8153-Sewing Machine Operators

Job Title: 

Sewing Machine Operators

Job Description: 

Sewing machine operators operate and monitor sewing machines to make, repair, darn and renovate textile, fur, synthetic or leather garments or embroider ornamental designs on garments or other materials. They operate button hole making and eyelet holing machines to cut holes, stitch around holes, stitch buttons and fix eyelets to garments.

Tasks: 

Tasks include:

  • operating or tending sewing machines to perform garment sewing operations, such as joining, reinforcing, seaming or decorating garments or garment parts
  • attaching buttons, hooks, zippers, fasteners, or other accessories to fabric, using feeding hoppers or clamp holders
  • tending semiautomatic sewing machines with multiple-sewing heads controlled by pattern chain that embroiders various designs on garments
  • operating machines, such as single or double needle serging and flat-bed felling machines to automatically join, reinforce, or decorate material or articles
  • operating stitching machines to sew leather parts together for leather garments, handbags, gloves
  • monitoring machine operation to detect problems such as defective stitching, breaks in thread, or machine malfunctions
  • performing equipment maintenance tasks such as replacing needles
Additional Notes: 


This unit group includes

Garment-sewing machine operator
Hat and cap sewer (machine)
Embroidering machine operator
Sewing machine operator (general)

This unit group excludes

Weaving and knitting machine operator (8152)

Specific Occupations: 

81531
Sewing machine operator

81532
Machine embroiderer

International Careers(ISCO): 
Similar O*NET Careers (USA) : 
Source Of Info: 

Source: SINGAPORE STANDARD OCCUPATIONAL CLASSIFICATION 2015, Department of Statistics, Ministry of Trade & Industry, Republic of Singapore