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The invention of the modern sewing machines

Today we take for granted many things that were not always available to our ancestors, things that make life easier without us even realizing it.  One of those things is the sewing machine.  Clothing and products in our day and age are cheap, high quality, and easy to acquire.  And this is all thanks to the invention of the modern sewing machines.

Before large factories dotted our landscape and box stores sold everything we needed for a very reasonable price, most products were made by the people who used them.  Food was farmed, homes were built with the help of friends and family, and clothing and blankets were made by hand with care.  Before the invention of the modern sewing machines, the production of clothing was simple, but not easy.  Wool from lambs had to be spun into thread, thread had to be woven into fabric on a loom, and clothing was all stitched together by hand.  Most people probably had no idea that the invention of a machine to make this all so much easier was just around the corner.

One person who did get the picture, though, was Thomas Saint.  He patented the idea for the first sewing machine in 1791.  Unfortunately, his model was never built.  But in 1807, Josef Madersperger developed the first sewing machine, and the race was off.  Inventors started perfecting the sewing machine to sew straighter and more advanced stitches and to create details such as buttonholes.  But even with the invention of the modern sewing machines, sewing was still a lot of work.  Human power kept the machines moving with foot pedals while the sewing machine waited for electricity.

In 1889, Singer Sewing Company introduced the first electric sewing machines, with a motor that strapped onto the side.  As electricity took off, so did the motorized sewing machine, and Singer is still in the business today.  In 1946, sewing machines got a make-over when the TOYOTA Company created machines that were “functional yet beautiful”.  The invention of the modern sewing machines was nearly complete.

As computers started to take off in the 1990’s, sewing machines were re-tooled for the 20th and 21st Centuries.  These days, sewing machines can be programmed to do almost anything.  And the market of sewing machines is much more specialized, with fewer and fewer homes owning a machine.  Still, we can all appreciate the invention of the modern sewing machines when we buy our favorite brand of clothing online, easily create and personalize a gift for someone we love, or purchase affordable home products that brighten our lives.