In some way the women working with the machines gained a new skill, and were seen as important for the industry. The sewing machine allowed clothing to become a mass produced item which increased the social acceptance of the sewing machine. Besides the commercial sewing machine, the household machine became very popular when it became electric. If you had electric in your home you could have a sewing machine and it was even easier and faster than the hand powered models. The sewing machine also helped other industries grow, for example the need for large quantities of thread for factory machines.