Sewing machines and patterns are flying off the shelves due to a substantial rise in popularity of the age-old craft of sewing.
The hype is attributed to television programs like Project Runway, which have shown a new generation that sewing and fashion design can be a ticket to the red carpet.
In some larger cities like New York and Los Angeles, rent-by-the-hour sewing machine cafes have opened to much acclaim. A cross between an Internet café and a knitting bee, business at such establishments has doubled in the past year.
The amount of sewing machines imported to the U.S. has also doubled, prompting U.S. based companies like the McCall and Simplicity Pattern Companies to re-issue vintage reproduction sewing patterns.
The big question now is how the industry will respond to the increased popularity and sales of sewing machines and supplies.
Photo by aarthyr.
jaeda on July 30th, 2008 at 7:38 am
well.. certain issues like this is not new, businesses has its own way to go.