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By Kathleen Fasanella on Jul 3, 2009 at 4:08 pm
NPR has been running a variety of Independence Day related stories all day. This morning they featured a Story Corp interview with Bob Heft, the designer of the US flag we fly today. Apparently, Bob had never sewn before starting this high school history project -and he hasn’t sewn again since. His teacher wasn’t impressed and graded him a B- because he put 50 stars on it at a time when there were only 48 states.
“I was upset,” Heft says. “The teacher said, ‘If you don’t like the grade, get it accepted in Washington then come back and see me. I might consider changing the grade.’ ”
And Heft did go to Washington; his design was approved on July 4, 1960 by which time there were 50 states. His teacher said if it was good enough for the country, it was worth changing his grade to an A.
As ever, it’s the archives entry for the week. Have a great holiday!
June 26 through July 2, 2005
Home again
This changes everything
The myth of vanity sizing
Rohr’s Pattern Drafting Books
Tivi
Fit and sizing entropy
June 26 through July 2, 2006
Camping pt.2
Sales rep training
3Free
700 lb Gorilla
How much can you make the first year?
Millicent Rogers Museum
Ingeo & Top 10 online retailers
Taos Solar Music Festival
Anybody working today?
June 26 through July 2, 2007
Pop quiz #465
Shopping carts pt.2
Liz Claiborne dies
How to find sewing contractors
Pop quiz #465 pt.2
Selfishness, secrecy and jealousy
News from you 6/29/2007
Batch, UPS and Modular (Batch pt.1)
Pop quiz #463
June 26 through July 2, 2008
Colombia bleg and misc
Pop Quiz #473
Pop Quiz #473 pt. 2
Last Laugh
Problem pattern maker pt.2
Continue reading "Archives 6/26 - 7/2 2005-2008" »
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By Kathleen Fasanella on Jul 2, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Buried in one of last week’s comments was one from Kate Rawlinson who left a link to some recent work she’d done. It’s phenomenal. Even her mistakes are phenomenal. Just to temper my gushiness, I’ll throw that one up first. Left is the original, right is the marked up one showing the matched stripes. Do note how the plaids match across seams in the skirt. The bodice is a bit off but what the hey. [Blue lines are seams, dashed red are the stripes.]
Here’s another dress Kate described in her album comments as “stupid stripey”. I challenge you to draw these seam lines on a blank sketch. Just try to calculate the number of pattern pieces this number contains.
Here’s an understated number, a plaid jacket. Other than the lovely matched stripes across the back, is there anything otherwise remarkable? Look closely.
It’s the lapels. Once stitched and turned, the plaid of the revers display perfectly horizontal and vertical. I think Kate certainly raises the ante around here. I’d be tempted to call her a show-off but something like this takes at least 80 hours of work -especially if you’re a student as she is. Yeah, she’s a student. Do you hate her already? Don’t, she’s a love. I’ll include a bio once I’m done embarrassing her.
Okay, here’s another one from the insolent pup (click on the image for a larger version):
Note the photo on the right. The vertical stripe on the top portion of the pocket perfectly matches the stripe on the flap -hop skipped with a row of piping- the flap in turn also matches the front jacket. Is this cool or what?
Here’s the back on one last jacket. Again, note the stripe matching. She does this so well it’s almost boring by now but then you’d have to go through her album to reach the saturation point. Don’t miss her earlier pieces one of which is a museum quality reproduction she calls the “V&A jacket” on page 6. Simply stunning work.
I was placated with this jacket above as I’d come to suspect there was no place left for me in this world, only pre-Kate and post-Kate. This jacket can be helped with a bit of fusing. A lot of people don’t know this bit, one of my techniques I hold in reserve. You want to fuse the back piece at least 2″ wide along the seam line (before joining the pieces) and the diagonal back waist and peplum. It’ll buckle less. Nice piece tho, no?
All kidding aside, Kate is lovely, self effacing, hard working and highly skilled. After I saw her work, I wanted to know everything about her down to her shoe size and her dog’s name. I did ask specifically about her schooling and she was kind enough to provide details. This will be a bit sobering for our colleagues in the UK and I did edit portions at her request …but enough blather, here’s a bio she wrote for us.
Thank you for the lovely compliments, I’ve actually been reading your book all this week and trying to figure out if I can ever make a living doing this stuff. I think the answer is no, at least not yet, but I was mightily cheered by the paragraph on the final page about merchant tailors, because that is effectively what I am doing, I suppose.
A potted bio… I did a bit of sewing as a kid but nothing much. My first degree was in journalism and I worked as a copy editor for women’s magazines for about 10 years. I got married in 2000 (I’m 37, by the way) and something about the search for a dress rekindled a childhood love of historical costume (when I was about 8, I used to go to the fancy-dress store every weekend and try on the big Victorian dresses - I never made anything, though).
