The central process in the manufacture of clothing is the joining

together of multiple 2-D fabric pieces to form a 3-D garment

operations that all involve sewing in one form or another.
Although there are a large number of different categories of
sewing machine, their actual sewing functions are all derived
from the same component of sewing.
It has been estimated that there are over 3000 different types of
sewing machines on the market.
This is not surprising in view of the number of products which
incorporate sewing in their manufacture.
Apart from all types of clothing, there are tents, curtains, bed-
linen, upholstery, shoes, luggage, parachutes, etc. all of which
contain sewn elements.
For the clothing industry there is a great diversity of regular and
special machines for sewing every conceivable type of garment
and it is this variety which enables clothing manufacturers to
employ specialized equipment for their own particular
requirements.
 Basic Sewing Machines
Sewing Machine Over-locking machine
Safety Stitching Machine

Blind Stitching

Button hole machine

Button Stitching Machine

Bar Tacking Machine

The single-needle lock stich machine has evolved considerably over
the past few decades.
Some of the features of the machines in common use today are:
Speeds of up to 6000 rpm with electronic controls which
reduce the time required for acceleration and deceleration
Automatic positioning of the needle in an up and down
position
The automatic cutting of top and bottom threads
A back tacking mechanism actuated through the foot pedal
or automatically by means of an electronic seam-end sensor.
Automatic foot lifting actuated by the foot pedal instead of a
manual knee lift
Programmable sewing sequences via a microprocessor for
repetitive operations.
This is the generic name given to the over-edge stitch machines
used to trim and cover the rough edges of the fabric in order to
present a clean and neat appearance where seam edges are
visible.
Over lock machines are also used for the assembly of the some
of the knitted articles such as T-Shirts.
The over-edge stitch can be formed from one to four threads.
Some of the technological highlights of these machines are
Speeds of up to 10000 rpm
Automatic thread cutting
A vacuum system for extracting cloth waste and thread
ends
Variable feeds for sewing problem materials
Creating continuous or intermittent fullness on the top or
bottom when joining two plies.
Safety stitching machines have the same features as over lock
machines and are used for the simultaneous seaming and over
locking of many garments where there is no necessity for
pressed open seams.
There are two types of safety stitching machines in general use,
the main difference between them being the number of threads
used to construct the stitching, which consists of a locked chain
stitch parallel to an over locked edge.
With four thread machine, one of the looper threads of the over
lock stitch is used as the bottom thread for the chain stitch.
On a five thread machine, each row of stitches has its own
threads, i.e. three for the over lock and two for the chain stitch.
These machines are used for the fastening of the hems or
facings and, the name suggests, they perform this operation
without the stitch impression showing on the right side of the
garment.
This class of machine uses a curved needle which is designed to
slightly penetrate the surface of the fabric but emerges on the
same side as it entered.
Some of the features of the blind stitch machines are
Sewing speeds of up to 2000st/min
Automatic thread clipping
Automatic needle positioning
Pneumatic opening and closing of the work plate
One or two thread versions, and with the two thread
machine the stitch is locked in order to prevent it
unraveling.
A button hole is a straight or shaped slit cut through the
garment and then sewn round its edges to prevent fraying and
stretching.
The cut shape of the button hole and the number of threads
used to cover its edges depend upon on the garment type and
quantity.
For example, the buttonholes in a mans jacket would be
strongly constructed to withstand frequent opening and closing,
whereas the buttonholes for the womens blouse would have a
lighter construction because they are used far less during wear.
The advance of the electronic and microprocessor technologies
has also made it possible for button holes machines to be
programmed to do different lengths and shapes of button holes,
enabling greater flexibility and efficiency
Buttons with two holes, four holes or shanks can be sewn on the
same machine by simple adjustments to the button clamp and
the spacing mechanism.
The sewing action consists of a series of parallel stitches whose
length is equal to the spacing between the centers of the holes.
The needle has a vertical movement only and the button is
moved from side to side by the button clamp.
Buttons can be sewn on with one or two threads, the number of
stitches depending on the type of the machine used.
Each machine has a maximum number of stitches, i.e. 16, 24 or
32, and can be adjusted to sew the full amount or half, i.e. 8 or
16, 12 or 24, and 16 or 32.
The bartack machine has many applications in the clothing
factory; one of them is the sewing of the dense tack across the
open end of a button hole.
Each machine sews a fixed number of stitches with the option to
change stitch density, and machines are available which sew
bartacks containing 18-42 stitches.
Some of these types of bartack machines are fitted with
A mechanism which signals audibly and visually when the
spool thread is below certain level.
Automatic thread cutting at the end of the sewing cycle.
A two stage pedal which opens and closes the work clamp
and also operates the machine.
A brake wheel base which enables the machine to be
easily moved.
Embroidery is an art form that uses close or overlapping stitches
to form intricate, three dimensional, surface designs to
embellish piece goods, trims, or garments.
Embroidery has evolved from hundreds of years of handwork by
dozens of cultures to an established art form today.
Today, the embroidery process uses advanced technology to
embellish styles and mass produce trims for the garment
industry.
Embroidery is a flat trim that adds interest and differentiation to
a product
Embroidery machines operate on a predetermined stitch cycle
that is specific to each design that is sewn.
A computer disk or punched tape controls the stitching patterns
and needle action.
