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"The house-wife plies her needle and her thread, / Long after idle people are in bed; / The rent is small, but she full well doth know, / That little rents to larger ones will grow."—Barber, 1857

A Stitch in Time, Saves Nine

"The house-wife plies her needle and her thread, / Long after idle people are in bed; / The rent is…

This is an illustration of "Beauty and the Beast" a fairy tale by artist Robert Anning Bell in 1894. It seems to depict three ladies sewing a dress.

Beauty and the Beast

This is an illustration of "Beauty and the Beast" a fairy tale by artist Robert Anning Bell in 1894.…

Book binding is the process of physically assembling a book from a number of folded or unfolded pages, involving the attachment of a cover.

Book Binding

Book binding is the process of physically assembling a book from a number of folded or unfolded pages,…

When binding books they are "sewed on a frame, each sheet being attached by a thread to cords across the back. The sewing, though sometimes done by a machine, is cheifly executed by girls."-Lupton

Book Binding

When binding books they are "sewed on a frame, each sheet being attached by a thread to cords across…

Fairy sewing on a leaf.

Fairy sewing

Fairy sewing on a leaf.

A mother or grandmother and young girl playing with dolls. They appear to be making or mending doll clothes. a small sewing basket sits on a table next to them.

Girl and Mother with Dolls

A mother or grandmother and young girl playing with dolls. They appear to be making or mending doll…

Girl sewing in silhouette.

Girl Sewing

Girl sewing in silhouette.

A young girl smiles as she sews a dress for her doll. A kitten is playing with sewing notions on the floor.

Girl Sewing Doll Clothing

A young girl smiles as she sews a dress for her doll. A kitten is playing with sewing notions on the…

The inventor of the sewing machine.

Elias Howe

The inventor of the sewing machine.

Elias Howe's original model of the sewing machine.

Sewing Machine

Elias Howe's original model of the sewing machine.

A sewing machine is a textile machine used to stitch fabric or other material together with thread. Sewing machines were invented during the first Industrial Revolution to decrease the amount of manual sewing work performed in clothing companies.

Sewing Machine

A sewing machine is a textile machine used to stitch fabric or other material together with thread.…

A textile machine used as a home appliance for sewing

Sewing Machine

A textile machine used as a home appliance for sewing

A needle used in sewing to pull thread through cloth

Sewing Needle

A needle used in sewing to pull thread through cloth

A girl sitting politely as her mother sews.

A Girl Being Polite

A girl sitting politely as her mother sews.

An illustration of two men sewing sails for a sailboat.

Sail-Making

An illustration of two men sewing sails for a sailboat.

Scissors are hand operated cutting instruments. They consist of a pair of metal blades, or tangs, connected in such a way that the sharpened edges slide against each other.

Large Scale Scissors

Scissors are hand operated cutting instruments. They consist of a pair of metal blades, or tangs, connected…

A woman whose occupation is sewing; a needle woman.

Seamstress

A woman whose occupation is sewing; a needle woman.

"a is the bobbin case; c, bobbin; b, thread wound on bobbin; d, projection from bobbin-case which keeps it from turning; e, thread leading out." —Whitney, 1889

Bobbin Detail of Wheeler and Wilson Sewing Machine

"a is the bobbin case; c, bobbin; b, thread wound on bobbin; d, projection from bobbin-case which keeps…

"a is the bobbin holder, partly opened to show hook b, and bobbin-case c; d, feed-points; e, presser-foot." — Whitney, 1889

Bobbin Detail of Wheeler and Wilson Sewing Machine

"a is the bobbin holder, partly opened to show hook b, and bobbin-case c; d, feed-points; e, presser-foot."…

A detail of the Wheeler and Wilson Sewing Machine. "s, thread-leader; t, face-plate covering...; v, presser thumb-screw; w, thread-check; x, tension-nut by which tension is regulated; y, tension-pulley around which the thread is wound, and which is caused to turn less or more easily by the nut x; z, thread-guide and controller; z2, presser-foot." —Whitney, 1889

Detail of Wheeler and Wilson Sewing Machine

A detail of the Wheeler and Wilson Sewing Machine. "s, thread-leader; t, face-plate covering...; v,…

A detail of a Singer sewing machine.

Details of a sewing machine

A detail of a Singer sewing machine.

"a, is the frame; b, shaft-crank which rocks the hook-shaft; e, receiving its motion from the double crank on the upper shaft e in the arm g through the shaft-connection c; d, band-wheel turned by a band (not shown) from a wheel on treadle-shaft below the table; f, feed-cam; h, feed-bar; i, bobbin-case; j, rotating hook which is attached to e and oscillates with it; k, bobbin-holder; l, presser; m, presser-spring; n, needle-bar link; o, needle-bar; p, take-up lever; q, take-up cam; r, spool-holder...." —Whitney, 1889

Wheeler and Wilson Sewing Machine

"a, is the frame; b, shaft-crank which rocks the hook-shaft; e, receiving its motion from the double…

A detailed illustration of one of the most collected sewing machines of all time. Today, many of these machines, over a century old, are still in use.

Willcox and Gibbs Sewing Machine

A detailed illustration of one of the most collected sewing machines of all time. Today, many of these…

Something sewn or to be sewn.

Machine Sewing

Something sewn or to be sewn.

An instrument used by weavers for passing the thread of the woof from one side of the cloth to the other, between the threads of the warp; sewing machine shuttle.

Shuttle

An instrument used by weavers for passing the thread of the woof from one side of the cloth to the other,…

A spindle is a cone shaped weigh that hooked the thread to one end and would allow the person to spin the wool to create thread. The distaff is a tool to keep the thread untangled in the spinning process.

Distaff and spindle

A spindle is a cone shaped weigh that hooked the thread to one end and would allow the person to spin…

"Carefully place a fine sewing needle upon the surface of the water. With care, and perhaps repitition, the needle may be made to float...Closely examine the surface of the water. Notice that the needle rests in a little depression or bed, just as it would if the surface of the water was a thin skin or membrane." -Avery 1895

Surface Tension and Needle

"Carefully place a fine sewing needle upon the surface of the water. With care, and perhaps repitition,…

A kind of metallic cap or cover, or sometimes a ring, for the finger, used in sewing to protect the finger from the needle.

Thimble

A kind of metallic cap or cover, or sometimes a ring, for the finger, used in sewing to protect the…

An illustration of a bobbin of thread.

Bobbin of Thread

An illustration of a bobbin of thread.

An illustration of a woman sewing.

Woman Sewing

An illustration of a woman sewing.