A Parlour Story: True — but not in the simple, helpful way the adverts suggested. There’s a particular kind of domestic technology that looks insignificant at first glance, a tiny hinge, a sliver of metal, a part that barely weighs anything. The presser foot is one of those objects. It sits quietly at the front…
A Parlour Post: Not true — at least, not in the way the adverts promised. When the domestic sewing machine arrived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was sold as a miracle: faster sewing, less strain, more free time. But what actually happened was the opposite. Because sewing became quicker, the amount…
When we look at an antique sewing machine today, it’s easy to see charm, nostalgia, or craftsmanship. But behind a hand‑crank sewing machine like mine is a story of women’s labour that rarely made it into the history books a story of survival, arithmetic, and time that was never truly their own. The woman at…
Overcoming Challenges and Gaining Confidence Image Credit: A.C. via Unsplash Machine sewing is a rewarding activity that combines creativity and technical skill, but it can also be complex, especially when it comes to following instructions. For individuals with dyslexia, this process of understanding and remembering sewing instructions can be particularly challenging. Dyslexia affects how people…
This article is based on a post written by the collections researcher at The Museum of English Rural Life Nicola Minney who has explored an unexpected historical ally in the suffrage movement: the sewing machine. Lately, I’ve developed a deep interest in the sewing machine, a device I’ve been using personally, and one that has…
I’ve recently acquired a late‑Victorian hand‑crank, sturdy sewing machine, with worn gold decals and a quiet, unmistakable presence. I’m sharing it here because I plan to restore it and eventually use it in my own textile‑history work, but before I can do that, I need to understand exactly what it is and where it came…
Image Credit: Claudio Schwarz via Unsplash When I first learned that the earliest sewing machines were made left-handed, I was genuinely struck by this fascinating detail. For a tool that is so widely used and would go on to revolutionise the clothing and textile industry worldwide, the idea that its initial design might have unintentionally…
Original article by Mark Cartwrightpublished on 01 March 2023 Textile Industry Textile production was once a cottage industry but during the Industrial Revolution (1760-1840) it was transformed to a mechanised system. The workers were only needed to make sure the carding spinning, and weaving machines didn’t stop. There were many inventors who wanted to ensure that…