Sewing Machines Have Evolved Over The Years

By Sarah Macklin

Sewing machines have become one of the modern inventions that completely changed an industry from the very beginning. The Singer company introduced a revolutionary up and down needle machine that greatly increased the speed of sewing many types of fabric. Before that people would sew most things by hand and they quickly realized just how much time they could save by using this new design. Here we are more than 100 years later and these products are still being used today.

From very early on, the sewing machine was designed to be used commercially on factory lines by the workers. These machines were seen as a way to speed up production and increase profits. Many of these models were purpose built for making a specific type of stitch or pattern. When this is factored in with the high price, it is easy to see why many households didn't have a sewing machine at all. This would soon change, however.

The largescale selling of in-home sewing machines didn't really begin until just before 1900. It did create a whole new marketplace, though, as people could now create their own clothing with much less work than before. The first few machines were not very compact but they did work better than doing it the manual way. However, over the years many improvements were made.

Since there have been so many years of production of sewing machine models in this country there is a large antique following. Collectors appreciate all of the historic machines that really tell us where the industry came from. It is quite interesting to look at these models and learn about how they transformed over the years. The innovation is quite remarkable and the results they produce was a big leap forward at that time.

A sewing machine today is powered by electricity but the first machines used a hand crank or foot pedal for power. The older machines were also much larger and heavier where today's models are sleek and portable. The stitch quality is also much higher today but this is really to be expected. Every industry sees great improvements over the years and sewing machines are no different.

The fact that many antique sewing machines are still working today tells you just how well built they are. While it is difficult finding parts for them, many manufacturers do still carry supplies believe it or not. The collector community is also a wealth of knowledge about just what you would need to keep your older machine running for many years.

For well over a hundred years the companies have been improving their sewing machines. People have become very adept at creating unique designs using many types of fabrics. This evolution will continue as an entire industry has evolved into one of the largest you can find today. - 32537

About the Author:

Sign Up for our Free Newsletter

Enter email address here