Description
Operate basic or specialised sewing machines whether domestic or industrial ones, sewing pieces of fabric, vinyl or leather in order to manufacture or repair wearing apparels, making sure the threads are selected according to specifications.
In the case of industrial sewing machines, the operations are computerised.
Alternative labels
sewing pieces of fabric
stitch pieces of fabric
sew pieces of fabrics
tailor pieces of fabric
fasten pieces of fabric
sew a piece of fabric
embroider pieces of fabric
Skill type
skill/competence
Skill reusability level
cross-sector
Relationships with occupations
Essential skill
Sew pieces of fabric is an essential skill of the following occupations:
Protective clothing apparel manufacturer: Protective clothing apparel manufacturers produce personal protective equipment (PPE) made of textiles. They produce wearing apparel resistant to different hazards (e.g. thermal, physical, electrical, biological, and chemical, etc.), high visibility warming clothing, protective against cool, cold, rain, UV solar radiation, etc. They follow standards and assess the fulfillment of requirements.
Sewing machinist: Sewing machinists sew components of wearing apparel together. They can repair and renovate wearing apparel by hand or by using a different sewing machines.
Dressmaker: Dressmakers design, make or fit, alter, repair tailored, bespoke or hand-made garments from textile fabrics, light leather, fur and other material for women and children. They produce made-to-measure wearing apparel according to customer’s or garment manufacturer’s specifications. They are able to read and understand size charts, details surrounding finished measurements etc.
Glove maker: Glove makers design and manufacture technical, sport or fashion gloves.
Sewing machine operator: Sewing machine operators tend specific sewing machines in the industrial production chain of wearing apparel. They perform operations such as joining, assembling, reinforcing, repairing, and altering of wearing apparel.
Mattress maker: Mattress makers form mattresses by creating pads and coverings. They tuft mattresses by hand and cut, spread and attach the padding and cover material over the innerspring assemblies.
Upholsterer: Upholsterers provide objects such as furniture, panels, orthopaedic devices, fixtures or vehicle parts with padding or soft covering. They can install, repair or replace the upholstery of objects with materials such as fabrics, leather, suede or cotton. Upholsterers install the webbings and springs necessary to cover the material.
Tailor: Tailors design, make or fit, alter, repair tailored, bespoke or hand-made garments from textile fabrics, light leather, fur and other material, or make hats or wigs for men. They produce made-to-measure wearing apparel according to customer’s or garment manufacturer’s specifications. They are able to read and understand size charts, details surrounding finished measurements etc.
Costume maker: Costume makers construct, sew, stitch, dye, adapt and maintain costumes to be used in live performances and in movies or television programs. Their work is based on artistic vision, sketches or finished patterns combined with knowledge of the human body to ensure the wearer maximum range of movement. They work in close cooperation with the designers.
Furniture upholsterer: Furniture upholsterers provide furniture with padding, springs, webbing and covers. Sometimes they have to remove old padding, filling and broken strings before to replace them using tools such as a tack puller, chisel or mallet. The aim is to provide comfort and beauty to seats as backs of the furniture.
Mattress making machine operator: Mattress making machine operators utilise machines to form mattresses. They create pads and coverings and cut, spread and attach the padding and cover material over the innerspring assemblies.
Clothing alteration machinist: Clothing alteration machinists ensure the alteration of finished garments in line with business demands. They are responsible for the quality of any alterations or customisations and brand generic stock in line with customer branding guidelines.
Milliner: Milliners design and manufacture hats and other headwear.
Optional skill
Sew pieces of fabric is optional for these occupations. This means knowing this skill may be an asset for career advancement if you are in one of these occupations.
Clothing development manager: Clothing development managers define product concepts that are consistent with target consumer and overall marketing strategy. They receive scientific findings and specifications in order to lead the briefing and implementation of all relevant seasonal and strategic concepts, including distribution by channel, product, colour introductions, and merchandised assortments. They ensure realisation and execution within budget. They manage and execute the product line and category life cycle from concept determination through sales and distribution, contribution in research of market, industry trends to influence category concepts and products.
Textile pattern making machine operator: Textile pattern making machine operators create patterns, designs and decoration for textiles and fabrics using machines and equipment. They choose which materials to use and check the quality of the textiles both before and after their work.
