Mechanical Sewing Machines | Sewing With Style

Mechanical Machines

Mechanical sewing machines have been around for more than a hundred years, and more people than you might think still use them, even with the availability of more technologically advanced electronic or computerized machines I still have one in my closet and consider it my workhorse.

One of the most well-known sewing machine inventors was Isaac Singer. (Little known fact: not only was he an entrepreneur and inventor he was also an actor). His machines were and still are owned by many. He brought many changes to sewing machines over the years. During the years after Singer entered the market it was generally assumed that women and machines didn’t work well together. Due to the size and complexity of industrial sewing machines were considered too complex for women. The introduction of mechanical machines changed forever the outlook of the sewing community. We have Isaac Singer to thank for that.

The majority of older machines used a chain stitch, where a single thread is continuously looped back on top of itself is a single but was very weak and can be pulled apart with little effort. Once people started used machines it was determined that a sturdier stitch was required and the lockstitch was born. Not only is it a much sturdier stitch, it also results in looking the same from both sides of the fabric.

Essentially, a machine does not release the needle and move it from one side of the fabric to another, as a human does. Instead, a mechanical machine will only push the needle part of the way through the fabric.

Because the eye of the needle is right behind the sharp tip, a fairly well-sized loop of thread is pushed through the fabric. A small metal catch underneath will grab the loop of thread and wrap around a previous loop in the same thread, or it will twine it around another loop from a thread that runs underneath the surface of the fabric in question