May 2 through May 8, 2005
How to get sizing and grading standards
WOATS

May 2 through May 8, 2006
Working as a freelance fashion designer
Why I Love Cotton Incorporated
Made by Magpie
How to issue style numbers pt.129
How to start a clothing line
Sally, Amy and me

May 2 through May 8, 2007
Training sewing machine operators pt 2
Training sewing machine operators pt 3
News from you 5/4/07
Miami Beach day 1

I think we need something like this so I've launched a test program on our forum. If you're a member, you can weigh in there or post your comments here (I've included the email that I sent to members last night). Initially I had some trepidation but I've become rather excited and looking forward to reading the criteria by which people think their peers should be evaluated. Of course, I anticipated service providers to be reluctant, worried it'd put them to disadvantage and they haven't disappointed me in expressing their reservations. My point is, the forum is for designers. The forum -while a partnership- is not a barrel constructed to make fishing for customers more convenient and easy. Without designers, we don't eat; the forum should be arranged to put their needs first. I think we (service providers) lack integrity if we fail to inconvenience ourselves just because we fear the scrutiny of our peers, colleagues and competitors. Put it this way, I much prefer that we police ourselves rather than forcing designers to do it because we will not. They shouldn't have to do that. If we have any integrity in our craft and self respect, we'll set minimal standards of competency for ourselves.

Effective immediately, if one member wants to let others know they are available for hire, they must submit to a jurying process to be certified. Once approved, everyone will know because their membership status (off to the left of every post) will read "Certified Service Provider" rather than "Supporting Member" like it does now.

Designers, it will not be recommended that you hire anyone who has not applied or been approved to be a certified service provider. If you decide to risk hiring someone who isn't willing to withstand the rigor of examination of their peers, that's your decision. If someone solicits your business or a job and they have not applied for certification, you should ask them why they haven't and of course tell me because the other new rule is no soliciting (I know it's done via PM or email) unless you're certified.

As soon as an individual applies or makes it known they want to be certified (by emailing me), their membership status will be changed to "Service Provider -Status Pending". If you want to see what this new membership status looks like, see our volunteer guinea pig's.

Details:
I added another forum for certifications under bios. Each applicant will have their own thread. The first post will list the specific service(s) they are applying to provide and the date. When their review materials are received, this will be noted. The criteria of jurying and their scores will be posted. And of course, anyone using the service provider is welcome to add comments on the services they received from the service provider at any point in time.

Members will be certified for specific functions. For example, someone who provides design assistance will NOT be certified for a separate function of technical design unless they apply and test for that specifically. If you're not a pattern maker in the latter example, I don't suggest you attempt it. Someone may be certified to make patterns but the specific type will be noted (knits, wovens, leather etc). This applies to contracting, sample making, consulting, everything.

So, until further notice designers, if you want to hire someone, ask me first. If the party has not applied, I will notify them of the policy change in the event this has escaped their notice. If they do not choose to participate, that's an answer for you there and I will notify you. If they do choose to, then until we can process them, I'll post a thread and solicit comments from members as to their performance (PMs/emails are okay).

There will be a fee, I don't know how much. All I know is that it'll be based on costs (evaluation time and admin). Nobody's going to make money on it. I expect to lose money on it. You might not think this is fair but look at it this way, you make money here, it's a revenue source that doesn't cost you anything. It takes time to evaluate and analyze this stuff -to say nothing of developing it in the first place.

That's all for now. If you want to provide suggestions to the selection process criteria or standards to consider, please email me. Likewise, email me if you want to apply for the certification process and I'll update you as I get the materials together.

Thanks for your time and I hope you agree this measure is something we've needed for a long time.

best
Kathleen
PS. In case you wonder even I must be certified. I wouldn't be setting much of an example it I didn't go through it myself.

Kathleen, maybe I'm off my rocker for wanting to do this but I am interested in starting a small independent pattern company. My search for someone to develop the patterns for the home sewer has come up empty. I find lots of information for people and companies like yourself.

I don't think you're off your rocker, this a great business option. While not without its challenges, there's still room in the market depending on your product quality, USP, styling, demography and marketing.

The point of not being able to find "someone to develop the patterns for the home sewer" is probably the one thing that gets me going. There's no reason you can't use industry services too. Having reviewed the range of products from more independent home sewing companies than I can count, quality can be a problem and among those who provide services to them, fees are exorbitant. Most "home drafters" don't know accepted standards of practice and will think they're entitled to royalties. I don't see why you have to find and hire a "home drafter". I have to give you points though, most people who start these companies feel they must be their own pattern maker and that's silly. If you started a restaurant, would you be the only cook? You'd never sleep. The writer continues:

There are several things going on here. First, it doesn't necessarily hold that the pattern maker is the one who writes instructions. I wouldn't say none do, just that most don't. It's not our job. Not to say we can't but you'll most likely have to contract for that in addition to the job. In the usual course of affairs, we're making patterns for customers who already know how to sew. Any instructions -at best- amount to a list of seam specifications for a given seam. I wouldn't let this stop you though. If you hired the right service that was using the right software, instruction making is dramatically simplified. You could also do it yourself. How comfortable are you with software? Patternworks Inc is softly launching Style File that will perform these functions. If this isn't your speed or within your budget, you can hire an illustrator. It's best to hire one who sews and can make patterns. I recommend Danielle. Your last option is to take photos as you make one (you will have to test those patterns no matter who makes them) and put it out on CD. Create a pdf and let users print it out if they want. I don't know why nobody's doing that. That's what I'd do.

