AKSUM UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF TEXTILE ENGINEERING

Course Name: Garment Manufacturing Technology

Chapter five :Sewing technology

Prepared by :kibrom g/her 1

 INTRODUCTION TO SEWING & SEWING MACHINE:
• Sewing is the process of fastening or attaching two parts of fabric using
stitches made with a needle and thread. It is one of the basic steps of
apparel manufacturing process. Sewing section is the most important
department of a garment manufacturing industry
Classification of sewing machines
Classification of sewing
machine

Based on technical
General classification characteristics

• Basic sewing machine

• Based on stich type
• Special sewing machine
• Based on bed type
• Automated sewing machine
or robotic sewing machine
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION OF SEWING MACHINE:
1. Basic sewing machines comprise machines that sew with a lock stitch and
multi-thread chain stitch. These are mainly intended for attaching garment
components. For basic sewing operations.

2. Special sewing machines: the sewing machine are produced for a specific
operation or function
I. based on function , such as machines for pocket piping, button attach
,button hole etc. and

II. Based on stitch type they give blind stitch, zigzag stitch, bar tack etc.
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION OF SEWING MACHINE:
3. Automation of sewing machine :are sophisticated specialized
machines. The key features of these kinds of machines are its capability to
perform automatic sewing when the fabric is positioned and the machine
is started, cut the thread after sewing, release the fabric, etc.

• Robotic sewing systems have a multifunctional manipulator, where

reprogramming and designing possibilities can be enabled for easy
sewing.
Sewing Machine Classification Based on Its Bed Type

• Bed is the part of a sewing machine on which the fabric rests while it is
being sewed.

• Variations in machines shape are available that enable easier

movement of the materials around the machine.

• These variations primarily effect the shape of the bed of the machine,
i.e. the part on which the materials rest.
 TYPES OF BEDS
I. FLAT BED

II. CYLINDER BED

III. POST BED

IV. FEED-OFF-THE-ARM BED

V. SIDE BED

VI. RAISED BED

 Flat Bed
➢ Most common and basic type.

➢ The large working area allows a wide

range of sewing application; the
material can easily be guided around the
needle and the presser foot.

➢This basic type garments sewing

machine used for all kinds of flat sewing
operation
 Cylinder Bed
• This type of garments sewing machine has an
increased working height and a bed in the shape
of a horizontal arm.

• It is especially suitable for sewing on tubular

parts, such as cuffs, sleeves, and trouser legs,
and also for button sewing and bar tacking.

• This sewing machine is used extensively in the

making of clothing for knitted fabrics.
 Post Bed
➢It has a raised working machine bed and is
used for stitching of three-dimensional
products such as shoes and bags.

➢Increased working height and vertical hook in a

post.

➢USED for small, curved( concave or convex)

parts of a garment.

➢SPECIAL APPLICATIONS – Footwear

industry- shoes, bags, umbrellas, boots...etc.
 The Feed-off-the Arm
➢The feed-off-the arm machine is used where
a lapped seam has to be closed in such a
way that the garment part becomes a tube.

➢They are common in jeans production

where the outside leg seam is normally the
type known as lap-felled and it is joined after
the inside leg seam in the sequence of
construction.
 Side Bed Sewing Machine
➢An overlock stitch sews over the edge
of one or two pieces of cloth for
edging, hemming or seaming.
Usually an overlock sewing machine

➢Machines which are specialized for

sewing at edges.
 Raised Bed Sewing Machine
➢Raised Bed Machines is a machine
where the entire machine is
mounted on the top of the table

➢It is the basic form for various

specialized garments sewing
machines such as buttonholers.
PARTS OF SEWING MACHINE
 PARTS OF SEWING MACHINE
No Machine part Function
1 Arm The horizontal part of the head that houses the drive shafts.

2 Bed The working surface of the machine under winch is located the
bobbin mechanism at handles the lower thread.

3 Belt (motor belt The circular strap that transmits motion from the pulley to the hand
or machine belt) wheel, allowing the machine to operate.
4 Bobbin The parts - bobbin, bobbin case, and bobbin tension spring - that control
Mechanism the lower thread and Its tension.
5 Bobbin winder The part that fills another bobbin while the machine is stitching.

