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- In 1830, this French tailor patented and produced the first working sewing machine. His goal was to produce a machine that was able to embroider.
- By 1841, 80 of his machines were being used to sew French military uniforms.
- His factory was destroyed by a mob of tailors who were threatened by his sewing machine invention. He fled to England fearing for his life. |
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- In 1846, he invented a sewing machine after watching his wife sew for hours (in order to support their family). He had a competition with hand sewers that raced against his sewing machines. This contest was to promote his machine (since it was considerably faster).
- He went to England (since he was having difficulty selling his machine in America) to try and adapt it for corset makers. He returned to America to find out that sewing machines were being sold by the Singer company (and infringing on his patent). He sued them and won. Singer agreed to pay him $5 for every machine sold in the U.S. and $1 for machine exported.
- He was a millionaire by the year 1867 (when his patent expired). |
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- Modified Howe's machine by creating a foot peddle instead of a hand crank.
- Singer sewing machines were being sold for $75 in 1850 and the company offered installment plans for customers (annual wages averaged $500).
- They were the largest sewing machine company in the world by the year 1860. |
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| The Paper Pattern: Ellen Curtis Demorest |
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Definition
- Saw her maid cutting a dress using wrapping paper and was inspired to create patterns taht could be copied on paper.
- Her sister and husband devised a mathematical system to print patterns in a variety of sizes.
- In 1860, her pattern catalogue "Madame Demorest's Mirror of Fashions", was introduced and by 1865, she had over 200 saleswomen. Many protested the fact that she employed both white and African American women.
- She failed to patent her idea. |
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- Butterwick did patent the paper pattern and began with kidswear and menswear. By 1967, he expanded to women's patterns.
- "Butterwick" remains one of the largest paper pattern distributors in the world today. |
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- Have the irregularities of "nature"
- Tend to be absorbent
- Comfortable in humid and hot conditions
- The problem of "wrinkling" can be dealt with by applying "finishings" by the fabric manufacturer
- A short fiber (less than 2" long) is called a STAPLE. They are used for cotton, wool and linen |
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Definition
- Origin: Seed of the cotton plant
- Advantages: Strong, absorbent, dyes well, draws heat from the body
- Disadvantages: Shrinks, weakened by sunlight, wrinkles
- Fabrics: Denim, sheeting, poplin, and corduroy
- Wash: machine wash |
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| Natural Fibers: Cotton (ADDITIONAL INFO) |
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Definition
- Scientists have discovered cotton cloth that dated back 7000 years.
- There are several species of cotton throughout the world. They have been found in Australia, Africa, Arizona, Central America, Lower California, Brazil, Mexico and other tropical countries and islands.
- Currently, there are five prominent types of cotton being grown commercially around the world. They are Egyptian, Sea Island, American Pima, Asiatic, and Upland. |
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Definition
- Origin: Flax plant
- Advantages: Strong, absorbent, draws heat from the body
- Disadvantages: Shrinks, wrinkles, stretches in all directions, does not dye well.
- Fabrics: Linen (can be 100% or mixed with other fibers such as polyester)
- Wash: dry clean |
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| Natural Fibers: Linen (ADDITIONAL INFO) |
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Definition
- Oldest fabric known to man
- Dates back to prehistoric man
- Egyptians pioneered the industrial production of linen
- In mummification, apprx. 1000 yards is needed to wrap a king. |
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Definition
- Origin: Cocoons from the silkworm
- Advantages: Strong, resistant, dyes well, draws heat from the body, looks luxurious
- Disadvantages: May bleed after dyeing, weakened by perspiration
- Fabrics: Satin, Chiffon, Brocade, Crepe
- Wash: Dry clean |
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| Natural Fibers: Silk (ADDITIONAL info) |
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Definition
- How it was made remained a secret for 1000s of years.
- Dates back to about 3000bc in China
- The silkworm turns into the "Bombax mori moth", indigenous to China
- About 5500 silkworms are required to produce 2.2lbs of raw silk.
- Silk filament is as strong as steel of the same thickness (much stronger than cotton or wool). |
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Definition
- Origin: Fleece of sheep.
- Advantages: Dyes well, very absorbent, holds in body heat.
- Disadvantages: Shrinks, weak fiber, wrinkles, attracts moths
- Fabrics: Flannel, fleece, tweed, jersey, gabardine, crepe
- Wash: dry clean |
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| Natural Fibers: Wool (ADDITIONAL INFO) |
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Definition
- Today, the mainareas of wool production are Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Argentina.
- Wool is highly absorbent and is capable of retaining up to 25% of its weight in moisture.
- No one is sure where cultivating wool from sheep began.
- In order to keep insects from attacking your wool garments, the garments should be placed into cotton bags (which allows the textile to breathe) and then sealed. |
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| Man Made Fibers: POLYESTER |
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Definition
- Origin: made from a variety of fibers
- Advantages: strong, holds in body heat, resists wrinkling,does not shrink, retains heat set pleats, little or no ironing required
- Disadvantages: low absorbency, static electricity
- Fabrics: linings, crepes
- Wash: machine wash |
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| Man Made Fibers: POLYESTER (ADDITIONAL info) |
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Definition
- The first polyester fiber was called "Terylene" and created in 1941.
- Polyesters are made from chemical substances found mainly in petroleum and used in fibers, films, and plastics. |
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- Origin: made from a "lycra, vyrene, unel," and other stretch fibers
- Advantages: strong, stretchy,lightweight, flexible, dyes in bright colors.
- Disadvantages:retains body scent.
- Fabrics: jersey, twill, denim, knits
- Wash: machine wash |
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| Man Made Fibers: SPANDEX (Additional info) |
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Definition
- Was first developed in the late 1950s.
- "Polyurethane" is the basis of a novel type of stretchy fiber known generically as spandex.
- It replaced the rubber originally used in womens underwear. |
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Definition
- Origin: made from a variety of fibers
- Advantages: strong, dyes well, resists wrinkling, does not shrink, retains heat set pleats, no ironing required
- Disadvantages: sometimes loses color in certain areas, static electricity
- Fabrics: fake fur, fleece, knits
- Wash: machine wash, or dry clean |
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Term
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Definition
- Origin: made from a variety of fibers
- Advantages: absorbent,holds in body heat, dyes well
- Disadvantages: weak, wrinkles, shrinks, sometimes stretches in all directions
- Fabrics: jerseys,knits
- Wash: dry clean
ADDITIONAL INFO: Was first known as "artificial silk" |
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| Woven Fabrics: PLAIN WEAVE |
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Definition
- (1 x 1)
- most common types of weave
- fabrics include Muslin, linen poplin, and jute |
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| Woven Fabrics: TWILL WEAVE |
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Definition
- (2 x 2)
- This weave forms a diagonal pattern
- Fabrics include jean and coutil |
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- (4 x 1)
- Fabrics include Satin and Sateen |
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| Fabrics include Jersey, Fleece, and Terry |
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Definition
- They are cheap to manufacture and nit very strong (unless there is a backing)
- Manufactured by putting small fibers together in the form of a sheet and then binding them either with an adhesive
- Mainly produced by man-made fibers
- Fabrics include Felt, Pellon, and Imitation leather. |
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