View source for Sewing

{{Short description|Craft of fastening textiles with a needle and thread}}
{{redirect|Sew|other uses|SEW (disambiguation){{!}}SEW}}
{{redirect|Sewn|the song|Sewn (song)}}
{{distinguish|Sowing}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
[[File:Syende fiskerpige.jpeg|upright=1.3|thumb|''Sewing Fisherman's Wife'' by [[Anna Ancher]], 1890]]

'''Sewing''' is the craft of fastening pieces of textiles together using a [[sewing needle]] and [[yarn|thread]]. Sewing is one of the oldest of the [[textile arts]], arising in the [[Paleolithic]] era. Before the invention of [[spinning (textiles)|spinning]] yarn or [[weaving]] fabric, [[archaeology|archaeologist]]s believe Stone Age people across Europe and Asia sewed fur and [[leather]] clothing using [[bone]], [[antler]] or [[ivory]] sewing-needles and "thread" made of various animal body parts including [[tendon|sinew]], [[catgut]], and [[vein]]s.<ref>Anawalt (2007), pp. 80–81</ref>

For thousands of years, all sewing was done by hand.  Although the [[sewing machine]] was invented in the 19th century, the mass production of garments emerged in the 20th century<ref>{{Cite book |title=Sewing machines and processes |date=2026 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=978-1-003-29307-1 |editor-last=Kyosev |editor-first=Yordan |edition=First |location=Boca Raton, FL | page=5}}</ref> Fine hand sewing is a characteristic of high-quality tailoring, [[haute couture]] fashion, and custom [[dressmaking]], and is pursued by both [[textile artist]]s and hobbyists as a means of creative expression.{{Citation needed|date=October 2018}}

The first known use of the word "sewing" was in the 14th century.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sewing?show=0&t=1337966896|title=Sewing|publisher=Merriam-Webster|access-date=25 May 2012}}</ref> 

==Occupation==
A person who sews may be called a sewist, sewer, or stitcher; [[seamstress]] and [[dressmaker]] for a person who makes clothing for women; [[tailor]] for a person who makes clothing for men.{{Citation needed|date=November 2025}}

==History==
===Origins===
[[File:A seated woman sewing a kimono.jpg|thumb|''Seated woman sewing a [[kimono]]'', [[Utagawa Kuniyoshi]], in the early 19th century. Different cultures have developed diverse sewing techniques, from methods of cutting fabric to types of stitches.]]
Sewing has an ancient history estimated to begin during the [[Paleolithic Era]].<ref name="kooler10">{{cite book|last=Kooler|first=Donna|title=Donna Kooler's Encyclopedia of Sewing: Hand & Machine Sewing: 12 Projects|year=2009|publisher=Leisure Arts|isbn=9781601404565|page=10}}</ref> Sewing was used to stitch together animal hides for clothing and for shelter. The [[Inuit]], for example, used [[sinew]] from [[caribou]] for thread and needles made of bone;<ref>{{cite web|title=On Canadian Ground|url=http://www.museevirtuel-virtualmuseum.ca/sgc-cms/expositions-exhibitions/chaussure-footwear/english/exhibition/ki/sdt.html|publisher=The Bata Shoe Museum|access-date=10 December 2012}}</ref> the indigenous peoples of the American Plains and Canadian Prairies used sophisticated sewing methods to assemble [[tipi]] shelters.<ref>{{cite book|last=Holley|first=Linda A.|title=Tipis, Tepees, Teepees: History and Design of the Cloth Tipi|year=2007|publisher=Gibbs Smith|isbn=9781586855116|page=87}}</ref> Sewing was combined with the weaving of plant leaves in Africa to create baskets, such as those made by [[Zulu people|Zulu]] weavers, who used thin strips of palm leaf as "thread" to stitch wider strips of palm leaf that had been woven into a coil.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Bantu-Speaking Peoples of Southern Africa|year=1980|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=9780710007087|page=119|editor=W. D. Hammond-Tooke}}</ref> The weaving of cloth from [[natural fibres|natural fibers]] originated in the Middle East around 4000 BC, and perhaps earlier during the [[Neolithic Age]], and the sewing of cloth accompanied this development.<ref name=Sekhri>{{cite book|last=Sekhri|first=Seema|title=Textbook of Fabric Science Fundamentals to Finishing|year=2011|publisher=PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd.|isbn=9788120341838}}</ref>

