Sewing Machine Attachments: Types, Functions and Uses

What are Sewing Machine Attachments?

Sewing machine attachments make sewing machines easier and provide a variety of decorative sewing possibilities. A variety of simple attachments can be added to the basic sewing machine, which will assist the machinist to perform sewing tasks faster and more accurately. The majority of the attachments are normally secured to the presser bar instead of the foot. A few sewing attachments have hooked ends that rest on the needle clamp. These attachments are generally referred to as work aids ; they enable complex sewing tasks to be performed in a less complicated manner, resulting in reduced fatigue.

Functions and Uses of Sewing Machine Attachments

The function of the sewing machine attachments is to improve the qualitative and quantitative outputs of a sewing machine. Sewing machine attachments either guides, positions/prepares the fabric for the sewing operation at the machine/it prepares the finished operation for some future process. Attachments have different names which usually indicate the function they perform like hemmers, binders, piping attachments, shirring and gathering attachments.

The following lists the classes and types of sewing machine attachments:

1. Position attachments
2. Guide attachments
3. Preparation and finishing attachments

A. Position attachments

Position attachments cause the fabric to bend, fold or shift during the sewing operation. Super imposed and lapped seam attachments are sometimes called positioning attachments. Position attachments are static, dynamic or semi-dynamic. Hemmers, ruffler, binder, tucker, gathering foot etc are position attachments.

1. Hemmers:

Hemmers (Figure 1) construct hems from 3/16″ to 7/8″ wide, right on the sewing machine. Machine hemming with the hemmer attachments could save plenty of time compared to hand turning and basting. The hemming portion is automatically turned by the hemmer, and simultaneously the line of stitching is guided close to the edge of the hem. Hems are normally done at various widths, which can be made with the hemmers, suitable for the common requirements.

2. Ruffler:

The ruffler attachment has the capacity of doing gathering or pleated frills as shown in Figure 2. It is normally utilized for making children’s clothes and curtains. The means of utilizing the ruffler attachment varies with different sewing machines.

3. Binder:

It is a valuable attachment in a sewing machine. Though fine bindings can be created by hand, the binding using the attachment on the machine saves a lot of time and is precise and accurate as shown in Figure 3. It is commonly utilized for applying readymade bias binding to a straight or curved edge and is a useful attachment for trimming dresses, etc. The binder attachment has a small funnel-like portion for folding and guiding the binding over the edge of the fabric before it reaches the sewing needle. This attachment could be used for sewing straight, zigzag as well as decorative stitches.

The quilt binder set is used to make 1/2″ binding, which can handle quilt fabric and other thicker and heavy weight fabrics. The two upper screws can be adjusted to line up the binding’s top and bottom folds with the needle for precision. The quilt binder set makes straight line binding for large quilts and also adds an eye-catching accent to any small items such as placemats and hot pads.

The tape binder (Figure 4) is utilized for covering or finishing the raw edges of stretch fabrics. The tape binder folds the fabric to use as tape around the raw edge during sewing and binds any raw edge with ease.

4. Tucker:

This attachment is used for creating uniform tucks from 1/8″ to 1″ width. Finest pin tucks having 3/4″ width could be created easily without any basting. Delicate twin-needle pin tucks are a breeze with the grooves on the base of the presser foot as shown in Figure 5. The pin tucking foot is used in conjunction with a 2-mm twin sewing needle to make multiple rows of pin tucks. The grooves on the base of the pin tuck foot make it easy to stitch multiple rows parallel and uniformly spaced from each other.

5. Gathering Foot:

The gathering foot attachment (Figure 6) is used for making soft gathers swiftly particularly in lightweight fabrics. The gather size in the garment depends upon the fabric GSM, tension of the needle thread and stitches per inch. The base of the gathering foot is raised up at the back of the sewing needle and has a thicker bar section in front of the sewing needle for gathering and ruffling of fabric simultaneously.

B. Guide attachments

Guide attachments are the attachments which do not move or fold the fabric during the work cycle. The guide attachments are usually a focusing device which enable the operator to position the fabric correctly and quickly during the operation. Zipper foot, cording foot, circular attachment, button sewing foot, buttonhole stabilizer plate, buttonhole foot etc. are guide attachments.

