A recent New York Times article investigated the increased interest in sewing in New York. As a dedicated sewer in Evanston it sparked my curiosity; is sewing on the rise in Evanston too? The interest in thrifting and upcycling can definitely be seen within our school and local community, and with the increasing number of thrift stores and record shops around Evanston, it’s clear that everything old is new again.
Following this trend, I went to visit one of Evanston’s most renowned sewing hubs, Sew on Central, a store front in the heart of the Central Street Business district.
Karen Graham has owned Sew on Central for 8 years, and she has noticed a lot has changed in the sewing community. She remarked that after starting as a quilting shop, she has seen a growth in interest in sewing.
“A lot more people are interested in making clothing,” Graham explains, “We have a pants workshop coming up… in previous years we would have seen maybe three people but now we have seven.”
Additionally, the types of people she sees visit her shops are more and more diverse.
“Adults who are retired have more time to sew…but often adults with families are looking to (sewing to) make a little time for themselves,” notes Graham.
Silvia Lopez-Gilson, a freshman at ETHS, has been sewing since she was little, and worked at Sew on Central over the summer as a part time job, running camps for young sewers.
One of her favorite things about sewing is,“being able to customize whatever I make and pick the fabrics,” remarks Lopez-Gilson.
She enjoys the freedom of making something completely from scratch, her own creation. As a sewing camp counselor, Lopez-Gilson observed sewing become more and more popular.
“It became a hobby for a lot of people,” She remarks.
Even the little kids were building a connection with the craft. The rest of the employees who worked with her were people who started sewing early on at Sew on Central and have continued to enjoy sewing into their teenage years, creating a strong sense of community among the workers and young sewers.
After attending a workshop at Sew on Central to make a laptop case, I observed the variety of people showing up to these classes. The attendees were of all different ages and stages in life. Most of the participants shared that they did not become interested in sewing until recently, as it wasn’t taught in schools, and was starting to phase out of pop culture when they were younger.
“There is a lot of interest [in sewing] among adults, because their parents didn’t teach them, and that has sparked a new excitement,” Graham shares.
This led me to wonder, is it simply the time in their life, or another factor that triggered their urge to start sewing? Is it the therapeutic act of doing something with your hands that draws people in, or the accomplishment of making something by yourself out of a few scraps?
“After Covid, a lot of people started to look for things like crafts and things to do with their hands, and it led a lot of people to sewing,” Graham reflects.
Sewing is a relaxing and rewarding craft that almost anyone can learn to do, which makes it attractive to all kinds of people. If you’re interested in exploring sewing but not sure how to start, there are many sewing shops in the Evanston and Skokie area with different classes and workshops. You may discover an amazing and helpful skill that allows you to create something useful you can use in everyday life.
