What Are the Different Types of Embroidery Jobs?

The different types of embroidery jobs can include fashion designers, garment constructors, machine operators, and managers. People in these positions work together to create unique items of clothing and specialized elements of design on material. A basic understanding of sewing, sewing machines, and hand work with an embroidery needle are typically required, though some jobs are available for those interested in the industry, but who do not have the sewing skills needed to perform the physical labor.

Garment construction offers many embroidery jobs for those with a talent for sewing as well as embroidering. These jobs often fall into the two separate categories of design and construction. Fashion designers create a garment based on a particular look or style. They may begin from a basic sketch, denoting certain areas of specific color or types of fabric, and move gradually into sewing an actual design based on that sketch. This step in the development process requires that the fashion designer know how to sew clothing, and have the eye for unique detail and embellishing that is associated with embroidery work.

The designer then consults with a garment construction company to discuss the feasibility of turning his creative idea into a line of clothing that would be available for purchase in multiple sizes in local stores. The designer may work with a project manager to explain the overall construction of the clothing piece, as well as the intricacies of any added embellishments. Together, they can make any necessary changes to the design that incorporates more affordable fabrics or alterations in construction that make adapting the sizing easier. The embroidery jobs available through garment construction companies usually consists of the individuals who physically create the specified garment for mass distribution. These individuals may be supervised by the project manager regarding the needs and desires of their client.

Someone who is skilled in embroidery but who does not enjoy the intricacies of fashion design may prefer operating an embroidery machine. This type of equipment is typically employed by large distribution companies who specialize in offering unique, customizable embroidery to their customers. Machine operators must have a good working knowledge of their machines, and be able to perform small preventative maintenance on those machines to avoid larger equipment malfunctions. This can include removing tangled thread from the needle area, cleaning and oiling the moving parts regularly, and disentangling defective garments that can tear beneath the needles from the stitching throat plate.

This type of entry level embroidery job can lead to a career in embroidery and screenprinting management. A manager in an embroidery facility must keep her knowledge concerning all in house equipment current, and must remain apprised of new technology entering the market that increase her company's efficiency and performance edge. She must typically be able to train new employees on all relative equipment, and supervise use of that equipment during the rotation of various shifts. She may also be involved in hiring new employees, as well as overseeing staff scheduling. The manager of the embroidery and screenprinting departments is also often responsible for meeting monthly and annual production quotas set by her superiors.

There are embroidery jobs available in the industry for those who are not talented sewers, as well. Outsides sales teams are utilized to market the skills of the employed embroiderers to clients seeking to creating unique sewn designs. Technicians are also needed in this field to maintain the equipment when major breakdowns occur, beyond the skill of the embroiderers to repair.