Sewing equipments

DR.M.Dhrakshayani
Assistant Professor
Dept. of Home Science
P.G.G.C.G-11
Basic Sewing has 5 processes:

• Measuring

• Cutting

• Marking

• Stitching by hand or machine

• Pressing
Hand Sewing Equipment
Needles & Pins:
• Variety of sizes & styles (depends on use)
• Rustproof (brass, nickel-plated steel or stainless
steel)
• Sharps: all-purpose, medium length
• Crewels: Embroidery
• Ballpoint: knits (rounded end)
• Betweens: very short & rounded-eyed, make fine
•stitches in heavy fabric
• Milliner’s needles: long with round eyes, make long
•basting or gathering stitches
Pins
• Silk pins: used for light to medium weight fabrics
• Straight pins: general sewing, brass, steel, or
stainless steel
• Pleating pins: pinning delicate fabrics in the seam
allowance
• Quilting pins: 1 ¼ in long, used for heavy materials
• Ballpoint pins: knits
Other Hand Sewing Equipment
• Thimble: protects middle finger while hand sewing
• Pin cushion: store pins
• Wrist or tomato
• Needle Threader: eases threading of hand or
machine needles
• Beeswax holder: strengthens thread, prevents
tangling
Marking Tools
Different tools used for different fabrics
• Tracing Wheels:
•Serrated: makes a dotted line, will pierce delicate
fabrics.
•Smooth-edge: makes solid line, protects delicate fabrics

• Dressmaker’s tracing paper:

• waxed carbon paper, transfers tracing wheel’s line to the

fabric
Marking Tools
• Tailor’s chalk or marking pencil: marks
directly on fabric, chalk rubs off
• Tailor tacker holds 2 pieces of chalk to mark
on both sides
• Liquid Marking pencils: marks tucks, darts,
pleats, pocket locations
• Remove marks before pressing
Measuring Tools
• See-through ruler:
Check fabric grainline,
marks buttonholes, tucks, &
pleats
• Yardstick:
general marking &
measuring grain line when
laying out pattern
• Ruler:
general marking, 12” or 18”
• Tape measure:
flexibility to take body
measurements, 60” long with
metal tips, should be reversible,
and not stretchy
Measuring Tools
• Seam gauge: makes quick, accurate
measurements for hems, buttonholes, scallops, &
pleats, 6” in, metal or plastic
• See-through T-Square: locate cross grains, alter
patterns, & square of straight edges
Cutting Tools
• Bent-handled dressmaker’s shears:
Best for pattern cutting, blade length of 7” to
8” up to 12”, select blade length appropriate to size of
your hand
• Sewing Scissors: one pointed & one rounded tip for
trimming &clipping seams & facings, 6” blade most
practical
• Embroidery scissors: 4” or 5” finely tapered blades,
both points are sharp
•Seam ripper: rips seams, opens buttonholes,
removes stitches
• Rotary cutter: works like a pizza cutter, use with
special plastic mat
• Thread clipper: spring-action blade
• Pinking Shears or scalloping shears: cut zigzag or
scalloped edge, used to finish seams & raw edges,
cut a ravel-resistant edge
Pressing Tools
• Pressing at each stage of construction is secret to a perfectly finished
garment
• Pattern directions usually instruct to press each stitched seam before
crossing with another
• Press on the wrong side to prevent iron shine
• Remove pins before pressing
Pressing Tools
• Steam/spray Iron:
wide temperature range to
accommodate all fabrics

Tailor’s ham:
firmly packed cushion with rounded
curves, cotton side & wool side

• Pressing Mitt:
useful for small, hard to reach areas

Seam roll:
firmly packed, cylindrical cushion for pressing
seams, prevents seam from making an imprint
on the right side of fabric
Pressing Tools
• Sleeve Board:
Looks like 2 small ironing boards,
used when pressing seams on small areas
such as sleeves, pants legs, necklines

• Point presser/clapper:
used for pressing seams open in
corners and points, clapper
flatten seams by holding steam & heat in the
fabric

Press cloth:
prevents iron shine, used when
applying fusible interfacing