LO To know the basic history of sewing

LO: To know the basic history of sewing.

Look at the clothes you are wearing. How were they made?

What is sewing? Sewing is the joining of two materials together using a needle and thread.

So how did we get from … To Bone Needles Modern sewing machines

Bone Needles 45, 000 Years BC In the late stone age humans begin to put a hole at the end of a tool called an awl. These are made from animal bone and used to punch a hole in a material (animal skin). By putting a hole in it means you can pull the thread (dried animal fibres) through the material. The first needle is invented!

Bronze Needles 9000 BC In the bronze age humans begin to make needles out of a metal called bronze. These can be easily made but they are soft and bendy so it is hard to make a hole in leather (animal skin). These are the first metal needles.

Iron Needles 100 BC Needles begin to be made from Iron. They are stronger than bronze needles but they are still bendy so many people still wear clothes like saris or togas that can be wrapped around or tunics that are pulled over the head. These don’t need sewing together.

Steel Needles 100 BC to the present Steel is created which is much stronger than iron and allows for a finer point. This makes sewing much easier and more materials can be sewn together.

1790: The first sewing machine is invented Thomas Saint invents the first sewing machine.

Bradford became a big producer of woollen materials during the Industrial Revolution. With more materials there was a bigger demand for sewing. Child mill workers Bradford

1851: Isaac Singer patents the first practical (useful) sewing machine. Isaac Singer’s first machine Modern Singer Machines