Lazies, There are two fabulous articles in the media about the upsurge in sewing. The links for the articles are at the end of this post.

Image from Time.com

I’ve noticed that sewing seems to be everywhere these days. The upsurge in sewing is an exciting trend for a lot of reasons, but particularly because of what’s behind the upsurge. One of the reasons behind why people are coming to sewing, or coming back to sewing, is because they can create things that make them feel empowered. This is huge, in my humble opinion.

In addition to the empowerment benefit, there’s what I call ‘Fun & Done’. It sounds like a great title for a class or sewing event. If you host one or find one, call me, I’m in!

Simply put, ‘Fun & Done’ is my private, internal qualifier for what I refer to as the combination of 1) The sense of accomplishment I achieve from successfully completing a project and 2) The fun/enjoyment I had while making the project. I look for ‘Fun & Done’ opportunities when making decisions about how to spend my crafting time, money, love and energy. Much less important are the questions of can I use it and do I need it. I’m buying the experience and the feeling of empowerment.

‘Fun & Done’ is a powerful reinforcement that brings me back for more anticipated enjoyable success. The opposite of ‘Fun & Done’ is what I experience when a project goes badly, my expectations are not being met, or the result is either an unfinished project or one that I’m not happy with.  I’ve been there.  I hate developing negative feelings toward a project, or an entire area of crafting, but that is how I feel after a disappointing endeavor. 

Back to the issue of empowerment. Wearing, carrying, or displaying something I’ve made is simply cool from the inside and it shows on the outside. When others get excited about my creations and comment on them, it can be very fulfilling, validating, and all that other good stuff that goes along with receiving a compliment. Think about all the things you do throughout your day – which ones empower you? Empowerment is terribly strong stuff. When I encounter something that feeds me on that level, I want more.  I for one feel safer trying that next project after a good experience. These are my observations and opinions anyway.

I love reading about my hobby/love of sewing in the mainstream media. If fabric or a sewing machine is involved – it’s relevant and I’m interested. From behind my desk, the topic of sewing generally seems to go unnoticed by the masses so I really enjoy seeing it get some national attention.

Here are the two articles I’ve seen recently if you’d like to read more:

‘Circle Back to Sewing’ ^[1] article at Time Magazine.

‘Hip to Hem – Sewing Makes a Comeback’ ^[2] article at the Savannah Now website. I originally read about this article at Living in a Material World ^[3].

If you know of other articles, or have some thoughts to share on this topic, please post a comment.

Joan Hawley
Lazy Girl Designs