Sewing Machines Have Transformed An Industry

By Sarah Macklin

Sewing machines are one of those inventions that really transformed an aspect of society from the very beginning. Singer became the first machine to use an up and down design for the needle which greatly improved the efficiency. People quickly realized how much time they could save by using a Singer instead of just sewing everything by hand. It's hard to believe that this was more than 100 years ago.

Early on, sewing machines were built mostly for commercial use on factory lines. They were made to greatly speed up production and make the companies more profit through efficiencies. Most of these industrial machines were purpose built to produce a certain type of stitch or embroidery. For this reason they were not practical for in home use. Plus, the price was more than the average person could afford but that would change.

The mass selling of sewing machines to households didn't really start until the late 1800's. This gave women the opportunity to create and fix clothing for the family in a much more efficient manner. While the original machine was large and cumbersome they really improved over the years. Plus, many more features were added like different stitch types and buttonholes.

For collectors, there really are a large amount of sewing machines from many eras to choose from. This is largely because of more than 100 years of production. These historic models really show us where the industry came from and just how much more improved a modern sewing machine is. It is fascinating to look at the latest features and see how much easier you can sew fabric today.

The very first sewing machines were powered by a hand crank or foot pedal but today's models use electricity. They are also fully computerized allowing you to really control the stitches and patterns. Older models were quite a bit heavier but today you can take your sewing machine with you wherever you go. Advanced features give you much more control over every aspect of your project as well.

You will find many antiques running strong today and this is an indication of how well built these machines are. It can sometimes be hard to find the right parts to keep them running but many manufacturers do still carry the supplies you need and you can always check with the collector community.

For over a century companies have been making many improvements to their sewing machine lineup. This has enabled people to become very good at creating custom designs on just about any type of fabric you can imagine. This evolution will likely continue as each year more improvements are introduced into the latest machines. - 32000

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