6 Faceplate The cover on the left side of the bead that covers the needle bar and the
presser bar.
 PARTS OF SEWING MACHINE
No Machine part Function
7 feed dogs The toothed mechanism beneath the presser foot that moves fabric
forward and backward.
8 Hand wheel The part that controls the motion of the machine manually and/or
electrically.
9 Head The part of the machine above the table, containing the stitching
mechanism
10 hook(rotary hook A rotating device that hooks the needle thread to carry it around the
or machine hook) bobbin and form the “lock” on the lockstitch.
11 Knee Lift (Knee A lever mounted at the right under the sewing table to lift and lower
Lifter or knee the presser foot with the right knee.
press)
12 Motor The electrical unit that drives the machine.
 PARTS OF SEWING MACHINE
No Machine part Function
13 Needle The part that penetrates the fabric. It carries the thread to the hook or
shuttle and up again to make the stitch.

14 Needle bar A vertical bar that holds one or more needles and moves the needle up
and down.

15 Presser bar The bar to which the presser foot is attached.

16 Presser foot A device that holds the fabric in place for stitching.
17 Take-up lever The part that first loosens the top thread during the stitch formation,
then removes any slack to set or lock the stitch.

18 tension discs Two concave discs that control the delivery of the upper thread from
the spool to the needle.
 Sewing Machine Needles:
• The function of the sewing machine needle is general are:
• To produce a hole in the material for the thread to pass
through and to do so without causing any damage to
the material.
• To carry the needle thread through the material and
there form a loop which can be picked up the hook on
the bobbin case in a lockstitch machine or by the looper
or other mechanism in machine.
 How to select needle
• needle Selection Once the needle system type Is
determined, the needle selection - its needle point
and size depends primarily on the
• characteristics of the fabric,
• Thread
• seam type
• stitch type.
• Needle point
The needle point is determined by the fabric
weight and its structure.
• Round points have a conical shape designed to
spread the yarns without breaking them; they
are used for most woven fabric
• Ballpoint needles have a rounded point and range
from light to heavy. They are generally used for
knits and stretch fabric
 SEWING THREAD AND SELECTION CRITERIA
Introduction
• The seam performances of the garment are
influenced by sewing thread and sewing techniques
and the end use desired. These yarns are differing
from other threads.
SEWING THREAD
• Sewing thread are special kinds of yarns.
• They are engineered and designed to pass through a
sewing machine rapidly. To form a stitch efficiently
and to function while in a sewn products without
breaking or becoming distorted for at least the
useful life of the product.
• Sewing thread is usually less than the weight of the
fabric weight of apparel, but it carries more the
responsibilities for its garment performance
 CLASSIFICATION OF SEWING THREADS
Sewing threads can be classified according to the fiber and thread construction used
to make it
Fiber Thread constriction

Spun Continuous filament

Core spun 1. Silk
Cotton 1.Cotton warped 2.Monofilament
Linen core polyester Nylon
2.polyster warped Polyester
Polyester 3. Multifilament
core cotton
Blended
SEWING THREAD functional REQUIREMENT
• Tensile properties: Sewing thread should have high tenacity with moderate tension. For
better loop formation characteristics, the elastic modulus of the sewing thread should be
high.
• Friction: There should be uniformity of friction over long length.
• Free from knots and faults: Sewing thread should be free from knots and faults to give
smooth performance.
• SERVICEABILITY: During sewing, threads are subjected to abrasion over needles and
fabric threads. Sewing thread should have high abrasion resistance
• AESTHETIC: Color, shade, luster, smoothness, fitness are some of aesthetic related
characteristics of sewing threads.
• COST CONSIDERATION: From the raw material aspect, sewing thread of natural silk is
expensive.
 Basic sewing machine that are
used in garment industry
1. Single Needle Lock Stitch Machine (SNLS)
2. Over Lock (All Type)
3. Flat Lock Machine
4. Feed Of The Arm Machine
5. Bartack Machine
6. Button Stitch Machine
7. Button Hole Machine
 Single Needle Lock Stitch Machine (SNLS)
• This machine makes lock stitches (stitch
class 301). Lock stitches are formed with
one needle thread and one bobbin
thread. This is a widely used sewing
machine and used for sewing stitch class
301.
• Purpose: Single needle lock stitch
machines are used for joining two or
multiple fabric plies together. Machine
is used to sew light weight, medium
weight and heavy materials.
 Over lock Sewing Machine
• An overlock stitch sews over the edge of one
or two pieces of cloth for edging, hemming or
seaming. Usually an overlock sewing machine
will cut and sew at the edge of the cloth
• Over lock machines are available in
• 3 threads,
• 4 threads
• 5 threads over edge sewing.
• Purpose: This machine is used for
serging garment panels (example:
trouser panels serging) and for over edge
stitch. These types of machine are
mostly used in knitted garment sewing
for over edge stitch. Like side seam
Flat lock sewing machine
• This machine is called as cover-stitch
sewing machine. Flat lock sewing
machines normally come with 2-3
needles.
• Flat lock machines are available in two
types - Flat bed and Cylinder bed.
• Usage of these machines: Flat lock
machines are used for hemming sleeve
and bottom of the knits products. For
cover stitch can be used in any part of
the garment for decorative purpose
Feed Of The Arm Machine
• this machine is used in making
flat and felt seam. Two needle
threads form the chain stitch.
• For example, this machine is
used for sewing shirt side seams
and under arms, and for sewing
jeans inseam and out seam .
 Bartack Machine
• Bartack stitch is made to
reinforce the seam and
garment component. Like in
belt loop joining and at the
bottom of side pocket opening
bartaking is done.
• This machine is used for giving
secure stitches.
Button Stitch Machine
• A special machine used
only for stitching button in
a garment. different sizes of
button can be attached in
same the machine by
changing the settings
• Purpose: Attach button.
Machine stitches button
and trim thread
automatically.
Button Hole Machine
• This machine is used for making the button holes on garments.
Button holes can be made with different stitch density. Like in
Shirts, Trousers, and Polo Shirts etc.
 STITCHES AND SEAM ANALYSIS
What is SEAM ?
• Seam is the combination of stitch which makes line to join two
ply of fabric.
• In apparel manufacturing seams are former when two or more
pieces of fabric are joined by stitches.
• Seam is Used as functional purpose And decorative purpose.
• Seams have three dimensions: length, width & depth.
1. Seam length: Is the total distance covered by a continuous
series of stitches. (e.g. shoulder seam)
2. Seam width: Width of a seam allowance Measured from the cut
edge of fabric to the main line of stitches.
3. Seam depth: Is the thickness or flatness of a seam, which are
major factors in appearance and comfort of a garment.
 Factors in the selection of Seam Type

