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People have been sewing for a very long time.
20,000 years ago, during the Ice Age, someone decided that punching a hole through needles and running threads through them seemed like a good way to sew.
They were right.
Archeologists have uncovered needles made of bone and concluded that early humans used them to sew furs and skins. But bone needles required, well, bones. There had to be a better material to utilize.
Fast forward to the year circa 100 B.C. Parts of Northern Europe began to use iron needles. These were sturdier than any previous forms of needles used (bronze was used to make needles around 3,000 B.C., and these had been in use until iron replaced them).
Today, you have sewing needles made from materials such as carbon steel (for that extra durability) and 18K gold (for corrosion resistance and for those who do not mind splurging a little on tools).
It is not just the tools of sewing that have evolved over the years. Even the reason behind the art of sewing has shifted perspective. At one point in time, it was a craft used for necessity. People could not afford to risk sacrificing animals they used as food to mend a torn shirt. These days, sewing has turned into a hobby. It has become a way for people to enjoy an art that requires a considerable amount of skill. It has even become a way to improve your mood and help you relax.
Even technology has helped add convenience and sophistication to the art. Thomas Saint is known as the designer of the first sewing machine. Although, a German by the name of Charles Weisenthal had issued a patent for a machine that used needle nearly 30 years before Thomas Saint’s design. Because of this reason, there has been some debate on the matter of the actual inventor of the sewing machine.
Regardless of the machine’s origins, people and industries both use the machine today to create and repair garments, fabrics, clothing, and fashion products.
Companies use workshops that contain sewing machines to manufacture textiles, and those textiles are used to create clothing and apparel. In many cases, manufacturers produce the article of clothing themselves, especially if the manufacturer is a home-based business. From tops and trousers to dresses of all kinds, sewing comes into play in the creation of many clothing products, and in the mending of those products as well.
Need a solution to fix a tear? Why, sew the tear together. Is there a way to make some modifications to a garment? No problem, bring out the needle and thread.
This capability to sew damaged clothing allows clothes to last for a long time. It makes them reusable. It helps maintain them.
It makes them sustainable, even in the world of fashion.