At the beginning of 2001 I started taking evening classes, then in 2005 I packed in my day job to do a one-year course in handcraft tailoring at the London College of Fashion - I was planning to do a costume degree, but I didn’t want to do an art foundation course (the usual precursor to an art/fashion degree in the UK) and thought the hand-sewing aspect of the tailoring course would come in handy.
It was a great course, very intense, and I learned a LOT, some of it from proper Savile Row tailors (it was Savile Row techniques they were teaching us, allegedly). Sadly, from this coming September that course will no longer exist, as it has been bundled into a foundation degree.
I did start a costume degree after that (also at the London College of Fashion), but it was too bitty for me and I’d already covered a lot of the topics. The college was just starting up a new degree in bespoke tailoring, so I jumped over to that. I’d done some work experience in the costume world and discovered that good theatrical tailors are very much in demand, whereas ladies’ makers are much more readily available. Also that tailoring is seen as much more difficult, so you can move from ladies’ making to tailoring fairly easily, but not so much vice versa.
This is the bit you probably don’t want to print…! The bespoke tailoring course is terrible, and about to get worse. From this autumn, the students will be getting just 5 hours a week of contact time with the tutors, which I think is outrageous. I can honestly say, hand on heart, that I didn’t learn anything on the degree course that I hadn’t already learned on the handcraft course. What it did give me, however, was the time, space and framework within which to practise what I had already learned and build on my skills that way. I also used the summer breaks to get work experience - all in costume, because in the men’s costume world, particularly at the high end, they still use the old-fashioned tailoring techniques. So I did a couple of months at [redacted, a company I’d long admired from afar, and about six months at [redacted, a very high-end opera company with decent budgets! (If you publish this bit, I’d prefer to leave out the specific company names if possible.)
During this past (final) year of college, almost all of which was spent working on the collection in my Flickr set, I worked almost entirely on my own at home, just going in once a week to check in with the design tutor. This isn’t because I thought I knew it all already, because believe me I still feel like I know pretty much zilch when it comes to garment construction (in fact, the more I know, the more I realise I don’t know… argh). But the college set-up was pretty terrible - a communal machine room with not enough machines, blunt needles, filthy pressing tables, unpredictable steam and mounds of dust everywhere that would end up on any piece of fabric that happened to brush the floor. It was also a time-management issue - I could get a lot more done at home, and we weren’t getting any practical input from the teachers by that stage anyway.
The college (and the University of the Arts, of which it is a part) gets terrible student satisfaction ratings. On some level I think that’s because a lot of students don’t realise that the majority of the work has to be done alone. But also it is because the college is objectively terrible - we complained about our course, and specifically the lack of teaching, so many times. Unfortunately, the college trades on its fancy name, but the lack of alumni of any note is a giveaway - and the big graduate fashion shows at London Fashion Week tend to feature students from colleges in other parts of the country where they still teach them something. Anyway, getting off my soap box now…
So, now I have to find a job! At some point in the future I would like to work for myself, but I’m struggling with trying to work out how to balance the time-consuming nature of what I currently do (it takes me around 80 hours to make a two-piece suit with the methods I’ve been shown) with a feasible pricing structure. At the moment, the figures just don’t add up. I really do believe that bespoke has a future - if nothing else, I think fashion will mutate to a point where people will want things that no-one else has (which I guess is why vintage has been such a big deal for the past few years). And I also believe that fit and quality are elements that high-street fashion continues to ignore and that bespoke is obviously well-placed to tackle those. I don’t have much fitting experience, and that worries me. Also, my pattern cutting experience is limited to the pieces I’ve made at college. But I like the idea of working with clients on a one-to-one basis, if there is a future in that.
Crikey, I really have rambled on, sorry. I’m worried about finding a job at the right level - some people think I’m too experienced to come in at a trainee level, but I don’t feel experienced enough to be anything else. I need to start earning some money fairly soon, and I’m really not sure what the best next step is, other than that I want to be sewing and if possible getting some experience in fitting.
Sorry this turned out so long - if I’ve left out anything crucial, I’m more than happy to fill in the blanks. And thank you again for the compliments - it really means a lot.
Continue reading "Kate Rawlinson: Cutter Extraordinaire" »
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By Kathleen Fasanella on Jul 1, 2009 at 1:12 pm
[This is intended for suppliers and businesses who post here but can be adapted to be used by any commercial interest.] Are you confused with social media stuff? Not sure how to jump in? Commenting on commercial sites can improve your bottom line because visitors are favorably disposed to businesses that leave appropriate comments. There is no better way to show their interests matter to you quite so directly. Best of all, you control your message. However, to position yourself with authority and credibility, there are some practices you should avoid. Here is what not-to-do, what to do (even anonymously) and lastly, I include a cheat sheet on how to post a comment.