1. Garment design, type, quality, end use, and care.

2. Fabric type, bulk, texture, weight transparency, and tendency to fray.

3. Desired strength and durability.

4. Difficulty of construction and skill of the operators.

5. Equipment available e.g. sewing machine .

6. Designer or manufacturer preference.

7. Current fashion trends

 CLASSIFICATION OF SEAM
• Seam construction– Categorized by the British Standards Institution
(BS 3870 PART II: 1991, also ISO 4916:1991). The Stitched seams are
divided into eight classes:
• Class 1 –superimposed seam
• Class 2 -Lapped seam
• Class 3 -Bound seam
• Class 4 -Channel seam or flat seam
• Class 5 -Ornamental seam
• Class 6 -Edge neatening
• Class 7
• Class 8
 Seam type
Class 1– superimposed seam
• The seam of class-1 is called superimposed
seam. This is the most common & mostly
used seam for joining fabrics. In this seam,
two plies of fabric are placed on one another
perfectly & then the fabrics are sewn. The
sewn edges of the fabrics remain in the same
side.
• USED:
• Attaching fabrics.
• Collar, Cuff sewing, Cuff topstitching.
• Collar band attach sewing and top stitching
• Side seam and sleeve attach with safety-sticker.
 Seam type
CLASS 2- LAPPED SEAM
• Formed by lapping two pieces of component,
they are produced with minimum of two pieces of
component. One component is limited on one
end and the other is limited on the other end.
The limited edges of these two components are
put in opposite directions.
• USED
• main seaming of denim jackets
• jeans, and overalls.
• Fabrics that will not ravel,
• side seams of shirts,
• joining lace to another fabric,
• attaching patch pockets,
• decorative finish
 Seam type
CLASS 3- BOUND SEAM
• These are formed by folding a binding strip
over the edge of the plies of material and
joining both edges of the binding to the
material with one or more rows of stitching.
This produces a neat edge on a seam exposed
to view or to wear.
Used:
• finishing necklines
• sleeves hems
• inside waistbands of trousers and pants,
• finishing seams on unlined jackets and coats,
• adding interest as a design or decorative
detail, finishing raw edges,
 Seam type
CLASS 4: FLAT SEAM
• Two pieces of fabric are laid flat with their edges closing
each other without overlapping.
• In this category of seams in which the raw edges of the
fabric plies are abutted or just slightly overlapped and
joined together with stitching that covers the joint. Flat
seams do not contain seam allowances, reducing fabric
usage but increasing thread quantity.
used:
• close fitting garments where the seam allowance may
put pressure on the body,
• high stretch fabrics athletic apparel,
• undergarments,
• thermal underwear,
• swimwear,
 Seam type
CLASS 5: ORNAMENTAL SEAM
• A seam class is used for decorative
sewing on garments. Seams are
produced with minimum of one piece of
component, with unlimited edges on
both ends.
• In this category of seams that add
ornamentation to one or more plies of
fabric by creating straight or curved
lines
• Used: Adding a design detail, cording,
piping, tucking, welting, box or inverted
pleating, decorative stitching
 Seam type
CLASS 6: EDGE NEATING SEAM
• Stitching work made on the
fabric edges for neatening.
Seams are produced with one
piece of component. This seam
has one limited edge on one
end.
• In this category of seam
constructed with one or two
plies of fabric used to finish the
edge of a garment or item.
 STITCHES AND SEAM ANALYSIS
What is Stitch ?
• A Stitch: is the configuration of the interlacing of sewing thread in a
specific repeated unit.
• The stitches are formed based on the following three principles.
1. Intralooping: is the passing of a loop of thread through another loop
formed by the same thread.

