Comments on: Visiting a sewing contractor http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/visiting_a_sewing_contractor/ How to start a clothing line or run the one you have, better. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 23:11:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: bethany http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/visiting_a_sewing_contractor/#comment-9025 bethany Fri, 30 Nov 2007 14:47:09 +0000 http://www.fashion-incubator.com/2007/11/visiting_a_sewing_contractor/#comment-9025 My favorite part about this post was how excited she was to be in a sewing plant! It gave me goosebumps, because even though I have been producing for a year now, it STILL makes me happy when I am running around town, buying buttons and trims, sourcing fabric, and then shlepping it back to the contractor, fielding calls from the patternmaker, sales reps, and stores giving me their CC's so I can ship them. And I loved when she said she was trying hard not to gawk because I have totally done that! I once went to a knitting facility where they were making baby rib and the machine had like 100 threads going at the same time! The guy even showed me what happened when one thread broke- they all shut off at exactly the same time. It was awesome. I felt like such a geek. So it is cool that someone else is a geek too :). So keep on living the dream! My favorite part about this post was how excited she was to be in a sewing plant! It gave me goosebumps, because even though I have been producing for a year now, it STILL makes me happy when I am running around town, buying buttons and trims, sourcing fabric, and then shlepping it back to the contractor, fielding calls from the patternmaker, sales reps, and stores giving me their CC’s so I can ship them.

And I loved when she said she was trying hard not to gawk because I have totally done that! I once went to a knitting facility where they were making baby rib and the machine had like 100 threads going at the same time! The guy even showed me what happened when one thread broke- they all shut off at exactly the same time. It was awesome. I felt like such a geek. So it is cool that someone else is a geek too :). So keep on living the dream!

]]> By: anonymous sewing-contractor visitor http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/visiting_a_sewing_contractor/#comment-9024 anonymous sewing-contractor visitor Fri, 30 Nov 2007 14:09:54 +0000 http://www.fashion-incubator.com/2007/11/visiting_a_sewing_contractor/#comment-9024 It's good to hear that QC is a regular part of the process at a sewing contractor. I made note of the QC because in Kathleen's book, in the chapter about hiring a sewing contractor, it recommends specifically to inquire about quality control. Given my lack of experience, I assumed it was something that was hit or miss in some organizations, and I've heard some horror stories from DEs. I saw QC managers inspecting product at varied stages, including when threads were being clipped and the product was being packaged. It’s good to hear that QC is a regular part of the process at a sewing contractor. I made note of the QC because in Kathleen’s book, in the chapter about hiring a sewing contractor, it recommends specifically to inquire about quality control. Given my lack of experience, I assumed it was something that was hit or miss in some organizations, and I’ve heard some horror stories from DEs. I saw QC managers inspecting product at varied stages, including when threads were being clipped and the product was being packaged.

]]> By: Marguerite Swope http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/visiting_a_sewing_contractor/#comment-9023 Marguerite Swope Fri, 30 Nov 2007 13:14:42 +0000 http://www.fashion-incubator.com/2007/11/visiting_a_sewing_contractor/#comment-9023 Thank you for a timely posting. I'm visiting a sewing contractor in Baltimore on Monday and will send a report to Kathleen as well. It never occurred to me to take partly finished garments and photos. They did ask me to bring samples. I will be better prepared because of these 2 posts. I don't know if it made a difference, but when I called them I had been recommended by someone and I used her name. After reading Kathleen's first post, I'm glad I had a name to drop! My phone conversations to arrange the visit have been VERY friendly. Like the writer above, this is a big step for me towards The Big Step. Marguerite Thank you for a timely posting. I’m visiting a sewing contractor in Baltimore on Monday and will send a report to Kathleen as well.

It never occurred to me to take partly finished garments and photos. They did ask me to bring samples. I will be better prepared because of these 2 posts.

I don’t know if it made a difference, but when I called them I had been recommended by someone and I used her name. After reading Kathleen’s first post, I’m glad I had a name to drop!

My phone conversations to arrange the visit have been VERY friendly.

Like the writer above, this is a big step for me towards The Big Step.

Marguerite

]]> By: Vesta http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/visiting_a_sewing_contractor/#comment-9022 Vesta Fri, 30 Nov 2007 00:05:31 +0000 http://www.fashion-incubator.com/2007/11/visiting_a_sewing_contractor/#comment-9022 Yeah, each piece is usually QC'd while the threads are being clipped, at a minimum. Yeah, each piece is usually QC’d while the threads are being clipped, at a minimum.

]]> By: Georgina http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/visiting_a_sewing_contractor/#comment-9021 Georgina Thu, 29 Nov 2007 22:22:23 +0000 http://www.fashion-incubator.com/2007/11/visiting_a_sewing_contractor/#comment-9021 It is the norm to have every piece "QC'd"- checked for quality, before deliverung to the customer. It is the norm to have every piece “QC’d”- checked for quality, before deliverung to the customer.

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