Do-it-yourself decorating is on the rise across the country, especially on the sewing front.
Retailers are reporting increases of 20 to 30 percent in sales of home-decorating fabrics, patterns and notions, said Caryl Svendsen, of the New York-based Sewing Fashion Council.
"The number of home-decorating patterns we offer has doubled in the past year," said Herman Phynes, director of marketing for the Butterick Co., makers of Butterick and Vogue patterns. "And we're still not keeping pace with consumer demand."