History Of Sewing Machines

I started this blog because I have had several family members and friends ask me to teach them how to sew and specifically quilt. I find it interesting that they all say, "I can't sew" or "I can't quilt" and claim that it would be just too hard to do. I think this is because they are looking at the finished products that other people have sewn in the past and then just make that assumption that it is just too hard to do.

I on the other hand see things that I find interesting or intriguing and I think to myself "I can do that" and then I fly by the seat of my pants until I figure it out. I am not smarter or more talented than any of the friends or family that want to learn how to sew, I just don't take NO for an answer.

During the time that I was considering starting this blog I became interested in how sewing began. We all know that it started with the necessity to cover our bodies and protect ourselves from the elements. The earliest forms of sewing have been traced back to the Palaeolithic Era more commonly known as the Stone Age. During this time people used bones as needles and sewed together hides using various animal parts as their thread such as intestines and veins.

As with everything, sewing evolved over time, but the notion of modern day sewing with a machine was not realized until the 1800s. The first patent for the "sewing machine" was issued in 1755 to a German man named Charles Weisenthal, however it is unknown if he ever built a successful sewing machine. History shows that in 1834 an American named Walter Hunt invented the first sewing machine, however he never patented it.because he was afraid it would cause unemployment for dressmakers, tailors and the other textile trades that used the sewing skill to make a living.

In 1846 a patent was issued to another American by the name of Elias Howe, however he had trouble with his patent and in developing interest in the sewing machine. In 1850 Isaac Singer built the first successful sewing machine designed for commercial use and a patent war ensued when Mr. Howe sued Singer for patent infringement. Howe's patent was upheld by the courts and Singer was ordered to pay royalties to Elias Howe.

Today you can buy sewing machines made by several different manufacturers such as Singer , Babylock, Pfaff , Gammil and many more and almost all of them make specialty machines that embroider, quilt and sew many different specialty stitches.

In this blog we will explore many different types of sewing from hand-stitched embroidery and cross stitching to machine sewing garments and quilt piecing and using a quilting machine to finish a pre-pieced quilt. I will add written instructions along with video for you to follow along with and learn this fantastic skill.

Please let me know if you have any requests or if you have a specific sewing skill that you would like to learn and I will try to incorporate it as soon as possible.