Table of Contents
Introduction
History of Sewing
Types of Sewing
Tools of Sewing
Understanding Sewing Patterns
Introduction
Sewing can be a very useful and rewarding hobby.
There are a number of different types of sewing
and they all serve their own unique purposes.
You can also choose to sew by hand or learn to
sew by machine, with each offering their own
benefits and their detractions. Sewing is seen
by many as a dying art but it can be a very
relaxing and rewarding hobby, as you are able to
create beautiful masterpieces and repair
clothes.
Sewing can be used to tailor clothes, create
quilts, bags or just about anything. You can
even learn to decorate and personalize a variety
of different items.
History of Sewing
Sewing is a skill practiced by
nearly every human civilization on the planet,
both past and present. Current archeologists
place sewing all the way to the Paleolithic era
(30,000 BC). Needles have been found made out
bone that were used to sew together furs and
skins. It wasn’t until the 3rd
century BC, in Germany that needles were made
out of iron. Then in a Han temple in China the
oldest thimble was discovered as part of a full
sewing set. The thimble dates from around 200 BC
to 200 AD.
This would be as far advanced as
sewing would get until 1790 when the first
sewing machine was invented. This sewing machine
created chain stitches and was designed for
leather and canvas, mainly for creating boots.
It wasn’t until 1830 that the first practical
sewing machine was invented. Ten years later
these machines were employed in the creation of
French military uniforms, unfortunately the
factory was destroyed by tailors who feared
being replaced by machines.
But despite their success none
of these sewing machines were able to compete
with hand sewing. That was until 1846 when Elias
Howe created a machine that could sew perfectly
straight seams. Sewing machines continued to
improve and provide more services as the years
advanced.
Today many people sew both by
hands and through sewing machines, this is both
due to preference and through necessity. Many
people claim that items sewn by hand are of a
higher quality while items sewn with a sewing
machine are often more precise. Machines used by
the average person are sometimes too bulky or
narrow to use on certain projects, so it is
often necessary to have an idea of how to become
involved with both types of sewing.
Types of Sewing
There are two main types of
sewing. The first is known as plain sewing and
the second is known as fancy sewing. Plain
sewing consists of the sewing that creates
clothes, simple blankets and even shoes. This
type of sewing can be easy to learn at first but
more advanced clothes can involve more difficult
stitches and patterns that can sometimes be
tricky to understand.
Fancy sewing involves the more
decorative types of stitching such as
embroidery, shirring, smocking and quilting.
Embroidery is among the most well-known and most
pursued by hobbyists. Most craft stores will
sell cross-stitch and embroidery kits to create
works of art that can be framed or blankets for
infants. Larger embroidery projects such as
tablecloths and napkins can also be purchased as
kits and are perfect for the beginner.
Embroidery involves a number of
different stitches but all of these are
explained in the pattersn to the kits. There are
two main types of embroidery kits, counted
cross-stitch and stamped cross-stich. Counted
cross stitch can be more difficult for children
and people who are not confident counting
stitches on a grid. Stamped cross-stitch
involves stitching over a stamped pattern on a
cloth. The two types are usually for different
types of projects with counted cross-stitch
usually for creating farmable art and stamped
cross-stitch is for creating blankets, table
cloths and other projects.
Working from kits and patterns
is often easier for a beginner but once you gain
confidence you can start learning how to create
your own projects and create truly unique and
personal gifts and creations.
Tools of Sewing
There are many different tools
of sewing that go far beyond the basic needle
and thread. But beyond the basic needle there
are a wide variety of different needles that are
used for a number of different types of
projects. Here are some of the different needles
that are used today.
These needles come in
various sizes so numbering will differ from the
needles described above.
•
Ballpoints have a rounded point and are used for
knitted fabrics. Sizes 5-10.
•
Beading needles are very fine, with a narrow eye
to enable it to fit through the centre of beads
and sequins. They are usually long so that a
number of beads can be threaded at a time. Sizes
10-15.
•
Bodkin. This is a long, thick needle with a
ballpoint end and a large, elongated eye. They
can be flat or round and are generally used for
threading elastic, ribbon or tape through
casings and lace openings.
