The History Of Sewing Machines

 

Sewing Machines

 

You can trace the origins of sewing all the way back to Central Asia to approximately the year 45,000 BCE. Before sewing, people used strips of furs or animal skins to tie their clothes together, but harsh weather in colder regions caused a search for a better way to keep clothing on. These desperate individuals started by using a sharp stone to pierce a hole in the animal hides, then used their fingers to push thin strips of animal hide through that hole. About 5,000 years after, someone had the idea to put a hole in the tip of this elementary awl so the string could be pulled through with the same motion! Later the first modern needle was invented, most likely carved from bone or ivory, then adapted to cast iron, and finally to sharpened steel needles!

Clothing continued to develop; people began wearing cloth made of yarn instead of animal skins. People began to hand spin yarn using plant, animal, and synthetic fibers into thread, then use this thread to make cloth! After many years of hand spinning yarn, the very first spinning wheel appeared in the 11th century! The spinning wheel was a much more efficient way to spin yarn and became widespread!

Even after the invention of the spinning wheel, making clothing was a lengthy process. It still took a long time to spin the thread, weave the cloth, dye it, and then sew the material into wearable clothing! Each piece of clothing was fitted for a specific person. The women of the family were left the task sewing and mending clothing for their families. When clothing became faded and worn, the cloth would then be re-purposed into quits or other household fabrics!

Making beautiful clothing and fabric became a form of art. Decorative needlework such as embroidery was a highly valued skill, and young women from wealthy families had time to practice and become adept at this delicate task! These women made beautiful tapestries, or a thick fabric decorated with intricate pictures or designs, and they were hung on walls as artwork. Tapestries also served the purpose of keeping the stone floors and walls warmer in the cold winter. Even small tapestries would take several months design and weave, and the larger tapestries could take longer than a year! At the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, there are many tapestries hanging on the walls and decorative sewn carpets on the floors. The home was built back in 1895, and these tapestries and carpets are still on display today!

In the year 1790, Thomas Saint invented the world’s first sewing machine. With the invention of the sewing machine aided by the Industrial Revolution production of textiles left the home and went into factory mills. Huge cotton plantations were located across the southern United States that produced the cotton necessary to make thread, so many of textile mills were established in this area. Cotton needs a long growing season, and the southern climate was prime! The plantations produced so much cotton that the plantation owners were exporting it all over the world! Europe developed their own mills and weaving factories, but cotton crops couldn’t grow successfully due to Europe’s wet climate. Most weaving in Europe was made of a stronger thread called wool, which is collected by shearing sheep! Wars and the Great Depression had an adverse impact on Europe’s ability to produce fabrics.

In 1863, Ebenezer Butterick, an American tailor, and his wife Ellen began to sell tissue paper dress pattern in graded, or sized, patterns. Ellen was frustrated with one sized patterns and wanted a better variety of style and size. They began selling men’s and boy’s clothing patterns, but they were such a huge success that they added women’s and girls clothing patterns in 1866. At the time these patterns cost anywhere from 0.25 to 0.75 cents apiece, which doesn’t seem like much today, but back in these days the average working person made $1 or $2 for a day’s work!

In the early 1900’s, ready to wear fashion became cheap and common. People no longer had to hand-make their clothes and could buy fashionable clothing from the store! Clothing brands, stores, and fashion designers emerged to create and sell this clothing. While many households still have a sewing machine today, it is no longer a necessity to make your families clothing and household materials. Sewing is still seen as art and a form of self-expression today!

Written By: Tammy Ducker
Pic Source: Pixabay.com

White House Honors Future Scientists of America with 2nd Annual Science Fair!

 

Barack Obama and a personal childhood favorite, Bill Nye ‘The Science Guy’ welcomed a group of younger science and technology innovators to to the White House on Monday, as part of the President’s growing effort to promote innovation from all sides. President Obama has been pushing out tech initiatives consistently over the past couple weeks, bringing innovators to the White House for the State of the Union, bringing the Startup Act to Congress, and now, encouraging young inventors to show off their projects to him at the White House. He even helped shoot off a marshmallow cannon…yeah, we know…we wish there was a video of it.

 “The young people I met today, the young people behind me — you guys inspire me. It’s young people like you that make me so confident that America’s best days are still to come. When you work and study and excel at what you’re doing in math and science, when you compete in something like this, you’re not just trying to win a prize today. You’re getting America in shape to win the future. You’re making sure we have the best, smartest, most skilled workers in the world, so that the jobs and industries of tomorrow take root right here. You’re making sure we’ll always be home to the most creative entrepreneurs, the most advanced science labs and universities. You’re making sure America will win the race to the future.

Unbelievable prodigies were honored by the President including:

  • A girl who built a sugar packet that dissolves in hot water (will save up to 2 million lbs of trash/year)
  • A boy who built a robot/video camera apparatus with Skype to keep senior citizens in touch with their families at nursing homes.

