Sewing: From Paleolithic Era to Today
Written by lara
You know what; I hate sewing. Or more precisely, I’m very bad at it. So here I am, sewing by hand for a personal project, poking my finger over and over again, wondering how the hell I’m so bad at this. It’s even more embarrassing when you know just how bloody old this art is, innit? So, let’s dive in the history of sewing so I can make fun of myself even more for my lack of talent with a needle and a thread.
Sewing exists since the palaeolithic era (not that surprising I know). Of course, at that time they used to sow for two things only: clothing and shelter. Animal hides were sown together with a makeshift needle made of bone. Can you imagine sewing today with a bone or an antler needle? As for the thread it was made of either plant fibre or animal tendon! Ghastly! Thankfully the skills evolved over time and became more intricate notably thanks to the Silk Road that brought silk to the West but also eased the introduction to new sewing techniques in Europe.
Sewing was such a time-consuming task that it became a full profession. It demanded skills and technique, and like the majority of labour jobs, it was something you learned from father to son, leading to jobs like tailoring, sewers, personal stylists in latter centuries. But of course, everyone had some basic skills in sewing as it was such a fundamental skill for surviving for early civilisation like Greeks, Romans and Egyptians. In Ancient Egypt for example you’d go a long way with a needle: sails for boats, household items, clothing and of course burial garments to honour the deceased.
Sewing, like practically every aspect of life, was deeply changed by the Industrial Revolution. The sewing machine makes its grand entrance in the nineteenth century folks! No more poking your poor fingers or spending hours hunched over your work with bad back posture. People at the time would’ve observed the rapid change and how mass production took over the artisans’ jobs, industries being faster, often more precise, cheaper to produce and world widely connected. Sewing machines could also do embroidery which is pretty cool. You’d end up with intricate designs, used manly on clothes.
But even since COVID-19 hit a lot of people, especially younger generations, took an interest in embroidery, crochet and even knitting, teaching themselves or with the help of our saviour Youtube. That’s a pretty neat flex to have if you ask me.
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this little history article, don’t hesitate to send me your requests or ideas if you ever have any. I’d be glad to write about it.
