Assembly Line

Sewing

Panels are stitched together. Sewing remains surprisingly manual because soft fabric is hard for robots to handle.

47 lines that use it

Airbag 8 stations · 25 raw sources American football 7 stations · 18 raw sources Backpack 6 stations · 16 raw sources Baseball 7 stations · 22 raw sources Baseball cap 6 stations · 12 raw sources Bath towel 7 stations · 14 raw sources Bike helmet 7 stations · 11 raw sources Book 6 stations · 19 raw sources Curtains 8 stations · 9 raw sources Down jacket 6 stations · 17 raw sources Dress shirt 7 stations · 12 raw sources Fashion doll 7 stations · 21 raw sources Felt hat 8 stations · 10 raw sources Flag 6 stations · 21 raw sources Hard-shell suitcase 6 stations · 22 raw sources High heels 8 stations · 23 raw sources Hiking boots 6 stations · 16 raw sources Hoodie 6 stations · 9 raw sources Ice skates 8 stations · 22 raw sources Jeans 7 stations · 18 raw sources Kite 10 stations · 14 raw sources Leather belt 10 stations · 28 raw sources Leather gloves 7 stations · 16 raw sources Leather handbag 6 stations · 20 raw sources Leather shoe 6 stations · 17 raw sources Leather wallet 10 stations · 15 raw sources Leggings 8 stations · 11 raw sources Mattress 6 stations · 16 raw sources Office chair 7 stations · 17 raw sources Pillow 6 stations · 18 raw sources Raincoat 7 stations · 17 raw sources Seat belt 8 stations · 15 raw sources Silk tie 7 stations · 10 raw sources Sneaker 6 stations · 13 raw sources Soccer ball 7 stations · 17 raw sources Socks 6 stations · 11 raw sources Sofa 7 stations · 17 raw sources Swimsuit 9 stations · 11 raw sources T-shirt 6 stations · 17 raw sources Tailored suit 7 stations · 12 raw sources Tampon 7 stations · 14 raw sources Teddy bear 6 stations · 8 raw sources Umbrella 8 stations · 19 raw sources Underwear 9 stations · 17 raw sources Wool blanket 5 stations · 9 raw sources Wool sweater 6 stations · 9 raw sources Zipper 6 stations · 16 raw sources

What it looks like on the line

  • American footballLace it by hand. Workers pull the laces through the holes with an awl. NFL balls use latigo laces, made of PVC extruded leather, and college balls use laces with a pebbled grip.
  • UnderwearJoin the waistband. A sewing machine fastens the sewn body to its waistband. Stray threads are trimmed off once the garment is together.
  • Fashion dollSew and fit the clothes. Outfits are sewn and put on the doll, loose threads are cut, and plastic accessories are painted by hand.
  • Fashion dollRoot the hair. A hand-operated sewing machine punches nylon fibers through the scalp. More hair makes a fuller style, but denser rooting costs more. The hair is then brushed, trimmed and styled.
  • UmbrellaJoin canopy to frame. Fabric is attached at each rib. Cheaper lines glue the tips on, while better ones sew them by machine so they cannot pop off when the glue dries.
  • Down jacketCut panels, form baffles. Panels are cut from patterns, and seams sewn with ultra-fine needles make up the chambers. Stitch and baffle sizes follow a quilting map.
  • American footballSew it inside out. Workers sew the top two panels together and the bottom two together. The halves are then sewn to each other inside out, so the stitches end up hidden once the ball is turned.
  • JeansHem the legs. The legs are folded, hemmed and finished with a final row of stitching. The waistband is closed over the zipper tape, and loops are added for a belt.
  • SneakerStitch the upper. Sewers join the pieces into a soft sock-like shape and add the tongue, eyelets and a lining. The finished upper is flat until it is molded to a foot shape.
  • Teddy bearSew them inside out. Matching pieces are stitched together with their furry sides facing in. Turning the pieces right side out later hides the seams.
  • RaincoatSew the seams. Panels are stitched together, and the needle holes along the seams become tiny leak paths. Zips and drawcords are added at the front and hood.
  • Leather beltLockstitch the strap. An industrial lockstitch machine sews the strap with even spacing, set tension and reinforced ends. The buckle sits on the thinned end. Buckles are usually brass or steel, bought in ready-made.