Second, the matter of not having a serger is a red herring. Just as your sizing cannot be all things to all people, neither can your pattern nor design of construction. One problem with the big four pattern companies is that they're too broadly-based. Independents are successful for targeting niches. A case in point is Kwik Sew. Lack of sergers doesn't seem to be hurting them any. Why must your patterns be designed to cover every possible contingency? I think that's what's wrong with the big four. I understand the tendency of people to want to attempt to garner the largest possible share of the market by covering as many bases as possible but you can't, so why try? If DEs are most successful if they're highly targeting their market, why would home pattern companies be any different?

Third, industrial pattern makers are accustomed to designing patterns specific to equipment. Just as a designer must provide information about the equipment being used to sew, so must you. You have two choices. One is to specify the standard allowance of 5/8" or you consider one aspect of USP (below) and vary them.

Fourth -regarding the issue of USP- is specificity because prolepsis is an exercise in futility. While there's dunces in any crowd, home sewers aren't stupid. Those who don't have sergers and who are likely to buy independent patterns, have already figured the work arounds for serger dearth. If they haven't, or they don't have sergers, they're not likely to be a customer you want based on your product description (later). You know, you could do something different and have production quality patterns. A unique proposition is that your styles would sew up better and faster. Of course you'd have to learn how to do what you didn't know but what's the harm in that? It'd give you a leg up over so many others. Our methods aren't harder, they're easier. And like I said, based on your product type, you should shoot for a better class of sewer.

With respect to targeting your customer demography, in my book, I make designers fill out a worksheet on customer demography and needs. I suggest you do the same. What kind of equipment does your customer have? What are their fitting needs? What are their sizing needs? How much money do they have? These are all things to consider when marketing your patterns.

I'm just now getting back into sewing and found the lack of glamorous evening wear (i.e. nightgowns, peignoirs, robes, etc.) disappointing. What has happened to it.? As a married forty something I would love to have beautiful things to wear at home and have that 1940's sophistication.

Personally, I like your product idea. I think your customer should be more sophisticated in both skills and tastes. Done well -meaning you get a reputation for quality- you'll be fine. You won't have a problem getting someone to try them out (that doesn't mean giving them away, I recommend you don't). The ladies on Pattern Review jockey amongst themselves to be the first discoverers of anything new pattern-wise and they'll race each other to sew something of yours up before anyone else, all in the name of friendly competition. I wouldn't even worry that a bad review would hurt you (unless it's valid and goes uncorrected) because an unnamed party says she got slews of bad reviews and everybody had to buy them just to see why there were so bad. Not that I recommend crap of course.

In sum, while it's not common, there's no reason you can't hire an apparel industry pattern maker. There's many advantages to it. I don't know how much money you have, how many you plan to print or how you plan to print them. I recommend using someone with CAD. The print out is very clean and neat. Figuring out allocation is practically mindless. No one will expect royalties because it's assumed you want to use it for commercial purposes. Why else would you hire us?

If it were me, I'd produce very exclusive and complex designs for a sophisticated customer with well above average income. I would charge at least two or three times as much as existing patterns. I would stay far away from the customer who sews to save money because my customer's primary aspiration would be to acquire better skills. Most patterns for enthusiasts aren't that great, they are perceived as a commodity and you can buy them for a dollar on sale at Wal-Mart. Coffee is a commodity too but consumer perception of its commodity status has changed. Coffee can be pricey (Starbucks) or inexpensive (Denny's). As with coffee, I think there's room in the market for a premium pattern line. I imagine a lot of consumers would squeal over pricing but I would limit my liability by not committing to a large print run without any sales (guidelines for patterns and clothes are no different; see my book). Considering the price I'd be charging, I wouldn't have a lot of orders at the outset so I could print them on my plotter to order. Having these plotted isn't very expensive. While I can do it less expensively myself, I have a friend who will plot for $1 a linear yard. I don't know how much capital you have to put into it, but this could be an option for you too.

I can also tell you I wouldn't spend anything on envelope art, or even marketing at the outset beyond a website. Since I'd only be selling over the web, customers would buy based on the illustration or photos on the website. At most I'd provide a black and white technical sketch for the pattern. My plan probably wouldn't work for you but I'm sure you can find some middle ground between the two extremes.

The press release says to contact Sarah Munter at 602.258.1852 with any questions but she has yet to return my call from last Friday. Ba-dump-bump. If I were closer, I'd go. More info is below the fold.

Joanna Berzowska is Associate Professor of Design and Computation Arts and Director of the Graduate Certificate Program in Digital Technologies at Concordia University. She is a member of the Hexagram Research Institute in Montreal and the founder and research director of XS Labs, where her team develops innovative methods and applications in electronic textiles and responsive garments.

XS Labs is a design research studio with a focus on innovation in the fields of electronic textiles and wearable computing, where we try to break down the traditional boundaries between disciplines. Many of our electronic textile innovations come from the fact that we look at the technical but also cultural history of how textiles have been made for generations (weaving, stitching, embroidery, knitting, beading, quilting) but use materials with different electro-mechanical properties which enables us to construct more complex textiles with electronic properties.