What not to do:
The two worst things you can do on a blog are to astroturf or post a business card or blurb entry. Of these, astroturfing is worse. It means one who pretends to be an impartial observer. Some businesses pretend to be customers and write glowing reviews of themselves. It’s really easy to pick these out. Here’s a recent example that was posted to my last entry on the Design Piracy Protection Prohibition Act:
Author: sewing scott (IP: 216.46.89.93, smtp.cfda.com)
E-mail: sewing.scott@[deleted]
URL:
Whois: http://ws.arin.net/cgi-bin/whois.pl?queryinput=216.46.89.93
Comment:
As someone who sews at home for my friends and family I am not worried about this bill. I have read it and it only prevents the commerical reproduction and those who benefit from selling others work. It won’t effect us do it yourselfers… As a young designer I spend too much time and resource for others to steal from me. I am too small a company to fight the big guys which are represented by the AAFA. I used to work for a big company and was shocked that instead of asking us designers to design they would send us out shopping. We would bring clothes back to the studio and decosntruct them… I couldn’t do that so i left… This law is good for american designers and is not about an elitist group at all.
As this comment was posted from CFDA offices (the most strident lobbyists of this bill), you can see why this is considered to be astroturfing. It was also cause for a good laugh among kindred. Normally astroturf comments are deleted. It’s best to be honest about where your interests lie, making your points from a position of integrity. Besides, dishonesty reduces respect for your organization or position; “Scott” has only undermined CFDA’s credibility.
Posting business card entries:
These are rarely posted with anything but the best intentions. I really hate to delete these because these are often valuable resources for my visitors meaning my site becomes more valuable too. Here’s an example from Mike Benjamin who posted to A Fabric Sales Rep. I couldn’t publish his entry (below) but I really wanted to help him so I passed his information along to people I know in private:
I’m looking for sales rep in any area. We are a Los Angeles based wholesale fabric company. We have been in business for more than 20 years and we already established business locally and internationally. We are carrying a wide variety of fabrics in wide range of colors in stock; just to mention a few, we carry woven fabrics such as double georgettes, tricot lining, pebble georgette, high multi chiffon, poly rayon spandex, etc. We also carry laces, different kinds of silks, satins, fleece, charmeuse and many many more and in wide variety of colors. Please don’t hesitate to call me at the number below or email me at this address. We hope that you will give us a chance to do business with your company. Thank you and I am looking forward to talk to you soon.
Mike Benjamin (email)
Textile City, Inc.
741 E. 8th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90021
Ph: 213 892 0585
fax: 213 488 4933
On blogs, it’s frowned upon to post your info without contributing to the conversation. If you’re a business, it is OKAY to have an agenda, just provide some advice (read others comments) or your opinion of the problem and what to do about it. At close, there’s nothing wrong with saying “I know this because…” or “In my experience at ….”. People will click on your information based on how useful you’ve been. It is best you don’t leave addresses, phone numbers etc in the comment field (the box where you compose your entry) because it gets cluttered and too commercial. People can contact you if you put your URL in the top part of the form, your name becomes a hyperlink. If you don’t have a web page, then by all means leave a phone number or email address. Returning to Mike’s example, he could have said something like this and it would have been posted:
Becoming an independent sales rep for fabrics involves XYZ (the more details the better). An ideal candidate has _________ experience but it depends on several factors like _________. As a matter of fact, I have an opening now for an independent sales rep in any territory. Our product line consists of ___________________. Feel free to call me (telephone) or email me (email) if you or someone you know is interested in this opportunity.
This will get Mike two things: possible job candidates and customers who want to buy his fabrics. As I said, visitors are thrilled with businesses that go the extra mile to participate on their turf. Robert Kahn at Reliable is good at posting comments. He used the medium to answer questions posted by others and to correct some inconsistencies in my entry. Posting good comments is a great way to get a blogger to feature you in an entry (as I have him) or to invite you to write a post (ditto). [As an aside, I'm glad I was able to find a way to post Mike's information. He also took the time to thank me for the referrals I sent his way.]
Misc: Posting on old entries
Don’t hesitate to post a comment on a blog entry that is several years old for at least three reasons. First, your comment (and URL) will be indexed by search engines. Second, on this site, any new comment is posted to the front page so more people than you imagine will read it right away. Third, your comment may be sufficiently interesting that the blog owner will create a new post featuring your insights.
If you want to be anonymous:
My feeling is anonymity is to be respected but I request you make it obvious. It is traditional to put “anonymous coward” in the name field. The latter is a sort of joke, it says you have strong opinions but don’t care to be barbecued over a spit in expressing your views. Please be fair. You are free to disagree but personal attacks directed against others are deleted. You still need to leave a valid email address which no one but the blog owner can see.
