Careers In The Home Sewing Industry



Careers in the home sewing industry in this instance, generally refers to the commercial sewing industry. Some of the careers in the commercial sewing industry include the following.


Merchandising Director:

Duties: This individual is responsible for directing the sales of merchandise for a manufacturer, retailer, wholesaler, distributor, dealer or advertising agency.

Qualifications: The candidate for this career directs the promotion of merchandise sales by coordinating production and marketing and developing advertising, display, and sales strategies.

Education: The minimum education is a bachelor’s degree.

Patternmaker:

Duties: The patternmaker draws and constructs sets of precision master fabric patterns or layouts. These individuals may also mark and cut fabrics and apparel.

Qualifications: Some of the qualifications the candidate for this career must have are: knowledge of design techniques, which result in the ability to compute dimensions of patterns according to their sizes, considering the stretch of the material. They must also be able to create a master pattern for each size within a range of garment sizes, create paper patterns that can be used to mass produce a particular design, and testing the patterns by making and fitting sample garments from the patterns.

Education: High School diploma with on the job training.

Seamstress:

Duties: The seamstress is the female counterpart of a tailor. The seamstress will often create custom sewn garments or mend garments. This individual can also be used by fashion houses to create patterns that can be reproduced.

Qualifications: The candidate for this career will know how to work with a variety of fabrics, have mending skills; know how to create their own sewing patterns, and how to embroider.

Education: A high school education followed by an apprenticeship. There must be math and textile science skills. A degree in arts, textile design or fashion may be required to become a high end seamstress working for a fashion house.

Fitting Model:

Duties: The fitting model is responsible for checking the fit, drape and visual appearance of a design, acting as a live mannequin. This individual will generally work for a fashion designer or clothing manufacturer.

Qualifications: The fitting model must meet height, bust-waist-hip circumference, and arm and leg length, and shoulder width measurements according to garment type.

Education: High school diploma. Certain types of courses such as sewing and home economics are helpful. Also helpful are courses that focus on body movement such as dance, fencing, and Asian arts such as Tai Chi. Public speaking and business courses are helpful for those that work as freelancers.

For more information on how to enter the modeling profession, click on the image below.

For more information about the home sewing industry career of merchandise director click here on the link for Job Shouts

For more information about the home sewing industry career of pattern maker click here on the link for Career One Stop For more information about the career of seamstress, click here on the link for Wise Geek For more information about the home sewing industry career of fitting model, see the Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance, Volume 4, by Infobase Publishers.


For information about other sewing related occupations, click the links below.

Pattern Guidesheet and Envelope Production
Pattern Sales and Promotion
Fashion Publicity
Fabric Sales
Entrepreneurial Career
Sewing Business

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