I worked in factories - not sewing factories - in the summers between my college years. The one that stands out most is the one where I cut nylon for parachutes, which were made elsewhere. The cutting was done on a heated element which "fused" the pieces so there was no raveling. I would not have wanted to do that job for life - but it paid well for the 60s, which obviously helped with my college expenses. After college, I taught middle school for 31 years.