2. Interlooping:is the passing of a thread through another loop formed by a

different thread.

3. Interlacing: is the passing of thread over or around thread or loop of

another thread.
TIMED SEQUENCE IN LOCK STITCH FORMATION:

Fig 1 - Needle penetrates the fabric to bring top thread

into bobbin area.
Fig 2 - As needle raises, top thread forms a loop for
shuttle hook to catch.
Fig 3 - Shuttle hook carries thread loop around and
under the bobbin case.
Fig 4 - Threads are pulled up and are set into the fabric
as a lock stitch.
Fig 5 - Needle penetrates the fabric to bring top thread.
 Stitch Classifications
• Classified by US Federal Standards Based on common kinematic
principle of stitch construction, Stitch types can be divided into six
main categories.
1. Class 100 - Single thread chain stitch
2. Class 200 - Hand stitch
3. Class 300 - Lock stitch - Hook &bobbin
4. Class 400 - Multi thread chain stitch - Looper
5. Class 500 - Overedge and safety chain stitch
6. Class 600 - Cover stitch - Similar to 400, but with top cover
 Stich type
Class 100 - Chain stitch
• One of the simplest stitch types, the chain
stitch has one or more needle threads and is
formed by Intra looping.
• This stitch is very Insecure and unravels
easily if a stitch is broken or skipped or if
the last loop is not fastened securely.
• Application
• This stitch is used for sewing buttons and
buttonholes Face side
Under side

• hemming,
• basting and pad stitching.
 Stich type
Class 200 – hand Stitch
• Generally formed by hand, is formed by
single thread passed from one side of
the material to the other in successive
needle penetrations.
• Application
which is used as a decorative detail

Under
Face side
side
 Stich type
Class 300 - Lockstitch
• The most common stitch type, the lockstitch has two
or more groups of threads that interlace to form the
stitch.
• One group is called the needle threads and the
other the bobbin threads. These stitches do not
unravel easily and always require a bobbin. Very
versatile
• property: Low bulk and thin, good strength and
abrasion resistance, Poor elasticity, do not ravel.
Disadvantage: need to replace bobbin thread.
Application
• seaming,
• Hemming
• setting zippers
• pockets.
 Stich type
Class 400 - Multi Thread Chain stitch
• Sometimes called a double-locked stitch, the
multithread chain stitch has two or more groups of
threads that interlace and interloop with each
other.
• One group is called the needle threads and the
other the looper threads. This stitch is actually
stronger than the lockstitch
• It is used for seaming and in combination with the
over edge stitch on over lock machines. When
used for seaming, the needle thread determines
the seam strength and the looper threads can be
finer.
 Stich type
class 500 - Over edge Stitch
• is over lock or over edge stitch type, is formed
with one or more needles and/or looper
threads with at least one thread passing
round the edge of the material being sewn.
• Property: Excellent stretchable good
recovery. application:
• Seam or edge neatening,
• suitable for many types of fabric,
• subject to fraying or slippage.
 Stich type
Class 600 – Cover stitch
• The most complex stitch class, the cover stitch is generally
formed with three or more groups of threads that cover
the raw edges of both surfaces.
• Very elastic, It is used to create low bulk and decorative
seams on underwear and knitted casual garments.
Threads should be strong with a soft hand.
• Property: High elasticity, seam neatening and Flat seam
stitch]
• Application:
• Covering stitches for decorative purpose
• Can be used to join two raw edges
• Suitable for knitted garments