During the [[Middle Ages]], Europeans who could afford it employed [[seamstress]]es and tailors. The vital importance of sewing was indicated by the honorific position of "Lord Sewer" at many European [[coronation]]s from the Middle Ages. An example was [[Robert Radcliffe, 1st Earl of Sussex]] who was appointed Lord Sewer at the coronation of [[Henry VIII of England]] in 1509. Sewing for the most part was a woman's occupation, and most sewing before the 19th century was practical. Clothing was an expensive investment for most people, and women had an important role in extending the longevity of items of clothing. Sewing was used for mending. Clothing that was faded would be turned inside-out so that it could continue to be worn, and sometimes had to be taken apart and reassembled to suit this purpose. Once clothing became worn or torn, it would be taken apart and the reusable cloth sewn together into new items of clothing, made into [[quilt]]s, or otherwise put to practical use. The many steps involved in making clothing from scratch (weaving, pattern making, cutting, alterations, and so forth) meant that women often bartered their expertise in a particular skill with one another.<ref name="kooler10"/> Decorative [[needlework]] such as [[embroidery]] was a valued skill, and young women with the time and means would practice to build their skill in this area. From the Middle Ages to the 17th century, sewing tools such as [[Sewing needle|needle]]s, [[pin]]s and [[pincushion]]s were included in the [[Dowry|trousseaus]] of many European brides.<ref>{{cite book|last=Whiting|first=Gertrude|title=Old-Time Tools & Toys of Needlework|year=1971|version=reprint; originally published 1928 by Columbia University Press|publisher=Courier Dover Publications|isbn=9780486225173|pages=[https://archive.org/details/oldtimetoolstoys00whit/page/150 150–1]|url=https://archive.org/details/oldtimetoolstoys00whit/page/150}}</ref> Sewing birds or sewing clamps were used as a third hand and were popular gifts for seamstresses in the 19th century.<ref>Munro, Heather, [http://www.wimuseum.org/a-little-token-of-love-the-sewing-bird/ "A Little Token of Love: The Sewing Bird,"] Western Illinois Museum, February 2014</ref><ref>[https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_639795 Sewing Bird].  National Museum of American History. Patented 15 February 1853, to Charles Waterman of Meridan, Connecticut</ref> [[File:Sewing bird by Frank McEntee.jpg|thumb|A sewing bird or sewing clamp provides a "third hand" to hold fabric taut. Watercolor by Frank McEntee, National Gallery of Art, Index of American Design.]]

Decorative embroidery was valued in many cultures worldwide. Although most [[embroidery stitch]]es in the Western repertoire are traditionally British, Irish or Western European in origin, stitches originating in different cultures are known throughout the world today. Some examples are the Cretan Open Filling stitch, Romanian Couching or Oriental Couching, and the Japanese stitch.<ref>{{cite book|last=Webb|first=Mary|title=Embroidery Stitches|year=2006|publisher=Struik|isbn=9781770074224|pages=155, 159, 170}}</ref> The stitches associated with embroidery spread by way of the trade routes that were active during the Middle Ages. The [[Silk Road]] brought Chinese embroidery techniques to Western Asia and Eastern Europe, while techniques originating in the Middle East spread to Southern and Western Europe through Morocco and Spain.<ref name="leslie2007">{{cite book|last=Leslie|first=Catherine Amoroso|title=Needlework Through History: An Encyclopedia|year=2007|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=9780313335488|pages=xii}}</ref> European imperial settlements also spread embroidery and sewing techniques worldwide. However, there are instances of sewing techniques indigenous to cultures in distant locations from one another, where cross-cultural communication would have been historically unlikely. For example, a method of [[appliqué|reverse appliqué]] known to areas of South America is also known to Southeast Asia.<ref name="leslie2007"/>

