before europeans, americna indians, most of whom spun, and wove, -using wool from wild sheep, and from the underbelly of a domesticated dog, -bred specifically of the soft fur of its underbelly, and domesticate llama's of south america- as well as cotton, and other fiberous plants, on looms, technically as complete as the simple looms of europe-(which are anything but simple!)
--they did not, how ever, fashion fitted clothing from their weaving, but wore it draped, or wrapped.. but it was UN-Sewn- (like mexican serape-)
their garments, were decorated with porqipine quills,(and painted, and trimmed with feathers, that were 'woven' into leather based nets)
many of the decorations were quite elaberate, and the collections of dye colors was extensive.
the barbed end of the quill would pierce leather, and the other end was held in place with leather strips.. (sample of such garments can be found in the Smithonian American Indian museum)
leather garments were laced together, and sometimes even layered.. (primitive quilting- pockets were added, and these stuffed with dried grass, for insulation) but again, the pockets were laced on to leather garments; they did not sew and quilt cloth(before the europeans)
the indians prized steel needles, and glass beeds-- and the ease that these technical innovations added.. (which makes the idea of 'selling manhattan for glass beeds' more understandable- glass beeds were new technology to the indians, and superior to the mean they had for decorating themselves and their clothing)
i don't know for certain or not if the had 'eyed' needles before europeans--but i have no knowledge they did. they did have awls, and used them to peirce leather, and then wove the leather together with sinew. but for certain, eyed needles are a late technical invention. (and retro fitting awls, with eyes, once you have steel bits, or other sharp tools is pretty easy-- and there is no doubt they had awl like needles (eyeless)
steel needles were so expensive as late as colonial times (US) that women often had one needle --that they kept in a needle case, and resharpend-- and pre civil war stories of 'frontier settlers' sometimes focus on the plight of a woman who has lost her needle.
pins where cheaper, but -- still were the original object in the superstition chant of "find a penny (used to be pin), pick it up, all the day, have good luck!
these 'simple' bits of technology-really didn't become simple till the industrial revolution.- one early machine copied some technology from a 'nail' factory, and made pins
straight pins and clasp (safety type pins) used to be expensive. they are really very labor intensive,and require a high level of technology to produce!
even the greeks and romans of classical times wore "un-sewn" garments, cloths that they draped around their bodies..many times they had woven in designs or colors..but not sewn and fitted.-cutting and sewing cloth, using needles, is late technology.
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