Skorpions are a set of kinetic electronic garments that move and change on the body in slow, organic motions. They have anthropomorphic qualities and can be imagined as parasites that inhabit the skin of the host. They are living behavioral kinetic sculptures that exploit characteristics such as control, anticipation, and unpredictability. They have their own personalities, their own fears and perversions.

Her site (while not without with some arty goobley-gook that careens around like an out of control pin ball in my brain) is pretty cool. Unlike a lot of artist's sites, the background is clean and sparse; it's not competing for attention detracting from its purpose. The site also includes a pod cast so you can listen while perusing the images. Pretty neat!

Her ...tapestries?...are comprised of varying colors of thread spools (sponsored in part by Coats & Clark, natch) suspended to form pixilated copies of well known artists paintings. Below is an example of the Mona Lisa.

If you go to the site, you've already seen what I did "wrong" to this picture. Heh. Being an art-retard, I fail to understand why she had to do everything upside down. Yeah, I know all about the eye/brain transposition thing having learned it in the fourth grade but was it really necessary? I thought the core concept was cool enough to stand on its own. Regardless, do go see and tell me all about it. She has some quite large ones too, including The Last Supper.

Apparel was the first, a project by Jenny Chowdhury. My copy of the catalog was wet in that corner so I don't know what it looks like. Jenny is a bit of a prankster with a BS (Tufts) and MS (NYU) in electrical engineering, she's no intellectual or creative slouch. I feel a sense of disappointment; perhaps she's set my expectations high based on her previous projects. Her jacket uses radio waves to illuminate stripes according to Wi-Fi signal strength. That said, it could be useful when traveling and you're looking for an open connection.

The Charming Burka was interesting. It allows a woman wearing one to transmit a preselected image of herself to someone nearby on their cell phone. Apparently, this doesn't violate the laws in the Koran. Designed by Markus Lison using Bluebot technology. Hmm, I could imagine a whole range of garments doing the same. Best not to give naughty teens any ideas.

Markus also designed a Vanity Ring. With an electronic display and web connected docking device, it displays the number of Google hits one's name generates. In case you wonder, Markus majored in Physics. Heh.

Like most everything, Jacket Antics was of dubious value (that is not the point) but it was clever. LED arrays of texts and design are embedded in the backs of jackets. When wearers hold hands, the LEDs form a synchronous message across the backs of both. Designer: Barbara Layne. A related project, ok2touch were jackets that play music when wearers hold hands. ok2touch Designers: Jay Silver and Jodi Finch

Ooooh (ouch) the Kyrielle Collection are two bags -male and female- with mixed messages. Designed to work together, the male bag is non-functional without the female bag and carries the electronic support and power system for its female partner. It is also described as "aggressive". Not sure I like the message this project sends. Designers: Julie Legault, Josiane Mercier Auger, and Elio Bidinost

Lest I'm accused of failing to notice it, the Infinity Burial Suit is duly noted -morbid and kind of gross (and not what you're thinking). Designer: Jae Rhim Lee

Open Shade -in spite of more copy than most- the meaning or intent of this piece was not well articulated. So it's a solar powered head scarf. To what purpose? What does it do? Designers: Alice Tseng-Planas, Farida Kebaili, Nadra Kebaili, Leif Krinkle, Hatti Lim, and Laura Moore

Party Dress unfolds to become a tent. I know what you're thinking. The only obvious difference being that this was designed to do it -on purpose. Designers: Dana Karwas and Karla Karwas (sisters).

Sun, Moon and Sky Dresses. A series of three gowns reflecting the changing barometric characteristics of each. The Sky dress is an inflatable. Designers: Valérie Lamontagne with Lynn Van Gastel, Patrice Coulombe, and David Beaulieu

Piezing is a top and bottom (illustration only, no photo) that have embedded piezoelectric film fibers. These convert mechanical movement generated by the wearer into electric voltage, stored into batteries (disguised as buttons) which can be discharged to portable electronic devices. The embed pattern of the film fibers of the top confuses me somewhat. I can only imagine the designer is forever yanking their front neckline down. I would have aligned the pattern to the primary range of motion so like I said, this confuses me. Designers: Amanda Parkes and Adam Kumpf

Polite Umbrella is a must have item for -er- the socially challenged. Apparently, it also has a sense of humor. Designer: JooYoun Paek

Not sure what to think of the Skorpions project, subject of a later entry today. I'd most definitely would want a look, up close and personal. Can I touch? Designers: Joanna Berzowska, Di Mainstone, Marguerite Bromley, Marcelo Coelho, David Gauthier, Francis Raymond, and Valerie Boxer

Solar Vintage represent a collection of solar powered accessories which can be docked in the evening to provide ambient light. Designer: Elena Cochero

Sp4rkl3 (it annoys me when numbers and letters are mixed, harder to type too) is similar to the Piezo project, likewise only a sketch was provided. Too bad; it was one of the items I most would have wanted to see. Designers: Kit Waal and Rehmi Post

Sp4rkl3 is a dress that lights up due to its own motion. As Sp4rkl3’s skirt swishes and sways, it provides a dynamic light show, encouraging its wearer to be active and giving others a visible gauge of her level of motion. There are no batteries in the dress itself, which uses a novel power distribution mechanism and creates a dazzling effect with virtually no indication that electronics are involved.

