How to become a Clothing and Soft Furnishing Production Worker
Clothing and soft furnishing production workers are involved in all stages of production, from marking and cutting the fabric through to finishing the item.
Personal requirements for a Clothing and Soft Furnishing Production Worker
- Enjoy practical and manual activities
- Able to work as part of a team
- Able to do neat, detailed work
- Able to work patiently and systematically, and meet production deadlines
- Good eyesight (may be corrected) and normal colour vision
- Good hand-eye coordination
- Able to cope with the physical demands of the job
- Good communication skills.
Duties & Tasks of a Clothing and Soft Furnishing Production Worker
Clothing and soft furnishing production workers may perform the following tasks:
- Prepare machines for use by selecting and installing clothing production attachments
- Set and operate clothing production equipment controls
- Start and monitor clothing production equipment
- Mix fibres into uniform blends or add dyes or chemicals
- Examine final products for defects.
Working conditions for a Clothing and Soft Furnishing Production Worker
Clothing and soft furnishing production workers can work in factories or at home using a range of specialist machines. They may be employed on a full-time, part-time or casual basis.
Specializations
Cutter
A cutter create and arrange patterns for garments on a piece of cloth or marker paper, ensuring no material is wasted, and then cut the cloth using shears, a hand-held electric cutter or computer-assisted cutting equipment.
Material Handler
A material handler checks that parts of garments are sorted according to style, size and colour before they go to the machinists to be sewn up.
Product Examiner
A product examiner checks products for faults both during and after manufacture.
Sewing Machinist
A sewing machinist operates sewing machines using various sewing techniques such as hemming and pleating.
Soft Furnishing Maker
A soft furnishing maker makes curtains, cushions or furniture coverings and takes measurements, provides cost estimates, and fits tracks and curtains on site.
