Sunday, September 21, 2014
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Why it's so important to cut your fabric on grain.
Cutting on grain is very important when drawing out your sewing project. The warp is the long threads that you want to line up your grain line (arrow in the middle of your pattern piece)on your pattern. The warp is also in the selvage, or edges of your fabric. When the fabric goods are cut out, the amount of weft is what is measured. So you have a 45" wide fabric, as the goods come on the bolt, and you get your goods cut at a length needed with that width not changing. When you have a pattern that can be cut off grain it will have the arrow going in a perpendicular way..and it never does, so measure from the edge (selvage) with your yardstick in two places and line up that grainline. If the piece needs to be cut out on bias, the arrow will look diagonal on the pattern piece. The way a fabric is made makes it hang differently depending upon how you drape it. Test your fabric goods for a true grain by draping it over a chair, a helper or a dress form or "dummy". Observe how the folds hang in different ways depending on how you drape it. It will absolutely change the way your garment will look. Look at patterned and textured fabrics in the same way to develop a perception of why you need to cut on grain and you'll never question it or forget it.
Sometimes you may get your hands on a super deal on fabrics that are irregular or "off grain". It's a simple fix, but requires more labor. Simply cut off the selvages (the tightly woven bits on either side, and spray with some 50/50 V & O and steam press and block. If you have a wider fabric, say 54" or 50" wide, you can crease it down the middle and match up the weft (or "woof") pressing carefully to match it up. Handle lightly so you don't start pulling out the warp threads. The warp is much more taught most times, and the weft will have more give because that is the thread that has been woven in. I recommend trying this to teach yourself more perspective:
Take a one foot square piece of fabric that you've carefully cut out on the actual warp and weft threads. Gently pull on the bias (top right corner to bottom left) and mist with vinegar and water (50/50 VO) then press. Look at how you can distort the fabric and really mold it over coffee can, tailor's ham, your hand, or any random object. See how the threads move? Just look at the seat and knees of your well-worn jeans. Do you see how it's molded and shaped?
Now we've all gotten one of those screen printed T-shirts that looks "catty whompus". The T-shirt fabric, Jersey, is a knit fabric. It's just like your big knit sweater with little stacked loops, but tiny. The T was cut and /or pulled off grain so you can fix it except by restyling the shirt. Try draping some knits as well so you get an idea of how knits lay.
Thanks for looking and don't forget when you're dealing with laying out fabric, don't over manipulate, use your yardstick (that's what it's for) and let it lie "as it lay".
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Sunday, February 16, 2014
How Much Is Tailoring Worth?
20140216Blog
How Much is Tailoring Worth?
A pleasant only day off, Sunday, February 16, 2014, with the sun coming through my picture window, and I find myself looking at the reviews on Yahoo Local. Rip Club has no reviews on this venue, but several of my competitors, even two that I’ve worked with, are on there. I’ve noticed something about the negative reviewers on all sites. And the question comes to mind, “How much is tailoring worth? Or even, “Do you value your Tailor?”
One thing is for sure, most of the negative reviewers come across as self-important or judgmental. Some of them write that they think that the jobs they have they can “do themselves” (well, if they could then they would, so that wouldn’t be truthful) or are “simple”, “easy”, or “just…”. Five or ten dollars seems like “too much”, and they even complain that these are “old ladies” or “cranky..”, “prejudice” and “rude”. One’s perception of what we don’t like in others only bothers us because it’s a reflection of what we don’t like in ourselves. Let me tell you some things that really make me laugh. I think it will enlighten you and maybe even make you have some sympathy with people in this position. Maybe even humble you down a bit before you go in demanding that your Tailor shop drop everything and service you immediately while they still have that bit of sandwich in their mouths from a lunch they will never get.