Subscribe to comments:
When you leave a comment, there is a check box to indicate if you want to subscribe to the comment thread. This means the blog software will automatically email you if someone posts a comment after you, saving you the bother of having to remember to return. This will not expose you to spam; it’s no loss or gain to me which you choose but I recommend subscribing if it’s a topic you care about.
Moderation:
On my site, your first comment is held for moderation by default. This means I have to approve it. After that, your comments will go through automatically. If you include two or more links, it may be held for moderation. If you include more than four, the software (by default) has decided it is a spam comment and will display an error message. I find this very annoying, this site does it to me too. If this happens, you can email me and I will post it. By the way, you can find the blog owner by going to the top of the page and clicking “about”. All my contact information is there.
Last but not least, you can find the instructions on how to post a comment step by step at close. If you want to do fancy stuff like formating, this entry explains it step by step. Feel free to practice by leaving a comment in this entry and let me know if it was helpful or what needs more work.
In summary: blogging and business are entirely complimentary. Just give it a shot, you really have nothing to lose and a lot to gain.
Continue reading "How to promote your business on blogs" »
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By Guest Author on Jun 30, 2009 at 1:55 pm
In reference to the fashion photography series I’d mentioned before, today’s guest entry is from Mark Bonanno. Mark is the lead fashion photographer for QuadPhoto based in Miami, Florida. Thanks Mark!
——————–
OK, you found a photographer you like. You have a person to do hair and makeup, and maybe even a wardrobe stylist. Now you take all your garments to the studio and shoot as many shots as you can by the end of the day, right?
While this may seem like the easiest method, it is not the best way to execute a photo shoot. As a professional fashion photographer, I am often told by designers that they want to shoot photos for a particular line but when we get into the details, they say they have it all “in their heads”. In this fast paced and competitive industry, preparation is everything! I have put together a short checklist that will help you get the most out of your day at the studio.
- Create a storyboard
- Set the stage
- Scheduling
- Mind your models
- Assign clothing to models
- Include accessories
- Use professional models
- Basic necessities
Create a storyboard
Plan out your shoot and put your ideas on paper with a storyboard. You should prepare some rough sketches, drawings or better yet, a final layout that you can discuss with your photographer (sample one) and two). At the very least make a “shot list” of the items and maybe details you want the photographer to shoot.
Set the stage
Go over the concepts and the backgrounds with the photographer well before the shoot. Nothing is worse than not having the right backgrounds when you start working. Discuss how backdrops should be arranged to attain the desired result. A good photographer will advise you on how to frame the shoot appropriately.
Scheduling
Set a schedule and try to stick to it. You don’t need a model showing up at 8:00 AM if their shot is not scheduled until 1:00 PM. A well planned-out schedule will save you time, money and aggravation. Make sure you have each model’s cell number and they have yours.
Mind your models
Make sure your models are on time and well rested. This may mean asking colleagues or confidants to recommend models that are reliable and ready to work. Models serve as a canvas to help you promote your brand and need all their energy to come through during the photo shoot.
Assign clothing to models
Know what clothes fit on which models beforehand. While many of you have pre-fitted your models, a last minute check the day before will prevent any surprises (models are known to get pregnant and not say anything for fear of losing the job). This way you will be able to get more shots done during the actual photo shoot if the fitting happens in advance.
Include accessories
Know what accessories you want to use. This can make all the difference in the world. If you’re a clothing designer, you may want to find a jewelry designer with similar ambitions and split the cost of the shoot - and the results.
Use professional models
Try to use professional models. This is always a point of contention especially with low budget shoots. I can only speak from my own experiences but in the 24 years that I have been a fashion photographer, I consistently get more usable images with professional models over non-professionals or friends. Professional models can also provide great suggestions.
Basic necessities
Whether out of doors or under hot lights indoors, having beverages and snacks on hand can keep people cool or warm -and focused. It will be distracting if you have to send someone out later on. Photo shoots often run longer than anticipated. Select a location with bathroom facilities near by.
Finally, keep your expectations grounded and realistic. You can’t do a hundred different shots in a day and have things look good. Give the hair and makeup person, the wardrobe stylist, the models and photographer time and space to work their magic for you.
————
Again, thanks Mark. You can learn more by contacting Mark by phone (786-206-2700) or email at QuadPhoto.
Continue reading "Preparing for your fashion photoshoot" »
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By Kathleen Fasanella on Jun 29, 2009 at 10:58 am
What would a dress designed by 1,000 women look like? The One-Dress project directed by Malcolm Harris, renders this result:
[Click on the image for a larger photo]
I don’t know how many ways there are to wear it but based on colorways alone, you have four options (black, cobalt, magenta, and white). Fabrication is 100% silk knit jersey, retailing at $225. A portion of the profits benefit Womankind Worldwide and Kiva.org.