Wearing apparel patternmaker: Wearing apparel patternmakers interpret design sketches and cut patterns for all kinds of wearing apparel using various handtools or industrial machines complying customer requirements. They make sampling and prototypes in order to produce series of patterns of wearing apparel in different sizes.
Made-up textile articles manufacturer: Made-up textile articles manufacturers create made-up articles of any textile materials except apparel. They manufacture products such as home textiles (e.g. bed linen, pillows, bean bags, carpets), and made up textile articles for outdoor usage.
Clothing technologist: Clothing technologists work on the design, development and production of textile and apparel products. They carry out a range of technical, investigative and quality control work to ensure the end product (from clothing to household up to industrial textiles). They perform to specifications, improve production efficiency and quality while liaising with those involved in the production process. They liaise with designers, adapt designs to suit production methods, make and size pre-production garments, source fabrics and accessories, undertake quality evaluations of materials and check the quality of the final product, and consider ecological aspects.
Wearing apparel presser: Wearing apparel pressers use steam irons, vacuum pressers, or hand pressers to shape wearing apparel.
Costume attendant: Costume attendant help dress actors and extras. They make sure everything is as the costume designer envisioned and ensure the continuity of appearance of the performers. Costume attendants maintain and repair these costumes. They store them correctly and safely after shooting.
Clothing operations manager: Clothing operations managers schedule orders and delivery times in order to assure the efficient flow of the production system.
Marine upholsterer: Marine upholsterers manufacture, assemble and repair interior components for all types of boats. They use power tools, hand tools and shop equipment to prepare and fasten materials and apply finishes. They also inspect incoming materials and prepare the boat interior for new components.
Canvas goods assembler: Canvas goods assemblers construct products made from a closely woven fabrics and leather such as tents, bags or wallets. Artists also use it as painting surface.
Coachbuilder: Coachbuilders execute work on vehicle bodies and coaches with skills to form body parts from panels, manufacture and assemble the frames and parts for vehicles.
Railway car upholsterer: Railway car upholsterers create manufacturing templates, manufacture and assemble interior components for train carriages. They use power tools, hand tools and CNC machines to prepare and fasten materials. They also inspect incoming materials and prepare the vehicle interior for trim items.
Embroiderer: Embroiderers puch designs and decorate textile surfaces by hand or by using an embroidery machine. They apply a range of traditional stitching techniques to produce intricate designs on clothing, accessories, and home decor items. Professional embroiderers combine traditional sewing skills with current software programs to design and construct embellishments on an item.
Doll maker: Doll makers design, create and repair dolls using various materials such as porcelain, wood or plastic. They build moulds of forms and attach parts using adhesives and handtools.
Clothing sample machinist: Clothing sample machinist create the first made-up sample of a garment design. They resolve regarding the makeup of garments taking into consideration bulk production to ensure sealing samples are ready on time.
They press finished garments and make quality control checks.
Aircraft interior technician: Aircraft interior technicians manufacture, assemble and repair interior components for aircrafts such as seats, carpeting, door panels, ceiling, lighting etc. They also replace entertainment equipment such as video systems. They inspect incoming materials and prepare the vehicle interior for new components.
Motor vehicle upholsterer: Motor vehicle upholsterers create manufacturing templates, manufacture and assemble interior components for cars, buses, trucks etc. They use power tools, hand tools and shop equipment to prepare and fasten materials. They also inspect incoming materials and prepare the vehicle interior for trim items.
Clothing fashion designer: Fashion designers create concepts and make sketches by hand or using softwares of their creative ideas. They analyse and interpret fashion trends in order to propose new ideas with high aesthetical value. They perform forecasting and market research to put together collections. They build collection lines by operating mood or concept boards, colour palettes, materials, drawings and sketches considering among others ergonomical criteria, etc.
Embroidery machine operator: Embroidery machine operators decorate wearing apparel by tending embroidery machines varying in their technology in order to embroider and ornamental wearing apparel.
Clothing process control technician: Clothing process control technicians operate multiple process control equipment in manufacturing assembly lines.
References
- Sew pieces of fabric – ESCO