Maybe it’s the slow economy. Maybe it’s the green movement with its focus on locally grown and made items. Maybe it’s the popularity of TV shows like "Project Runway."
Whatever the cause, it seems many people in need of a new outfit — or maybe some pillows or drapes for the living room — are turning to their sewing machines rather than the nearest mall.
"I think it’s more popular now than it was a few years ago," said Deborah Adams who teaches a beginning sewing class as part of the continuing education program at North Georgia College & State University in Dahlonega.
Adams said they began the courses two years ago because of requests from the community for such a class.
"A lot of these people are very, very much beginners," she said. "A lot of them just bring in a brand-new sewing machine in a box. They haven’t even taken it out of the box yet."
Lori Gann-Smith, fashion design program director at Brenau University, said she also has noticed increased interest in the fashion design program and accompanying apparel construction classes.
"We actually welcomed 10 new (fashion) majors this fall," she said. "Which is a pretty big deal for us because usually we get three or four in the fall. So we pretty much doubled our enrollment."
Some students take the courses as electives or minor in fashion design, too, she said.
"I think that there’s been a big do-it-yourself sort of revolution in the past few years because people are valuing things that are handmade over mass produced," Gann-Smith said.
Some of Gann-Smith’s apparel construction students echoed that sentiment.
During a career day in eighth grade, freshman Brianna Steele decided she wanted to go into fashion design.
A woman came to her class and said, "‘Why buy something that’s for somebody else when you can make it yourself?’ And she used clothes as an example," Steele said.
"Anybody would like to make their own clothes" freshman Ageda Machuca said. "(If) they don’t see it in the store, they’d be like, ‘You know what? I’ll just make it myself.’ You can go somewhere and be like, ‘Oh, where’d you get that?’ ‘Oh I made it myself.’ That way nobody will have it."
Alyson Shields, a freshman fashion design major, also said sewing something gives a feeling of accomplishment. Her mother made many of her outfits when she was young, and also taught her to hand sew. She tried to make some outfits on her own."I used to try and fail," she said. Now in the apparel construction class she is learning how to sew on a machine. The class was working on a skirt with pockets.
Shields added that the slow economy is also a likely factor in sewing’s growing popularity.
She said buying fabric is often cheaper than buying clothes at a store, and people are beginning to realize how useful sewing can be.
Lynn Gribble, store manager at Hancock Fabrics in Gainesville, said she has recently seen an increase in business.
"Typically in a bad economy, or when things are not good, people tend to have a nesting (instinct), and they want to craft and sew. And it gives them a good feeling."
"My mom used to make me clothes all the time," she said.
Some are even returning to sewing after many years.
This was the case for one of Adams’ students.
"I had done sewing years ago — gosh, 30 years ago maybe," said Barbara McFarland of Gainesville, who took Adams’ class in the spring. "And my mother had always sewn, but I needed a refresher on that part of it and also the sewing machine. And Deborah did all of that in the class."
Adams said many of her students wanted to learn to make clothing for their children or be able to alter and mend their own clothing.
"I do think maybe with the economy more people are wanting to learn how to be able to do things themselves," she said.
She added that one woman in her last class spent $30 to get a pair of jeans hemmed, so in taking Adams’ class she wanted to learn how to do her own alterations.
Self-sufficiency may be bringing back what was once considered a lost art. Though Adams said she never thought sewing would fall by the wayside.
"There’s too many people who enjoy it," she said.
Many of her former students sew things for the home, like draperies and pillows.
Adams said she also sews things for the home as well as children’s outfits, and she does embroidery work like English smocking and applique.
"I just enjoy being able to be creative," she said. "I enjoy being able to take an idea and turn it into something that I can use in my house or wear."
For Miriam Warchol, learning to sew was about having a creative outlet.
"I work in front of a computer all day, and I just really wanted to do something creative and use my hands" said Warchol, who took Adams’ beginning sewing class about two years ago.
Warchol said she enjoys sewing things for around the house like pillows and draperies. She also noted that the popularity of sewing is growing, along with other crafts like knitting and quilting.
Another of Adams’ students said she also enjoys the creativity in sewing.
"I like craft things, I like creative things. I guess just making things," said Robin Still of Cleveland, who said she has sewn fleece blankets, tote bags, shorts and capri pants.
Still said her grandmothers sewed as well as her mother, but she didn’t learn until taking Adams’ class.
Warchol said she had no one in her family to teach her to sew. She took Adams class instead.
For Adams, her grandmother and mother taught her to sew when she was young.
"I’ve been sewing my whole life," she said. "Sometimes it’s therapy and sometimes it’s my creative outlet."
NGCSU will offer its next beginning sewing class in the spring. The class covers basics like sewing machine operation and care, how to read a pattern and which fabrics are best for which patterns. For more information on the class, contact the continuing education department at 706-864-1918.
Brenau currently does not offer a sewing class open to the public, but Gann-Smith said she thought it could become part of the school’s BULLI program in the future.
"I’d like to know what the interest would be for that because I think that that would be a great program to offer," she said.