UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



MISCELLANEOUS PUBLICATION NO. 4 



WASHINGTON, D. C. 



SEPTEMBER, 1127 



PRESENT TRENDS IN HOME SEWING* 



Bv Ruth O'Brien, Textile Chemist in Charge, and Maude Campbell, Assistant 

 Specialist in Clothing, Textiles and Clothing Division, Bureau oj Home Economic* 



CONTENTS 



Page 



Previous studies of home scwinp 2 



Results of the present study 3 



Garments made at home fi 



Relation of home sewing to size of family. 8 



Reasons for making garments at home 8 



Difliculties with home sewing 10 



Sewing machines owned and attachmenta 



used 11 



Fbk« 

 Results of the present study — Continued. 

 Reasons for purchasing garments ready- 



mado 13 



Conclusions M 



Literature cited 16 



The practices of home makers in regard to home se^ving are obvi- 

 ously in process of change, although there are no data availahic which 

 show conclusively the tendencies which may be developing. The 

 subject is of such economic importance that it is forcing itself upon 

 the attention of many difTorent groups. Not only those industrial 

 organizations which deal directly with the production and sale of 

 fabrics and clothing but also those firms which handle notions, 

 patterns, domestic sewing machines, and other commodities con- 

 nected with home sewing have a direct interest in the matter. In 

 some instances attempts are being made to stimulate either home 

 Bcwing or the purchase of rejidy-made garments, but often these are 

 promoted with little knowledge of the forces which are favoring or 

 inliibiting them. 



It is unfortunate that data are not available showing the con- 

 8um[)tion of textile yjirdage by home nuikers. A recent study {S) * 

 made by the bureau of business research, Harvard University, gives 

 indicative but not conclusive figures. The report gives the record 

 of sales from 10 department stores for the period from 1911 to 1925, 

 inclusive. The total sales of ready-to-wear merchandise in these 

 stores corresf)ond closely with the total sales of yard goods until 

 1920. During the years 1921 to 192'), inclusive, there was an up- 

 ward trend in the sales of ready-to-wear garments, whereas the sales 

 of piece goods showed a marked downward inclination. Sales of 

 cotton piece goods increased rapidly from 1911 to 1920. From 



wledcment Is hereby made to the State clothlnit st«clftll8U tnd other eitcMlon leftdan; menhan 

 •»ral red ation of Women's CIuIm; colleRe, unlver-'lty, and hlghscliool t««ihon<; and Individuals 



o gatiiir the data In this survey. So many of thoM persons asalsied thai lack of t|>so* makai 



' < publish their names. 



made by italic numbers to " Literature cited," p. 15. 



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