The COVID-19 crisis definitely turned the world upside down with its unanticipated onset in early 2020. Many industries have suffered and the impact of the virus in businesses will be felt for years to come.

However certain industries have flourished, and these aren’t just your expected giant online retailers and food delivery businesses. Quilting saw a huge spike in terms of increased sales in the sewing industry product mix: sewing machines, fabrics and sewing supplies, as experienced first-hand by Dubai-based quilt store, Classic Quilts and Quilting.

While the world of quilting and sewing now carries a very “old-fashioned” label to it, the reality is, quilting is actually a hobby that demands the perfect blend of creativity and mathematics. Working with different patterns, be it geometric or fully artistic, this hobby can be pursued by anyone who has a little bit of space at home to put up a sewing machine. With plenty of online sewing courses available for free on platforms like You Tube, and also paid courses offered by many hobby stores such as Classic Quilts (in the UAE), people staying at home during lockdown also found it easy to kickstart a sewing journey without putting their health at risk.

The therapeutic aspect of sewing actually allowed many of our customers to maintain their mental health during the harder times of the lockdown – says Classic Quilts, based on customer comments.

Above: Winning entry from The International Quilt show competition.

Starting up your own quilting hobby

So how can someone start their quilting journey? What exactly do you need for an ideal setup? Quilting falls under the category of Do It Yourself. All you need is a space to cut your fabrics, using a rotary cutter and mat system, and a place to sew together what you have cut. Many people have learnt to quilt online, but now that there are more relaxed rules with the lockdown, at least In Dubai, you can always take up a course with your local quilt store and get a more hands-on experience on how to handle all the tools and even learn to operate behind a sewing machine

Quilting is said to be the hobby of love. If you have received a handmade quilt from someone, you must be very special to them. And if you are the quilter, you will always have a full heart (and a room full of fabric). It is very heart warming to see the DIY get more traction. With the world getting fully technology-driven, it is quite important to have more engagement with hobbies like sewing, where we can get more hands-on.

Did you start a new hobby during lockdown? Perhaps your tried your hand at quilting too. We would love to hear from  you in the comments below, or feel free to tag @homeclubme in your instagram posts for a reshare.

Written by Aishawarya Ramakrishnan