===Industrial Revolution===
[[File:SewingInDetroit,Michigan.jpg|thumb|Early 20th century sewing in Detroit, Michigan]]
[[File:Street seamstress vendor Bangkok.jpg|thumb|A woman sewing as a street vendor in [[Bangkok, Thailand]].]]
[[File:Sewing with a 1894 Singer sewing machine.webm|thumb|Sewing with an 1894 [[Singer Corporation|Singer]] sewing machine.]]
The Industrial Revolution shifted the production of textiles from the household to the mills. In the early decades of the Industrial Revolution, the machinery produced whole cloth. The world's first sewing machine was patented in 1790 by Thomas Saint. By the early 1840s, other early sewing machines began to appear. [[Barthélemy Thimonnier]] introduced a simple sewing machine in 1841 to produce military uniforms for France's army; shortly afterward, a mob of tailors broke into Thimonnier's shop and threw the machines out of the windows, believing the machines would put them out of work.<ref>{{cite book|last=Carlson|first=Laurie M.|title=Queen of Inventions: How the Sewing Machine Changed the World|year=2003|publisher=Millbrook Press|isbn=9780761327066|page=8}}</ref> By the 1850s, [[Isaac Singer]] developed the first sewing machines that could operate quickly and accurately and surpass the productivity of a seamstress or tailor sewing by hand.

While much clothing was still produced at home by female members of the family, more and more ready-made clothes for the middle classes were being produced with sewing machines. Textile [[sweatshop]]s full of poorly paid sewing machine operators grew into entire business districts in large cities like London and New York City. To further support the industry, [[piece work]] was done for little money by women living in slums. [[Needlework]] was one of the few occupations considered acceptable for women, but it did not pay a living wage. Women working from home often worked 14-hour days to earn enough to support themselves, sometimes by renting sewing machines that they could not afford to buy.<ref>{{cite book |last=Perkin |first=Joan|title=Victorian Women |year=1993 |publisher=[[John Murray (publishing house)|John Murray]] |location=London |isbn=0-7195-4955-8 |pages=189–190}}</ref>

Tailors became associated with higher-end clothing during this period. In London, this status grew out of the [[dandy]] trend of the early 19th century, when new tailor shops were established around [[Savile Row]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The Berg Companion to Fashion |year=2010 |publisher=Berg |isbn=9781847885920 |page=618 |editor=Valerie Steele}}</ref> These shops acquired a reputation for sewing high-quality handmade clothing in the style of the latest British fashions, as well as more classic styles. The boutique culture of [[Carnaby Street]] was absorbed by Savile Row tailors during the late 20th century, ensuring the continued flourishing of Savile Row's businesses.

Historian Judith Bennett explains that the nature of women's work maintained a consistent pattern from the medieval period through the Second Industrial Revolution, characterized by tasks that were low-profit, low-volume, and low-skilled, often performed alongside other responsibilities.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bennett |first=Judith M. |title=History Matters: Patriarchy and the Challenge of Feminism |date=2007 |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |location=Philadelphia}}</ref> Similarly, Judy Lown argues that although women's work transitioned from the household to the factory, its essence—remaining low-skilled and poorly paid—persisted without significant change.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lown |first=Judy |title=Women and Industrialization: Gender at Work in Nineteenth-Century England |date=1990 |publisher=University of Minnesota Press |location=Minneapolis}}</ref>

