Project Gutenberg has a new book available for free download that may be of interest to Guild members: The Invention of the Sewing Machine by Grace Rogers Cooper.

First published in 1968 by the United States National Museum. It had no instrument panel with push-button controls. It was not operated electronically or jet-propelled. But to many 19th-century people the sewing machine was probably as awe-inspiring as a space capsule is to their 20th-century descendants. It was expensive, but, considering the work it could do and the time it could save, the cost was more than justified. The sewing machine became the first widely advertised consumer appliance, pioneered instalment buying and patent pooling, and revolutionized the ready-made clothing industry. It also weathered the protests of those who feared the new machine was a threat to their livelihood.

The Invention of the Sewing Machine by Grace Rogers Cooper — Project Gutenberg