Trikoton is the "voice knitting collection". Knitting patterns based on the frequency bands of human speech are converted in binary code. The result looks similar to ikat. Designers: Magdalena Kohler and Hanna Wiesener

The last item, X-travagant X-pansionism while unique, I'm not sure really belongs in here. Like the ballgown tent, it's a mechanical device. Inspired by a peacock's plumage (with silk colors to match), the wearer can pull a lever to raise the peacocks tail. Designer: Grace D. Johnston

We are seeking active wear apparel for [redacted] sports made from [redacted] fabrics. We are looking to private label and need a variety but minimums to create the lines. Can anyone provide assistance or any leads.

The meaning of private label has become diluted or rather expanded. Thinking a bit, I think I've narrowed it down according to who is signing the check for the order. There are three kinds of private label.

1. Corporations and Organizations
   
2. Retailers -internal product development
   
3. Retailers: external product development

Lastly, I'll explain why one needn't be a major player to provide private label goods. There's no reason a DE can't get in on it too. Even small stores like the idea. If you've been delivering consistently -and they've been paying consistently- this can work out well for both of you.

Now, if an individual or entity wants a truly custom product of their own creation, then they are a manufacturer themselves and need to go through the rigors such that you all do. Few are served by going to a catalog house such as that described above unless it is a huge corporation like UPS or McDonald's who want uniforms. Such products are similar to items these catalogs already produce.

Retail: Internal product development
Many retail stores have private label programs that they use to merchandise amongst the products they buy from manufacturers to increase their margins. In affect, the retailer is the designer and manufacturer. There are varying relationships and stores of any size will do this (many boutiques create styles for their stores to mix with what they buy). Like you, whether they produce the items under their own auspices or hire it all out, they are the manufacturer. Some retailers have pattern makers and sample sewers on staff, while others hire that out. The retailer will have a private label division that handles all of the production management. Zara is an example of private label with internal product development. However, they differ in that they don't sell other brands in their stores. Another example of a vertically integrated store is the Gap.

Lastly, it is rare that a retailer will be exclusively internally or externally based with their private label sourcing; it's usually a combination. Just as you are unable to produce the entire gamut of sewn product items spanning categories as children's, outerwear, swim suits, shoes, maternity etc, neither have stores the resources to produce all of these product categories in house.

Retail: external product development
In this case, the retailer will contract with a company that they already buy from for an exclusive deal on certain styles. Typically, they like a given body style but it's not typically a blank (of which millions are made); it's more seasonal. When previewing a line for purchase, the store may ask for additional styles in custom colors or fabrications just for them. This can be a good deal for both parties; the store may possibly get the goods at a lower price and the manufacturer has a guaranteed sale. Still, margins aren't the only reason a store may want private label; it's a matter of exclusivity. The store thinks the style will be a strong seller and merely wants a color or fabrication that no one else will have.

Usually a store doesn't get as much of a price break as you'd think because the manufacturer incurs a few costs above and beyond the costs incurred with their usual line creation. These costs amount to administrative sample management, sourcing goods for the store's exclusive use, sample creation and shipping samples for approval. If costs are lower, it's usually because the store wanted a less expensive fabric or simplified sewing and design process. Also, costs may be less because a private label deal is a house account sale. A manufacturer's sales rep won't be collecting a commission on a house account.

In nearly all cases, the store's label will go in the garment but this isn't always true. Rather, if a designer is a big name, they may design a line specifically for a retail store. Several designers have done that for Target. Again, there are varying relationships. The designer may be under contract and the store arranges for production or the designer's company can also produce the line too.

Private label and you
There is no reason why a DE couldn't offer private label to customers who request it -assuming you'd be the one to also manufacture it -unless you just don't want the hassle. There are some parameters though.

• Get the money first: If you're buying goods exclusive to the store's request, they must agree to specific quantities and a down payment (at least 50%) is in order. If the order isn't sufficient to cover purchasing minimums, well, you can't do it. I would also recommend collecting at delivery like you would for any other customer.
• Custom design for a store: This is where it can get tricky. Who owns the design? Who owns the pattern? Technically, if you charge them for the pattern, they own it. So, you may not want to charge them for it if you think you'll want to re use it once the period of exclusivity ends. Exclusivity is another thing, determiine a set time period. It goes without saying that it'd be very naughty of you to reuse the pattern for yourself or another store before that period expires.
• Price: Again, they may not be entitled to the price break they imagine. If they've selected lower cost goods than you normally use, then fine. You should lop off a bit for it being a house account. If a sales rep got you the deal, you have to give them something otherwise they won't get you any more. I wouldn't know what the rate of commission would be but owing to the particular nature of the arrangement, it's not likely that the rep will service those particular styles the way they do others. The potential of private label accounts is something you should discuss with a rep when you interview or hire one.

April 25 through May 1, 2005
Process Review: MT Install
Non-disclosure agreements
NPR pledge week

April 25 through May 1, 2006
Chinese bras and sizing
Look what I bought
Nothings, news and links 1
How to hire a fashion illustrator
Intruder (a favorite)
Silence lends consent
Quality quiz

April 25 through May 1, 2007
Evaluating the Pattern Grading Process pt.2
Jeans Sizing, Problems and Recommendations
What does Fashion-Incubator mean to you?
News from you 4/27/07
Apparel manufacturing in California
Training sewing machine operators pt 1

From here in the forum:

I am planning on doing something a little different than I've done in the past with my next line. I figured I should make this transition now while I still can. I'm going to go under my name instead of a label. I found while I was at the show in NY this past weekend that my label that I've had for 6 years now doesn't correctly represent my new lines. If I go under my name I don't feel backed into a corner to always have to use vintage fabrics. I still plan on using all eco friendly fabrics though.

