The name Singer became a household word in the 1800s, thanks to his part in developing a machine that was in general use in private homes by around 1867. Can you imagine living in a world where every stitch in every item of clothing had to be done by hand? If a woman was lucky, she had the help of servants or a dressmaker. But many women had to take all those stiches themselves. Seams and collars and buttons and buttonholes and hems and trim and … oh, my. What an amazing transformation it must have been to a woman’s workday to own a machine designed specifically for that all-consuming task.
One of my favorite old photographs features a treadle sewing machine standing out front of a general store in a small town in western Nebraska. “Town” is a generous description of the four buildings in view on little more than a wagon trail surrounded by treeless plains. Imagining how it felt for some homesteader’s wife to see that machine loaded into the wagon to be hauled home makes me smile.
In 1867, an Iowa farm wife wrote,“Didn’t this sewing machine help me long fast. I never mean to sew by hand any more if I can help it.” She went on to rave about the fact that it “only” took her forty-nine hours to make her husband a new suit, thanks to her sewing machine. “Only” forty-nine hours.
A woman who homesteaded near Lincoln, Nebraska remembered, “[in 1866] I had the first sewing machine on the creek and had to do lots for neighbors, who thought it a great treat to have a machine made dress. At one time in June I had 11 dresses to be made before the 4th of July.” Learning about the process of clothing construction inspired me to create Nora in Nora’s Ribbon of Memories, a character who works for a dressmaker in early Lincoln and who goes on to become a milliner.
Luna Kellie, who was living in a sod house in Adams County, Nebraska remembered, “J.T. had bought me a new Singer Machine and I made good use of it making all the clothes we all wore. I had done this before by hand only occasionally taking some long seams down to sew on Mrs. Strohls machine.” This anecdote inspired me to have Mikal, the hero in Karyn’s Memory Box, buy his wife the first sewing machine in the area. Mikal knew that the machine would draw the neighboring women, and his wife would be encouraged to learn to speak English.
And then there was the man who, when his wife wished for a sewing machine, said that he thought twenty dollars “a lot of money for a machine that does little more than lighten a woman’s work load.” Where do you suppose she buried him? LOL. That inspired a fun scene in Heart of the Sandhills, where the husband who says those words is “encouraged” to re-think his opinion. Let’s just say he learns that he doesn’t like sleeping under the kitchen table in their tiny, two-room cabin.
On a recent research trip to Kansas, I saw a very old machine that was brought west from Illinois. It’s owner acquired it in trade–a white horse for a sewing machine. Good trade? Well, my storyteller’s mind wondered if it was hard for the woman to part with the white horse. There’s a story in that trade somewhere, don’t you think?
What machine would you miss the most, if you had to do without it?
About Stephanie:
She writes historical fiction … and rides a motorcycle. Stephanie Grace Whitson has made a career out of playing with imaginary friends, and it all started in an abandoned pioneer cemetery. This one’s graves are scattered on a tiny corner of land near where the Whitson family lived in the 1990’s–mostly providing comic relief for the real country folk in the area. That cemetery provided not only a hands-on history lesson for Stephanie’s home schooled children but also a topic of personal study as she began to read about and be encouraged by the pioneer women who settled the American West.
Since writing had always been a favorite hobby, it was only natural for Stephanie to begin jotting down scenes in the life of a nameless woman crossing Nebraska on the Oregon Trail. Eventually that story took on a life of its own and Stephanie sent off a query letter–expecting instant rejection.
Robin Lee Hatcher
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I would definitely hate to give up my sewing machine (given that it’s my main source of employment and new clothing); my hand stitching is passable only for tacking down a lining inside or maybe sewing up six inches of seam. Though I have to say the car makes it easier to visit family 150 miles away . . .
Indeed. Looking at the little town in the photo above, I can just imagine someone being VERY homesick for family ‘back east’.
