It’s Spring! Flowers are blooming, birds are singing...
What's It Wednesdays
Well, maybe not this one….
ACHC Collection #1952.052.1
The clamp might make you think that this bird belongs in a carpentry shop. Think again. This is a sewing bird!
Sewing clamps were used first in the 18th and 19th centuries in Europe. However, on February 12, 1853, Charles Waterman of Meriden, Connecticut, received the US patent for a "feathered bird upon the wing, bearing a burden upon its back."
The sewing bird could be clamped to a table so a woman could secure the fabric in the bird’s beak. It provided the 3rd hand that kept the fabric secure while sewing. Oh, and the burden the bird carries on its back? It’s an emery cushion for sharpening needles. At the bird's feet is a pin cushion. Very handy!
A lot of sewing for many households was done by hand. The sewing birds grew in popularity as an engagement present of sorts. A young man would present his fiancée with a sewing bird, months before the wedding, so she could prepare all the items she would need for her trousseau!
In the late 1800's and early 1900's, with the increased popularity of sewing machines, sewing birds were still used. In fact, The Singer Sewing Machine Company produced them as accessories until 1980.
Have you ever heard of sewing birds or have one still?