Needle Arts Corner
By Madonna A. Terlizzi
Needle Arts Corner – Spring 2013 Issue!
Here comes Spring! Sure we will have a few more storms, but you can just feel it in the air. Plus the birds are back, singing their happy songs! All the new fabrics and yarns are being put out in the stores. I cannot wait to get my hands on some of it soon! Over the winter I have been busy making plans for the Studio in regards to spring and summer events that I will be conducting. I have also been putting some kits together that are bright, fun and easy to complete. You may want to check them out. In an effort to keep away the winter blues, I have visited a couple museums featuring special events, such as the space suit exhibit at the American Textile Museum in Lowell. This extensive exhibit is being presented in cooperation with the Smithsonian Institute and NASA. Not only did they show you the evolution of the space suit, they also showcased the textiles that to be developed in order make the trip possible. The exhibit included the future of space exploration and what is now being developed so that we can travel and live on other planets. Very interesting! I also took in the annual “Flora in Winter” at the Worcester Art Museum with my friend, Mary. The floral arrangements were just brilliant. We even got our names in the Worcester Telegram as a reporter interviewed us that night…
Besides sewing up a storm, I have also been reading about textiles (what else is new?) and the history of sewing machines. I thought that I would grace Needle Arts Corner with some of that history.
Sewing, as it turns out, has been around since the Paleolithic Era. Stone Age people used “thread” made out of animal parts to make clothing, tools and shelter. They stitched the pieces of animal hides together using bone, antler and ivory needles. Over the centuries, the materials that people used became more refined, but everything was still sewn by hand. Sewing machines began to be developed in the 1700’s and did not really become a useful tool until the mid- 1800’s.
First, a sewing machine is used to stitch fabric or other materials together with thread. Thomas Saint has been attributed to making the first sewing machine in England in 1790. He wanted to use it on canvas and leather. It was not a success. He patented it and shelved the patent. In 1874 the patent was found by William Newton Wilson, who made some adjustments to the plans and built a working sewing machine. In the early 1800’s, two other men presented working sewing machines Josef Madersperger, an Austrian and Barthelemy Thimonnier, a Frenchman, with the latter having more luck. Thimonnier patented a sewing machine that sewed straight seams using a chain stitch. By 1841 he had a working factory of 80 machines. The factory produced uniforms for the French Army that is, until a mob of rioting tailors afraid of loosing their livelihood, destroyed the place. That was the end of that
The first American lockstitch sewing machine was invented by Walter Hunt in 1832. He eventually lost interest in it as it needed further mechanism refinement. He sold it without applying for a patent. Along comes Elias Howe, from the great state of Massachusetts. He created his version of the sewing machine using a similar method to Hunt’s, except the needle was held vertically. He took his sewing machine to England to try and attract interest in his machine, he returned to America finding various people infringing on his patent, which he had held since September 10, 1846. Two of the men were Isaac Merritt Singer and Walter Hunt, they had perfected a facsimile of Howe’s machine and were marketing it as theirs. Howe had to go to court and defend his patent rights. This lawsuit carried on from 1849 to 1854 ending with Singer and others having to pay considerable royalties for sales of his invention. Meanwhile, Allen B. Wilson had developed a shuttle reciprocating sewing machine, which was an improvement over Singer and Howe’s models. John Bradshaw had already patented a similar device and threatened to sue Wilson. Wilson then decided to try a different method and eventually went into business with Nathaniel Wheeler. They then produced a machine that used a rotary hook instead of a shuttle. Wheeler and Wilson manufactured and sold more machines during the 1850’s and 1860’s than any other manufacturer. Wilson also invented the four motion feed mechanism, which is still seen in the sewing machines of today.
During the 1850’s more companies were being formed and were trying to sue each other. This triggered a patent thicket known as the Sewing Machine War. In 1856, The Sewing Machine Combination was then formed, it consisted of Singer, Howe, Wheeler, Wilson, Grover and Baker. These four companies pooled their patents, which meant that other manufactures had to obtain licenses from them and had to also pay $15.00 per machine. This went on until 1877 when the last patent expired.
Many other partnerships were formed and the sewing machine became more refined. Wilcox and Gibbs Sewing Machine Company that used Gibb’s patent for the first chain stitch single thread machine, which is still used in 21st Century machines. In 1893, William Jones also opened a Sewing Machine Company in England, it was later acquired by Brother Industries in 1968. As many people know, Brother Sewing machines are still very popular in the sewing world. They make many models of sewing machines, including some very high tech computerized models.
The first electric machines were developed by the Singer Sewing Co. and were crucial in World War 1 effort. After the war, sewing machines began to be offered for home use. Sewing machines a lot of time, it would take 14 ½ hours to make a man’s shirt by hand, compared to an hours or so by machine. With more production, household sewing machines became better priced and more attainable for average households. Magazines and clothing pattern companies also fostered home sewing by making tissues patterns available at reasonable prices. Textiles were also being mass produced here in America, making fabric less expensive and easier to get. Then came mass produced ready to wear, produced here and overseas. That is another topic for another day!
So that is a brief history of sewing machine evolution! Now there are many companies and lots of types of sewing machines available for commercial and home use. They are also sold at many venues, such as department stores, sewing centers, and through the internet, etc. Be sure to do your homework BEFORE you purchase your own model, making sure that it has the ability to perform the functions that you want.
Looking back, I remember the first sewing machine that I purchased, as I had “borrowed” a friend’s machine for many years. I went to the Singer Sewing Machine store in Framingham, Massachusetts and put a used basic Singer sewing machine on layaway. Then each week, I would drive over to the store and pay $25.00 on it until it became all mine! I remember that the cost was about $175.00 in the late 1970’s, oh how I wish that I still had it today! After many hours of sewing on it, I eventually traded it up for another more “modern” model. I now have an assortment of machines that I use on a daily basis. I cannot image a life without sewing.
Thank you, I appreciate you reading my column, if you wish to be involved in the sewing and quilting movement, please contact me. I am always happy to pass on my knowledge of sewing to anyone willing to learn.
Blackstone Valley Needle Arts Studio, Madonna Terlizzi 508-294-5721
