It has been said there’s a day for everything, and tomorrow’s National Sewing Machine Day will no doubt be rebuffed by some, but the sewing machine is a hugely important piece of technology, and sewing as an industry provides a wealth of careers opportunities. And given the entire Career Girl team (all two of us - Nina and Alice) are both avid dressmakers, we couldn’t let this one pass without a blog post! So here’s a quick overview of just some of the jobs in sewing and crafts:
PR and marketing:
If you’re passionate about sewing or crafts but you don’t want the things you make to be the source of your income, PR and marketing could be an ideal middle ground. These careers need creative thinkers, but not necessarily creative doers. In one of our newest profiles, Nerrisa Pratt speaks about how she came to set up her PR agency for small and independent creative businesses, combining her love for crafts and PR.
Fabric and haberdashery shops:
There has been an explosion in the number of people taking up sewing and other crafts such a knitting, crochet, quilting, macramé ... the list goes on! And where do people get their supplies for these creative pursuits? Yep, fabric shops and haberdasheries. There are a number of bricks and mortar shops out there, but the last couple of years has also seen an increase in the number of online fabric shops. Harriet Cleary runs Sew Me Sunshine, an independent online dressmaking fabric and haberdashery shop, and in her profile she explains how she took a career pivot from nurse to shop owner.
Harriet at work cutting fabric for her online customers
Pattern designer:
Our very own Nina, creator of The Career Girl, is also a sewing pattern designer. For her brand, Nina Lee, she designs patterns for women’s clothes, which can be bought by customers anywhere in the world to turn into their own creations! This is a role for the creative and technically minded, and for the most part (although not exclusively) requires specific training.
Nina, in an entirely home-sewn outfit, including a blazer of her own design
Seamstress:
This is a very broad one as there is so much scope for working as a professional seamstress. Roles in costume for TV, film and theatre, bespoke and made-to-measure bridalwear, in-house seamstress for clothing brands, and freelance dressmaking would all mean a hands-on job in the sewing world.
Blogger:
Possibly a saturated market, but if your message is strong, consistent, relevant and valuable, who’s to say you can’t make an income from running a sewing blog? Especially when you consider the increasing need for people to understand how clothes are created and how to manage sustainable fashion habits.
Illustration and photography:
Once you start looking, you’ll see just how many pattern design companies are out there, and they all need photographers and/or illustrators for their designs. It’s a niche market, but if you’re already skilled in this area, working with pattern designers to bring their visions to life could be a rewarding and creative avenue to pursue.
Writing/journalism:
Print is alive! There are so many brilliant sewing and craft magazines, so if you have a passion for writing and sewing, the publishing world could be worth investigating. If not offline, there are numerous online creative sources that need top-notch writers immersed in sewing and crafts.
This is just scratching the surface of careers the sewing world has to offer. If you’d like to read more in-depth interviews with professionals in sewing, we recommend having a look at The Fold Line’s series Careers in Sewing for more inspiration and ideas! Happy stitching, everyone!