History of the Sewing Machine

Sewing has, of course, been a part of human history dating back thousands of years. Like a lot of technology, a vast number of improvements have been made to sewing technology in the last few centuries as the mechanical and digital ages have taken over. The history of the sewing machine is one fraught with rivalry and competition, as competing engineers attempt to design improvements upon previous inventions.

The history of the sewing machine dates back to the early 19th century. While several patents for sewing machines had been issued prior to the 19th century, none were for a functional product. Instead, it was Barthelemy Thimonnier of France who developed the first working sewing machine, which was only capable of a straight chain stitch. However, he was met with misfortune after his invention in 1830, as the factory he used to build the machines was destroyed by a fire set by a mob of angry tailors. The first American sewing machine was developed in 1834 by mechanic Walter Hunt, though, despite its successes, he was never pleased with it and neglected to file a patent for it.

Elias Howe produced a similar machine to Hunt's and patented it in 1846. His major contribution to the design of the sewing machine was a groove added to the needle stemming from the eye. Though Isaac Singer greatly improved upon the design of Howe's sewing machine, he was sued for patent infringement by Howe, beginning the most embattled history of the sewing machine. Thanks to Singer, sewing machines now had a foot peddle, known as a treadle, and held the needle vertically. These mechanical sewing machines and the sewing machines manufactured in the 1860s and 1870s still bear some semblance to modern sewing machines.

The 20th century brought on the development of the home and electrical sewing machines. The Merrow Sewing Machine Company began manufacturing sewing machines with success in the latter half of the 19th century, and still operates today. Notably, the biggest changes made in the modern history of the sewing machine is the use of computer controls, providing sewing machines with the capability of being programmed to perform incredibly intricate stitches that were previously impossible with a machine.