Sew Trendy

By: KRISTEN COPPOCK Burlington County Times

Janice Ellenstein carefully cuts the cotton fabric with a long, sharp pair of scissors. Guided by a pattern, she pins pieces before stitching them together using a newly purchased sewing machine. Working in a back room of The “little” Sewing Shoppe in Mount Holly, Ellenstein is learning how to craft homemade garments. The Evesham resident is starting with the basics, making a set of pajamas for herself under the tutelage of shop owner Karin Eveland. Ellenstein always wanted to sew. The Michigan native says she just never had much time to learn — until now. She’s not alone. More and more women are picking up needles and thread and getting reacquainted with old skills or learning how to sew for the first time.

According to a spokeswoman for the American Sewing Guild, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the art form, the growing interest in sewing is “definitely” a national trend. Abby Wright, director of communications for the guild, says membership numbers have been increasing for the past few years. She credits a fashion design competition shown on television with getting people interested in sewing. “It started with ‘Project Runway,’ ” she says. “People want to connect with other sewers and learn new skills. They want to learn how to do things on their own, rather than just going out and buying [ready-to-wear] things.” Wright says this decade’s difficult times, including the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the ongoing economic recession, also have boosted the popularity of sewing. She says hardship tends to make people realize the importance of home and traditions, including skills that are passed down through generations. “People want to go back to their roots,” Wright says. Eveland, who serves as a regional representative for the Smocking Guild of America, an organization that promotes techniques that combine pleating and sewing, says she and other instructors are “keeping the hand arts alive” by passing their knowledge on to students. (She learned to sew from her mother.)

Susan DiBartolo, owner of The Village Quilters in Mount Holly, says the popularity of sewing had been declining as schools cut home economics and fine arts courses out of their budgets. Without classes in schools, she says, sewing instruction has become more grassroots than ever, but the industry is thriving. She agrees that “Project Runway” caught the attention of many people, and says the ease of finding ways to do things on the Internet also has attracted new sewing students. Her children’s classes are full, and she has teenage students learning to sew. “If they’re artistic, they can make their own clothes,” she says.

At Olde City Quilts in Burlington City, owner Judy Engime says she, too, is seeing a revival of the “lost art” of sewing. While big-ticket sales, such as sewing machines, have dropped during the recession, more customers are purchasing fabric and other craft materials. In addition, she is adding to the number of beginner classes being offered because of the growing interest, the shop’s large machines used for quilting are being rented more often and an increasing number of customers are coming from long distances. Engime says the most telling evidence is that her business has outgrown its location. The High Street shop’s operation will be moving two doors away in the near future, when renovations to its new site have been completed. While the tight economy has many people slicing their personal budgets, DiBartolo says they’re more likely to cut luxuries or forms of entertainment rather than an activity that produces useful items, such as clothing. “Sewing is a very satisfying hobby. People aren’t going to cut out something like this,” she says, adding that many people make handmade gifts, as well as items for personal use. Engime says people are sewing items that rival pieces made by popular designers. “We make purses that look just like Vera Bradley’s,” she says.

Ellenstein says she’s planning to make pajamas, loungewear and “summery tops,” as well as gifts in the future. One intended project is sleepwear — with the Michigan State logo printed on the fabric — that will be given to a family member. “So many people don’t appreciate handmade things,” Ellenstein says. “I like the idea of putting things together by hand. It’s a treasure. It’s yours.” Students and shop customers are interested in creating heirloom garments, such as christening dresses, and using classic patterns and fabrics. On a recent afternoon at The “little” Sewing Shoppe, Susan Lasko of New Egypt browsed for material to make an Easter dress for her granddaughter. Sewing, she says, “is an addiction.” “My basement is like a sewing shop,” she says. “It’s a passion.”

Reach Kristen Coppock at kcoppock@phillyburbs.com. March 29, 2009 11:41 AM