Sewing machines are exactly what they say; they are machines for sewing fabric and other materials. They come in many varieties, from a basic manual or electric home sewing machine to huge computerised machines that are used in textile factories for mass sewing jobs.

History

The first sewing machine was invented in the 1790s by Thomas Saint although his invention was never manufactured. Later a French tailor Bartelemy Thimonnier invented a machine that sewed straight lines of chain stitch. He was employed to sew uniforms for the French army until a riot by French tailors worried about losing their jobs destroyed the factory.

Isaac Singer is the name that nearly everyone has heard about in relation to sewing machines and the ‘Singer’ sewing machine soon became a fixture in many homes. The first ones used a foot operated treadle to move the needle up and down which was later replaced by a hand operated wheel on the side of the machine. As electricity was introduced to many homes, sewing machines had an electric motor added to the side of them which was later incorporated into the casing of the machine. These machines were often beautifully decorated with flowers and golden scroll work covering the machine. Other makers of sewing machines include Pfaff, Husqvarna, Bernina, Brother and Toyota.

Sewing machines stitches

The most common stitch used in these machines is ‘Lockstitch’ which uses two threads, one passing through the eye of the needle and the other coming from the bobbin situated underneath the bed of the machine. The machine also incorporates feed dogs like serrated teeth on the top surface of the machine which move the fabric forward as the machine sews. They can be dropped down on some machines to facilitate freestyle embroidery and quilting. Gradually machines grew more advanced and a variety of stitches are now available to all machine owners. The most common one being zig zag stitch which can be used to overlock the raw edges of fabric to stop it fraying. This stitch can be shortened to create a buttonhole stitch. All modern machines can also do reverse stitch useful for starting and finishing a length of sewing. Many home sewing machines are now computerised and can be programmed to do all types of embroidery stitches that would otherwise be impossible.

Learn about your machine

Before sewing a piece of work it is wise to learn how to thread your machine properly.  All machines are different and it is very important that you follow the instructions in the booklet that comes with your machine.  Threading your machine will soon become second nature to you, the more that you use it and you should not encounter too many problems. 

After you have threaded the machine take a waste piece of fabric to check the tension.  Again, using the booklet adjust the top and bottom tensioners on the machine.  The bobbin will generally have a tension screw on the side of it which can be adjusted using a small screwdriver usually supplied with sewing machines.  It adjusts the bottom tension on the machine. The top tension screw obviously adjusts the top tension and you may experiment with it until it meets the requirements of the fabric you are sewing.

Accoutrements

Also included in the purchase of your machine will be other various accoutrements.  There will probably be a zipper foot which has only one side which runs along the side of the zip as it is attached to the fabric. There may also be a foot for turning hems which gathers the fabric and turns it under before sewing it down. Sometimes an embroidery foot is also included which will enable you to do freestyle embroidery.  There may be one or two different sized screwdrivers (for adjustments and cleaning) and a small bottle of oil. (do not use any other oil other than sewing machine oil as it will clog up your machine and render it useless).   Make sure to clean and oil your machine regularly to prolong its life and give you years of good service.

Making things

If you wish to make your own clothes then learning to work with patterns is also a good idea.  There are many classes that will teach you how to lay out your pattern on the fabric cut it out and put it together.  Maybe you learned in school and now you want to start sewing again.  Learning to use sewing machines is a fun thing to do, it doesn’t matter what type of machine you have, modern or old you will have many happy hours of creating or recycling wonderful items of clothing or pieces of art work, bags, household items and many other interesting things. 

Old machines

Old sewing machines are also being collected nowadays to be sent to third world countries where they will be repaired and used, if you have a machine you no longer want then recycle it by sending it on to someone who will use it.