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.

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:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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