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National Sewing Machine Day

Hobby · June 13

A day for the sewing machine, the household tool that stitches fabric with a needle, thread and a bobbin working together below the plate.

National Sewing Machine Day falls on Sunday, June 13, 2027. That is 229 days away.

The sewing machine sits on a lot of kitchen tables and in a lot of closets, waiting for a hem to fall or a costume deadline to arrive. It joins fabric by pushing a threaded needle down through the cloth, where a second thread from a small spool called a bobbin locks with it. The result is a lockstitch, the neat line of stitching found on most clothes.

Using one has a rhythm. A foot pedal sets the speed, the presser foot holds the fabric flat, and little teeth underneath, called feed dogs, walk the cloth forward a stitch at a time. Older machines are often heavy metal and mostly mechanical. Newer ones may offer dozens of stitch patterns, buttonhole settings and a needle threader for anyone tired of squinting.

People mark the day by actually sewing. Some finally tackle the mending pile. Others try a first project, like a pillow cover or a tote bag, which are mostly straight lines and forgiving of wobbles. A machine that has sat unused for years usually wants fresh thread, a new needle and a gentle cleaning of lint from around the bobbin area before it runs well.

Many machines live a long time and get handed down, so the one in the closet may have stitched curtains, school uniforms and a prom dress before it reached its current owner.

Ways to celebrate

• Try sewing a simple pillow cover or tote bag.
• Clear the lint from your machine's bobbin area.
• Mend one item from the pile you have been ignoring.
• Ask a relative about the sewing machine they grew up with.
• Look for a free beginner sewing class at your library.

Dates

All national days on June 13

Also on June 13

• National Kitchen Klutzes of America Day
• National Weed Your Garden Day

Categories: Hobby days