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Sewing Books & Education

As the central features of the one of world’s largest industries -- the apparel industry -- it makes sense that the history of sewing books and educational tools is as interesting as the sewing machine itself. One of the earliest forms of sewing books appeared as patterns in the 1890s. Produced by the womenswear likes of McCalls and Vogue, patterns were sold in envelopes and featured invaluable, lifelong sewing tips. During WWII and the revitalization of sewing, the first official sewing books and educational components appeared in the form of sewing classes. By the 1950s, publications like “Needlebook” and weekly Simplicity sewing booklets made access to sewing books and education easier than ever. Today, sewing books and education tools exist as step-by-step manuals, fabric color guides, and fashion notebooks.