The stitch pattern controls the sequence and time that machine
stitches.
All needle beds on a machine are controlled by the stitch
pattern and operate at the same time or stop at the same time.
Stitch patterns are developed by digitizing or punching.
There are three types of embroidery machines, each serving a
special function.
(1). Schiffli Embroidery Machines
(2). Single Head Embroidery machine
(3). Multi Head Embroidery Machine.
Schiffli embroidery machines are large, loom like machines used
to stitch designs on lengths of piece goods.
They are used to embroider piece goods, produce emblems, and
make novelty and Venise lace trims.
Most machines operate with two frames that hold two fabric
lengths of 10, 15, or 21 yards that span the frame.
Machine size varies with the production needs. Frames, which
are mounted vertically, have controlled vertical and horizontal
movements directed by a punched tape or a computer disk.
Actions of some types of schiffli machines are controlled by an
automatic, which is a system of rods, cams, and levers used to
read punched tapes and direct embroidery frames in forming a
design.
Needles are mounted on two horizontal fixed tracks that span
the length of the frames
Needle bars move needles horizontally in and out of piece goods
in synchronization with frame movement.
Borers, which produce fabric and push aside yarns prior to
stitching, are mounted directly below the needle bars make
eyelet fabrics and trims.
Schiffli embroidered fabrics may experience a reduction in
yardage because of heavy concentration of stitches.
Because of complexity, size, and cost of Schiffli equipment and
the specialized training and expertise required to operate it,
most of the firms use contractors that specialize in schiffli work.
Fabrics can be sent to the contractors to embroider, or
embroidered trims can be special ordered.
Hyper Link for Video
Single head embroidery machines are similar to basic lock stitch
sewing machines.
They were developed for producing small orders and are used
for customized garments.
Single head machines are most often used for custom work and
mono programming.
They may be manually operated or computer controlled.
Manually operated machines depend on the skilled operator to
position and manipulate materials under the needle.
Computerized embroidery machines are programmed to stitch
the selected design and operator must do is place the garment
Multi-head embroidery machines are similar in operation to
single-head machines except they contain two or more heads
that stitch the same pattern simultaneously.
Smaller areas are the best embroidered with more close-set
heads; larger patterns require wider needle range and fewer
heads.
Each head utilizes 1 to 6 needles and up to 6 colours in stitching
a design. Machines are purchased with a specific number of
heads.
The optimal number of heads is generally dependent on the
firms average order size, average number of stitches per design,
and size of the area to be stitched.
Higher stitch counts are more efficiently produced on machines
with more heads.
Loading time, which entails inserting the fabric or garment
component under the machine head, should be less than
stitching time if the operation is to be productive.
More heads require more loading time, and for designs with a
lower stitch count, there is more idle time during the loading
process.
Materials required for all embroidery designs are
Piece goods (also called ground or base fabric).
Thread
Digitized patterns or punched tapes
Backings
Piece goods must be sewable, durable enough to withstand a
high stitch count and able to maintain dimensional stability.
Durable ground fabrics make it possible to use a high stitch
count and more overstitching without damaging the piece
goods.
When ground fabrics are the background for designs, color and
surface texture are important factors.
Solid stitching designs depend on ground material for support
and strength.
Medium and light weight fabrics may require backing for
additional support.
Threads used for machine embroidery must be lustrous,
sewable, and compatible with care procedures for the garment.
Thread breakage has a major impact on the productivity of the
embroidery process.
Thread breakage on one machine head stops production on all
the other heads of the machine.
Fibre contents most used for embroidery threads are 100%
rayon and 100% polyester.
Cotton threads have very limited use.
Rayon is the most used embroidery thread because of its luster,
wide range of colors, and sewability.
Color fastness can be a problem in some care procedures on
garments.
Polyester thread is stronger and is color fast, and improvements
have been made to provide better luster and sewability.
Thread size is an important factor in interpreting and digitizing a
design.
Fine thread requires more stitches to form a design and to fill in
an area, but it is frequently regarded as better-quality execution.
Backings are used with embroidery.
Embroidery is often backed to provide support, prevent
distortion, and produce more aesthetically pleasing designs.
Backings for embroidery are usually pieces of non-woven
material placed under garment components as they are hooped
for stitching.
Backings are of varied weight and hand.
Backing is often in a place to provide support and better
appearance for stitched design, but it can also be very irritating
to the wearer.
Machine embroidery uses several basic stitch
types that can be varied and manipulated to
produce a wide variety of effects.
A design should contain more than one type of
stitch for best execution.
Steil Stitiches are small, closely aligned stitches that
follow a tight back and forth pattern.
They are used for edges and reinforcement for
scallops, finishing edges of eyelet embroidery and so
on.
Blatt stitches are wider (1/8 inch or more) with some
back and forth configuration and less tension.
Often called satin stitches, they create dramatic
textured effects when used in different directions.
Blatt stitches require more stitches per inch unless an
underlay is used to prevent gapping.
Running stitches form a design with one thickness of
thread. They can be placed in any direction and may or
may not be covered by other stitching.
Running stitches are often used for shading and
connecting parts of design.
Changing stitch direction changes the way light reflects
off the thread and creates an interesting effect.
Many variations and combinations of these are used by
the digitizer in creating embroidered design.