Sewing machinist

Sewing machinists follow patterns to create products like clothes, textiles, accessories and soft furnishings.

Also known as: Industrial sewing machinist, knitting machinist

• Starter salary£23,000 a year
• Experienced£27,000 a year
• Typical hours38 to 42 a week

What you'll do

As a sewing machinist, you would:

• follow a set of instructions for each job
• use different yarns and fabrics, like cotton, wool or industrial textiles
• change machine settings and needles for different jobs
• stitch together clothes, product samples, upholstery or other items
• check finished work against the pattern instructions
• carry out quality control checks
• clean and oil machines

Working environment

You could work in a factory, in a creative studio or from home.

Your working environment may be noisy.

Skills and knowledge you'll need

You'll need:

• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• the ability to work well with your hands
• concentration skills
• the ability to work well with others
• the ability to analyse quality or performance
• the ability to work on your own
• the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
• knowledge of manufacturing production and processes
• to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

How to become a sewing machinist

You can get into this job through:

• a college course
• an apprenticeship
• applying directly

College

You could do a college course to learn some of the skills needed for this job.

Courses include:

• sewing machine skills
• fashion and textiles
• design and craft

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

Apprenticeship

You could apply to a manufacturing company for an apprenticeship, such as:

• Sewing Machinist Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
• Garment Maker Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship

This may be helpful if you want to get into other skilled work like sample machining and knitwear production.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
• 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Direct application

You could apply directly to work as a sewing machinist. Employers would normally expect you to have basic sewing machine skills and the ability to read and understand written pattern instructions. Most companies would ask you to take a practical test at the interview.

Experience of using different types of industrial sewing or knitting machines may give you an advantage.

Career path and progression

With experience, you could become a workshop supervisor, trainer or production manager.

You might also work as a sample machinist , making up product samples for a designer, dressmaker or tailor.

Career tips

You could get experience of using different fabrics and sewing techniques at home. Look out for short courses in adult education centres and online to help you develop your skills.

Guides for this industry

• Manufacturing: pay, interviews and getting started →

Related roles

• Job roleDressmaker
• Job rolePattern cutter
• Job roleTailor
• Job roleFashion design assistant
• Job roleGarment technologist

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