The Sewing Bird is available in either
Nickel or Brass finishes and comes in a
presentation box making this an extra
special gift idea
|
The Sewing Bird
or clamp was one of the more popular sewing aids of the late 19th century.
The needle worker uses the clamp by depressing and releasing the tail of the
bird causing the beak to open and close. The bird's beak thus forms
the actual clamp for holding the edge of the fabric while the sewing or
hemming is done with the free hands. When working with more delicate
fabrics, the pin cushion alone can be used to hold the fabric.
The Sewing Bird, generically know as a
"hemming clamp" had its origins in the mid 18th century when it evolved from
the simple pin cushion clamp. This device was most popular in the
latter part of the nineteenth century when a myriad of mythological as well
as natural animals found representation on these sewing aids. |
|
It was in the
United States that the sewing bird found its strongest niche, becoming
synonymous with the hemming clamp itself. In 1852, promotional ads
claimed that the sewing clamp not only "would help to ensure an upright and
'health preserving' posture when sewing" but that it was "the latest
invented and most useful article for the use of ladies that can be found."
It was last popularized as one of the characters in the children's story,
The Mary Frances Sewing Book, by Jane Allen Boyer, published in 1913.
The first patent was issued in 1853 to
Charles Waterman of Connecticut, who continued to make improvements on his
bird till the turn of the century. This particular sewing bird, is a
replica of one of the more elaborate designs made specifically for Marshall
Field and Company of Chicago in the 1890's. |