Pathetically out of the loop when it comes to modern designers, I wasn’t familiar with Mr. Harris but judging from this youtube video, he has an impressive body of work behind him. I wish I knew where to find his past collections but I can’t seem to find one central source. An aside: not unlike many of the designers I know, he’s not just another pretty face. This PR release says he’s got a masters degree in English Literature.
Anyway, your challenge is to do one better because the pattern is so obvious -once you see the photo of it that is. I had no idea what the pattern looked like, I had to skulk about till I found it. Specifically, how would you cut this to appeal to a broader range of body types and ages? Can you do this with sleeves? How about a bit of contrast, or a bit of added fullness or length to the skirt? Bonus points to brainiacs who come up with allocation (yield) for this style.
Continue reading "Pattern Puzzle: One Dress" »
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By Kathleen Fasanella on Jun 26, 2009 at 3:07 pm
This isn’t about the batching we’ve been talking about, this is an entry I needed to put up a long time ago for people making children’s products who need to comply with CPSIA. Several people contacted me saying they needed to order labels so I had to get back to it.
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you need to read CPSIA and tracking label requirements. As of August 14, 2009, all children’s products are required to have a new label. For review, the purpose of the label is so consumers can determine:
- The manufacturer as we define it (legally, in other words, you)
- Location of manufacture
- Date of production
- Cohort information (a contractor -none if applicable)
- Batch or lot number (a number you assign)
The big sticking point is what is a batch? Normally, a cut order is a batch but this does not qualify under CPSIA. Under CPSIA, a batch is one lot that uses identical items which themselves have identical lot numbers. For example, if you’re using the same thread, the same fabric and the same buttons or zippers the individual items of which come from their own complete batch as listed on the box they came in, then that is a batch. Each batch needs a unique identifying number.
However, if in the course of making the products, you have to break into a separate box of buttons that has a separate batch or lot number itself, even if the product is otherwise identical, this is a separate batch and you need a separate new label for it with its own batch number that you assign.
If you make individual items of products you buy at retail, perhaps using the exact same fabric in each but you vary the trims or closures, then each product is a separate batch. It is conceivable every item you produce is its own batch and each needs its own number and label. Yes, I realize this is unwieldy, costly overkill and in many cases nigh impossible (production date for one, how can you order a label in advance if you’re not sure what date you will finish the lot?) but don’t shoot the messenger.
You will need to do “batch control”. You need to create a separate BOM for each batch. You can keep this electronically in a database or spreadsheet. It is my understanding you need to keep these records for three years.
Here’s a sample of what your label should have:
- Mfg by: RN 110706 OR Mfg by <your name>, RN 119786
- Made in USA
- August 14, 2009* (date the lot is completed)
- Cohort info (a contractor number if applicable)
- Batch number
Related Entries:
What is a cutter’s must?
What is a sketch sheet
What is a Bill of Materials (BOM)
What is a cutting ticket
What is a tech pack?
How to move up to another level
CPSIA and tracking label requirements
CPSIA: Printable labels for August requirements
CPSIA: Tracking labels update
Continue reading "What is a batch?" »
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By Kathleen Fasanella on Jun 25, 2009 at 3:30 pm
The alternative title to this is How to start a home based handmade sewing business pt4 but I didn’t want it to get lost in the shuffle and besides, it applies to everyone. I want to address comments from yesterday’s entry (also see pt one and two) before going on because I know that what I said is highly controversial. Let’s start with a comment from Ragga:
Very nice definition of handmade, but I have to disagree with one small point which is that even if something is made by one person from beginning to end it does not guarantee quality. The quality depends on the skill level of the person who made it by hand. I say this because here in L.A. there seems to have been a handmade trend going on for the past couple of years which in some cases seems to glorify amateur level craft. Nothing wrong with it when you’re giving your handmade from home items away but questionable when it is being sold in “boutiques”.
I understand what you’re saying. First, yes, quality can -in part- be controlled by an operator (no operator can cure a mis-cut piece or a bad pattern). I’ve also seen caliber of work such that you describe, stuff so bad you can’t tear your eyes from it but some RTW is pretty bad too. The guy at the coop says these $20 train wrecks sell well. I can match the price and do a better job of it but the hassle of schlepping stuff around and collecting puts me over the top and out of the market. It depends on how hungry you are. It proves to me that there’s still a lot of opportunity in shopping bags. Ragga continues:
I think you mean that batching is problematic when spread around between several sewers. Am I getting this right? I’m not sure I agree that batching is always bad, I do it on the very rare occasions I have agreed to do small production, or when I do dupes. I am very confident that there is no difference in quality when I batch my dupes and it definitely speeds things up.
