Can Technology and Sewing Get Along?
 by: Tom Michaelson
Some old fashioned industries are leveraging the internet and technology in ways that just weren’t possible only a few years ago. Sewing has always been a bigger market than you would think. However, the latest technology makes this $8.7 Billion dollar market seem like it has been given a whole new life. “It’s quite amazing to think where all this is heading,” Said Tom Michaelson of Tomssewingguide.com. Most people think of sewing as something their grandmother did to fix their buttons on their shirts. More think that sewing patterns are for the small hobbyists. These days, sewing is a whole lot different. The collaborative spirit of the internet has made all hobbies easier to enjoy. Banks of free sewing patterns exist all over the internet. Yahoo groups, and private email lists have helped sewers connect with each other all over the world. The revolution is here. Even Singer (the company that makes Singer sewing machines) has a website. If a company as old and respected as Singer has made an investment in the online world, the web is definitely here to stay. Furthermore, many of the big retailers have at least experimented with custom made clothing. High speed data lines allow measurements to be taken at the local mall with the custom sewing and tailoring done thousands of miles away. “I think this might be just the beginning. The world’ of opportunity that technology opens up to everyone is mind boggling” said Michaelson.