Sewing

Turn of the century sewing in Detroit, Michigan Antique Singer sewing machine

Sewing is an ancient craft involving the stitching of cloth, leather, animal skins, furs, or other materials, using needle and thread. Its use is nearly universal among human populations and dates back to Paleolithic times (30,000 BC). Sewing predates the weaving of cloth.

Sewing is used primarily to produce clothing and household furnishings as curtains, bedclothes, upholstery, and table linens. It is also used for sails, bellows, skin boats, and other items shaped out of flexible materials such as canvas and leather.

Most sewing in the industrial world is done by machines. Pieces of a garment are often firstly tacked together. The machine has a complex set of gears and arms which pierces thread through the layers of the cloth and semi-securely interlocks the thread.

Some people sew clothes for themselves and their families. More often home sewers sew to repair clothes, such as mending a torn seam or replacing a loose button. A person who sews for a living is known as a seamstress, dressmaker, tailor, or garment worker.

"Plain" sewing is done for functional reasons: making or mending clothing or household linens. "Fancy" sewing is primarily decorative, including techniques such as shirring, embroidery, or quilting.

Sewing is the foundation for many needle arts and crafts, such as applique, canvas work, and patchwork.

General sewing methods

Machine sewing is the most popular method. Hand sewing is still done to some extent for finishing and repairing garments. Sergers are becoming more popular for home use, but are not capable of all the functions of a traditional sewing machine. Because of this, people usually purchase a traditional sewing machine first, and purchase a serger at a later date. Sergers prices typically start at two to three times the cost of a traditional sewing machine.

  • Hand-sewing: using a needle and thread with your hands to produce stitches.
  • Machine-sewing: using a machine to produce similar effects to hand-sewing, but at a much quicker speed. Sewing machines can be electrically or mechanically operated. Electric machines are by far more common.
  • Serging: trimming the edge of fabric and overcasting all in one step, sometimes with the option of stitching as well. Also used for creating artistic effects. Serging is ideal for stretchy fabrics or fabrics that should have neat edges. Virutally all commercially-sold clothing is completely made with one or more specialized industrial sergers.

General sewing applications

Almost all of these methods can be done by either hand, sewing machine, or a serger; however, the specific techniques used can be quite different. Some methods are not appropriate for some applications, even though it may be possible to replicate another method. As an extreme, you could technically duplicate serging with hand sewing, but it would take at least several hundred times as long to do the same work. Furthermore, some techniques are not possible with other methods: making an embroidery stitch called a french knot is easy by hand, but impossible by sewing machine or serger.

  • Dressmaking/Tailoring/General: general techniques to create clothing and other textile projects.
  • Mending: using general techniques and specialized methods such as darning to repair textiles.
  • Quilting: sewing together layers of fabric and/or fibrefill to make warm blankets and clothing, or used for effect. Machine quilting is most common, but quilting "purists" and traditionalists do all quilting by hand.
  • Serging: uses multiple threads to produce a stretchy and secure edge finish or seam that keeps raw edges of fabric neat. The term "serging" is commonly used to refer both to the act of sewing with a serger, and the type of effect the serger produces.
  • Embroidery or machine embroidery: artistic embellishment.

Occupations requiring sewing

  • Cobbler
  • Corsetier
  • Draper
  • Dressmaker
  • Glover
  • Hatter
  • Quilting
  • Sailmaker
  • Tailor
  • Upholsterer

Sewing tools and accessories

Sewing box (~1955) with sewing notions
  • awl
  • bobbin
  • bodkin
  • dressmaker's or tailor's shears
  • measuring tape
  • needle
  • pattern
  • pattern weights
  • pin
  • pincushion
  • rotary cutter
  • scissors
  • seam ripper
  • tailor's chalk
  • thimble
  • thread
  • tracing paper
  • tracing wheel
  • wax, often beeswax

Notions (objects sewn into garments or soft goods)

Closures:

  • buckle
  • button (buttons can be sew-through or have shanks.)
    • toggle
  • chinese frog
  • eye
  • hook
  • hook-and-loop tape (often known by brand name Velcro)
  • snap
  • zipper

Finishing and embellishment:

  • bias tape
  • elastic
  • eyelet
  • grommet
  • heading
  • interfacing
  • rivet
  • trims (fringe, beaded fringe, ribbons, lace, sequin tape)

List of stitches

  • back tack
  • backstitch
  • basting stitch (or tacking) - for temporary fixing
  • blanket stitch
  • blind stitch (or hem stitch)
  • buttonhole stitch
  • chain stitch
  • cross-stitch
  • darning stitch
  • feather stitch
  • hemming stitch
  • lockstitch
  • overlock
  • padding stitch
  • running stitch - for seams and gathering
  • sailmakers stitch
  • slip stitch - for fastening a folded edge to a flat piece of fabric, or to another folded edge
  • stretch stitch
  • straight stitch
  • topstitch
  • whipstitch (or oversewing stitch) - for protecting edges
  • zig-zag stitch

References

  • Singer: The New Sewing Essentials by The Editors of Creative Publishing International ISBN 0865733082

This page about Sewing includes information from a Wikipedia article.
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Finishing and embellishment:. In more strongly planned metropolises (such as Minneapolis), the skyline tends to form the shape of an artificial mountain, with the tallest buildings toward the center of town. Closures:. In many but not all metropolises, skyscrapers play a significant role in defining the skyline. Furthermore, some techniques are not possible with other methods: making an embroidery stitch called a french knot is easy by hand, but impossible by sewing machine or serger. Skylines that are stretched out to a large (sometimes panoramic) view because of large cities or twin cities are called cityscapes. As an extreme, you could technically duplicate serging with hand sewing, but it would take at least several hundred times as long to do the same work. Skylines also serve as a kind of fingerprint of a city, as no two skylines are alike.

