sewNso

3 of my 4 daughters sew. 2 have done quilts. but don't do it a lot. the one daughter that doesn't sew, surprises me because she paints her walls, and stains her deck etc. but won't pick up a needle. I bet she does someday, tho. her house is full of my quilts.

pennycandy

Hobby popularity may wax and wane. Each time it becomes trendy we see new products to make things easier. My first quilt was cut out using templates and scissors. Now there are a variety of options including precuts. I have no doubt that quilting will still be around for a very long time.

Jan in VA

Fifteen years ago we went through the same wonder and worry about quilting declining.

Then more and more big shows were opened, fabulous new sewing machines hit the market, many new fabric manufacturers bloomed - including a push with organic fabrics and dyes, thread choices climbed to an all-time high, and a new style wave arrived - called Modern Quilts.

We are in this for along time, I predict.

Those whose eyes glaze over at the mention of sewing/quilting are totally unaware of this multi-BILLION dollar industry.....just as I virtually am about camping/fishing/mountain climbing/Nascar and who knows what else that many men and lots of women enjoy. Passionately.

Isn't it a wonderful place to be!

Jan in VA

Knitette

I'm another one who didn't learn to quilt until after I retired. I couldn't thread a sewing machine before that, although I do have vague memories of operating a treadle machine at school.

I had no idea quilting as a hobby existed, even though there was a shop called '******* Quilt Company' next to my local supermarket. I thought it was an industrial quilt company (as in duvet' what you call 'comforter'). The shop is upstairs and has no store front.

Quilting is often seen as an 'old lady' hobby, but I think it's more to do with the fact that we often have more time on our hands and less demand on our disposable income perhaps. More women work outside the home now, juggling job and children and have little time, money (or even room) for a hobby like quilting.

I can't see it dying out. In fact, in the UK, I think sewing in general, is becoming more popular. Television programmes such as, 'The Great British Sewing Bee' and 'Kirsty's Homemade Home' have been hugely popular (although you would faint if you saw the quilt, lol). Also, recycling and 'upcycling' is becoming more fashionable too. In times of austerity people invariably become nostalgic.

I think the quilt industry is safe for the foreseeable future.

justflyingin

I agree here completely. I didn't understand the appeal of quilting for all those years when it was so popular in the 70s and 80s. Not until I tried it a few years ago.

I don't think it is going anywhere. Have you (OP) checked out the quilting blogs? It seems like there are more under 50 bloggers than over 50 bloggers and lots and lots of them in their 20s and 30s. If those trends continue, I think the industry is okay.

icul8rg8r

A couple years ago my then 8 year old daughter asked for a sewing machine for Christmas and joined a sewing club at school. I went shopping to find her an inexpensive machine and instead came home with one for me! Oh, and a few days later ordered one for her. Together we took a few sewing lessons and I quickly realized how much I enjoyed piecing quilt tops. I finally actually quilted my first! My daughter is now 10 and sews almost daily - she's learning alterations and how to bling and personalize her own clothes. And yes, even sew on a button! She enjoys sewing "projects" but I think someday she will start quilting, too. Who knew two years ago either of us would be sewing or quilting? Certainly not me!

Butterfli19

That's a great story about your daughter. If she's been sewing steady for two years now, she probably won't give it up any time soon. I kept up when I learned in home ec in 8th grade, 1971, and with the exception of some life interference, am still sewing!

ManiacQuilter2

I started learned about quilting in my 20s from when I would stop at my Great Aunt Maude's home in Kansas when I drove from CA to NYC many times. She used cardboard templates to piece quilts using scissors to cut. She had a GFG for her granddaughter hand quilting it on her frame in the Living room. If it hadn't been for her, I don't think I would have ever started quilting. Both my grandmothers and mother sewed a bit but none of them quilted. I was sure that quilting was going to die in the 80s but with new inventions, it thrived.

mpspeedy2

My daughter, who is in her mid thirties, just started her own business involving crafts etc. She purchased a truck and outfitted it inside as a traveling craft shop/classroom. She will be parking it on the street along with the food trucks that are popular in her area. The area is College Park, which is just outside of Washington, DC. She named it Craft Commons. The idea is that people can come inside and work on various crafts. She has it outfitted with counters and seating areas where you can work on projects to finish in a few hours or less. She has a Master's degree in Journalism and worked in that field for at least ten years. She does glass blowing and sells her glass items at a local craft market. She hasn't taken up quilting yet but she did make a patchwork looking cover for the drivers seat in the truck out of crocheted granny squares. I gave her a Featherweight years ago but I don't know if she has or will ever use it. I hope someday she decided to take up quilting.

SuzieQuilts

Twenty years ago I was sewing like crazy as my children were small and I made a lot of their t shirts and pants. Twenty years from now, I will only be 71. Maybe I will have sewn up all of my stash by then. LOL It could be possible if I stop buying now! My two girls are into sewing and quilting. It is an artistic outlet for creative people, so I think it will be just as popular, or more so, it may go in a different direction if new technology appears. Look what the computer did for machine embroidery, and look how popular long arm machines are compared to twenty years ago.