The transition to industrialization introduced a growing dependence on cash income in Northwestern Europe. For many working-class families, opportunities to earn wages were often located in distant cities, prompting many girls to leave their rural homes and migrate to urban areas.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Tilly, Scott |first=Louise A., Joan W. |title=Women, Work, and Family |date=1987 |publisher=Routledge |edition=2nd |location=New York}}</ref> The changing nature of work in general raised questions about how women fit into rising industrialization and how both men and women should navigate gender roles. One of the concerns of the 19th century was the impact of industrialization on women's morality. According to Mariana Valverde, many male factory workers and union leaders alike argued that women working in industrial settings would be contrary to their nature and symbolized a "return to barbarism."<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Valverde |first=Mariana |date=1988 |title=Giving the Female a Domestic Turn': The Social, Legal and Moral Regulation of Women's Work in British Cotton Mills, 1820-1850 |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/3788005. |journal=Journal of Social History |volume=21 |issue=4 |pages=619–634|doi=10.1353/jsh/21.4.619 |jstor=3788005 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>  

This perception not only reflected prevailing gender biases but also influenced labor policies and union strategies, which often sought to exclude women from better-paying industrial jobs. Such debates reinforced the belief that women were best suited for domestic roles or low-skilled work, limiting their economic opportunities and perpetuating a cycle of inequality.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Collins |first=Jane L. |date=2002 |title=Mapping a Global Labor Market: Gender and Skill in the Globalizing Garment Industry |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3081941 |journal=Gender and Society |volume=16 |issue=6 |pages=921–940 |doi=10.1177/089124302237895 |jstor=3081941 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

===20th century onward===
[[File:Bangladeshi women sewing clothes.jpg|thumb|Bangladeshi women sewing clothes.]]
Sewing underwent further developments during the 20th century. As sewing machines became more affordable to the working class, demand for [[Pattern (sewing)|sewing pattern]]s grew. Women had become accustomed to seeing the latest fashions in periodicals during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, increasing demand for sewing patterns yet more. American tailor and manufacturer [[Ebenezer Butterick]] met the demand with paper patterns that could be traced and used by home sewers. The patterns, sold in small packets, became wildly popular. Several pattern companies soon established themselves. Women's magazines also carried sewing patterns, and continued to do so for much of the 20th century. This practice declined during the later decades of the 20th century, when ready-made clothing became a necessity as women joined the paid workforce in larger numbers, leaving them with less time to sew, if indeed they had an interest.{{Citation needed|reason=Was the reason time, cheapness of clothing, or something else?|date=February 2017}} Today, the low price of ready-made clothing in shops means that home sewing is confined largely to hobbyists in Western countries,{{Citation needed|date=February 2017}} with the exception of cottage industries in custom dressmaking and [[upholstery]]. Sewing as a pleasurable hobby has gained popularity as attested by the BBC televisions show [[The Great British Sewing Bee]], on air since 2013.

The spread of sewing machine technology to industrialized economies around the world meant the spread of Western-style sewing methods and clothing styles as well. In Japan, traditional clothing was sewn together with running stitch that could be removed so that the clothing could be taken apart and the assorted pieces laundered separately. The tight-locked stitches made by home sewing machines, and the use of Western clothing patterns, led to a movement towards wearing Western-style clothing during the early 20th century.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Historical Consumer: Consumption and Everyday Life in Japan, 1850–2000|year=2012|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|isbn=9780230273665|pages=56–7|editor1=Janet Hunter |editor2=Penelope Francks }}</ref> Western sewing and clothing styles were disseminated in sub-Saharan Africa by Christian missionaries from the 1830s onward. Indigenous cultures, such as the [[Zulu people|Zulu]] and [[Tswana people|Tswana]], were indoctrinated in the Western way of dress as a sign of conversion to Christianity.<ref>{{cite book|last=Cornwell|first=Andrea|title=Readings in Gender in Africa|year=2005|publisher=Indiana University Press|isbn=9780253345172|page=179}}</ref> First Western hand sewing techniques, and later machine sewing, spread throughout the regions where the European colonists settled. However, a recent examination of new online learning methods demonstrated that technology can be adapted to share knowledge of a culture's traditional sewing methods. Using self-paced online tutorials, a [[Malaysia|Malay]] sewing class learned how to tailor and sew a traditional men's ''[[Baju Kurung]]'' garment in 3 days, whereas a traditional Malay sewing class would have taken 5 days to teach the same information.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Abdul Salam Zailan Arabee  |author2=Mansur Azmi |name-list-style=amp |title=Proceedings of the 5th European Conference on e-Learning|year=2005|publisher=Academic Conferences Limited|isbn=9781905305124|pages=18–9|editor=Dan Remenyi}}</ref>
[[File:Henri Lebasque, Jeune fille cousant, ca. 1925.jpg|thumb|Henri Lebasque, Jeune fille cousant, {{c.|1925}}]]

