Sewing Supplies and Sewing Machines are our specialty

Sewing is a time-honored tradition. Of course, the reasons for sewing and how we sew have changed greatly over the years. How so?

Well, in the past, people sewed for the purpose of making much-needed items. Even 20,000 years ago people sewed! Their sewing kits were not quite so elaborate as ours are today, and their stitching techniques might not have been quite so refined, but most historians agree that people definitely sewed during the last Ice Age. Bone needles with eyes have been discovered, and these needles were likely used to sew skins and furs together.

Back then, sewing was a practical skill, necessary for survival. Later, sewing was still a practical skill, but it was necessary for different reasons. All clothing was, of course, sewn by hand. The same goes for certain toys and curtains, and other such items. Perhaps, tailors and seamstresses enjoyed their work, but it is only recently that sewing has become a hobby, something done for pleasure.

Only recently have people gathered up their sewing supplies and knitting supplies and quilting supplies for reasons solely related to a love of the work. We know longer have to sew – rather, we choose to sew. We choose to sew to pass the time away. We choose to sew to make unique and meaningful gifts. There is hardly a reason to sew, these days, except for the joy of it – it is so much easier (and sometimes even cheaper) to go to the store and buy a shirt than to make one.

This availability of mass-produced clothing is only a recent idea, too – and it is possible because of the important invention of the sewing machine. Sewing machines were first used for industrial purposes. With the advent of the sewing machine, clothing could be mass-produced towards the turn of the century. People no longer had to sew (or have somebody else sew) every single garment that they owned. As the processes of industrial sewing machines improved, the mass-produced clothing became more affordable, and people could buy and own multiple outfits as opposed to only a few.

Today, we take for granted how important the advent of the sewing machine is. We rarely think of how our designer jeans or cheap t-shirts are available only because of this amazing invention. We do not realize how empty our closets would be and how busy we would be if we still had to sew all of our own clothing.

Of course, as mentioned before, many people enjoy sewing their own clothing, still – but they certainly do not sew all of their own clothing, and most do not do it by hand! Many people own their own sewing machines today, and they even have sewing tables or sewing cabinets to keep them on. Their homes may be full of sewing supplies, including sewing machine needles, sewing machine parts, and sewing materials. But it is still important to note that their homes are full of these items because of a choice, not a requirement.