A stitch in time – the almost lost art of dressmaking

These pictures recall a time when sewing was not only a necessity in a climate of make-do and mend, but also a reliable source of much-needed extra income. Seamstresses, in an early example of home-working, would take on piece work from local factories, who sent people round to collect and deliver raw materials that needed stitching.

For most people, though, the ability to fashion a dress from a few lengths of cloth was simply a social skill, on a par with ballroom dancing. Running up a skirt at home cost a fraction of the price of one from the high street, and fashion houses turned out paper patterns by the hundred, which were used to pin as templates on to the fabric.

A sewing machine added a professional touch to the finished product, with uniform stitching that was less likely to come apart when zipped up. It also dramatically reduced the time needed to complete the garment – from around 10 hours to less than 60 minutes, in the hands of an experienced operator.

The Singer, first built in New York and from 1867 in Glasgow, was the Steinway of sewing, and by the start of the First World War, more than three million machines had been sold. The Japanese began mass producing machines after the Second World War and today’s models incorporate computer chips to regulate the stitching patterns. But that addition apart – and aside from the replacement of the old treadle with an electric motor – the basic design remains remarkably similar to Isaac Singer’s original.

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