•
Chenille needles are similar to tapestry
needles, but with large, long eyes and a very
sharp point to penetrate close weave fabrics.
Useful for ribbon embroidery. Sizes 13-26.
•
Darning needles have a blunt tip and large eye,
similar to tapestry needles, but are longer,
with a yarn darners being the heaviest with very
large eyes to thread yarn. Various types, with
sizes ranging from 1-18.
•
Doll needles are long and thin and are used for
soft sculpturing on dolls, particularly facial
details. Size 2.5"-7" long.
•
Leather needles, also known as Glovers needles,
have a triangular point for piercing the leather
without tearing it. Used on leather, suede,
vinyl and plastic. Sizes 3/0-10.
•
Sailmaker needles are similar to leather
needles, but the triangular point extends
further up the shaft. Used for sewing thick
canvas or heavy leather.
•
Spiral Eye Side Threading needles come in a
variety of sizes and types. The precision cut
and the geometry of the eye allows for most
material to slide over the opening on the side.
Used for most cotton and cotton blends. Good for
those with low vision or dexterity issues.
Mostly a mending needle. [1]
•
Tapestry needles have a large eye and a blunt
tip. They are used for working on embroidery
canvas, even-weave material and other loosely
woven fabrics. The blunt tip allow the needle to
pass through the fabric without damaging it.
Double ended tapestry needles, with the eye in
the middle, are also available for the
convenience of embroiderers who work with fabric
mounted in a frame. Sizes from 13 (heaviest) to
28 (finest).
•
Tatting needles are long and are the same
thickness for their entire length, including at
the eye, to enable thread to be pulled through
the double stitches used in tatting.
•
Upholstery needles are heavy, long needles that
can be straight or curved. Used for sewing heavy
fabrics, upholstery work, tufting and for tying
quilts. Curved needles are used for difficult
situations where a straight needle is not
practical and are also used in fabric
box-making. Heavy duty 12" needles are used for
repairing mattresses. Straight sizes: 3"-12"
long, curved: 1.5"-6" long.
The following
is a short list of just some of the different
tools you may encounter while learning to sew.
Thimble
The thimble in various forms has
existed for centuries but the first thimble seen
in England was in 1695. The thimble was created
by a Dutch metal working named Lofting who
created the thimble with little indentations to
prevent the needle from slipping.
The usefulness of such a device
became immediately apparent to many people who
often used needles. At the time, the implement
was called the "thumb-bell"; it was to be worn
on the thumb, and its shape was similar to that
of a bell. Thimbles nowadays are commonly worn
on a finger rather than the thumb, but the name
thimble still remains as a softened form of the
original.
Thimbles are usually made from
metal, leather, rubber, and wood, and even glass
or china. Early thimbles were sometimes made
from whale bone, horn, or ivory. Natural sources
were also utilized such as Connemara marble, bog
oak, or mother of pearl. Rarer works from
thimble makers utilized diamonds, sapphires, or
rubies.
Originally, thimbles were used
solely for pushing a needle through fabric or
leather as it was being sewn. Since then,
however, they have gained many other uses. In
the 1800s they were used to measure spirits,
which brought rise to the phrase "just a
thimbleful". Prostitutes used them in the
practice of thimble-knocking where they would
tap on a window to announce their presence.
Thimble-knocking also refers to the practice of
Victorian schoolmistresses who would tap on the
heads of unruly pupils with dames thimbles.
Seam Ripper
A seam ripper is a small tool
used for unpicking stitches.
The most common form consists of
a handle, shaft and head. The head is usually
forked with one side of the fork flattening out
and becoming a blade and the other side forming
a small point. In some designs the blade side
then tapers back to a point to allow easier
insertion in tight stitching.
In use the blade is inserted
into the seam underneath the thread to be cut.
The thread is allowed to slip down into the fork
and the tool is then lifted upwards allowing the
blade to cut through the thread. Once the seam
has been undone in this way the loose ends can
be removed and the seam resewn.
You may even encounter other
tools that are useful and sometimes necessary in
learning to sew such as patterns, tailor’s
chalk, measuring tape and even tracing paper.
