Sewing and handicraft popularity soars, says Bernina and Robyn's Cottage tutors

Robyn Parker runs about three craft classes a week. Photo / Carmen Hall

The art of sewing is alive and well in Tauranga, with some tutors saying they can't keep up with demand for classes.

Bernina Sewing Centre Tauranga managing director Robyn Curd has her own following online, with people from around the world watching her how-to videos on all types of crafts.

In store she also runs Bernina Club classes once a month with 200 people on the books.

"It's always been busy. We can't keep up with the number of classes so we don't advertise," Curd said. "We have always got people wanting to learn how to sew."

The family-run business had been trading for 47 years and she worked alongside her
sisters, Glenda and Diane.

She started learning the tricks of the trade at intermediate school, and said teaching was her passion.

"I really love it. People want to create their own things that are not the same as everyone else. Students start off and might make a sweatshirt or shorts and skirts while adults are wanting to make themselves or grandchildren clothes.

"Plus occasionally we will get men coming in who want to make a shirt or something like that."

Young mothers had also embraced sewing, Curd said.

"The young ones are right into it which I think is really cool. We get a lot of people who have sewn at school and have come back. They get a real buzz out of it, which is quite exciting."

Meanwhile Robyn's Cottage owner, Robyn Parker, said she ran about three craft classes a week, which included sewing, crochet and machine knitting.

Some of the classes covered back to the basics.

"In our first class a girl had a machine which her mum had given her and she didn't even know how to thread it. So we went right back to the beginning with winding your bobbins properly, threading your machine and doing the tension.

"We even went into stuff like keeping your pins straight to looking after your tape measure as they are important elements to sewing."

Parker tutored children as well and said it was the best part of her job.

"I love it. There is something special about teaching others to pick up your craft. It's interesting because we are seeing a lot of children who can knit and the schools have to take a lot of credit for this as they are getting more involved with the yarn bombing."