sewing

American  

[soh-ing] / ˈsoʊ ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or work of one who sews.

2. something sewn or to be sewn.

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sewing British  

/ ˈsəʊɪŋ /

noun

1. 1. a piece of cloth, etc, that is sewn or to be sewn

   2. ( as modifier )

      sewing basket

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Etymology

Origin of sewing

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at sew ¹, -ing ¹

Explanation

Sewing is the craft of stitching things using a needle and thread. If you enjoy sewing, your elaborate, hand-stitched Halloween costumes might be the envy of all your friends. Before the invention of the sewing machine in the 1800s, sewing was done by hand. This kind of sewing involves threading a needle and taking repeated stitches through fabric, to attach several pieces to each other. The sewing that goes into a modern, mass-produced piece of clothing requires speedy, electric-powered sewing machines doing all the stitching. You can also use this word for a stitching project: "Have you seen my sewing? I thought I left it on the coffee table."

Example Sentences

"We don't believe that sewing is going away," says Palaniswamy Rajan, chairman and chief executive of Softwear Automation, based in the US state of Georgia.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

Still, sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel is not always visible from behind a classroom sewing machine.

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026

The mother-of-two said she works all day sewing clothes and embroidering but she can't afford baby formula for her youngest.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

That logic propagated from muskets to sewing machines and farm equipment, eroding craft economics and laying the groundwork for the modern assembly line.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

They were rough, with calluses from sewing, burns from ironing, cuts from slicing potatoes.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman

Related Words

• tailoring