To which I responded,

Oh, I think that is an excellent idea. You've grown, time to move on. Besides, "recycle xxx designs" doesn't say "vintage" to me anyway. I think it's a good idea in another way too. Right now, eco stuff is all the rage. Everybody's putting eco this and green that in their label names. I know that ten years from now, those label names will be very dated. Not that the impetus toward sustainability will be less (who knows) but it'll just look dumb. Look at it this way, assuming everyone's on the bandwagon then and sustainability is de rigeur, it'll be too obvious. Like saying you have a food restaurant. What other kind of restaurant would you have? Better to impart your sustainability values to a name that isn't trendy, one with longevity.

Another list I'm on, had a related topic on how green businesses struggle to get financing. In a rant I similarly did not submit, I said that acquiring funding -in my opinion- has nothing to do with the viability of a "green" business focus. Rather, it has much more to do with the viability of their operations and eco businesses are no more likely to prioritize well than any other young business. The difference being, it's a cop out to complain financing isn't forthcoming because you're too progressive. As it happens, I've been thinking about it because Eric and I have been talking about starting a micro-lending program. The problem is, there are so few manufacturers doing things right, we wouldn't -couldn't- cherry pick between green or brown ventures. What's worse, I realized that the few businesses I would fund, were operationally prioritized such that they most likely wouldn't be willing to assume debt. Not without planning. I know, we tried to lend somebody $7,500 (based on prime, so it's not as though we'd make money on it) and she turned it down! And not that she doesn't need the money. Far from it. Her priorities are such that she won't commit to the assumption of debt until she feels poised to handle it (why she's attractive to loan to). The take home lesson being, your name, priorities and operations can't be trendy. Your core values should be imbued into everything you do for all time. You shouldn't have to bang on about it if it's genuine. Investors won't care if you're green, only that your operations and priorities are sound.

If you're curious what I deleted from this entry, it had a lot to do with this [the comments are quite good; regarding eco production, Alison's are particularly pithy.] and the parameters of identity strangled together with an umbilical cord. Specifically, the whole faddish mompreneur or WAHM-preneur thing. A whole other "movement", it feels disingenuous coupled with narcissistic overtones. Apparently, I'm not the only woman to feel this way:

...women are constantly complaining that they’re not treated equally when it comes to the business world, but they feel compelled to alienate a whole gender by making it seem like their accomplishments are that much more important because they experienced motherhood while crafting a business concept.

Women have been working from home for hundreds of years. Will you still be a WAHM when you're fifty or sixty? No, you'll have to switch identities to be a GRAMpreneur. These are gimmicky self-applied self-adhesive labels. Your choices are to either mature and evolve, or you'll flail and fall into the next gimmick that comes along. Otherwise, you'll find yourself covered in discarded identities represented by sticky tape residue and remnants of water soluble tattoos. The transience of fads isn't attractive to long term investors either. The only people who can make a permanent gig of mompreneuring are authors and owners of subscription networks and thus, are financially motivated to propagate the meme. Perhaps it's best to pick a name, identity and business model that isn't so temporal.

Based on some of the responses, I'm thinking I should have first explained the definition of button "stand" because I think many people confuse button stand as meaning the same thing as placket width (such as that seen on men's dress shirts). The reason they are not the same thing is because not every button closure has a placket but all button closures -even non-functional ones- have a stand. Technically, the stand lies from the line to be joined (often CF or CB) to the finished edge. On a man's dress shirt, the stand line runs halfway (vertically) through the placket width. The stand does not refer to the total space occupied by the button -which a placket will plus an allowance. The width of button stand does not include the half of the button that lies on the opposing side of that dividing line to the finished edge.

Kaaren also brought up interesting points because when I wrote the question, I was thinking strictly about vertically applied button holes. With vertical button holes, the holes are applied exactly on the dividing line of usually CF or CB -the join line. With horizontal holes, that's not the case. Usually, with horizontal ones, one side of the hole crosses the CF/CB or join line by a scant amount -toward the outer edge. In lighter goods that may only be a 1/16th. Heavier goods would be an 1/8" but again as Kaaren mentions, this amount is dependent on button size and profile. A domed button without a shank, is going to take up more goods at closure meaning the hole should probably be placed extending an 1/8th over the join line. Again, this refers to horizontal holes. There's no such difficulty with vertical holes, this being but another reason why these are used more often. Speaking of, the reason it's more common to see vertical button holes is that there's more allowance for the button to ride in. If a button is mistakenly applied slightly above or below the midway point of the button hole, the closure isn't going to buckle over a misaligned button placement.With horizontal button holes, you must have the button and hole aligned exactly or the button above and below will alternatively gape or be too taut. A misaligned horizontal hole will make the other two buttons (above and below it) look bad. If you goof on a vertical placement, it's rarely noticeable. The button will just sit higher or lower in the hole but few will notice unless the button hole thread is a deliberate contrasting thread color.

The answer
The official answer for most applications (barring design features etc), the stand should be the same size as the button. If your button is 1", the stand should be 1". Once applied, half the button lies to either side of the CF/CB join line. With a one inch button, this means there will be 1/2" fabric showing from the button edge to the finished edge.