I am a reluctant convert to lean production -although not to lean processes such as cutting to order. Lean manufacturing doesn’t look the same in all industries -or even within the same industry. As Carol mentioned:
…if I’m making belt loops, I’m better to use a long strip, do the seaming in several long passes, than cut it into sections, trimming the weird ends. I would never be able to get a clean, true piece doing each little section.
Belt loops are an example of a sub-assembly. A sub-assembly is something that has to be sewn independently of the item before it can be added to it. A strap is another example. I argue with lean people all the time about sub-assemblies. I think it’s a case by case basis but agree belt loops should be batched like Carol says.
Returning to Ragga’s point of there being no difference in quality, I must reluctantly disagree. Vesta, one of our members, conducted a very interesting experiment. Having some time on her hands, she agreed to sew up 500 bags for her local farmer’s market association. She said:
OMG, OMG, OMG. I had to jump on and say I ran a little experiment for myself and Kathleen. I batched the first couple of hundred bags. Overlocked and stacked. Then later got on the lockstitch and hemmed, inserted the straps, trimmed, and flipped. Then I put the remaining couple of hundred bags through one-piece-flow. Cut pieces to finished bag. I had a U-shaped pod, with tables at the start and finish for cut fabric and finished bags. AND I was scooting around on a chair, rather than walking, which I’m convinced would have shaved a chunk of time off my average.
So? You ready? One-piece-flow was FASTER. It took me only about 86% of the time that it took to batch. And that’s not counting the time moving piles around in the batch phase: stack, move stacks periodically to a larger table, move them back later to the lockstitch machine…I’m floored. Totally. And I can’t tell you how much the quality improved when I stopped batching.
Anyway, I’m just writing up an internal summary of the project and couldn’t believe it when I averaged up my times. I thought I was going to be happy with a slightly longer time for the lean process, because of the quality difference alone. I don’t have to make any excuses for this one.
["One-piece-flow" is manufacturing-speak for "handmade".] People on the forum were suitably impressed and when asked for more detail about why the quality improved so much, Vesta said:
This paragraph from Kathleen’s post on how to prevent sewing defects is why the quality improved when I moved to lean:
Another way that lean saves you money is related to learning and the ability to self correct. For example, if an operator is only doing one step in the process as with bundling, the operator may not realize they’re doing an operation incorrectly. If they’re producing the entire garment, it will soon become evident further along in the process even if they don’t know to whom or what they can attribute the problem.
With all of the problems I encountered sewing, it was either me sewing a previous step less-than-optimally, or me working against the machine somehow. When I overlocked 200-odd pieces, I had to then deal with the shortcomings in every one of those pieces when I moved the batch over to the lockstitch (a week later). Then when I moved to the lean method, I realized I could be overlocking them in a way that would make my life easier at the lockstitch; and I perfected that as I completely sewed each bag.
I don’t expect anyone to believe that one piece flow (handmade) is faster and higher quality; it is something you have to experience for yourself to believe it. I think humans are hard-wired to prefer batching, it was the key to our survival as a species. Ron Pereira did a little video using the example of stuffing envelopes. The results were dramatic and controversial. Nobody enjoys having their sacred cows slaughtered.
Returning to what I said about lean production being different in each industry, Carol said
…as I remember it, one machine and a skilled operator to recalibrate it is better than five machines each custom-set. How long does it take to reset the machine?
In lean, single purpose machines are discouraged because they’re only good for one thing. This doesn’t really apply to sewn products because our machines, while they may be configured to do a certain operation, are infinitely adjustable to other operations that may be needed later on. Mike gave a great answer but I’d stress something that many homebased producers don’t quite understand (not Carol specifically).
Most people are used to the idea of one machine per person. In mass production, the ratio of sewing machines to operators is something like 1:1 because they do batching. There’s a few extras but that’s the rundown. In lean manufacturing, to prevent the waste of time spent switching out sewing feet or attachments, you have many more machines than operators. It is typical to have five or six machines per operator. And even that is misleading because operators share machines. In a pod like Mike has, there’s 11 or 12 machines and 2 sewing operators. Each operator uses each machine, they’re shared.
The problem with adapting this process to most home based producers is often space, they don’t have room for several machines and it could also be money although sewing machines can be very inexpensive. I think this is the biggest problem of small producers. You can’t sew faster without more machines but you can’t earn the money to rent space or buy equipment if you can’t sew faster. This is why I think homebased workers are attracted to batching, it gets them through a hump. However, from personal experience I know there are other ways to generate time savings that are not short cuts.