I like this post! I have no sewing skills other than crocheting, but I sure wish I knew how to sew! Perhaps someday I’ll have to learn. I could not do without a stove/oven. When we lost power two years ago after Hurricane Sandy, we had a difficult time finding anything to eat without the use of electricity! We had recently moved and were not set up for desperate times of survival just yet. Let’s just say I was very happy to cook real meals again!
Recently I was at the Hollenberg Station in Kansas, and when I looked down at the little wood burning stove, I thought … “My family would starve if I had to cook on that!” Like you, Courtney, I’m so thankful for my stove … and I would be in dire straits if we lost power for more than a day.
My mother owns an old sewing machine table with the foot pumping peddle on the bottom. My grandmother passed down an old Singer sewing machine to me that somehow wound up at my brother’s house, go figure. I have my own sewing machine but I don’t use it much, no patience! I think I would miss my car the most if I had to give it up, although I do enjoy riding a bicycle, but just for fun, not transportation!!
We are truly blessed to be able to just get in an air conditioned vehicle and take off, aren’t we. I don’t know if I could ride a bike, I haven’t in so many years … but I suppose if I had to, I’d figure it out quickly LOL.
What a fun post! I’m afraid if I had to sew anything by hand it would fall apart while I was wearing it!!!! So yay Mr. Singer!
Do you count a laptop as a machine? Because that’s what I would miss the most.
Absolutely … a laptop counts … and I wouldn’t want to go without mine, either. When I started writing historical fiction “back in the good old days,” research was completely different than it is now. I just printed off a recipe I want to try. I can “see” my extended family at the blink of an eye … so many wonderful things thanks to computers!
My first instinct is to say my dishwasher. But truly, I love all my appliances! It’s hard to know which one I’d miss most – my washer, dishwasher, stove, computer – the only one I can imagine life without is the dishwasher, and that’s because I spent the last 4 years without one. And let’s just say I’m so glad those days are behind me!!!
I agree. I love to write about and read about “back then,” but I wouldn’t want to live in the 1860s. When my children were little we didn’t have a dishwasher. As they grew I used to kid them that I actually had FOUR dishwashers … meaning the four kids. I don’t know if they thought it was funny … but they were good about helping.
My mom used to say that too, Steph. She had FIVE dishwashers. And we DID do the dishes, by hand, every meal. I can still picture the chart that determined who cleared, who washed, and who dried and put away. I do love my dishwasher, especially when we have company, but I’d use a wringer washer, cook over a fireplace, do dishes by hand, and beat the rugs before I’d give up my laptop!! Just sayin’! 😉
DITTO, Deb.
Fun post, Steph – – thanks for sharing today! 🙂
I had an uncle who worked for the Singer company for many years – – I wish he were still living because I’m sure he heard lots of good stories that were passed down.
We are SO blessed today with all of our machines and gadgets. I guess the two I rely on the most are my coffee pot and my computer, LOL.
Blessings from Georgia, Patti Jo 🙂
Coffee pot … amen, sister. Light roast. Kona. Medium Roast. Scooters (our local coffee house). Hazelnut latte … Americano … and now I gotta take a coffee break ;-).
I love my sewing machine. As an avid quilter, my first quilt was done by hand. It took over a year to piece and quilt. I can sew a top, still takes more time for me than others, as I do not sew at home, in less time. However, I think the one machine I could not do without is a computer. I love being able to connect with others and my computer allows me that access. The second machine would be the telephone.
I have stated that I am a quilter and my favorite part of any fabric store is the notion wall. I love my toys. It would be difficult for me to have do without the many gadgets that have made my life easier. As you only asked for one machine and could only narrow it down to two, you have an idea of my great love for technology. Feeling very blessed to be in the 21st century, I don’t think I would survive without the technology that makes our lives relatively easy.
Dora, I am still working on a quilt I began over ten years ago, because I love to do the handwork … but I am SO thankful for sewing machines and machine quilting, too. the walking foot on my Bernina. And rotary cutters. And so much more. Not to mention the access our computers give us to all those great sewing blogs, quilting “how-tos” & etc.Thanks for weighing in!