These tools are very self-explanatory in
themselves but knowing how to use a pattern can
be very tricky and that will be covered in a
later section.
Sewing Machine
A sewing machine is
a very useful tool for anyone who wants to
become involved with tailoring clothes or
quilts. But depending on the features you want
they can also be very expensive. The most
well-known sewing machine brand is a Singer
sewing machine and they are often credited with
being among the best.
Sewing machines can
do a number of different stitches and some of
this most modern machines can even embroider
entire designs with just the touch of a button.
Basic sewing machines can be found for around
$200 but more elaborate machines can go as high
as $2000.
Sewing machines can
make a great variety of plain or patterned
stitches. Ignoring strictly decorative aspects,
over three dozen distinct stitch formations are
formally recognized by the ISO 4915:1991
standard (for a summary see [3], [4], or [5]),
involving one to seven separate threads to form
the stitch. Plain stitches fall into four
general categories: lockstitch, chainstitch,
overlock, and coverstitch (each described
below).
Lock stitch is the familiar
stitch performed by most household sewing
machines and most industrial "single needle"
sewing machines from two threads, one passed
through a needle and one coming from a bobbin or
shuttle. Each thread stays on the same side of
the material being sewn, interlacing with the
other thread at each needle hole. Industrial
lockstitch machines with two needles, each
forming an independent lockstitch with their own
bobbin, are also very common. There are
different types of lockstitch industrial
machines. The most commonly used are the drop
feed for light and medium duty, and walking foot
for medium and heavy duty like the Class 7 with
an impressive 3/4" foot lift. This makes the
Class 7 able to stitch through heavy materials
up to 3/4" with threads as strong as 57 lbs.
Originally made by Singer in the US and Europe
for supplying the demand of heavy duty clothing
for the troops, for many years after the war
this class was not available as new because the
market was filled. With the outsourcing of many
sewing manufacturing jobs, nowadays many Chinese
Class 7 machines are available and built by
Federal Specifications giving them equal
performance as the original ones.
Chain stitch is less widely used
than lockstitch, but it is preferred over
lockstitch for applications like sealing bags of
grain, garment seams likely to be altered, and
as a "safety stitch" on serging machines. A
chain stitch may be formed with either one or
two distinct threads, one passed through a
needle and the other, if used, manipulated by a
looper, a device which moves back and forth but
does not pass through the fabric. The needle
thread is formed on both sides of the material
being sewn, and on the bottom of the material
either crosses through loops of itself (single
thread) or loops of the second thread to prevent
it from pulling back to the top of the material.
Most household chainstitch machines are either
very old, or toys intended for children.
Industrial chainstitch machines are still
heavily used in their application areas.
Lockstitch and chainstitch can
be formed any distance from the edge of the
material being sewn.
Overlock can only be formed at
the edge itself, where one or more threads pass
over the edge. Varieties of overlock stitch can
be formed with one to four threads, one or two
needles, and one or two loopers. Overlock sewing
machines are usually equipped with knives that
trim or create the edge immediately in front of
the stitch formation. Household and industrial
overlock machines are commonly used for garment
seams in knit or stretchy fabrics, for garment
seams where a clean finish is not required, and
for protecting edges against ravelling. Machines
using two to four threads are most common, and
frequently one machine can be configured for
several varieties of overlock stitch. Overlock
machines with five or more threads usually make
both a chainstitch with one needle and one
looper, and an overlock stitch with the
remaining needles and loopers. This combination
is known as a "safety stitch". Household
overlock machines are widely used.
Coverstitch is formed by two or
more needles and one or two loopers. Like
lockstitch and chainstitch, coverstitch can be
formed anywhere on the material being sewn. One
looper manipulates a thread below the material
being sewn, forming a bottom cover stitch
against the needle threads. An additional looper
above the material can form a top cover stitch
simultaneously. The needle threads form parallel
rows, while the looper threads cross back and
forth all the needle rows. Coverstitch is
so-called because the grid of crossing needle
and looper threads covers raw seam edges, much
as the overlock stitch does. It is widely used
in garment construction, particularly for
attaching trims and flat seaming where the raw
edges can be finished in the same operation as
forming the seam. Machines with three needles
are most common, and can be configured to use
any two or all three of the needles. Machines
with six or more needles are often used for
applications like fastening elastic waistbands
to garments. Household coverstitch machines are
fairly rare, but are becoming more readily
available.
