Sweet Americana Sweethearts: "The Queen of Inventions" - History, Facts, and Scandals of the Sewing Machine

If you've read any of my past blogs or my books, you know the art of quilting is very dear to my heart. But without a sewing machine, I'd be up a creek without a paddle!

The history of the sewing machine is littered with accusations, failed attempts, and some serious scandal. From narrowly escaping death to patent lawsuits, it's a story that demonstrates the "seam-ingly" (Sorry, I couldn't help the pun!) humble beginnings of the sewing machine.

Some 20,000 years ago, people started sewing by hand using needles made from bones and thread made from animal sinew. With the arrival of the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century, the need to decrease manual sewing became paramount.

In 1790, Englishman Thomas Saint designed the first sewing machine of its kind. The patent described a machine powered with a hand crank to be used for leather and canvas. Though no one knows if Saint built a prototype, in 1874, William Newton Wilson found the patent drawings. They were so detailed, he built a replica, proving that it did work.

Early 19th Century Attempts...and Failures

1810: Balthasar Krems invents an automatic machine for sewing caps. He didn't patent his design, but it didn't work anyway.

1814: An Austrian tailor, Josef Madersperger, was issued a patent. He was persistent, attempting several different designs, but all were unsuccessful.

1818: John Adams Doge and John Knowles invented America's first sewing machine, but it could only sew a few bits of fabric before breaking.

Forty years after Saint drew up plans for a machine, Barthelemy Thimonnier, a French tailor, invented a sewing machine that used a hooked needle and one thread, to create a chain stitch.

A few years later, he opened the world's first machine-based clothing manufacturing company, creating uniforms for the French Army. However, when other tailors got wind of his invention, they weren't too pleased. They feared his invention would result in their unemployment, so they burned down his factory while he was inside.

Fair warning!!! Never take your sewing machine for granted; this guy almost died for it.

In 1834, Walter Hunt created America's first functioning sewing machine. His morals triumphed over money, however, when he thought such a machine would cause unemployment for many, so he didn't bother to patent the design.

For the next ten years, all the machines were made up of disjointed elements with nothing really working together. In 1844, however, John Fisher designed a sewing machine that would eliminate this disparity between the moving parts. But a botched filing job at the patent office resulted in his patent getting lost, so he never received any recognition.

Victory...and a Lawsuit

In 1845, Elias Howe, invented a sewing machine that resembled Fisher's, with some changes and adjustments. His patent stated, "a process that uses thread from 2 different sources." His machine created what is known as a lockstitch. The needle went through the fabric, creating a loop while a shuttle on a track slipped the second thread through the loop.

He struggled to market his design, so he left for England. After a lengthy stay, he returned to America only to find others had copied his lockstitch mechanism. One of those was Isaac Merritt Singer.

Using elements from the Howe, Hunt, and Thimonnier inventions, Singer developed the first version of our modern-day sewing machine with a foot pedal and the up-and-down needle. It also inspired Howe to file a lawsuit, taking Singer to court for Patent Infringement, where he defended his case and won.

Singer expressed the opinion that Howe infringed on Hunt's design. Sadly for Singer, this didn't have any impact at all. The lack of a patent on Hunt's design meant it was intellectual property for anybody to use.

Consequently, Singer was forced to pay a lump sum of royalties to Howe, as well as giving him a share in Singer & Co. profits. Despite all the drama and legal disputes, Howe and Singer both died multimillionaires.

Without the early failed attempts and sheer persistence to create a sewing machine for the home crafter and factory worker, who knows what our clothing manufacturing industry would look like today.

While the debate continues about the real inventor of the sewing machine, I'm quite happy I don't have to use animal sinew and bones to stitch my quilts!