Sewing machines are
one of the great inventions credited with transforming the economies
of global societies. In 1851 that Isaac Merritt Singer, after
studying a poorly working example, spent $40 and 11 days to develop a
practical sewing machine that used an up and down mechanism. The
first Singer sewing machine was introduced for sale across the United
States that same year and the company became the primary manufacturer
and seller of sewing machines within two years.
Initially, sewing
machines were manufactured for garment factory production lines. The
industrial sewing machines are generally designed to perform a
specific sewing function such as embroidery or sewing straight
stitches. Machines with different functions are used to complete
clothing items in a production line.
Marketing sewing
machines to individuals didn't begin until 1889, allowing for women
to have the means to create clothing for their family without the
labor-intensive hand stitching. The domestic sewing machine used in
the home is manufactured to perform many tasks from sewing straight
or zigzag stitches and the creation of buttonholes, as well as
stitching buttons on to the piece of clothing.
Sewing machines have
been mass produced worldwide for more than two-hundred years. As a
result, the wide variety of styles and manufacturers make antique
sewing machines a favorite collectible. Some of the most favorite
antique machines include working miniatures that were salesmen's
samples that doubled as child's sewing machines specifically for use
by young girls, since they were expected to learn how to sew.
All modern sewing
machines run on electricity, while their predecessors were powered by
a hand crank or a foot pedal operation known as a treadle. All sewing
machines feature mechanical parts, however today a sewing machine
that is not computerized, is referred to as a mechanical sewing
machine. Electronic sewing machines sew faster and smoother while
giving a better stitch. Computerized sewing machines are able to
perform many standard functions for the home seamstress more
efficiently and make embroidering a simple task. The price for basic,
mechanical sewing machines for the home starts at $70; added features
push prices up to $1,200. Computerized sewing machine pricing can
start around $400 for the home machines, with top of the line models
running as high as $5,000.
Most sewing machines
are well built and will last for many years with only a few parts
needing replacement. A great number of antique sewing machines are
still in operation, but parts can be hard to find if the company is
no longer in business. Typically, the manufacturer is the best
location for sewing machine parts, but there are also many companies
specializing in sewing machine part replacements.
For more than two
centuries, innovators have been sewing themselves into the fabric of
our world's economy by answering the creativity needs of the home
seamstress and major designers. The human need for textiles and
continued economic gain ensures that the sewing machine will continue
to evolve.