Speaking of short cuts, people think short cuts are the rule in the RTW industry. It is exactly the opposite. We take more time at the outset to do things in a certain way so that sewing takes much less time. We actually do more work, not less and in total, it takes less time to do it. For another thing (as Mike said) making things in one piece flow (handmade) means mistakes are caught and corrected immediately meaning you don’t waste time having to unsew something to fix it. How much time do you spend making corrections? At close, I’ve included links to entries that can help you understand ways you can sew faster.
Related 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
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By Kathleen Fasanella on Jun 24, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Admin post, meant to do this some time ago. Here’s a listing of free chapters of my book (Entrepreneur’s Guide to Sewn Product Manufacturing) online. I was reminded I needed to post this announcement because an old garmento supplier found the TOC page today and thought one of the entries was so hilarious -and true- he was compelled to call me. Specifically, he thought Weird Things that No One Ever Tells You was laugh out loud funny, especially when I talked about suppliers, presumably like him. He said this is exactly correct:
…calling a supplier and requesting a catalog can be perceived as threatening.
and under Interrogation 101:
Suppliers have things to sell but they won’t tell you what they have!
So between designers being too paranoid to tell suppliers what they’re making and suppliers too paranoid to tell designers what they’re selling, it is truly a miracle anyone launches a line without elaborate formal introductions. I’ve also been told many times that the chapter on how to buy wholesale fabric is a verbatim description of what really happens. Brrr, that’s so scary I shiver all over. Things have improved somewhat but I tell you, I couldn’t make this stuff up. It is so not like what people think.
Preamble dispensed with, here’s the free stuff, sorry I can’t do more:
Section 1: Introduction
Introduction
What is Manufacturing?
Reality 101
Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid
Weird Things that No One Ever Tells You
What Your Name Says About You
Free-Lance Design
Licensing
Section 2: Line planning
Job Descriptions in the Industry
Do You Need a Pattern Maker?
How to Hire a Pattern Maker
Section 4: Production
How to Hire a Grading Service
Section 7: Resources
Test Your Knowledge ( answers)
Forms, charts and tables:
Define Your Target Customer
Sketch Sheet (pdf)
Pattern Card (pdf)
Allocation Table
CM&T Worksheet
I hope you’ll consider adding it to your library, you won’t regret it and it’s what keeps this site going.
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By Kathleen Fasanella on Jun 24, 2009 at 3:49 pm
In part three (see pt.1 and pt.2), I think I want to back up and explain a few things. The problem is, I think a lot of people read certain phrases and mentally say to themselves “I’m so small that doesn’t apply to me” and then they tune out. Or maybe their knee has jerked up so fast and hard they’ve whacked their foreheads and knocked themselves out. I can’t know all of the words that have negative connotations to small businesses so keep an open mind. Be sure to read through to the very end (!) where I explain why all small businesses should continue to use handmade production or gravitate to it if they are not. Tragically, many tiny enterprises want to become more “efficient” by switching to certain methods used by large manufacturers and it is a step backward. But I digress, on with semantics.
The M word:
The M word -judging from what you read in many forums on the web- is a really naughty word and maybe even NSFW. Yes, that word is manufacturing. I hate to break the news but if you make stuff and sell it, no matter how large or how small you are, you are a manufacturer -legally!- no matter how much you dislike it. I don’t mean this unkindly but it’s hypocritical to complain you can’t buy made in the USA products anymore because who would want to do it when everyone decries manufacturing as an awful horrible thing? I once stood next to a woman in a store who complained nothing was made in the USA and when I said I worked in US manufacturing, she sneered at me and said “sweatshop”. You can’t have it both ways. If manufacturing is a dirty word, we are never going to rebuild jobs here because no sane person wants to engage in reviled and insulted work. Manufacturing is just like any other business, you have good ones and bad ones. It is unkind to insult hard working people who are proud of doing a good job especially if they’re doing something you don’t want to.
Handmade:
Almost no one really knows what handmade means. The dictionary defines this as “made or prepared by hand rather than by machine” but that’s obviously not true in sewn products nor in pottery. It would be ridiculous to suggest a bowl made by a potter isn’t handmade because a wheel was used to form it. Rather, handmade is defined by the industry to which it applies. In rugmaking, it means the rug was hand knotted or hand-loomed. I can find tons of examples but I’ll drill it down to this: in sewn products, handmade means the item was made by one person start to finish. In other words, there is no contradiction between handmade and the M word, you are both. I’m not arguing with you for no reason. You must understand that handmade is the most efficient form of production the P word and ensures the highest level of quality. Really, it does. Too bad so many see the M and P words thrown around so they split before seeing how often I write about this to prove it. Everyone’s goal should be P-word of handmade products. If you’re already there, don’t change! That will become clearer later on.
