Behold, the Humble Sewing Machine

Speeding technology has taken us by the throat. Reluctantly and unknowingly we have come to expect accelerating changes as panaceas for problem solving. Some measure of technology literacy helps in reducing a sense of victimization and inadequacy. Using the sewing machine as an analog for technology change brings the issue closer to home.

For a start, the earliest versions were the subject of patent disputes. The battles raged on for many years as one inventor after another claimed exclusivity of patent protection. In and of themselves these battles testify to the potential of mechanized sewing. Singer machines came to dominate the industry more because of Isaac Singer’s marketing skills than his technical skills. Among other innovations Singer sold his machines on installments, unheard of at the time.  As we well know, IBM and the auto companies have echoed these strategies!

A domestic market was developing for sewing machines. Dry good stores everywhere sold bolts of cloth to householders who were sewing for their themselves and their families. Readymade clothing was available but only for the wealthy. Technology ramped up. Soon the ubiquitous Singer treadmill machine was a common feature in many homes everywhere

As electrification spread the treadmill gave way to the electric motor. Now we are talking of a much more efficient appliance. The motor lead to a compact and portable machine that no longer took up a prominent place in the parlors around the world. The semi conductor and the micro chip were game changers. Now electronics replace the electro mechanical devices. Computers soon followed, allowing for a cascading of attachments with computer control to make sewing more versatile and user friendly.

Overcoming  intimidation by technology is simple. A person using today’s sewing machine imagines  flying a 747; the technology is very similar. The same acceleration in applying scientific principles has worked for both. From the invention of the wheel to the first mechanical sewing machine took centuries. From Bernouli’s discovery of his principle to the first powered flight took 3 centuries. In a matter of decades after these first innovations, the sewing machine was controlled by computers and we had 747s!