Some methods are not appropriate for some applications, even though it may be possible to replicate another method. Skylines are a good representation of a city’s overall power; the more prominent the skyline, the more money the city has to spend. Almost all of these methods can be done by either hand, sewing machine, or a serger; however, the specific techniques used can be quite different. It can also be described as the artificial horizon that a city's overall structure creates. Sergers prices typically start at two to three times the cost of a traditional sewing machine. A skyline is best described as the overall or partial view or relief of a city's tall buildings and structures consisting of many skyscrapers. Because of this, people usually purchase a traditional sewing machine first, and purchase a serger at a later date. For cities on lakes and oceans the reflective water adds to the view, and is also commonly used in pictures.

Sergers are becoming more popular for home use, but are not capable of all the functions of a traditional sewing machine. What one sees of buildings is mainly the lighting inside, and sometimes illumination on the outside, for eye candy or advertising. Hand sewing is still done to some extent for finishing and repairing garments. Nightime: A skyline during the nightime. Machine sewing is the most popular method. Silhouette: A skyline where buildings are blended together as one black shape that usually includes only one layer of the skyline. . Sometimes used during dawn and dusk to use the setting and rising sun in the background.

Sewing is the foundation for many needle arts and crafts, such as applique, canvas work, and patchwork. Daytime: A normal, generally widestretched view of a city's skyline that is during the daytime. "Fancy" sewing is primarily decorative, including techniques such as shirring, embroidery, or quilting. "Plain" sewing is done for functional reasons: making or mending clothing or household linens. A person who sews for a living is known as a seamstress, dressmaker, tailor, or garment worker.

More often home sewers sew to repair clothes, such as mending a torn seam or replacing a loose button. Some people sew clothes for themselves and their families. The machine has a complex set of gears and arms which pierces thread through the layers of the cloth and semi-securely interlocks the thread. Pieces of a garment are often firstly tacked together.

Most sewing in the industrial world is done by machines. It is also used for sails, bellows, skin boats, and other items shaped out of flexible materials such as canvas and leather. Sewing is used primarily to produce clothing and household furnishings as curtains, bedclothes, upholstery, and table linens. Sewing predates the weaving of cloth.

Its use is nearly universal among human populations and dates back to Paleolithic times (30,000 BC). Sewing is an ancient craft involving the stitching of cloth, leather, animal skins, furs, or other materials, using needle and thread. Singer: The New Sewing Essentials by The Editors of Creative Publishing International ISBN 0865733082. zig-zag stitch.

whipstitch (or oversewing stitch) - for protecting edges. topstitch. straight stitch. stretch stitch.

slip stitch - for fastening a folded edge to a flat piece of fabric, or to another folded edge. sailmakers stitch. running stitch - for seams and gathering. padding stitch.

overlock. lockstitch. hemming stitch. feather stitch.

darning stitch. cross-stitch. chain stitch. buttonhole stitch.

blind stitch (or hem stitch). blanket stitch. basting stitch (or tacking) - for temporary fixing. backstitch.

back tack. trims (fringe, beaded fringe, ribbons, lace, sequin tape). rivet. interfacing.

heading. grommet. eyelet. elastic.

bias tape. zipper. snap. hook-and-loop tape (often known by brand name Velcro).

hook. eye. chinese frog. toggle.

button (buttons can be sew-through or have shanks.)

    . buckle. wax, often beeswax. tracing wheel.

    tracing paper. thread. thimble. tailor's chalk.

    seam ripper. scissors. rotary cutter. pincushion.

    pin. pattern weights. pattern. needle.

    measuring tape. dressmaker's or tailor's shears. bodkin. bobbin.

    awl. Upholsterer. Tailor. Sailmaker.

    Quilting. Hatter. Glover. Dressmaker.

    Draper. Corsetier. Cobbler. Embroidery or machine embroidery: artistic embellishment.

    The term "serging" is commonly used to refer both to the act of sewing with a serger, and the type of effect the serger produces. Serging: uses multiple threads to produce a stretchy and secure edge finish or seam that keeps raw edges of fabric neat. Machine quilting is most common, but quilting "purists" and traditionalists do all quilting by hand. Quilting: sewing together layers of fabric and/or fibrefill to make warm blankets and clothing, or used for effect.

    Mending: using general techniques and specialized methods such as darning to repair textiles. Dressmaking/Tailoring/General: general techniques to create clothing and other textile projects. Virutally all commercially-sold clothing is completely made with one or more specialized industrial sergers. Serging is ideal for stretchy fabrics or fabrics that should have neat edges.

    Also used for creating artistic effects. Serging: trimming the edge of fabric and overcasting all in one step, sometimes with the option of stitching as well. Electric machines are by far more common. Sewing machines can be electrically or mechanically operated.

    Machine-sewing: using a machine to produce similar effects to hand-sewing, but at a much quicker speed. Hand-sewing: using a needle and thread with your hands to produce stitches.

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