Sewing

Sewing is a centuries-old art that involves the fastening of leather, cloth, fur, bark as well as other flexible, pliable and bendable materials. Archeologists have discovered ancient sewing materials which date back to as early as 30,000 BC. This process is referred to as tailoring or stitching.

Primary Functions of Sewing
Sewing is primarily done to craft different types of clothing, bed sheets and bed spreads table linen and different types of upholstery. Sewing can be done on materials such as canvass and leather, and is used to fashion out banners, sails and bellows.

Traditional Sewing Tools and Materials
Since most of the early sewing methods were exclusively done by hand, the most common tools were the needle, pattern and the thread. Other tools included the rotary cutter, scissors, measuring tape, stitching awl, pins and pin cushions, yarn, tracing paper, chalk, thimble, wax and sewing box.

Plain and Fancy Sewing
Basically there are two types or categories of sewing: Plain and fancy sewing. Plain sewing refers to a more functional type, which is used to stitch together household items or clothes and linens. Fancy sewing involves more complex processes, and is mostly a decorative form of sewing. Among the fancy sewing methods included quilting, embroidery, shirring and others.

Sewing Became a Lucrative Livelihood Source
Before machines came into the picture, sewing was a purely home craft. Many individuals sew clothes and other items for themselves, as well as for their customers. They performed simple tasks such as repairing torn or loose seams, or putting back into place a loose shirt pocket or button.

How the Industrial Revolution Changed the Art of Sewing
The art of sewing underwent a massive facelift during the Industrial Revolution, with the invention of the sewing machine. With the use of the first sewing machine, garments were tacked together into the machine. The sewing machine was equipped with a set of gears and tools which pierced the thread into the layers of cloth, and secured the locks of thread into place. The development of sewing machines made the process much faster, and enabled clothing manufacturers to produce more volumes of clothes and household items, as well as hire fewer workers. The first sewing machine was said to have been invented by an Englishman named Thomas Saint in 1790.

In the late 80's Israeli designers introduced the first-ever computerized sewing machine. As more technological advances were introduced, sewing machines become much sharper and were much capable of doing extra complex tasks. The sewing machines of today utilize tools such as sequential cams and stepper tools, which are used to churn out more creative patterns and sleeker designs. Most of the sewing machines today are made in Asia too.

The modern sewing machines are adept at making a wide array of patterned stitches, and around 3 dozen unique stitch formations have already been recognized by organizations like the International Standards Organization, or ISO. The two major stitches that sewing machines make are the lockstitch and the chain stitch, while the other variants are considered as derivatives of these two major types.

Most electronic sewing machines are manufactured to move in such a manner that different types of fabric easily glide or move in and out of it, and removes the hassles encountered with moving thimbles and needles, and also removes the need to use other items commonly used in hand sewing.

Sewing is a Highly-Specialized Art
While most of us may think that sewing is only applicable for semi-skilled workers, and is often viewed as a menial job, in truth it's actually a more complex profession. Expert sewers must possess the skill to make patterns, flatten sheets of fabric or cloth and curve, fold and bore holes and stitch them into creatively-fashioned, smooth and ripple-free designs. Expert sewers need to master the art of aligning and orienting patterns that are to be woven or printed into different fabrics.