| Jacob Schiess started the first commercial embroidery | | | | machine utilized the combination of a continuously |
| manufacturing establishment in 1848 in New York. He | | | | threaded needle and shuttle containing a bobbin of |
| came from Switzerland and within a year had his own | | | | thread. The shuttle itself looked similar to the hull of a |
| embroidery plant in operation. All the stitching was | | | | sailboat. "Schiffli" means "little boat" in the Swiss dialect |
| done by hand by fifteen woman stitching exquisite | | | | of the German language, so his machine came to be |
| designs by hand. | | | | known as a schiffli machine. |
| The development of machine embroidery did not take | | | | In 1876, Kursheedt began importing a number of schiffli |
| place until the 1800's. Joshua Heilmann from Mulhouse | | | | machines to America, thereby making him the real |
| worked on the design of a hand embroidery machine. | | | | founder of the schiffli embroidery industry in the United |
| Though he did not sell many, it revolutionized the | | | | States. |
| embroidery industry. Heilmann's invention was quickly | | | | Dr. Robert Reiner, founder of Robert Reiner, Inc., of |
| followed by the "shuttle embroidery" and the "chain | | | | Weehawken, came to the United States in 1903 in his |
| stitch embroidery" methods. | | | | early twenties. Realizing the potential of the |
| The beginnings of shuttle embroidery dates back to | | | | embroidery industry, he persuaded the Vogtlandishe |
| the 1860's when Isaak Groebli, from St. Gallen, | | | | Machine Works of Plauen, Germany, to appoint him it's |
| Switzerland, was inspired by the work produced on | | | | American agent. This began a mass importation of |
| the sewing machine. | | | | embroidery machines into northern New Jersey's |
| Around the 1870's there were fourteen companies | | | | Hudson County. The banks arranged long-term credit |
| manufacturing embroidery machines in Switzerland | | | | to purchasers. Dr. Reiner made it possible for hundreds |
| manufacturing hand loom embroidery machines. Today | | | | of Austrian, German, and Swiss immigrants in New |
| there are four companies manufacturing schiffli | | | | Jersey to become manufacturers of embroidery. |
| embroidery machines. | | | | The industry grew until 1938, when suddenly the two |
| In 1873, Alphonse Kursheedt imported twelve of the | | | | sources for the manufacture of machines in Plauen, |
| ten new embroidery hand looms from St. Gallen, | | | | Germany, and Arbon, Switzerland, ceased operation |
| making him the first American to use a mechanized | | | | because of World War 2. No additional machines |
| embroidery process. The looms used multiple needles | | | | were produced until 1953, when Robert Reiner Inc. |
| and were an unbelievable improvement over the | | | | introduced the first American-made schiffli machine. |
| age-old process of stitching by hand. They were, | | | | Gradually in time, improvements were made to the |
| however, powered manually. | | | | machine in America as well as in Switzerland and |
| Immediately afterwards, Isaak Groebli of Switzerland | | | | Germany. |
| invented the first practical Schiffli Embroidery machine. | | | | Today computers are playing a major role in the |
| This machine was based on the principals introduced | | | | embroidery process. |
| by the newly invented sewing machine. Groebli's | | | | |