Sewing is an ancient craft involving
the stitching of
cloth,
animal skins,
furs, or
other materials, using
needle
and
thread.
Its use is nearly universal among human
populations and dates back to Paleolithic
times (30,000 BC). Sewing predates the weaving
of cloth.
Sewing is used primarily to
produce
clothing
and household furnishings as curtains, bedclothes,
upholstery, and table linens. It is also
used for sails, bellows, skin boats, and
other items shaped out of flexible materials
such as canvas and leather.
Most sewing in the industrial world is
done by
machines.
Pieces of a garment or the edge of a cloth
are firstly tacked together. Some people
sew clothes for themselves and their families.
More often home sewers sew to repair clothes,
such as mending a torn seam or replacing
a loose button. A person who sews for a
living is known as a seamstress, dressmaker,
tailor, or garment worker.
"Plain" sewing is done for
functional reasons: making or mending clothing
or household linens. "Fancy" sewing
is primarily decorative, including techniques
such as shirring,
embroidery,
or
quilting.
Sewing is the foundation for many needle
arts and crafts, such as
applique,
canvas work, and
patchwork.
