9446 – Industrial sewing machine operators

Industrial sewing machine operators operate sewing machines to sew fabric, fur, leather or synthetic materials to produce or repair garments and other articles. They are employed in clothing, footwear, textile products, fur products and other manufacturing establishments and by furriers.

Profile

Index of titles

Example titles

Automatic basting sewing machine operator

Automatic sewing machine operator

Bag sewer – textile manufacturing

Basting machine operator – sewing

Binding machine operator – sewing

Binding sewing machine operator

Binding stitcher – footwear manufacturing

Blindstitch-sewing machine operator

Button stayer

Buttonhole finisher

Buttonhole machine operator

Buttonhole maker

Buttonhole stayer

Canvas goods sewing machine operator

Carpet binder

Carpet sewer

Closer – sewing

Closer sewing machine operator

Cloth mender

Commercial sewing machine operator

Domestic sewing machine operator

Double needle sewing machine operator

Double needle sewing machine stitcher

Drapery header

Drapery heading maker

Drapery sewer

Fabric mender

Fabric repairer

Factory hat sewer

Fancy stitch machine operator

Footwear sewer

Fur goods sewer

Fur sewer

Fur sewing machine operator

Garment braid maker – garment manufacturing

Garment braider – garment manufacturing

Garment mender – sewing

Glove stitcher

Hemmer machine operator – sewing

Industrial sewing machine operator

Joiner sewing machine operator

Leather bag sewer

Leather garment sewer

Leather garment sewing machine operator

Leather glove repairer

Leather products sewing machine operator

Leather sewer

Leather-glove-stitching machine operator

Leather-sewing machine operator

Lining sewer

Lining stitcher

Machine button sewer

Machine operator – garment manufacturing

Material mender

Moccasin sewer

Multineedle sewing machine operator

Overcaster – garment manufacturing

Overcasting machine operator

Overedging machine operator

Overlock sewing machine operator

Overseamer – garment manufacturing

Piping-sewing machine operator

Pocket setter

Profile-pocket sewing machine operator

Rug joiner

Rug sewer

Sample sewer

Serger – garment manufacturing

Serging machine operator

Sewer – garment manufacturing

Sewing machine operator

Shoe parts sewer

Shoe sewer

Shoe stitcher

Single-needle sewing machine operator

Slide-fastener-sewing machine operator

Slipper maker

Stitcher – garment manufacturing

Stitching machine operator – industrial sewing machine

Stocking stitcher

Tacking machine operator – sewing

Textile products mender

Textile products sewer

Tufted carpet mender

Underwear sewer

Vamp stitcher

Zipper-sewing machine operator

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

Assemble pieces of garments by matching patterns and dye lots

Operate single, double or multi-needle serging, flat bed felling, banding and other sewing machines, to join sections of garments or other articles into finished products on a piece-work or production basis

Operate fur sewing machines to join fur pelt strips to required size and shape and join pelts into garment sections or shells

Operate stitching machines to sew leather parts together for leather garments, handbags, shoes and other leather articles

Operate serging machines to sew and overcast edges of material simultaneously

Operate tackers, pocketsetters, buttonhole makers and fusing, hemmer and other machines to perform various operations in the fabrication of garments and other articles

Examine garments and operate sewing machines, sergers and other machines to repair garments and other articles during the manufacturing process

Complete production reports

May perform minor maintenance and repairs on sewing machine.

Employment requirements

Some secondary school education is usually required.

Experience operating a sewing machine is usually required.

On-the-job training may be provided.

Additional information

Industrial sewing machine operators may progress to supervisory positions with experience.

Exclusions

Fabric, fur and leather cutters (9445)

Mattress sewing and embroidery machine operators (in 9442 Weavers, knitters and other fabric making occupations)

Shoe repairers and shoemakers (6343)

Supervisors of sewing machine operators (in 9217 Supervisors, textile, fabric, fur and leather products processing and manufacturing)

Tailors, dressmakers, furriers and milliners (6342)