Photo Credit: Julie K in Taiwan on flickr.com

Sales of Sewing Machines are booming in comparison to previous years. Figures revealed by Argos and Woolworths showed that Singer and Brother models were up by 50% during 2006 and 2007 and some cheaper models have increased by as much as 500%.

So does this mean a 'mend and make do' culture is back for good, or is it that there are a lot of wannabe fashion designers about. Perhaps consumers are getting fed up with high street clone clothing and want to create a more individual look. TV shows like Project Runway could be having a positive effect on the attitudes towards making and altering clothes.

If our economic climate really is getting as bad as the media would have us believe then it might not be a bad idea to get stitching and ditch the throwaway culture of recent years. That said, I am not a dab hand with a needle and thread and I can't see that changing soon, not as long as Primark is in business.

If you are interested in learning how to adapt your wardrobe then I recommend this book;

'Closet Control' by Barbara Horowitz, Sterling Publishing