Knitting was the new-again craze five years ago. Everyone was clicking needles, from young professionals in bars and cafes to superstars such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Julia Roberts.
Now sewing is back in vogue.
"Sewing is the new knitting," said Amber Eden, editor of Threads, a magazine for sewing enthusiasts.
Older women who learned to sew in home-economics class are returning to the craft now that their children are grown or they are retired and have the time for a hobby. But young women -- and even some young men -- are discovering the allure of sewing their own clothing and home-decor items, Eden said. As a result, Threads recently launched Sew Stylish, a magazine aimed at younger, first-time sewing enthusiasts.
The reason for the sewing resurgence can be summed up in two words: "Project Runway."
"Without a doubt, 'Project Runway' has been a shot in the arm. The audience watches the contestants sewing, and suddenly everyone wants to sew," said Louise Cutting of Winter Park, Fla., owner of the Cutting Line Designs pattern company.
She and Linda Lee, owner of the Sewing Workshop pattern collection, recently hosted a "sewing retreat" at the Mount Vernon Motor Lodge in Winter Park. For three days, 27 women from a dozen states labored from dawn until dusk in a conference room equipped with cutting tables and sewing machines. Most ate lunch amid drifts of patterns and mountains of fabric. Some returned after dinner to stitch into the wee hours of the morning.
The trend back to sewing has led to a boom in such retreats, Cutting said. Some are held at resorts or on cruise ships; others include trips to European fashion centers such as Paris and Milan.