Advances in industrial technology, such as the development of [[synthetic fibre]]s during the early 20th century, have brought profound changes to the [[textile industry]] as a whole. Textile industries in Western countries have declined sharply as textile companies compete for cheaper labour in other parts of the world. According to the U.S. Department of Labor "employment of sewers and tailors is expected to experience little or no change, growing 1 percent from 2010 to 2020".<ref>{{cite web|last=Bureau of Labor Statistics|first=U.S. Department of Labor|title=Occupational Outlook Handbook|url=http://www.bls.gov/ooh/production/sewers-and-tailors.htm#tab-6|publisher=Bureau of Labor Statistics|access-date=10 November 2013|date=26 April 2012}}</ref> It is estimated that every lost textile job in a Western country in recent years has resulted in 1.5 jobs being created in an [[outsourcing|outsourced]] country such as China. Textile workers who perform tasks with sewing machines, or do detailed work by hand, are still a vital component of the industry, however. Small-scale sewing is also an economic standby in many developing countries, where many people, both male and female, are self-employed sewers.

==Garment construction==
[[File:Tailor at work.jpg|thumb|A [[tailor]] fitting a suit in Hong Kong.]]
[[File:Cutting out fabric.jpg|thumb|Hobby sewer cutting out fabric for a dress]]

===Patterns and fitting===
Garment construction is usually guided by a [[pattern (sewing)|sewing pattern]]. A pattern can be quite simple; some patterns are nothing more than a mathematical formula that the sewer calculates based on the intended wearer's measurements. Once calculated, the sewer has the measurements needed to cut the cloth and sew the garment together. At the other end of the spectrum are [[haute couture]] fashion designs. When a couture garment is made of unusual material, or has extreme proportions, the design may challenge the sewer's engineering knowledge. Complex designs are drafted and refitted dozens of times, may take around 40 hours to develop a final pattern, and require 60 hours of cutting and sewing. It is important for a pattern to be created well because the way a completed piece fits is the reason it will either be worn or not.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Steele, Valerie  |author2=Patricia Mears, Clare Sauro |name-list-style=amp |title=Ralph Rucci: The Art of Weightlessness|year=2007|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=9780300122787|pages=121–2}}</ref>

Most clothing today is mass-produced, and conforms to standard sizing, based on body measurements that are intended to fit the greatest proportion of the population. However, while "standard" sizing is generally a useful guideline, it is little more than that, because there is no industry standard that is "both widely accepted and strictly adhered to in all markets".<ref>{{cite book|last=Calderin|first=Jay|title=Form and Fashion|year=2009|publisher=Rockport Publishers|isbn=9781592535415|page=168}}</ref>

Home sewers often work from sewing patterns purchased from companies such as [[Simplicity Pattern|Simplicity]], [[Ebenezer Butterick|Butterick]], [[McCall's]], [[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]], [[Burda Style|Burda]], and many others. Such patterns are typically printed on large pieces of tissue paper; a sewer may simply cut out the required pattern pieces for use but may choose to transfer the pattern onto a thicker paper if repeated use is desired. A sewer may choose to alter a pattern to make it more accurately fit the intended wearer. Patterns may be changed to increase or decrease length; to add or remove fullness; to adjust the position of the waistline, shoulder line, or any other seam, or a variety of other adjustments.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Veblen|first1=Sarah|title=The Complete Guide to Perfect Fitting|date=2012|publisher=Creative Publishing International}}</ref> Volume can be added with elements such as [[pleats]], or reduced with the use of [[dart (sewing)|darts]]. Before work is started on the final garment, test garments may be made, sometimes referred to as [[muslin]]s or [[toile]]s.

