As more and more gets mass-produced and it becomes easier and easier to buy things rather than making it (and one of the ultimate signs of this is surely already-peeled oranges: after all, how difficult or time-consuming is it to peel an orange?) so more people begin to appreciate handmade items and the pleasures of doing it yourself.
There's thinking about what you're going to make, the consideration of the multitude of possibilities, the planning and execution of the design, the enjoyment of seeing it coming together, the frustration of trying to get something new to work and the satisfaction of achieving it, the thrill of the finished item (whether you keep it for yourself, give it away or sell it), the discussions with friends (and strangers when buying fabric), the lying in bed at night with ideas flooding through your brain.
Technology has brought faster and fancier sewing machines (imagine what women a century ago with a manual machine would think of today's embroidery machines!), magical things like the transfer of photographs to fabric (and it's washable!), and all those beautiful fabrics made from artificial fibres and metallics.
The internet has made the sharing of this enjoyment so much easier. No longer are you restricted to a local group, but your can share your ideas and enjoyment with people worldwide. You can "meet" people with similar interests (and fabric habits) and shop worldwide to, not just in your local stores!
It'll be a brave person to bet on what'll be around at the end of the next 100 years, but it'll be a safe bet to put money on the fact that people will still be enjoying the thrills and satisfactions from doing it themselves with fabric.
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