With a needle and thread, sewers and tailors create and repair clothing and other stitched items, both handcrafted and mass-produced. Sewing machine operators use sewing machines to sew or decorate clothing and other products. They keep machines stocked with thread, position material under needles, and guide their stitching to sew parts together. When a product is finished, these operators measure each item to ensure accuracy. Hand sewers stitch a wide variety of textiles and materials to make clothing, books, mattresses, wigs, and even toys. They draw and then cut materials following established patterns. Sewers must measure and piece together parts, stitch them together, and sew in trimmings, zippers, buttons, and other fasteners. To finish a product, they may iron seams and trim edges. Tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers create garments for customers and alter clothing to fit better. Customers try on clothing items so tailors can pin or clip fabric to fit their size. They take measurements to bring the hems of sleeves, dresses, and pant legs to the right length, and may let out seams or take them in to improve a garment’s fit. Some custom sewers create original clothing designs, and then sew them. There are no specific education requirements for hand or machine sewers and tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers, although sewing skills are typically required.
What they do:
Operate or tend sewing machines to join, reinforce, decorate, or perform related sewing operations in the manufacture of garment or nongarment products.
On the job, you would:
Monitor machine operation to detect problems such as defective stitching, breaks in thread, or machine malfunctions.
Place spools of thread, cord, or other materials on spindles, insert bobbins, and thread ends through machine guides and components.
Position items under needles, using marks on machines, clamps, templates, or cloth as guides.
Arts and Humanities
English language
Manufactured or Agricultural Goods
manufacture and distribution of products
Basic Skills
keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements
Problem Solving
noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
Hand and Finger Use
keep your arm or hand steady
hold or move items with your hands
Controlled Movement
quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat
change when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving
People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.
They do well at jobs that need:
Attention to Detail
Dependability
Integrity
Cooperation
Self Control
Independence
You might use software like this on the job:
Spreadsheet software
Microsoft Excel
Electronic mail software
Email software
Office suite software
Microsoft Office
no high school diploma/GED or high school diploma/GED usually needed
Get started on your career:
New job opportunities are less likely in the future.
In the military:
see titles from the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, or Navy.
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