According to distributors COMAG: The renewed interest in craft skills and a growing movement away from mass-produced goods in recent times has led to a renaissance of sewing in the UK, fuelled in part by successful television programmes such as the BBC series The Great British Sewing Bee.
According to the two largest sewing machine manufacturers in the country, some 270,000 sewing machines were sold in the UK last year, with much of the increase attributable to the TV effect.
Another indicator of the rapidly growing popularity of “soft crafts” is attendee numbers at consumer shows. The annual Festival of Quilts show at the NEC has seen visitor numbers grow steadily over the last few years, with this year’s event in August looking set to be the biggest yet.
Already hugely popular in the U.S. and Australia, quilting is set to be the next big thing in the world of UK crafting, which Practical Publishing is building on with the launch of Quilt Now.
Produced by quilters for quilters, Quilt Now will feature beautiful projects from the best modern quilt designers, including Editor Katy Jones. A familiar face from her appearances on many TV quilting shows (including her own Quilt Monkey programme) and at craft store workshops, Katy is also a successful author of books on the subject and writes the popular Quilt Monkey blog.
Using the latest contemporary fabrics, Katy and the Quilt Now team will have more projects than any other UK quilting magazine, whilst also providing the best free gifts and tools around.
Taking readers through various techniques and disciplines involved in the craft, each issue of Quilt Now will be loosely themed by colour, season, trend or fabric style. The launch edition will follow the theme of sorbet, with soft pastel shades and fresh fruity flavours dominating.
Every issue of Quilt Now will come with free gifts worth at least £5 and issue No.1 will have a tasty strawberry pincushion kit as well as a 52-page ‘Beginner’s Guide to Quilting’ supplement.
