Thimble and thread may have given way to the sewing machine a long time ago but constructing clothes has always been the most unglamorous part of fashion, at least until sewing machines got a spot on prime-time television and pattern-making resurfaced with Matrix-style computer effects.
Interest in home sewing, which declined over the past few decades, has seen a rebound in recent years as manufacturers began revitalizing their products and image. For example, the Home Sewing Association estimates there are about 17 percent more "sewing enthusiasts" in the United States now than there were in 2000.
And although many of these 35 million or so hobbyists may be drawn from the traditional ranks of housewives or older people, home sewing has gained more interest from young people looking for more imaginative and individualistic ways to dress.
The cool factor has been spurred on by the likes of "Project Runway," where aspiring designers compete for glory in a reality TV program. The program's producer, the entertainment mogul Harvey Weinstein, recently announced that a licensing package has been finalized so fans soon will be able to sew their own creations using "Project Runway"-branded patterns by Simplicity Pattern and sewing machines from Brother International.
Brother's rival, the Swiss sewing machine company Bernina, is set to introduce cutting-edge 3-D software next month that displays a finished garment on a virtual mannequin.
The user enters measurements into the program, which creates a customized figure. A number of fabric and pattern options, including pants, skirts, tops and jackets, are chosen from a menu; embroidery and decorative stitches also can be added to the design. Finally, the pattern can be printed out on a home printer or the file can be taken to a copy shop for printing on a larger format.
Bernina's "My Label" technology is part of what market observers are calling the "mass customization" trend, bringing product personalization to consumers. The British company Bodymetrics was a pioneer in using such 3-D computer modeling, offering designer suits and jeans in a customer's own dimensions through a meticulous body scan at high-end department stores. Bernina's home sewing version, however, relies on self-measurement.
Will it also require the use of a Bernina machine?
"While patterns created using Bernina 'My Label' software can be sewn on any brand of sewing machine, we hope to encourage serious garment sewers to experience Bernina's cutting-edge technology," said Martin Favre, president of Bernina of America.