===Tools===
Sewers working on a simple project need only a few sewing tools, such as flexible measuring tape, needle, thread, cloth, and sewing shears, but there are many helpful sewing aids and specialized tools available. 

Rotary cutters may also be used for cutting fabric, usually used with a [[cutting mat]] to protect other surfaces from being damaged. Seam rippers are used to remove mistaken stitches or basting stitches. Special washable markers or chalk are used to mark the fabric as a guide to construction.<ref name="Handbook">{{cite book|last1=Mitnick|first1=Sarai|title=The Colette Sewing Handbook|date=2011|publisher=Krause Publications|location=Cincinnati, Ohio|pages=12–14}}</ref>

Pressing and ironing are an essential part of any sewing project, and require additional tools. A steam iron is used to press seams and garments, and a variety of pressing aids such as a seam roll or [[tailor's ham]] are used to aid in shaping a garment. A pressing cloth may be used to protect the fabric from damage.<ref name="Handbook"/> A velvet board helps to iron velvet without crushing it. 

[[Sewing machine]]s are now made for a broad range of specialised sewing purposes, such as [[quilting]] machines, heavy-duty machines for sewing thicker fabrics (such as leather), computerized machines for embroidery, and [[serger]]s for finishing raw edges of fabric.

A wide variety of [[presser foot]] attachments are available for many sewing machines—feet exist to help with hemming, pintucks, attaching cording, assembling [[patchwork]], quilting, and a variety of other functions.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Ahles|first1=Carol|title=Fine Machine Sewing|date=1996|publisher=The Taunton Press|location=Newtown, CT}}</ref>
[[File:Brother latest lockstitch lockstitcher Nexio.jpg|thumb|Latest sewing machines Brother "Nexio" Direct Drive Lock Stitcher with Electronic Feeding System]]

A [[thimble]] is a small hard tool used to protect fingertips while hand sewing.

===Elements===
[[File:Palestinian Tailors with a Passion for Fashion (4185091128).jpg|alt=People at sewing machines in a small garment factory|thumb|Garment construction]]

Seamstresses are provided with the pattern, while tailors would draft their own pattern, both with the intent of using as little fabric as possible. Patterns will specify whether to cut on the [[Grain (textile)|grain]] or the [[bias cut|bias]] to manipulate fabric stretch. Special placement may be required for directional, striped, or plaid fabrics.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Mitnick|first1=Sarai|title=The Colette Sewing Handbook|date=2011|publisher=Krause Publications|location=Cincinnati, Ohio|pages=42–47}}</ref>

Supporting materials, such as [[interfacing]], interlining, or [[lining (sewing)|lining]], may be used in garment construction, to give the fabric a more rigid or durable shape.

Before or after the pattern pieces are cut, it is often necessary to mark the pieces to provide a guide during the sewing process. Marking methods may include using pens, pencils, or chalk, tailor's tacks, snips, pins, or thread tracing, among others.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Mitnick|first1=Sarai|title=The Colette Sewing Handbook|date=2011|publisher=Krause Publications|location=Cincinnati, Ohio|pages=48–49}}</ref>

In addition to the normal [[lockstitch]], construction [[stitch (textile arts)|stitches]] include edgestitching, understitching, staystitching and topstitching.<ref>{{cite book|last=Baumgartel|first=Beth|title=Singer Simple Sewing|year=2009|publisher=Creative Publishing International|isbn=9781589234741|pages=57–8}}</ref> [[seam (sewing)|Seam]] types include the plain seam, zigzag seam, [[flat fell seam]], French seam and many others.

