Comments on: How to sew faster pt.1

By: Al

Al — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 06:10:01 +0000

I just have to say this article series has alleviated some internal strife I’ve been having at a current internship. The feedback I’ve been getting is that I cut and sew too slow. Actually, that anything I do is wasting time. It’s difficult because their methods are alarming: no tracing patterns, no cutting patterns to size, minimal pinning if any. Fabric isn’t pressed before cut. Grainlines are ignored if the “fabric pattern looks the same either way”. Basically, I lay a pattern on fabric and cut around it. If there’s a drill hole or notch, I’m often told to ignore it. For some reason a lot of things “don’t matter” there.

In the beginning I thought I should be cutting perfectly without tracing or pinning or weighing my pattern. The business is successful, after all. But being exact isn’t their objective, making money is. So if the seams don’t match up when sewn, or even pieces don’t match when cut, it’s okay in their eyes because they can trim the uneven allowance to match afterwards. As soon as I learned that their standards are much lower than what I was accustomed to, I got (internally) angry, because I was being criticized for doing things the “hard way” when it’s really the “accurate way.”

Now it’s difficult for me because, trying to do things their way, the pieces I cut and the seams I sew look almost as bad as when I took my first sewing class in high school. Jagged lines, unmatched seams. I even avoid pressing if I can because I was told it “wasn’t necessary until the end” and of course, wastes time. I don’t want to come off as “all-knowing” or stubborn, as I’m grateful to be an intern. I’ve learned a lot but as it goes I’m learning things that aren’t skill based but good experience/advice for the future.

The problem is that their short cut methods are rooted in home sewing. And it’s slowing me down, tremendously. I can’t possibly sew something accurately that isn’t cut accurately, so I’ve just learned let it all go. To strive for their equation of what’s ‘acceptable’. At times it gets to me and I wonder if I’m being too careful (slow) and I feel crazy and I just wanted to say THANK YOU! For writing this and informing others that industrial or professional sewing doesn’t mean “easy” and it definitely doesn’t mean fast. It means it’s more work, it takes a lot of time, and it’s definitely not based on short cuts.

By: Fashion Incubator » How to sew faster pt.2

Fashion Incubator » How to sew faster pt.2 — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 22:05:14 +0000

[...] Forum « How to sew faster pt.1 How to find a missing dart end [...]

By: vee

vee — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 06:51:41 +0000

First you must have organization, a place for threads, pins, needles, scissors, rotary cutters, blades, chalk, etc.
Secondly,I read over the patterns that I want to use and write short notes to I hate cutting out fabrics so I gather my materials, with patterns on top, spend one day cutting out all the paper patterns and fabrics along with tracing darts,etc. I limit myself to 6 pieces of outfits.
The next day, I set up shop by sewing, pressing and sewing until the outfits are ready.
Another example, I designed a pattern for fleece hats and had to make twenty scarves and twenty hats for this bazaar I was vendoring. I arranged my schedule for the first day to cut out all the hats and scarves. The second day I sew everything up. The third day I was ready to sell at the bazaar.

Organization is the key but my problem is management of my time but I am working on it. I retired last year from teaching and it took me an entire year to get that time of stress out of my system.

By: Kerryn

Kerryn — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 22:52:38 +0000

It’s been my goal for the last year to do exactly the opposite. I’m resolved to sew slower. Much slower….
Because I work in “the industry” I used to take shortcuts in my home studio, eager to see the results… I’d mark patterns directly on fabric and start stitching without the right equipment and fake and work around details. This led to chaos in my studio, I thought I’d remember seam allowances on patterns later, thought I’d remember how to sew a complicated lining off the top of my head, I thought I’d never want to keep a pattern of something I was whipping up to wear that weekend so why bother making one?
Spending the last year researching new construction details, making production ready patterns and detailed notes on all of my projects I have learned so much, become a better machinist and have a great wardrobe of designs that I can pull patterns for from my closet and make again for myself or clients. In short, I’m treating my home sewing like I would any design I work on in my day job – professionally.

By: Fashion Incubator » Blog Archive » How to sew faster pt.4

Fashion Incubator » Blog Archive » How to sew faster pt.4 — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 20:22:01 +0000

[...] response to How to sew faster pt. 1, Debby posted an interesting comment I can use to explain why a given tool (aka [...]

By: Debby Spence

Debby Spence — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 21:06:55 +0000

I am curious that you say that scissors, or shears, are more accurate than a rotary cutter. I always considered a rotary cutter more accurate because they don’t lift the fabric up off the table and don’t leave a jagged edge like shears can. And you can usually go aroung curves better with a rotary cutter. I suppose it wouldn’t be as much of an issue if you are drawing the pattern onto the cloth, rather than pinning or laying a paper pattern on the fabric.

By: Why handmade is best

Why handmade is best — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 22:31:25 +0000

[...] entries: How to sew faster pt.1 How to sew faster pt.2 How to sew faster pt.2b How to sew faster pt.3 addthis_pub = [...]

By: intransigentia

intransigentia — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:32:22 +0000

I think your premise extends across pretty much all disciplines. The product you get out depends so, so much on going in with all the prep work done, and done well. Every shortcut you take in the design and planning phase, will take at least ten times more work to correct if you find out it doesn’t work later on in the process, than it would have taken to do it the long way in the beginning.

By: kristin

kristin — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:55:30 +0000

Thanks for the article. Yeah I figured there was no easy way. I thought a Rotary would help but I love my scissors, Big #12.

But I also could never sew the same piece, so outsourcing it is!

By: Connie

Connie — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:19:35 +0000

I will testify that developing accurate patterns and sewing accurately (and not taking shortcuts) will improve both quality and speed as well as enjoyment and pride in the finished product. I loved Kathleen’s comparison of pattern “engineering” and construction of clothing to flat-pack furniture construction. It was a light bulb moment for me.

I’ve also learned that making a few muslins and taking time on a practice garment makes making the final product that much easier and enjoyable to make. All the kinks have been worked out, I’m very familiar with the workings of the pattern and the end result is really satisfying. I’ve also used Kathleen’s advice to make slight style changes to a pattern that I like to come up with a different looks. Once I’ve done all the hard work of fitting, making 2 or 3 “theme and variation” garments in different colours and different fabrics with simple changes like collar design or sleeve length makes them seem like different patterns.

My Dad always told us “take your time to do it right the first time”.