“The industry has taken off in a big way thanks to the web and people are now able to share their ideas, inspire each other and feel motivated to do and make things at the touch of a button.
“Blogging, email and other digital media has brought people who are fond of sewing together, while photo-sharing sites, such as Flickr, and video ones like YouTube, have also added another dimension to the pot. What's more, the internet has also helped individuals with common interests communicate with one another wherever they might be in the world and I can honestly say I have met – both virtually and personally – more creative people through blogging and Twitter in the last three years, than I have my entire life!

“There have always been people who sew, of course, but the internet has given those who always wanted to learn but thought they couldn't, a nudge. This is something retailers have become increasingly aware of over the past few years and you would now be hard pushed to find an online store without some form of tutorial, help page or blog which is informative, chatty and inspiring.

A Different Demographic
“The whole 'vintage/make do and mend/recycling' trend is also one of the driving forces behind the current craft movement, not only because of its unique styles but also due to the fact that people, particularly creative ones, have become increasingly fed up of being dictated to by a fashion industry that provides homogenous, standard-sized clothing which is bland and doesn't fit the majority of modern, post-teen women!

“The main reason I started making clothes was because I simply couldn't find nice, good-quality ones which were quirky, stylish and well fitting for a reasonable price on the high street. I was tired of trying on lovely party dresses only to find myself in various changing rooms, looking like an overheated, overstuffed sausage, simply because I did not fall into the standard 'size 12, 34B cup' size category. I am not a large woman, teenager or old lady, but a curvy female who wants garments that will fit and flatter me and I think almost every 'crafty' person over the age of 30 feels the same way.

Flourishing and Fabulous
“The craft industry is growing all the time and there are now a number of fabric and haberdashery shops opening online. Better still, many of the towns where craft stores had previously closed are now seeing new and better ones opening, often with rooms used for workshops.

“These are huge right now and there are currently classes for everything from knitting, crochet, beadwork and hat making, to fascinators, corsetry, underwear and dressmaking. And it's not only craft stores that are benefiting – many groups are having their meetings in little pubs and cafes, and thus supporting the smaller businesses in their areas as well.
“Personally, I don't think the current economic climate is likely to impact people's interest in sewing. After all, long gone are the days when customers would make their own belongings to save money. Nowadays, the reason many individuals choose to do so – apart from a creative desire to produce something – is to kick back against the mass-produced, cheap fashions from China and other sweatshop nations. In some ways, I suppose you could say it is a form of self sufficiency or even anti-consumerism and something that is driving more of towards our sewing machines.”

Julia Bremble is the owner of Sew Curvy Corsetry. For more information about her work, please visit http://www.sewcurvy.com