How to Sew Garments

Last Updated: June 3, 2026

How to Sew Garments

Shariful Islam Iman
BGMEA University of Fashion & Technology
Email: [email protected]

What is Sewing?

Sewing or sew is one of the important processes in garments making. This process is done by different sewing machine. Normally sewing involves fastening of fabrics, leather, furs or similar other flexible materials with the help of needle and threads. Common machine types used include single needle lock stitch (SNLS) for seaming, overlock machines for edge finishing, and flatlock machines for sportswear and knitwear. After receive the garments components from cutting section, all the garments parts are joined and sewn as sequentially. It is a basic work for making apparel. The sewing section is considered the core department of any garment manufacturing factory, as it is where all cut components are finally transformed into finished garments.

Basic Sewing Parameters:

Stitch type (e.g., lock stitch, chain stitch, overlock)
Stitch density (stitches per inch)
Seam type and seam allowance
Thread tension and needle size
Sewing speed and method

Step by Step Sewing Procedure:

Sewing operation is given step by step.

Input taken and Sample arrange:

Input taken will provide by planning department with ensure the shipment date, size, break-down according to manpower of that line and confirm the checklist sheet of store is ok.
As per input taken planner will provide sample from sample department.
AQC will select the PP sheet and other necessary papers in the mentioned style.

Cutting:

Input man collects size-wise information from cutting section for giving the requisition in store for accessories (label; button, twill-tape etc.).
Accurate size-wise collection at this stage prevents bundle mix-ups in the sewing line, which are difficult to correct once production is running at full speed.

Store:

From store it has to ensure all the accessories if the mentioned style is in the house.
As per requisition store will start to arrange the accessories.
One requisition is given for thread
Accessories confirmed in the store at this stage typically include: main label, size label, care label, buttons, zippers, twill tape, elastic, and interlining as per the style requirement.

Cutting:

Input man will collect the size wise input by counting which is confirmed by cutting section.
Pre-work, printing, embroidery and other parts have to give by accurate check and counting as per input quantity which will taken by sewing input man.
Any shortfall in embroidery or printing count must be flagged immediately, as feeding incomplete sets into the sewing line causes stoppages that are hard to recover within the same shift.

Sewing:

Input man put the input in rack by size-wise.
Rack arrangement by size ensures operators receive the correct bundle sequence, reducing the risk of size mixing during assembly.

Store:

Store will provide all the accessories as per requirement of the inputted quantity and input man take accessories by counting.

In line work:

After getting all necessary things supervisor will start paper layout and take necessary actions to avoid the problems which can be affected during pick production line.
Common problems the supervisor checks at this stage include:
- Operation sequence errors
- Incorrect seam allowances
- Label and twill tape placement issues
- Mismatched panel shading
- Missing machine attachments or folders

Layout submits:

Before start the production, supervisor submit the layout sheet in IE and maintenance department.
The IE (Industrial Engineering) department uses the layout sheet to:
- Calculate SAM (Standard Allowed Minutes) for the style
- Verify machine and manpower arrangement against the daily production target
- Identify and remove potential bottlenecks before the line starts
The maintenance department reviews the layout to confirm all required machine types, attachments, and folder settings are available and in working condition.

Conclusion:

A disciplined sewing input process, from accessories confirmation to layout submission, is what separates a line that hits its daily target from one that spends the first hours recovering from avoidable problems. Getting each step right before production starts saves far more time than fixing issues mid-run.

Mazharul Islam Kiron

Founder & Editor of Textile Learner. He is a Textile Consultant, Blogger & Entrepreneur. Mr. Kiron is working as a textile consultant in several local and international companies. He is also a contributor to Wikipedia.