Speaking of, another point Kaaren brought up was "width should have a minimum of 1/4 inch on either end of the button hole." In other words, between the end of the button hole and the finished edge, there should be at least 1/4" worth of goods. So, even if you're using really tiny buttons, the minimum of 1/4" is precedent. The reason for that is two fold. One, the structural integrity of the finished edge is compromised if it's any less than that. Second, anything less -the finished edge being structurally compromised- could curl up cupping the underside of the button if the garment is too tight.

Shannon brings up a point about thicker fabrics. I've made a lot of coats. In thicker goods, the stand made need to be slightly wider than the button otherwise it looks cheap. There's a highly scientific way of determining whether this is the case. We align a button along a folded edge of fabric to see if it "looks good". In any case, the most I've ever had to increase a stand's width over button size is an 1/8th.

Lastly, if you're confused or ever in doubt, you can do as Sarah suggests and allow "1/2" between the button edge and the edge of the garment front".

And this is probably more than you've ever cared to know about button hole placement...

Penalties:
Other than the obvious -"Contracting for the performance of an apparel industry service with a manufacturer or contractor who is known to have failed to register or renew its registration, or whose registration has been revoked"- constitutes a violation. In other words, you are required to check whether someone has a license and that they are in good standing. Similarly (as I've said ad nauseum) you are legally a manufacturer even if you don't own a single sewing machine. If you're looking for a "manufacturer" to produce your products, that means you're looking for a competitor and why would you do that?

In assessing penalties, the NJ law goes one step further than NY and CA. The latter two states will confiscate finished goods from those deemed to be in violation of the law. NJ will confiscate "any partially or completely assembled articles of apparel and any equipment used in the assembly of apparel from any manufacturer or contractor. Ouch! Bye bye sewing machines.

Potential sources of confusion:
The landing page states that "No manufacturer or contractor shall engage in the making, cutting, sewing, finishing, assembling, pressing or otherwise producing of apparel, designed or intended to be worn by any individual and sold or offered for sale" but the abstract (pdf) of chapter 458 says "No manufacturer or contractor shall engage in the apparel industry in this State..." with no other qualifiers. Does this mean that if one is making baby blankets or dog collars, that they don't need a license? Or, is "apparel industry" intended to include sewn products as well? I suppose one could split hairs on a technicality but who knows how it'd end up.

Unlike the California law, it makes no mention of people who sew from home. It is brief, saying

"Contractor" shall include, but is not limited to, a subcontractor, jobber or wholesaler, but shall not include a production employee employed for wages who does not employ others.

There's a complete listing of statutes governing the apparel industry. Conveniently enough, all sections are live links. Oh, and navigate away from any given sidebar on the NJ page to your peril. You won't find your place again. Leave this open on your desktop to get back to where you were. The bread crumbs and sub menus are close to useless. Odd that, the site looks so organized.

Resources:
If you're looking for a contractor in NJ, they couldn't make it any easier to find one. To get the complete listing, leave the form entirely blank and hit submit. Heck, there's even a button to download the database. Unfortunately, the database doesn't list whether an enterprise is in violation. You have to call them, which you should be anyway to get your own license. Unless of course, you don't live there but then again, the state is silent about that too. NY doesn't require you to have a license if you're a foreign entity but California does.

Pending questions:
The office that provides information wouldn't answer my questions because I wasn't seeking a license. Once I explained why I wanted the information, they (very cordially) referred me to their media relations department. Said individual didn't have the answer to my three questions (below) but promised to get back to me within no defined time frame. I intend no offense directed towards the state of NJ but I don't know how long that'll take. CA never called me back and NY took a week. I will amend this entry when I hear back. My remaining three questions are:

1. Is it legal to employ people to sew at home?
2. Do non-residents (foreign entities) need a license?
3. Does this licensing requirement apply to producers of sewn products?

Feel free to add any questions you may have.

Abject cuteness dispensed with, we stayed at a B&B called the Black Range Lodge, originally constructed in 1880 when it housed cavalry and miners. Owned by Catherine Wanek and Pete Fust, they're a story unto themselves. As it happens, Catherine is an expert in straw bale construction and wrote a beautiful book called The New Straw Bale Home. Dang, now I see I could have gotten it for $11 less at Amazon but hey, you have to support authors. Besides, I got my copy signed. The book is gorgeous, coffee table style with detailed information on costs, processes etc. Of course their property is a testament to ongoing sustainability which I'll show you next. They are very thrifty. I liked that none of the towels matched. They feed you an awesome breakfast too, complete with entertainment from Pete who does all of the cooking. He is a card. He says his cooking is so good, he's gotten five marriage proposals. Two of them from women. Below are their pictures.

Here are more pictures from the place. Below is the stove. Ancient but still works great. Pete says that an 80 year old man came by the week before and wanted to see if they still had it. Supposedly, he worked there when he was 12. He said it was old then.

I thought the burners were lovely, a very interesting pattern (below)

Below is a picture of the kitchen.

Below is a photo of the second story landing (three floors, Catherine and Pete live on the third floor). Look at the size of those beams. There's musical instruments everywhere, lying around. Books too.

Below is a photo of one of the bedrooms.

On the back side of the lodge, they're slowly adding straw bale insulation to the exterior. Once finished, it looks quite nice, very much in keeping with New Mexico style architecture ("pueblo").

They've almost completed building a cistern to collect all of the rainwater (below).