===Software===
[[File:Virtual Sewing Machine Tools in Marvelous Designer Software.jpg|thumbnail|right|Virtual sewing machine tools in a cloth simulation software]]
[[File:Colorful Seams on Digital 3D Clothing.jpg|thumbnail|right|Digital clothing created with virtual sewing machine in a cloth simulation software]]
With the development of cloth simulation software such as CLO3D, Marvelous Designer and Optitex, seamsters can now draft patterns on the computer and visualize clothing designs by using the pattern creation tools and virtual sewing machines within these cloth simulation programs.<ref>{{cite web|title=About Virtual Fashion and the Creation of Digital Clothes|url=https://cgelves.com/all-about-virtual-fashion-and-how-are-digital-3d-clothes-made|access-date=10 December 2015|archive-date=5 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160105040829/https://cgelves.com/all-about-virtual-fashion-and-how-are-digital-3d-clothes-made/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==In animals==

[[Tailorbird]]s (genus ''Orthotomus''), such as the [[common tailorbird]], exhibit sewing behaviour, as do some birds of related genera. They are capable of stitching together the edges of leaves, using plant fibres or spider silk as thread, in order to create cavities in which to build their nests.<ref name=wood>{{cite book |year=1925 |publisher=Smithsonian Report |author=Wood, Casey A. |title=The nest of the Indian tailor bird |pages=349–354 |url=https://archive.org/stream/annualreportofbo1925smit#page/n387/mode/2up}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Glossary of sewing terminology]]
* [[Glossary of textile manufacturing]]
* [[List of sewing occupations]]
* [[List of sewing stitches]]
* [[List of tools and equipment#Sewing tools and equipment|List of sewing tools and equipment]]
* [[Notions (sewing)|Notions]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
* {{cite book|last=Anawalt|first=Patricia Rieff|title=The Worldwide History of Dress|publisher=Thames & Hudson|year=2007|isbn=978-0-500-51363-7|url=https://archive.org/details/worldwidehistory00anaw}}
* {{cite book|last=Barber|first=Elizabeth Wayland|title=Women's Work:The First 20,000 Years|publisher=W. W. Norton|year=1994}}
* {{cite book |author=Huxley, Susan |title=Sewing Secrets from the Fashion Industry: Proven Methods to Help You Sew Like the Pros |publisher=Rodale Publishing|location=New York |year=1999 |isbn=978-0-87596-980-0}}
* {{cite book |author=Meyrich, Elisaa |title=RIP IT!: How to Deconstruct and Reconstruct the Clothes of Your Dreams |publisher=Fireside |location=New York |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-7432-6899-8 |url=https://archive.org/details/ripithowtodecons00meyr }}
* {{cite book |author=Meyrich, Elissa |title=Sew Fast Sew Easy: All You Need to Know When You Start to Sew |publisher=St. Martin's Griffin|location=New York |year=2002 |isbn=0-312-26909-9 }}
* {{cite book|author=Reader's Digest|title=Complete Guide to Sewing|url=https://archive.org/details/completeguidetos00plea|url-access=registration|publisher=The Reader's Digest Association, Inc.|year=1976|isbn=0-89577-026-1}}
* {{cite book|last=Picken|first=Mary Brooks|author-link=Mary Brooks Picken|title=The Fashion Dictionary|publisher=Funk and Wagnalls|year=1957}}
* {{cite book|title=Singer: The New Sewing Essentials|publisher= Creative Publishing International|isbn=0-86573-308-2}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Sewing}}
* [http://video.glamour.com/watch/eva-longoria-sews-while-reading-wikipedia Spoken version of this article] by [[Eva Longoria]] on [[Glamour Magazine]] website, retrieved 27 February 2016
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