Comments on: How to sew faster pt.2

By: Solving sewing problems by testing your machines

Solving sewing problems by testing your machines — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:42:33 +0000

[...] it, fix that thing and then they stop having to correct for an upstream problem. As I’ve explained before, the way you troubleshoot in an organized way is according to the 4 M’s -Man, Method, Machine [...]

By: Fashion Incubator » How to sew faster pt.3

Fashion Incubator » How to sew faster pt.3 — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 22:04:14 +0000

[...] sew so fast after all. Pam gives me the opening I was looking for with her comment from Tuesday: The black shirt most recently pictured on my site took me about an hour to actually sew, after [...]

By: vee

vee — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 02:21:40 +0000

Since we are talking about methods. I want to purchase a new machine. I want to be able to embroider also. Should I purchase 3 machine, for regular sewing, embroidery and serger. Or should I purchase a regular machine that embroiders and a serger. Any one have any selections. I want to manufacturer my own products and sell them in my business.

By: The 7 minute cutting test pt.2

The 7 minute cutting test pt.2 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:57:30 +0000

[...] to learn how to analyze problems. They are usually sorted into rough categories according to Man, Method or Machine. Materials also plays a part but we’ll stick with these three for now. The problem here was [...]

By: Marguerite Swope

Marguerite Swope — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:21:11 +0000

Pam,

That black shirt is gorgeous! Wow! And as a home sewer I think 1 hour is very fast! But I do understand factories are different (after watching the jeans being made in 13 minutes I think it was).

Anyway, all your shirts are incredibly gorgeous and look just perfect.

Marguerite

By: Lisa B. in Portland

Lisa B. in Portland — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 21:27:27 +0000

I don’t like cutting because I don’t have a cutting table (I have mats and good scissors but use my dining room table), but even when I was in school and had access to the cutting tables, I still didn’t like it that much. I would rather sew first or make patterns second and I don’t think I’m that good of a designer.

By: Malissa

Malissa — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 21:00:40 +0000

Sewing is my favorite part of the job but through journaling my time I’ve learned that’s only about 20% of the process. 80 % is pattern, drafting, and my least favorite of all cutting.

By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:14:25 +0000

When dealing with Methods, you end up talking about people. The TWI Problem Solving Manual used in Japan was a high level synthesis of the three J skills for leaders to use in choosing which problem solving path to go down.

Re-reading my content, I realize I need to reword it a bit. When I said this …

none of what I’m writing is in the manual, at least not as far as I’ve read

…one could be left with the impression that I was implying the manual was lacking. What I meant to say is that I didn’t read beyond this section as I was carried away with ideas and examples I knew of personally and that any omissions or errors were mine, not the manual’s.

Most Home-sewers/enthusiasts think that is amazingly fast. Professionals may think it rather slow

This is an interesting point Pam. I plan to write about the real costs of handling, a concept that is not measured or included in total production time in the typical factory.

In other words, your sewing “time” may not be as inefficient as you may suspect as compared to a typical shirt manufacturer because they are not using the same ruler you are to measure total time spent. The failure to include the time and cost of handling is the summary argument for employing lean manufacturing of which the tenet (in apparel) is one person sewing one item start to finish -like you do.

By: Pam ~Off The Cuff~

Pam ~Off The Cuff~ — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 14:06:02 +0000

To answer Mia… it depends, LOL….all my shirts are custom. The black shirt most recently pictured on my site took me about an hour to actually sew, after cutting and fusing. Yes, the seams are flat-felled.

Most Home-sewers/enthusiasts think that is amazingly fast.
Professionals may think it rather slow ;)

By: Terri Dans

Terri Dans — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 22:35:31 +0000

Thanks Kathleen for continuing to post interesting entries.
I found that I spent some time yesterday linking to previous posts and reading older entries that I wouldn’t necessarily have thought to access.