Below you can see the tubing connecting the drain pipe to the cistern.

Catherine says they have very good water and it's free but being ever frugal, she would rather harvest rain water for the grounds and washing. All of their water is recycled. It passes through a leech field. Everything is recycled and guests are expected to follow through. There were separate buckets for different foodstuffs. Plant based products in one bucket. Tea and coffee (grounds and liquid) into another. Pete says the fruit trees like the acidity. I didn't know that. I know next to nothing about gardening.

More items from the grounds, fruits and vegetables are stored in this (cob construction) root cellar outdoors.

Here's a wood fired hot tub, again, all made on site.

Below is a "lean to", pretty fancy. Great place to sleep in mid summer. Not that it gets hot here.

We found one of the permanent residents hanging out in the lean to. She was very friendly and in need of pets. There were lots of dogs around, most of them supplied by guests. A very pet friendly place. Not having dogs anymore, we got our dog-fix.

Another thing on site was this hen house (serving breakfast, you need eggs) built of cob (below). Catherine likes experimenting with different kinds of sustainable building. Eric thought it was funny that the hen house had bamboo vigas.

Speaking of bamboo, Pete grows 24 different varieties of it. He produces enough for building projects and for sale. He also sells plugs. People travel just to get his plugs. Below is a picture of their humongous green house, two stories high. Our bedroom window faced it, making for a lovely view.

Below is a photo of one of the flowers on the banana tree. Who knew they were so pretty?

The Black Range Lodge is actually a compound. There are other buildings on the property where guests can stay. One is this straw bale house that Catherine and Pete built, featured prominently in the book. One of it's many features is that is is completely wheelchair accessible. It was originally designed for her father before he passed. Below is a photo of the kitchen. The flooring is bamboo.

Below is a photo of the living area. This floor is concrete (?). The house is heated with hot water running through the flooring.

Below is a picture of the outside deck. I saw several bald eagles. We have a lot of prey birds in New Mexico. Yet another reason to keep kitties indoors around here. Unlike other places, kitties are eaten by birds rather than the opposite. In NM, it's road runners that are the biggest killers of song birds. They get the eggs.

Okay, that's all of the lodge stuff (okay, just a bit more at close). I thought it was a great place, great energy. I've been talking about having a slumber party and inviting only my home sewing friends for a retreat. This place is a little out of the way. The closest airports are Albuquerque and El Paso. It'd be several hours then from either place. Do you think anyone would come? I think it would be loads of fun.

On Saturday, with nobody but Lane (decidedly unsociable) to entertain us at the fiddle contest, we went through the shopping district in TorC on our bikes. We like to take bikes on day trips, it's easier to get around in little towns. I found this great little store owned by Twyla McBride. She was born and raised here which we (and evidently others) didn't believe at first. She says she's always been different. Her store is Moon Goddess Gallery and Boutique (414 Broadway; write for more info). She sells things that she and her friends make, very inexpensively. Everything she makes is of recycled materials. I've seen a lot of indie type "repurposed" goods and most of it looks lousy. Terribly sewn, pieces don't match, yet the maker wants a gold star for having recycled an original ugly item into something even more hideous -Sorry! (she squeaks). Her stuff was cute! Cute ideas too. Her theme could be seen as a little hokey if you're cynical but the "fairy" stuff worked for her. When I went in, she was sewing (below).

She says that she can't sew some of this stuff fast enough, that it sells like crazy. The kids all love it and she gets a lot of repeat business from out of towners. I know I'll be back. Below is a photo of a fairy apron. She makes these out of old linens. She says she never has to buy anything anymore. People walk in with bags of stuff belonging to their auntie who just died.

Continuing in our travel, we found this gentleman to watch our bikes outside of the grocery store. I asked his name but of course I forgot it.

He's quite the repurposer himself. I just loved this trailer he built for his bike, using an old wheelchair and cabinet door for the platform. He says the only thing he bought to make it was the bar connecting it to the bike frame. He had a friend order it for him over the internet. He's a handyman and does a lot of yardwork. He says the trailer is perfect for tools on the job.

It's getting time to wind this up so here's one last thing about the lodge. Below are (left to right) Ian, Pete and Taran doing the see no evil thing with left over waffles (the hens get those). Ian and Taran are an interesting story themselves. Guests at the lodge, they'd been there for a week when we got there. They are cycling across the country. They started in Vancouver BC, worked their way down to San Diego, from there they headed east to end up here. They've gotten very comfy, Pete has put them to work. When we arrived Friday, Ian was plastering the cistern. Taran was driving the front loader. A fourteen year old city boy is going to have a hard time leaving that behind. Anyway, they're blogging their adventure. I haven't read their whole blog but it's a pretty neat story. From Kingston, they'll head to Houston. Then they'll take the plane back to Vancouver.

As it turns out, there's quite a community of cyclists that come through Kingston; it's a major cross country route popularized by the Adventure Cycling Association. Did you know there was a TransAmerica Bicycle Trail? I didn't. It's pretty cool. You buy a guidebook for a given segment. Each guidebook gives you detailed information on how far to the next water, food, camping or whatever amenities. They keep it up to date too.

Last but not least, a picture of Eric and me outside the lodge.

I have a question regarding markers. I apologize if this seems like a silly question. Are they re-usable? In other words, once a pattern is made and graded and the marker has been made and paid for should I be paying for a marker again when a second production run is done?

