Sewing machine

   The earliest known sewing machine was created in France by Barthélemy Thimmonier in 1830, however, mounting pressure from tailors' guilds at the time thwarted its success. In 1846, American Elias Howe perfected and patented the lockstitch machine, first developed in 1834 by Walter Hunt (American). Even though the lockstitch sewing machine could only sew straight stitches, not curves, it radically reduced sewing time compared to hand-sewn garments. In 1850, Isaac Merritt Singer (American) created an improved version that not only could sew curved seams but was operated by a foot treadle. This innovation left the hands free and therefore drastically sped up the sewing process by 500 percent. By 1856, other inventors sought to patent their improved machines, which led Howe to sue for patent infringement. This action resulted in the first patent pool whereby every sewing machine inventor paid a license fee for each machine they sold. In 1877, that patent expired.

   Singer and his lawyer, Edward Clark, recognized the market need for the first home sewing machine and in 1889, Singer invented the first electric sewing machine. By the 1930s, factories and homes converted to motor-powered sewing machines equipped with special features. The first computer-controlled sewing machine was introduced by Singer in 1978, around the same time that foreign-made sewing machines began to flood the market, such as Bernina, Brother, Juki, Necchi, and Pfaff. Today, the sewing machine does much more than sew; it is capable of zig-zagging and embroidering and can overlock seam edges and make buttonholes.