A TAILOR is proving an international hit with an online subscription service teaching people to sew.

Michael Coates launched The Sewing Guru website in 2009. It now has more than a thousand members from all over the world and is one of the biggest sewing sites on the internet.

More than 400 videos are now available online, ranging from 15 minutes each to an hour in length.

Mr Coates, from Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough, has also recently signed an international licensing agreement with e-careers.com, a careers company who sell education and training programmes.

The 42-year-old saw a previous bespoke tailoring business, based in Darlington, hit by the recession and decided instead to pass on his years of experience in the trade by producing step-by-step guides covering a range of tailoring topics.

He said: “It was a little bit daunting, a bit of gamble at the start. In the first month I got six memberships and now there are more than a thousand. It has grown massively and I have got people worldwide who have joined up.

“It has been really hard. I don’t pay a web designer or a video editor and have learnt it all myself.

“My aim is to cover everything to do with sewing and tailoring.”

The self-help videos can be viewed on the website by paying a subscription or bought as a download and are available with accompanying e-books.

Mr Coates has also introduced an alterations section and a ‘pet wear’ section for dogs.

Sewing is in vogue thanks to television programmes such as the Great British Sewing Bee, while demand for clothing alteration services is being met by a growing number of high street shops.

Mr Coates believes this is down to money.

“There is not as much money around so people will buy cheaper garments and then get them altered so they are more fitted,” he said. "There is a lot of alteration shops popping up.”

Asked if he has any advice for fellow e-entrepreneurs, he said: “Never give up and go with your dream and what you believe in.

“If you really work at it you will achieve it in the end. Doing your research is obviously important and don’t think you necessarily need to pay people to set up your website. Go get the software and do it yourself.”

To visit the website log onto http://www.thesewingguru.com