The P word:
The P word is production. This means to make stuff. Seriously, that’s it. If you do handmade or one-offs, you are engaged in producing things or production. I think the P word is semantically linked to “mass” but seriously, what does “mass production” mean? I’ve looked everywhere, haven’t found it yet but I think I’ve devised a definition which is found under automation.
One-off:
I think most people know what this means but it is often used interchangeably with handmade (made by one person). A couture gown may be a one-off (one of a kind) but it is not necessarily handmade because some jobs (beading, pleating etc) may be done by a separate person. Making one-offs -depending on their individual complexity- can be difficult to profit from. If you’re using the same pattern but only making one in each given fabric, you’ve got some reproducibility going so this can work for customers who like unique items. If you’re making a separate pattern and only using it once, well, you’re more like an artist and have to deal with those challenges.
Craft:
This is another commonly misused word. Craft relates to skilled trades. More than anything, it refers to skill. I consider myself to be a craftsman, a tradesman. I am proud of this identity; craft is not talent or creativity. Craft is hard work and years of dedicated practice. Craft is a somber, serious and respectful word. I realize craft has come to mean everything from glued on appliques to puffy paint but I thought to bring it up because it is pivotal within the context of…
Craft Production:
P word and craft dispensed with, we can put the two together to talk about craft production. Again, this has an official meaning and is very frequently discussed in M word circles. Paradoxically, it is not always a good thing. Craft production often means building on the fly which can be a problem if you’re relying on the skill (or lack of) of one person. Standardization is kind of the opposite of craft production. An example would be using a pattern that isn’t 100% -it isn’t standard- you have to trim bits and pieces away to make things fit together. To attain the best result, you must have the best craft person possible (usually you). However, if you had a good pattern (standardized), you wouldn’t need a highly paid craftsperson to do basic work. That is not to say you want just anyone but even craftsman work best if pieces are cut to match. Otherwise, no two pieces will be alike. As a consumer, you don’t like things that are not standardized. Ex., you can buy five pairs of Levi’s 501s of the same size and they’ll all measure and fit differently because each factory makes their own pattern when that should be standardized. With craft production, you need a staff of (expensive) craftsman who may have varying skill levels and can only do one thing. If you’re standardized, anyone can be cross trained to do most any other job.
Automation:
Automation is most closely associated with mass production but it means you use specially devised jigs, gadgets or tools in addition to your sewing machine. There’s two basic kinds of automation. One is semi-automated meaning you do something like using a folding template to make a welt pocket. The second kind of automation is a machine that does the operation start to finish, in one fell swoop. Automation isn’t bad per se, it can reproduce operations perfectly so you want to create homemade tools and use them effectively (this is why industrial sewing is usually higher quality). The problem is seduction. Automation makes things so simple that you’re seduced by simplicity to want everything to be so simple so you take short cuts where you shouldn’t. It’s short cuts -the afterbirth of automation- that are the problem. It’s kind of a paradox too. Good because things are exactly the same and bad because you’re seduced by simplicity to dumb it down too far. Don’t do this.
Single Needle:
Few people new to the business use this term and it’s too bad. It’s prestigious. It means the opposite of automation. When you say your products are single needle, it means you (or your stitchers) are such highly skilled crackerjacks they don’t need no stinkin’ automation. If I’m talking to someone in the trade, I rarely neglect to mention I specialize in patterns for single needle production. With patterns for automation, you can be off an 1/8th here or there and finagle the piece through a folder (automation) but not single needle. It must be perfect. Skill-wise among pattern makers, this is the top of the heap. Tailoring and coat making is characterized by single needle.
Batch production
I really hope you’ve stayed with me this far because this is really important, the most important part of this entry as future entries will show. Batch production means to batch jobs, like sewing all the straps at once, all the zippers at once etc. Batch production is the polar opposite of handmade. If I were to define mass production with one word, it would be batching. The paradox is that batching is the one thing that homebased sewing businesses want to do most. Eeek! Handmade=good (higher quality). Batching=bad (lower quality is unavoidable). I’ve written many entries on this and I know it sounds counterintuitive but it’s true. One of my designers has four employees (including the two owners) and they cut, sew and ship to customers (consumer direct, not wholesale) within 24 hours of getting the order. The customer has no idea the item they bought doesn’t even exist yet. All of their products are handmade, each item made by one sewing operator and nothing is batched. They were on target to break seven figures last year. Since they sew to order, they’re doing even better than someone else with the same sales figures because they have no money tied up in inventory and the cost of labor it took to sew it.
Many homebased sewing businesses are not doing batch production but they want to start doing it. Don’t. I don’t claim it’s easy but you should continue to use handmade production to customer order. Getting “efficient” by switching to a mass production concept like batching is a step backward.
Related entries:
Batch, UPS and Modular (Batch pt.1)
Batch, UPS and Modular (Batch pt.2)
Category: Lean Manufacturing
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