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.