1. Zipper Foot:

The zipper foot could be set to stitch on both sides of the zipper (Figure 7). The edge of the foot directs the zipper to make sure placement is straight. Normally ready-to-wear garments will commonly have an invisible zipper fitted onto them. Invisible (concealed) zippers are appropriate for all garments made from fine silk jersey through to suit weight wools and tweeds, which can be secured on the garments using a concealed zipper foot (Figure 8). The grooves underneath the concealed zipper foot contain the zipper teeth and hold them in place during stitching. The main criterion is to get the needle as close to the zipper as possible, which this foot achieves by slightly unrolling the zipper just before the needle. An adjustable zipper foot (Figure 9) can also be set to sew on each side of the zipper by regulating the location of the foot and tightening the screw.

2. Cording Foot:

The 3-way cording foot (Figure 10) will grip three fine cords or threads. Since it is attached to the presser foot, the requisite design can be easily followed and the cords are perfectly placed. A range of functional or decorative stitches could be sewn over the cords to put them onto base fabrics.

3. Circular Attachment:

The circular attachment (Figure 11) is the most suitable one for sewing of circles using straight, zigzag or decorative stitches. Circles up to 26 cm in diameter can be stitched perfectly using this attachment, which is vital for craft and decorative work.

4. Button Sewing Foot:

The two bars in the button sewing foot (Figure 12) are fixed to the shank of the presser foot to give additional firmness and it has a rubber sleeve for better gripping of the button during sewing.

5. Buttonhole Stabilizer Plate:

With the buttonhole foot (Figure 13), which is secured to the buttonhole stabilizer plate, the machine feeds a range of fabrics and uneven layers smoothly instead of causing the needle to stick in position.

6. Buttonhole Foot:

The buttonhole foot (Figure 14) is used for sewing buttonholes on the fabric. Two kinds of buttonhole foot are available, namely, transparent buttonhole foot and sliding buttonhole foot. The transparent buttonhole foot is used for stitching buttonholes on tight zones like cuffs and a sliding-type foot is used for stitching buttonholes on areas where more freedom of movement is essential.

C. Preparation and finishing attachments

Preparation and finishing attachments in a sewing machine are essential tools and devices that enhance the efficiency and quality of sewing operations. These attachments streamline processes such as fabric handling, edge finishing, and decorative stitching. Pinking, pressing attachments, thread cutters, chain cutters, tape cutters, needle and stitch devices etc. are preparation and finishing attachments.

1. Pinking:

It is a common finishing operation on garments. A power pinker is normally used for this purpose or pinking mechanism could be attached to the sewing machine. The two major actions carried out by the pinkers are chopping and cutting.

2. Pressing attachments:

It is used for finishing garments after the fabric is sewed. For example, on a belt loop attachment process where a flat iron or rotary press pressing device is attached to the machine head.

3. Thread cutters:

These are extensively required alternatives that minimize production time and get rid of manual thread clipping. On a few machines, sewing threads are cut beneath the throat plate, and a wiper pulls the residue portion of cut thread out of the way in preparation for the next process. Most of the 400, 500 and 600 class stitch machines have chain cutters and latch back devices built-in since the chain stitch formed by these kinds of machines should not be broken by a hand-tearing action.

4. Chain cutters:

The chain cutters cut the chains in such a way that the stitch is secured against unravelling. Stitches produced on these machines cannot be cut as close as like in lock stitch machines, and some remnant thread remains.

5. Tape cutters:

It could be used with the application of shoulder reinforcements, neck bindings, elastic, lace and so on. As stitching is finished, a photocell sensor finds the fabric end or piece and connects the cutter automatically. Tape may be cut at the beginning and end of the garment piece.

6. Needle and stitch devices:

On several sewing machines, options are designed especially for assisting in the construction of the perfect line of stitches such as needle positioners and stitch pattern regulators.

Conclusion:

Sewing machine attachments are the mechanisms which are attached to sewing machine for ease of working and are produced by the sewing machine manufacturer. Sewing machine attachments make sewing tasks easier, faster, and more precise. These sewing machine attachments are suitable for various fabric types and applications, making them indispensable for tailoring, embroidery, and garment manufacturing.

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