SEWING STITCHES ACCORDING

TO ISO STANDARDS
 SEWING STITCHES ACCORDING TO ISO 4916 AND ASTM
STANDARDS

Sewing is the union between two or more folds of fabric, leather or other
materials that are joined together through stitches. Mass modern sewing of
clothing, footwear, home textiles and sporting goods are sewn by industrial
machines. Shoe making, dressmaking, quilting, crafts, haute couture and
tailoring can combine the human hand and sewing machines.
In clothing construction, seams are classified by their type (flat, lapped, welded,
bound, etc.) and their position in the final garment (center back seam, inseam,
side seam). The seams are finished with a variety of techniques that prevent
the fabric from fraying and overcasting the interior of the garments.
Seams are used to assemble products and should have physical properties
similar to those of the sewn material. The type of stitch and thread used will
vary according to each application. Therefore, it is important to be familiar with
different stitch types, their applications and available variations so that you can
then choose the ideal option for your sewing needs.

CLASSIFICATION OF SEAMS.

Seams are classified according to the type/number of components used. There

are eight types of seams defined according to ISO 4916:1991 standards.

SEWING CLASSES.

 Class 1 - Overlapping Seam.

 Class 2 - Lapped or Overlapping Sewing.
 Class 3 - Welded or Edged Seams.
 Class 4 - Flat Sewing.
 Class 5 – Decorative / Ornamental Stitch.
 Class 6 - Edge Stitching Edge Stitching.
 Class 7 - Union of separate elements.
 Class 8 – Simple construction.
CLASS 1 - OVERLAPPED SEAM(S).

This usually begins with two or more pieces of

material layered on top of each other and joined
together near the edge with one or more rows of
stitches. There are several types of seams
within this class.

Overlapping Stitches Use A can be sewn with

type 301 or 401 stitches to
create a simple seam. The same type of seam can also be sewn with stitch
class 500 (overcasting) or combination stitches (for example, stitch class 516).

Application: Used to create neat seams for lingerie, T-shirts, etc.

CLASS 2 - OVERLAPPED SEAM(S).

In this type of sewing, two or more materials

are overlapped (overlapping, flat or folded
edges) and joined with one or more rows of
stitches.

One of the most popular of this class is guy

flat, that involves a
alone
sewing operation - a stronger seam with fabric edges commonly used to protect
jeans or similar garments from fraying.

Superficially It's similar to the Stitch French that involves two

stitch operations with one folding operation.

This stitch requires at least two components and has different variations that
refer to different stitch rows.

Stitches Used.
The sewing overlapping is usually sewn
with a 401 stitch.

Application: Loop stitching is the most

commonly used. It is used in the manufacture
of jeans due to its strong construction. French
sewing is used for rain gear, edge stitches
fronts on jackets and dresses.

CLASS 3 - WELDED SEAM(S).

These are formed by folding a strip of binding over the edge of the stacks of
material and joining both edges of the binding to the material with one or more
rows of stitching. This produces a clean edge on a seam exposed to view or
wear. There are a variety of welded seams.

Stitches Used
Chain 401 or Backstitch 301.

Application: T-shirt necklines.

CLASS 4 - FLAT SEAM(S).

In these seams, two edges of fabric, flat or

folded, are brought together over stitching
points.

The purpose of these seams is to produce a joint

where the thickness of the fabric can be
tolerated by the seam, such as in underwear or
corsetry. The hook yarn(s) should be soft but
strong and the cover yarn can be both
decorative and strong. This type of
Sewing is referred to as a flat seam because the edges do not overlap each
other, they are butted together.

Stitches Used
Zigzag stitch, chain stitch or cover stitch (class 600). Application: This type of
stitch requires two components and can be seen on very fine knitted garments
where the seams do not need to be bulked.

CLASS 5. STITCH DECORATIVE /

ORNAMENTAL.

Ornamental stitch is a series of stitches along a

line or after an ornamental design on a fold of
material. More complex types include various
forms of edging, producing a
embossed line along the surface of the fabric.
Application: The stitch provides decorative effects on the surface of the fabric,
decorative folds in the fabric and various applications. This type of sewing
requires an element.

CLASS 6. EDGE SEWING.

The edge finishing stitch of a fold of material

is folded or covered with a stitch. The
simplest of these operations is Serging, type
6.01.01, where a cut on the edge of a fold is
reinforced by the selvedge seam to overcast it
and prevent fraying. This type of sewing
includes seams where the edges are overcast
by stitches and
They can be used in cases where a series of edges require finishing. There is
always only one element in this type of sewing. There are different common
methods of producing clean edges such as hems and blind hems.

Application: Pant panels, flies, linings, etc.

CLASS 7 - UNION OF SEPARATE ELEMENTS.

This type of sewing requires additional components on the edges, elastic bands
on women's panties. This type of sewing requires two elements.

CLASS 8 - SIMPLE CONSTRUCTION.

Previously, seams were described as Flat, Overlapping, Bounded or Bonded,

with selvedge or ornamental finishes. Variety of seams are illustrated below
along with their descriptions under the above and the new system. This type of
sewing consists of a piece of fabric that is turned into two edges. Commonly
visible on belt loops where a fold can be attached to the machine. This type of
sewing requires only one component.

NUMERICAL EXPRESSIONS OF SEAMING.

Each seam is identified by a designated number

made up of five digits. The first digit reflects the
sewing class (1-8), the second and third are
continuous numbers (0-99) that
indicate differences in the location of needle penetrations.

For the sewing specification to make sense, the stitch type designation has to
be added after the sewing stitch designation. If two or more types of stitches are
used, they should be expressed from left to right.

Sewing Quality: Although the types of stitches chosen for sewing depend on
functional or aesthetic needs, the quality of the seam can be measured based
on the following parameters:

 Seam Size: It is measured by the depth, length and width of the seam.
 Seam Slip Force: It is the amount of force necessary
to remove a total of ¼" from opposing sets of threads perpendicular to the
sewing line.
 Sewing Force: Refers to the force required to open the seam either by
breaking the thread or the material.

TYPES OF FLAT SEWING STITCHES CLASS 300

Group 300 Stitches: Double stitch, they are characterized by being formed with
one or more sewing needles and two series of threads that intertwine with each
other with which they secure the material and close the stitch.

STITCH DESCRIPTION

STITCH 301 : it is made up of two threads, one needle

thread (1) and one bobbin thread (a). A loop of thread 1
passes through the material on the needle side and
interlaces with the thread on the other side. Thread 1 is
brought back so that the crossing point of both threads is
located in the middle of the material.
STITCH 302: It is made up of three threads, two
needle threads (1 and 2) and one bobbin thread (a).
The loops of threads 1 and 2 pass through the
material and intertwine with the thread on the other
side.

STITCH 304 : It is made up of two threads, one

needle thread (1) and one bobbin thread (a). A loop of
thread 1 passes through the material on the needle
side and interlaces with the thread on the other side.
Thread 1 is brought back so that the crossing point of
both threads is located in the middle of the material.

STITCH 306: It is made up of two threads, one

needle thread (1) and one bobbin thread (a). A loop of
thread 1 passes through the material on the needle
side and comes out again on the same side, without
passing through the material,
intertwining with the thread
a.

A STITCH 310: It is made up of three threads, from

the needle (1 and 2) and one from the bobbin (a). The
loops of threads 1 and 2 pass through the material on
the needle side and intertwine with the thread on the
other side. This type of stitch takes the shape of a
zigzag.