From: Helen Bell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > I think I wonder, along with Tamara. I think the embroidery stitches - > even the simple zig zag stitch is a more modern development. >
The old machines only did straight stitch, but they had instructions for doing embroidery and "chemical" lace with straight stitch. The early threadpainting by sewing machine (1970's or 80's) was with straight stitch, too, using no presser foot and manipulating the fabric by hand. Modern sewing-machine embroidery is a new development, not a continuation of the early embroidery done with sewing machines. In between was the Necchi which my mom got in the 50's, which had cams for creating a bunch of zig-zag based embroidery stitches such as a string of hearts or crescents or other decorative shapes. I believe there were a few other machines at the time that used cams for creating decoration. The zig-zag stitch goes back into the 40's, I believe, or maybe earlier. For some reason, the cam-based embroidery didn't seem to catch on and it wasn't until quite recently, with the inclusion of computers into sewing machines, that really fancy embroidery could be done by sewing machines. However, embroidery *was* done on the turn-of- the-last-century machines using straight stitch. I, too, had one of those chain-stitch sewing machines in the mid-50's. It was for girls because it was non-electric and very small. THere was no bobbin thread. The fly-wheel was hand-cranked to make the stitches. Robin P. Los Angeles, California, USA (formerly Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
