Sewing

History

The first clothing was made from animal skins and grasses, and stitched together with sinew threaded through a bone needle. Some examples of these ancient needles have been found by archaeologists and determined to be 20,000 years old.

Although the ancient Greeks fabricated metal needles, they seemed to have preferred fashions that could be whipped together without a stitch. Historic costumes, which include the Doric peplos worn by women, or the Ionic chiton or himation worn by both men and women, were simply lengths of woven wool, silk, or linen wrapped around the body and held together over the shoulder with a clasp. Strips of fabric were used to gather the material above the waist. Fashions were sometimes embellished with embroidery.

Other cultures, including the Vikings, wore wool kyrtles, or tunics, which were simple two-piece garments sewed along the underarm and side seams. In the summer, the kyrtles hung loose with slits up the sides. In the winter, underkyrtles were added along with belts wrapped around the waist, which gathered the fabric closer to the body for additional warmth.

During the Middle Ages, clothing evolved into more sophisticated, custom-made garments available in a variety of styles. As the level of knowledge required for tailors increased, tailoring became a specialized profession managed by guilds. Aristocracy and other wealthy patrons hired tailors to design their flowing robes, flounced blouses, and pleated jackets. For peasants, however, the shift to fitted garments and a wider variety of styles meant more work. Sewing became another domestic chore for women.

The sewing machine, which took more than fifty years to be developed, first appeared in the United States in 1846. Patented by Elias Howe, the machine operated with a hand crank to lock stitches in place using both an upper thread and a lower bobbin thread. While Howe is credited with the first American design, it was Isaac Merritt Singer who improved on the machine and became the leading manufacturer. Howe successfully sued Singer for patent infringement.

The mid-nineteenth century presented other major developments in the industry. Horace Lowe began to market mercerized cotton, Helen Augusta Blanchard patented the first zigzag machine, and George and William Clark and the Coats family each opened up the first cotton thread mills. The first pattern company, Madame Demorest's Mirror of Fashions, was founded by Ellen Curtis Demorest. However, without having obtained patents, Demorest left the door open wide for Ebenezer and Ellen Augusta Butterick to move in and found the Butterick Publishing Company.

In the twentieth century, steady improvements were made in sewing machine technology and related industries. Sewing machines now offer an astonishing variety of stitches. Perhaps the most prominent change in the world of sewing, however, was the shift in its status from primarily a homemaker's chore to an interesting craft. Today, many crafters embrace sewing as a creative outlet and an opportunity to design custom clothing and household fashions.

Equipment and supplies for machine sewing:

• Sewing machine
• Machine accessories
• Sewing cabinet (or other work area) and chair
• Sewing machine oil
• Lint brushes
• Screwdrivers

Bobbins

• Variety of needles

Thread

• Scissors

Additional supplies for sewing garments and other items:

• Table (for laying out patterns)

Pattern

• Fabric suitable for pattern
• Interfacing, if needed for pattern, available in fusible and sew-in
• Notions (bias tape, elastic, buttons, zippers, etc.)
• Dressmaker's shears
• Small scissors
• Stitch ripper
• Straight pins
• Pincushion or container
• Hand sewing needles
• Dressmaker's carbon paper
• Tracing wheel
• Adjustable seam gauge
• Point turner
• Tape measure and ruler
• Pencils, chalk pencil
• Container(s) for supplies
• Iron and ironing board

Optional supplies:

Serger

• Pinking shears
• Rotary cutter(s) and mat

Thimble

Techniques

Steps for sewing a garment with a purchased pattern:

Pre-wash the fabric and iron, if necessary.

Prepare the fabric for layout so that the grain (the direction of the fibers) is straight and the fabric lays smooth on the table.

If necessary, press pattern pieces carefully with a cool iron.

Set the pattern pieces on top of the fabric following the layout guide. Double check to make sure all the necessary pieces are there, that they will fit, and that they are laid out correctly.

Pin pieces to fabric while smoothing out both fabric and pattern. Unless otherwise instructed, arrow guidelines should follow the lengthwise grain and arrow tips should be equal distances from selvages, or edges.

Place straight pins every few inches on the inner side of cutting line.

Before cutting, check again to make sure all pieces are present and are laid out correctly.

Cut the fabric following the cutting lines on pieces. Cut around notches generously.

Before removing the pattern pieces, mark all stitch guidelines on the wrong side of fabric with carbon paper and tracing wheel, or fabric chalk.

Follow the numbered instructions provided with the pattern, pinning and ironing as suggested.

To reinforce stitches at the beginning and ending of seams, backspace over several stitches.

Before trimming seams, make sure the garment fits properly.

Mistakes can be carefully ripped out with a stitch ripper. Never pull thread as it could damage the fabric.

Trends

Embroidered designs and fabric have become popular, along with the introduction of combination sewing and embroidery machines for the home. Jeans, jackets, blouses, purses, and many other homemade items display a variety of embroidered designs. In addition to embroidery, fabric embellished with rubber stamps or stencils, and textured fabrics created with paint, continue to be trendy.

Many sewers prefer rotary cutters over scissors.

In 2003, writer and crafter Betsy Greer coined the term craftivism, the practice of using crafts, especially needlecrafts such as sewing, cross-stitching, embroidery, knitting, crocheting, and quilting, as a form of activism, or "gentle protest." Craftivist Sarah Corbett, an award-winning campaigner and longtime activist, started the Craftivist Collective, an informal and inclusive nonprofit group, in 2009. Through the collective's website, thousands of members have access to tools, projects, and tips for organizing individual or small-group stitch-ins.

Sewing for Fun vs. Profit

Sewing offers many opportunities for reaping a profit. These range from alterations and mending services to designing high fashion garments. The wedding gown market can be especially lucrative. Sewers can also earn money by sewing costumes for theatrical productions and other occasions, selling craft items at fairs and galleries, and working with interior designers to sew custom drapery, slip covers, and other household items. Sewers offer millions of handmade items for sale on online platforms such as Etsy and eBay.

Learning More

Organizations

American Sewing Guild (ASG) <http://www.asg.org/>

Craftivist Collective <https://craftivist-collective.com/our-story/>

Sewing & Craft Alliance <http://www.sewing.org/>

The Sewing Directory (UK) <https://www.thesewingdirectory.co.uk/sewing-groups/>

Books

The Complete Book of Sewing. DK Publishers, 2003.

New Complete Guide to Sewing. Reader's Digest Association, 2011.

Gordon, Maggi McCormick. The Book of Home Sewing. Penguin, 1997.

Gordon, Maggi McCormick. The Ultimate Sewing Book. Collins & Brown / Sterling, 1997.

Sewing 101. Creative Publishing International, 2011.