History & culture

French tailor who patented an early chainstitch sewing machine in 1830 to make army uniforms; rioting tailors, fearing job losses, destroyed his workshop in 1831.

A stitch formed by looping thread through a previous loop in a continuous chain; quick to sew but prone to unraveling if pulled from the end, it was used in early sewing machines.

American inventor who patented a working lockstitch sewing machine in 1846, using a needle with an eye near its point and a shuttle carrying a second thread.

American manufacturer who patented an improved sewing machine in 1851 and pioneered installment purchasing, making the Singer Manufacturing Company the dominant sewing machine brand of the 19th century.

The most common machine stitch, formed by an upper needle thread interlocking with a lower bobbin thread inside the fabric; it appears identical on both sides and resists unraveling.

A mechanical device that forms stitches in fabric, radically speeding up clothing production; workable models emerged in the 1830s-1850s and made both industrial and home sewing far faster than hand stitching.

A slender pointed tool with an eye for thread, made from bone or ivory in prehistoric times; mass production of steel needles began in England during the 18th century.

A slender metal fastener used to hold fabric layers in place before stitching; mass-produced brass pins from the 1830s replaced costly handmade ones and became a household essential.

A protective cap, usually metal, worn on a finger to push a needle through fabric; examples survive from Roman antiquity, and it remains a basic hand-sewing tool worldwide.

American inventor who built a working lockstitch sewing machine around 1834 but never patented it, later inventing the safety pin in 1849 among many other devices.

A garment closure of interlocking teeth drawn together by a sliding tab; Gideon Sundback patented a reliable version in 1913, and fashion designers popularized it on clothing in the 1930s.