In our present culture, what does it mean for a young woman to begin sewing? It certainly has different implications than it would have 40 years ago, at the height of the feminist movement, much less a decade prior in the age of Donna Reed and June Cleaver.

That Darn Machine traces the history of domestic sewing since the intention of Isaac Singer's famous machine in 1853. Cultural attitudes about work, women, machines, creativity, frugality, family, and traditions are threaded through sewing's history.
As social values surrounding these topics evolved and changed throughout the decades, so, too, did our complex relationships to the craft of sewing.

That Darn Machine lets you begin to unravel this rich history for yourself, and gives you the tools to continue the tradition any way you see fit.