Other stitch
formations
A series of stitch formations,
joining 2 colors of fabric. A zigzag stitch
could also be a long, wide continuous seam.
Zigzag are lockstitches with a
side-to-side width as well as a stitch length.
Basic stitch formation is dictated by a stitch
pattern cam; maximum pattern width is
established by the stitch width regulator. The
cams that produce zigzag stitch patterns are
single. As the cam rotates, a fingerlike
follower, connected to the needle bar, rides
along the cam and tracks its indentations. As
the follower moves in and out, the needle bar is
moved from side to side. A zigzag stitch has
more give than a straight stitch, and therefore
is less subject to breakage.
Stretch stitching are produced
by coordinated motions of needle and feed. While
the needle is moving, as for straight or zigzag
stitches, the feed is automatically moving the
fabric forward and backward. As with zigzag
stitches, stretch stitching is cam controlled,
but because of the dual action, stretch stitch
patterns have double cams. As the double cam
rotates, the follower, connected to a needle
bar, rides along one track to move the needle
bar from side to side. Another follower,
connected to the feed, simultaneously rides the
other cam track to move the feed for forward and
reverse stitches as required by the design. [7]
Understanding
Sewing Patterns
Sewing patterns have
long since been developed in order to ensure
that clothes or other objects are created the
same every time. Now they are used as a way to
help people at home create their own clothes.
Home sewing patterns
are generally printed on tissue paper and sold
in packets containing sewing instructions and
suggestions for fabric and trim. Modern patterns
are available in a wide range of prices, sizes,
styles, and sewing skill levels, to meet the
needs of consumers..
Home sewing patterns are graded,
that is, redrawn to fit larger and smaller sizes
than the original design. Ebenezer Butterick
invented the commercially produced graded home
sewing pattern in 1863 (based on grading systems
used by Victorian tailors), originally selling
hand-drawn patterns for men's and boys'
clothing. In 1866, Butterick added patterns for
women's clothing, which remains the heart of the
home sewing pattern market today.
There are some applications
today that enable a home sewer to customize a
computerized pattern to fit her body
measurements and or body shape. The 3D
technology enables the home sewer to see a
virtual simulation of the final garment as it
will appear on her. This reduces the
Time-to-Market as well as the number of
muslins/test garments that are needed.
A variation on the theme was
evolved by iconic British brand Clothkits.
Clothkits devised ingenious cut and sew clothing
kits for home sewing that avoided the need for
paper patters. Rather than using conventional
techniques, Clothkits pre printed fabric with
both quirky designs and the pattern lines, to
make dressmaking for the novice easier.
Using these patterns
can often be tricky even though they come with
instructions. Bold lines usually imply where you
cut and each piece that you cut will tell you
how many to cut. Sometimes it will tell you to
cut on the fold. This means that you line up the
pattern with the edge of the fabric and then cut
around it and leave the fold entact.
There are also small
triangles to cut or areas to mark that will help
you line up the patterns. Normally the patterns
will be laid on top of the fabric and most
people will use pins to attach them to the
fabric to make sure that the pattern does not
move while cutting.
The pattern
instructions will then tell you how to sew the
pieces together, but the most complicated the
article of clothing the more difficult the
stitches may be. Some of them will involve
pleating and other techniques which may be
difficult for the beginner. For that reason it
is good for someone just starting out to try
their hands at beginner projects first. These
are normally projects that involve mainly
straight sewing, either by hand or with a sewing
machine.
Sewing can be a very
time consuming and difficult hobby. It can also
be expensive if you choose to purchase a sewing
machine in order to pursue this hobby. But for
the person who wishes to sew by hand or learn to
embroider by hand, the projects can be very
cheaply done. Patterns can be found for free
online or complete kits can be found at craft
stores for around $20 - $30.
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