The first functioning sewing machine was invented by a French tailor by the name of Barthélemy Thimonnier in 1830. His device used the chain stitch; the first such machine to replicate sewing by hand.
Elias Howe, (July 9, 1819 – October 3, 1867) was working in a Cambridge, Massachusetts, cotton machinery factory when he dreamed up the idea of a machine that could sew. The idea fascinated him, and he spent all his spare time during the next five years developing a practical sewing machine. Eventually, Howe left his job to work on his invention. Howe eventually completed his first successful sewing machine in 1845. Howe's innovations included a needle threaded at its point, a shuttle to form a lock stitch and an automatic feed.
The sewing machine was invented at about the same time that factory-made cloth became plentiful. The invention of the sewing machine greatly increased the speed with which a garment could be sewn. Before Howe came up with his device, the fastest sewing possible was only about 50 stitches per minute. Howe's invention stitched five times faster than that. However, it could sew only straight seams of limited length.
Isaac M. Singer of Pittstown, New York invented the first sewing machine with an overhanging arm, making it possible to sew on any part of the garment. His sewing machine was patented on August 12, 1851. Singer also patented the foot treadle and the spring-equipped presser foot for holding down the fabric while sewing.
The first sewing machines were powered by hand or foot. Singer Sewing Co demonstrated the first workable electric sewing machine at the Philadelphia electric exhibition in 1885 and began mass-producing domestic electric machines twenty five years later.
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