First of all, a marker is a tracing of all the pattern pieces needed to cut out a given style. A given marker is not reusable. The fabric is laid out, the marker laid over it and the cutter uses the lines to cut out the pieces. The marker is cut up as the fabric is. Below is a photo (courtesy) of a marker being cut.

These days though, the definition of a marker is blurring. Most markers are made by computer and saved as a file. In this context, a marker is reusable provided none of the details (number to cut, sizes, fabric width etc) have changed. It would be a mere matter of hitting "print" to generate a new marker.

I feel that my contractor could have been more responsible because he didn't mention these ongoing costs. When you have a newbie, do you mention this is a per run charge? Or do you only mention it after the fact?

(I spoke with this writer by phone) I'd say your contractor committed a litany of sins, this being but a small one. I can imagine scenarios where they'd unintentionally fail to mention this ongoing cost. I can't imagine that I'd fail to do it (more below) but I asked Barbara at Apparel Mark and she says most contractors roll the cost of markers into the package. The reason I don't think I'd fail to mention it is because I do an inventory of the customer's needs. While I still love making patterns by hand, I think they should be graded and marked by computer. Nobody can beat the price. I can't. If after I explain the costs (example below) and the customer still wants hand grading and hand markers, I don't take them. It doesn't make sense so they're either out of their tree or I don't know what but it's certain to foretell future problems with the given client.

What should it cost to have a marker made?

[Amended, errata provided by Barbara in her comment, more is there] Barbara says:

I charge $30 to digitize a pattern and make a sample marker for those who are not ready for grading. I do not charge a digitizing fee for patterns that are ready for grading, my grading prices range from $15.00 per size for simple pants and skirts to $40.00 per size for complicated jackets and blazers that have over 40 pieces. That charge includes the digitizing and a printout of all pieces for the cutting of hard patterns. The $6.50 per size is for marker making once the pattern is graded. Marker making ranges from 6.50 per size for simple pants, skirts and tops to $17.00 per size for complex coats and jackets. My customers may pay out several hundred dollars for the grading and first markers but the second run could be as little as 5 to 10 dollars. I definitely agree with you about the cutting table size being an issue for a contractor. Generally, the more sizes that can be mixed into a marker the better the fabric yield will be achieved. And a table that is less than 3 yards long would only allow the cutting of 4 size of pant at a time, that would definitely add to the fabric cost.

I can't imagine anyone making hand markers or doing hand grading who can beat that rate. Just because your patterns are made by hand, doesn't mean they can't be graded and marked by computer. I always pass a client off to a grading and marking service. I'd consider anything less to be irresponsible. If you want to do it in house because you need it fast, that's one thing. But I don't think that should be a long term operational strategy. Even if you're doing really small runs in house, have the pattern graded by computer and a copy of all the sizes shipped to you. Then you can staple it to pattern paper, cut it out and have it ready for in house use. Then when you grow and need real markers, your patterns are already in digital format. I'm telling you this because this is what I would do if I were running onesies and twosies. Before I got the CAD system, it just wasn't worth my time to grade my own patterns manually.

I paid the same amount for two (really three) markers but the first production run was only for 20 pieces and the other production run -I needed two markers for that one and paid double for it) cut 100, of the same color and fabric. Shouldn't my first marker have cost less?

Maybe. Maybe not. If the only difference was the number of plies, it wouldn't matter. A marker for a sample run of one size could cost the same for a marker of X number of units -provided they were all the same size. If the marker was the same for the larger plies, I'd have questions about the contractor's table size. Some people claim they're contractors but their table is only eight feet long. If a contractor is sewing apparel and they only have an eight foot table, I wouldn't consider them to be professional (and I apologize if that offends anyone). If you have to have a cut order spread in two markers because of table size, that contractor is wasting a lot of your money. It sounds like this is what happened for the larger run. They didn't have a long enough table to cut a longer marker.

Excuse the sales pitch but there is a lot more about markers in my book, including how to design them according to sales. Even if you won't make your own markers, the information will be useful -if a contractor doesn't ask those questions, run! If you do plan to make hand markers and give those to the cutter, you must read Production Cutting: Making Markers pp 114-120. Lastly, if the contractor doesn't make markers, there are specific questions you must ask them before you can have the marker service make them. The man in the example above could have purchased the book and knowing the costs, paid $30 or so for the marking and would have had enough money left over to buy four more copies of the book for what he originally paid in marker making. I don't understand why people are so penny wise and pound foolish.

Tangentially, I'd mentioned a delightfully intriguing draft from a vintage German pattern drafting book I have. A scan of the crotch curves is here (in the forum). I plan to test it very soon. I think it will be very flattering, particularly for the bottom-endowed. I've never seen this in any other drafting book.

Here's this week's entries from the archives...

April 18 through April 24, 2005
The site was migrating to Movable Type this week, only admin related entries were posted.

April 18 through April 24, 2006
History of women's sizing pt.2
Manufacturer's blogs
Anatomy of a Camel Toe pt.1
Anatomy of a Camel Toe pt.2
Twelve acres
Freelance designing
History of women's sizing pt.3

April 18 through April 24, 2007
My friend Trish
Apparel Manufacturer, technical journal
MAGIC Trip Report: Todd Hudson
News from you 4/20/07
Evaluating the Pattern Grading Process
Technical Journal pt.1
Verbal Croquis' L.A. Adventures