Sewing

Before the invention of spinning yarn or weaving fabric, archaeologists believe Stone Age people across Europe and Asia sewed fur and leather clothing using bone, antler or ivory sewing-needles and "thread" made of various animal body parts including sinew, catgut, and veins.

[2] Fine hand sewing is a characteristic of high-quality tailoring, haute couture fashion, and custom dressmaking, and is pursued by both textile artists and hobbyists as a means of creative expression.

The Inuit, for example, used sinew from caribou for thread and needles made of bone;[5] the indigenous peoples of the American Plains and Canadian Prairies used sophisticated sewing methods to assemble tipi shelters.

The vital importance of sewing was indicated by the honorific position of "Lord Sewer" at many European coronations from the Middle Ages.

An example was Robert Radcliffe, 1st Earl of Sussex who was appointed Lord Sewer at the coronation of Henry VIII of England in 1509.

From the Middle Ages to the 17th century, sewing tools such as needles, pins and pincushions were included in the trousseaus of many European brides.

In London, this status grew out of the dandy trend of the early 19th century, when new tailor shops were established around Savile Row.

Historian Judith Bennett explains that the nature of women's work maintained a consistent pattern from the medieval period through the Second Industrial Revolution, characterized by tasks that were low-profit, low-volume, and low-skilled, often performed alongside other responsibilities.

[18] Similarly, Judy Lown argues that although women's work transitioned from the household to the factory, its essence—remaining low-skilled and poorly paid—persisted without significant change.

For many working-class families, opportunities to earn wages were often located in distant cities, prompting many girls to leave their rural homes and migrate to urban areas.

According to Mariana Valverde, many male factory workers and union leaders alike argued that women working in industrial settings would be contrary to their nature and symbolized a "return to barbarism.

"[21] This perception not only reflected prevailing gender biases but also influenced labor policies and union strategies, which often sought to exclude women from better-paying industrial jobs.

Such debates reinforced the belief that women were best suited for domestic roles or low-skilled work, limiting their economic opportunities and perpetuating a cycle of inequality.

Women had become accustomed to seeing the latest fashions in periodicals during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, increasing demand for sewing patterns yet more.

American tailor and manufacturer Ebenezer Butterick met the demand with paper patterns that could be traced and used by home sewers.

This practice declined during the later decades of the 20th century, when ready-made clothing became a necessity as women joined the paid workforce in larger numbers, leaving them with less time to sew, if indeed they had an interest.

[28] Textile workers who perform tasks with sewing machines, or do detailed work by hand, are still a vital component of the industry, however.

Small-scale sewing is also an economic standby in many developing countries, where many people, both male and female, are self-employed sewers.

When a couture garment is made of unusual material, or has extreme proportions, the design may challenge the sewer's engineering knowledge.

[29] Most clothing today is mass-produced, and conforms to standard sizing, based on body measurements that are intended to fit the greatest proportion of the population.

[30] Home sewers often work from sewing patterns purchased from companies such as Simplicity, Butterick, McCall's, Vogue, and many others.

[35] Supporting materials, such as interfacing, interlining, or lining, may be used in garment construction, to give the fabric a more rigid or durable shape.

Marking methods may include using pens, pencils, or chalk, tailor's tacks, snips, pins, or thread tracing, among others.

They are capable of stitching together the edges of leaves, using plant fibres or spider silk as thread, in order to create cavities in which to build their nests.