is a great way to relax and exercise your creativity all at once. And having one-of-a-kind clothing (or home furnishings) is the best kind of bonus!
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