The Forgotten History of Sewing Machines

Comments · 1.3K

• RO

  @robertford7318 · 6 years ago (edited)

  I had a repair business called “The Sewing Machine Man” and my slogan was: “$25 Reward For Any Sewing Machine I Cannot Repair.” I repaired thousands of machines in the Northern California area and never had to pay the reward. Most of the machines were 30 years or older and I really liked those the most but I repaired any kind of machine that was ever made ‘till I closed the business. I did free house calls so most of my repairs were for older machines owned by seniors. Now I’m a senior and I never learned to sew😊

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• RY

  @ryand2529 · 6 years ago

  It’s obvious this invention has affected the very fabric of society.

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• RA

  @ramakrishnanr3877 · 6 years ago

  I have personally seen my neighbors lifted out of poverty by buying those singer's sewing machines years ago.those ingenious machines inspired me to become a mechanical engineer

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• ME

  @memathews · 6 years ago (edited)

  Really interesting history and such a changemaker culturally. <br><br>Here&apos;s what COVID-19 did. My wife was laid off at the sewing machine dealer on a Saturday in March and called back to work on Monday. The COVID-19 shutdown had their phone ringing off the hook, voicemail entirely full, hundreds of emails! <br><br>Every message wanted a sewing machine or to &quot;fix my mother&apos;s Singer from 1962.&quot; The dealer &nbsp;sold out of under $1,000 machines that week, then sold out of machines costing as much as $20,000 in later weeks. Now in July every machine under $3,000 is reserved for sale before it is shipped to the store. And their repair business is working overtime.<br><br>Buyers made masks, COVID-themed quilts, clothes, and more with their new hobby. The stay at home was a boon to the sewing industry in many ways.<br><br>The dealer never stopped sales or repair, just moved pickup &amp; dropoff to the curb outside and wiped down every machine before bringing it in the door. Inside they separated all the workspaces and wear masks if they move from their workspace. <br><br>No COVID-19 problems except for the bosses daughter bringing it home from college, which caused the boss to work from home.

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• CO

  @corymcgrath5652 · 6 years ago

  I bought one a few years ago, made mom teach me to use it. I work as an industrial welder.<br>The occupation is extremely hard on clothing. Machine saves me some money, &nbsp;I keep it <br>Inside the garage, to me it&apos;s an important maintenance tool.

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• BW

  @bwktlcn · 6 years ago

  As a quilter, I appreciated this video. &nbsp;As a lover of history, will share this....Elias Howe was having issues with his first machine design. &nbsp;The original needle he wanted to use was like that we use for hand sewing, cross stitch, embroidery, etc. today — the needle had a sharp point on one end, eye on the other. &nbsp;As hard as he tried, he could not make the machine work. &nbsp;Frustrated and pursued by his creditors, he went to bed and had a nightmare, where cannibals were chasing him with spears that had an eye at the pointed end. &nbsp;Howe awoke, realized the eye at the pointed in was what he was looking for, and went on to make the first truly useful machine. &nbsp;So, all the quilts I have ever made....trace back to a nightmare.

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• JO

  @johntabler349 · 6 years ago

  whenever we had get a piece of equipment that ran well Dad would proudly proclaim &quot;runs like a Singer Sewing Machine&quot;

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• MI

  @mikesands4681 · 6 years ago

  I guess you could say that the success of the first five machine patents was only “sew-sew”?

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• GE

  @georgemckenna462 · 6 years ago

  The importance of the &quot;walking foot&quot; to the modern sewing machine can not be over stated.

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• DA

  @DavidKutzler · 6 years ago

  I&apos;m reminded of a scene from the 1971 movie &quot;Fiddler on the Roof&quot; where Tevye&apos;s son-in-law, a tailor, proudly demonstrates the perfectly even stitches produced by his newly acquired sewing machine.

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• DO

  @dogwalkfinds9899 · 6 years ago

  Sewing machines are miracles of mechanical engineering. Thanks for remembering them!

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• AL

  @allowishusfuddpucker6431 · 6 years ago

  Everyone in my village knows the story of how the three amigos used sewing machines to help defeat el guapo.

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