We took special note as the President made a note to reporters and editors to “give this some attention.” The President continued his plea, saying, “This is the kind of stuff…what these young people are doing…that’s going to make a bigger difference in the life of our country in the long term than just about anything…we’ve got to emphasize how important this is.” 

Amen, Mr. President.

Here’s another awesome photo of the President marveling at the marshmallow cannon:

 

 

Here’s a clip of Obama honoring these unbelievable youngsters who will most certainly become a valuable part of our future.

Parents Magazine Lists 5 Ways To Have FUN with Science!

 

 

How many times a day do you think kids ask “why”? Probably too many to actually keep count even if we tried!  Kids are naturally equipped with a curiosity of how things work. I guess you could say that they are researchers in their own rite. Wired like little sponges, children will absorb any information they come across. You don’t have to take your kids to a research facility or science lab for them to learn how cool science is, a few simple household items is all that’s needed to make science fun!  When it comes to science, its quite simple to entertain and fascinate the kids of all ages. For the September issue, Parents Magazine has listed 5 simple science experiments that are sure to impress by illustrating a few basic scientific principals.

Find out what made the Top 5 Experiments on Parents.com HERE


After 5 Years, Student Attracted To Doing The Right Thing!

Today, we received a letter from a young student that has been carrying a heavy burden since participating in a High Touch High Tech program almost 5 years ago.  As you can see in the letter below, this young student slipped a few magnets into her pocket while cleaning up from the hands-on workshop that had just taken place in her class.We cant help but smile after reading this letter and would like to commend this young lady on her honesty!

Chef’s on Bravo’s Hit Reality Show “Top Chef: Masters” Trade in Aprons for Goggles for Edible Science Fair!


For the contestants on Bravo’s hit reality show “Top Chef: Masters,” the chefs traded in their aprons for goggles and stovetops for Bunsen Burners in this past weeks “Blinded Me With Science” episode.  For the elimination challenge, the five remaining contestants had to choose from five scientific principles, and then make a dish that demonstrates the principle at the Edible Science Fair for students. Oh, and it had to taste good too!

With a group of actual scientists as their sous chefs, watch how these chefs experiment with emulsion, acidity, viscosity, elasticity and even the Maillard reaction (heat changing the color of meat). And if showing the scientific principle wasn’t enough – all chefs had to cook using lab tools, so we’re talking Bunsen burners and beakers instead of stove tops and pans and serve their creations in a petri dish!

Watch the video below or check out the slideshow of photos from the episode!

 

 

Read More About This Episode & Bravo’s Series- Top Chef:Masters by clicking here:

‘Top Chef: Masters’ blinded me with science

 

 

Somerset Afterschool has a Blast!


High Touch High Tech of San Antonio and Communities In Schools have been collaborating for five years with in-class programs, career days, mentoring, and summer school. HTHT has provided fun science enrichment classes that align the CIS mission of “empowering students to stay in school and achieve in life”.  Afterschool programs were a new addition this year with 36 classes being held in Somerset ISD at Barrera, Somerset, and Savannah Heights with 3rd-6th grades. What a blast the students had launching their film canister pop rockets!

We first discussed Newton’s third law of motion and how that applies to rockets, the chemical reaction, pressure, then safety, operational procedures, and then the fun began! Students worked in teams of two to fill, load, cap, and count off their pop launch. With unbridled enthusiasm, they retrieved their rocket, measured the launch distance, diligently marked the result on their chart, then did it again, and again, and again!

After cleaning up and returning to the classroom, students discussed their results, observations, variables, and conclusions. On that day, the typical launch was 8-14 meters! The CIS director, Ms. Richardson, is shown with several of her Somerset elementary students, and me, Mr. Sonic – Sizzlin’ Scientist.

 

“Thank you for all the experiments you did with us. I liked the rockets the best, they were so cool! The power pill made the H2O explode! It was amazing” – Victoria 4th grade

 

“Thank you Mr. Sonic for all the things you have done for us. My favorite thing was the rocket because when we put the thing in and it went POP! – Elise 3rd grade

 

Dinosaur Dan presents “Hands-on Science for a High Tech World” to educators across WNC!


For the third year in a row, HTHT of WNC provided its “Hands-on science for a high tech world” workshop for early childhood educators from around Western North Carolina.

This year 48 teachers, and early childhood directors participated. The hour and half workshop flew by, and everyone had a great time. More importantly, wonderful science process skills were shared and conveyed to teachers.

Teachers were able to ask questions and share feedback. Teachers learned amazing ways to teach kids science in a fun manner using safe, common, everyday materials. You can see for yourself just how much fun these educators were having with High Touch High Tech.

Just another example that science is fun for kids of all ages, even those that are kids at heart!