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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Sewin(g, Sowing, S(c)hewing, vbl. n.¹ Also: sew-, sowyn, sevin, sweyn, sevyand, suyng, s(c)heu-, shewe-, scewing, schiuine. [ME and e.m.E. seuwingue (c1290), sowynge (c1400), sewynge (Caxton); Sew v.]

1. The action of sewing, in the senses of Sew v.Quot. 1575 (see (2) below) may be erron., and properly belong to b.(1) 1473–4 Treas. Acc. I 18.
For the sewing of the kingis sarkis 1512 Treas. Acc. IV 358.
For ane chessable [etc.] … and for making and sewin of thaim 1568 Lyndesay Pref. (STS) 398.
Teiching and preiching is na les requisite to thair vocatioun, than schaiping and sewing is to ane tailȝeouris 1606 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 54.
Prophanatioun of the Lordis Saboth … in sewing of schone in his buith 1635 Dickson Wr. 196.
He had his elsin and linyel for sewing of leather, for he was a maker of tents 1636 Dumbarton B. Rec. 48.
The schoone maid in this burgh being bad in baith sewing and leddir 1676 Cunningham Diary 76.
To a man there for sewing a stirrup leather(b) 1496 Treas. Acc. I 288.
Of drink siluer for pailȝounis sowing 1643 Banff Ann. II 171.
For the educateing of young children in reiding, sowing, and sic vther vertew as schoe can teach them 1675 Cunningham Diary 64.
For sowing a bridle there 1703 Andrews Bygone Ch. Life 159.
For … almd leither to fasten the cover to the brods and for sowing thereof(c) 1533 Wigtown B. Ct. 285a.
For a dovsane of gluys sevyand(d) 1550 Elgin Rec. I 106.
For the scheving of ane pair of singill schovn 1572 6th Rep. Hist. MSS App. 697/1.
The woman that I haif chosin to be my wyf … hes mony gud qualities in wewing, schewing and vther handie craftis 1581–2 Elgin Rec. I 165.
For the schewing of ane mandeill … thre s. 1599 Tailor's Acc. Bk. A 13.
Scewing to this same goun bodyes and burlittis 1600–2 Montrose Treas. Acc.
For the schewing of the saillis and warkmanschip xxxij s. 1616 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 7.
For schewing the hors scheittis 1625 Edinb. Test. LIII 139.
To Heleine Carnagie for schewing 1639 Household Bk. M. Stewart 38.
To ane skinner boy for shewing ane furred petticoat, [6 s.] 1656 Glasgow Trades House 338.
For exerceising of the saidler trade in scheping and schewing coveringis to saidlis 1662 Edinb. B. Rec. IX 296.
For teaching … shewing imbrodering or any uther thing 1695 Soc. Ant. II 235.
To ane taylor for shewing the searge to the lozange armes [18 s.](2) 1575 Bk. Univ. Kirk I 335.
In the ministers … we thinke … vnseimlie … all kynd of costlie sewing on pasmentis

b. Articles sewn collectively; materials for use in sewing.sing. 1575 Edinb. Test. III 383b.
Tua hankis of schewing of [sic] gold 1670 Boyd Fam. P. No. 297.
Two half blankett with sum sewing and rid selvedge [£6 13 s. 4 d.]pl. 1565 Prot. Bk. J. Scott 25.
In my ladeis studie … four coffarris with hir clayis and sewingis

c. The action of stitching, or otherwise fastening together (to), the sheets of a book, as part of the process of bookbinding. See also sewing-pres, 2 b below. 1582 Misc. Stair Soc. I 119.
In trewtht the auld instrument wes the covering of ane buik, and na hollis maid be the defendaris bot the nedill hollis maid be sewing to of the buik with the covering

2. attrib. and comb. a. Of materials to be sewn, or used in sewing.(1) 1490 Acta Conc. I 158/1.
A pund of sewing silk 1498 Halyb. 74.
2 li. sweyn silk 1501 Treas. Acc. II 62.
viij unce rede sewing silk to him [sc. the embroiderer], ilk unce iij s. 1504–5 Treas. Acc. III 34.
Sewing silk to be frenȝeis and the mayn for the said capricht 1526 Treas. Acc. V 275.
To be ane gluve … with makin and sewin silk 1527–8 Stirling B. Rec. I 31.
Sewin silk 1537 Ayr B. Acc. 74.
Sewyn sylk 1551 Treas. Acc. X 17.
For cantailȝeis and sewing silk to the theis of thir hois 1571 Whitelaw Sc. Arms Makers 299.
Half a pund of sewing silk 1614 Laing MSS 135.
3 onces … of stitching and souing silk, pryce of the unce 2 s. 4 d.(b) 1545–6 Acta Conc. & Sess. MS XX 116b.
xij vnce of scheving sylk 1568 Edinb. Test. I 228.
Ribbanes schewing silk and sape c1590 Fowler I 313/47.
The dyvers sorts of schewing silk, Lyk rainbows in the skye(2) 1551–2 Treas. Acc. X 53.
Tway half hankis of sewing gold 1562–3 Treas. Acc. XI 249.
Ane pund of sewing gold to arrache ane bed; … sewing silver to arrache the samyn [bed] 1579 Edinb. Test. VII 188.
In his buith … thrie hankis of sewing gold 1592 Edinb. Test. XXV 27.
Thrie pund … of sewing gold & sewing sylwer 1597 Bk. Rates 5 b.
Inuarde Custumes … Gold callit sewing gold the pund [£30](b) 1567 Hay Fleming Q. Mary 511.
For broderine of the said goune of schiuine gold and silver(c) 1569 Edinb. Test. I 239.
Four double hankis of fyne schewing gold sex pund 1611 Edinb. Test. XLVI 320b.
Tua gros buttounes maid of schewing gould and siluir 1611 Edinb. Test. XLVI 320.
Aucht pund wecht schewing gould and siluir 1619 Edinb. Test. L 247b.
Thrie pund weycht of sewing gold and twa pund weycht of schewing silwer price of the pund weycht ourheid fourtie aucht pundis 1628–9 Mill Mediæv. Plays 208.
iij pund schewing gold to be ane freinȝe to the paill(3) 1566 Hay Fleming Q. Mary 499.
Four pound of fyne suyng threide(b) 1573 Edinb. Test. II 333.
Tuelf pund wecht of schewing worsat 1575 Treas. Acc. XIII 73.
Twa pund wecht of fyne schewing threid 1581 Edinb. Test. IX 185b.
Schewing gallis price of the eln [4 s. 6 d.] 1585 Edinb. Test. XIV 254.
Schewing gawis c1632 Tailor's Acc. Bk. B 26.
Sheweing buikrum to the govne & vaiscoit 1690 Newport Glasgow Customs 15b.
Four pound of sheuing threed(4) 1544 Treas. Acc. VIII 334.
Tua dosoun of sewing pasmentis to him 1612 Bk. Rates (Halyb.) 323.
Perling called sewing perling(5) 1619 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. II 244.
All schuillris within the tone dischairgit except lasses in schewing houses

b. Sewing pres, a press for holding firm the sheets of paper to be ‘sewn’ together in bookbinding, cf. 1 c above. 1580 Edinb. Test. VIII 362b.
Johne Roys prentair … ane sewing pres price thairof [6 s. 8 d.]

c. Sewing school, a school for the teaching of sewing. 1688 Stitchill Baron. Ct. 104.
That none of the said tennants or cottars that have daughters shall send them to any sewing school within the barronny till they have been two full yeares reading at the said publict schooll