Helen Blanchard

Helen Blanchard was born into a wealthy family, but the failure of her father’s business plunged them into financial distress. Helen took a job at a clothing factory and later invented the zigzag sewing machine. The zigzag machine operated with a rocking motion. It made it possible to prevent fabrics from fraying at seams and to add a degree of elasticity in the product. Blanchard was able to develop a key tool for the textile industry and successfully manufacture and market it, reversing the family’s financial decline. This became an important milestone in the history of industrial sewing machines. Blanchard licensed her patent and collected significant royalties, and she also founded the Blanchard Over-Seam Company with her sister and sold industrial zigzag sewing machines.