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00.02 Sewing

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Sewing is the process to mechanically attach pieces of fabric together with a needle and thread.

Sewing Quick Start

To get started sewing you only need a few basic supplies.

Minimum Hand Sewing Supplies

Beyond the bare minimum it is a good idea to begin collect basic sewing tools.

Hand Sewing vs Machine Sewing

Hand sewing has existed for thousands of years and can be done anywhere and doesn’t need electricity. Some sewing stitches and tailoring techniques can only be done by hand such as a decorative hand stitched buttonhole. The stitches made by hand are different than those made by a machine. Hand sewing is an important skill to know but or anyone pursuing sewing for more than the occasional emergency garment repair, a sewing machine is an essential tool.

Sewing machines can make just about every kind of stitch. Early sewing machines also did not need electricity but instead used the caloric burn of the operator through a foot pedal to move the needle and make stitches. A machine stitch will generally be more consistent, faster, and stronger than a hand stitch. Whenever possible a machine should be used to sew materials together so time is not wasted with less effective hand stitching.

Technical Sewing Design Practices

Sewing Material Suppliers

Sewing Materials and Equipment Supplier List

Sewing Fabricators

List of Inflatable Companies that fabricate sewn inflatables.

Sewing Tutorials

General Sewing Tutorials

Machine Tutorials

Sewing Fabrication Tutorials

Garment Sewing Tutorials

Sewing Technical References

The sites below contain a wealth of information about sewing and pattern making and are worth browsing and reading.

Sewing Books

  • The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Sewn Product Manufacturing by Kathleen Fasanella 1997. ISBN 0-9663208-4-0
  • Metric Pattern Cutting by Winifred Aldrich. Book. Publisher: Blackwell Science. ISBN 0-632-03612-5
  • Pattern-making Made Easy Book. by Connie Crawford. ISBN 0-964-95167-3
  • Sewing for the Apparel Industry by Claire Schaeffer. (2nd Edition) Book. ISBN 0-131-88443-3

Sewing Articles

Factory Sewing Processes