When people think of sewing, they might think of it as a relaxing hobby or a way to save money by making it yourself. While this can be true, Sew Ready is determined to highlight the job opportunities sewing skills can open the door to. Afterall we all wear clothes, so we know how prevalent textile manufacturing is in everyday life. So why has sewing been demoted to a ‘hobby’ rather than being seen as a highly skilled profession?
The majority of fashion purchased by the UK population is manufactured in Asia, yet we have become so far removed from the design process we give little-to-no thought for the people who make it. Garment makers or rather the invisible makers are no longer at the forefront of a consumer's mind. In fact, garment makers are the hidden talent of fashion.
While fashion moves faster and faster the concept behind clothing hasn't changed much in over 100 years. We still wear textiles and still sew with needles - but as manufacturing went off-shore everything faded. Mills closed and skills were forgotten. Skills that up until this time have been regarded as a hobby, disregarded as a career & pushed out of school curriculum.
Once a household skill, sewing has since fallen victim to the capitalist myth that this is merely an unskilled labour. According to a recent survey by The British Heart Foundation, 60% of the UK population don’t know how to sew a button onto a garment.
Combining innovation in designs and tradition in outlook, we are shaping the future of fashion, giving life to an old tradition. Our social purpose is to educate and address the shortage of talent within the industry through teaching sewing-based skills. Through regular engagement in our local community our vision is to reinvent a society that celebrates textiles, through making more, buying less, and embracing slow fashion. Sew Ready brings a new lease of life to sewing through a series of classes, workshops and holiday camps - sharing expert knowledge and skills within fashion & textiles to educate and upskill while evoking change in both mindset and shopping habits.
We aim to break learning barriers and provide consumers complete transparency and ownership over their wardrobes, by becoming creators rather than just contributors. We hope to inspire a new generation of makers by putting themselves at the start of the design process, not only at the end, creating real tangible experiences and in turn, gain a deeper appreciation for the craftsmanship that goes into making our favourite items of clothing.
Here at Sew Ready, we are beginning to roll out our sewing classes to cater to all ages and skill levels. To date we successfully ran a weeklong Easter Sewing Camp and are set to run our Summer Camp in July & August. Children were encouraged to explore their creative side, learning hand sewing and yarn crafts. 1-1 sewing lessons gave older children the chance to develop these skills after camp, making something from scratch, discovering hidden talents they may not have otherwise. Our sewing camps are a fun way to introduce young children to the vast array of techniques and processes within fashion.
Sewing skills in education encourages basic tactile skills which is beneficial to a myriad of professions; a perfect example being a surgeon having the ability to sew stitches for a patient. Sewing also opens the door to many manufacturing, production and textile-based job roles but also increases knowledge for other positions in the field. Merchandising, marketing, quality control, supply chain management, machinery engineer, the list is endless.
Sewing for children and young adults is excellent for developing fine motor skills as well as improving focus and concentration. Giving them the independence to work on projects will boost confidence as they achieve tangible results by working outside of their comfort zone. For these reasons we are passionate to spread our knowledge and skills with the next generation and help them form a strong and positive personal identity they can carry through life.