First let’s start with price and attitude. When you have a storefront you are paying huge overhead. To provide a storefront is a great convenience for a customer. Otherwise, you have to make an appointment and be on time for your home sewer. Excuses of being late don’t matter, because it’s their time you are wasting, not your own. So you’re not accountable in your own mind. I find half of the people walking into my store don’t wipe their feet. Children aren’t controlled, and some eat way too much of the chocolate I have on the counter, putting nothing in the “Chocolate Fund/Tip jar.” So they have no problem eating my tips. Who’s rude? Is a sewing machine being run when you walk in? Do you even think that maybe when your Tailor has to stop in the middle of a seam that it has stolen their time from them because they have to redo it now? No. I didn’t think anyone would have considered that to be the case unless they sew or do woodwork regularly.
Right off the bat, if you are complaining of having to pre-pay, or that you’re paying too much, you really don’t appreciate or value your Tailor or Seamstress. Maybe you didn’t value your mother or grandmother either. I have a unique storefront, where the Sewing Lounge allows people who can do it themselves, do it themselves. If they think $10, $18, $25, $65, …$600 is more than my expertise, equipment, storefront, labor, education, talent and skill is worth, then they can use my sewing loft, tools, equipment, thread and even some free coaching from the Master, (me), or one of my Apprentices, for a measly $5 yearly membership and a $20 per day entry free. Only $20! Go ahead and D.I.Y! I’d rather be teaching or working on “hard” sewing like bespoke tailoring, leather work, designing, or couture (custom artistic dressmaking) than doing your alterations or repairs. Stuff most people could never do.
You can do your own alterations and mending, sure, but it takes time and effort.
Now let’s look at what time costs. What’s minimum wage? It’s $8 per hour right now. So if I work 50 hours a week and I spend an hour for you and charge you $10 (less credit card fees) maybe I can pay my overhead if I have a customer like you every hour. What’s the cheapest monthly shop overhead cost? It’s at least $2000. What’s the minimum quality Tailoring equipment and supply cost? It’s at least $30,000 to start and at least $200 per month to maintain supplies. Plus the cost of several hours of downtime per week in maintenance, at least 20 hours of stupid computer stuff to maintain, and dealing with the poisonous sizing and pesticides on brand new clothing and fabric, it starts to look a little dehumanizing. Not to mention searching for that replacement notion or component for your customer. Then the customer will take 15 minutes to 2 hours of your time for you to educate and fit them, and process their order. What about ones who “want” a custom order or other quote who really can’t afford it? They just stole your paycheck.
Ah, now, what about attitude? Isn't the customer, "King"? Well when you add peoples’ 20 years of skin inside their (even freshly dry cleaned) jackets, and sweat, dirt, and body fluids because they don’t respect you or your employees health by bringing in clean garments, we sure do feel like surfs. Add to it getting cuts from pins snagging your skin, and you may get the result of a little bit of crankiness from your Tailor. (Don’t forget the position of the Tailor as they are fitting you. It’s a subservient position and they get to smell first taste of your bodily fumes. (Here I am laughing out loud.)
Do you value your Tailor? Most of the time we don't feel that way. I charge $60 per hour because of all of the downtime. That is super reasonable especially when I am not charging you for your fitting or the overhead or talking to you and educating you. And to top it off hearing that $20 is “too much” for a “simple” alteration that “doesn’t take that much time”. (Yes I’m quoting actual reviews.)
When you break this down you might make $2,000 per month if you work part-time out of your home, charging $20 per hour for the actual work, where people are most apt to respect you. But with a storefront you’ll be lucky to make anything at all. Have to deal with bums, panhandlers, over zealous salesman, crackpots, and liars, people who want free advice and training, and super picky indecisive ones and well as ones who question your expert advice and then wonder why they’re not happy.
Professional Tailor shop owners are lucky to make any profit for themselves after 20 to 50 years of working way more hours than you’ll ever know because they love their craft and they love people and want them to feel good in their own skin by having well fitting clothes. Is $1,000 for a custom gown or suit too much or too little? Would you work for you? Would you rather pay 100% on top of a clothing item that fits or pay for two that don’t?
Anyhow this still makes me laugh. I love my craft and I love fashion and fit and the way it makes people stand taller, feel better, look beautiful and hold on to family heirlooms. I’m an artist, a garment surgeon, and a passionate teacher. Please value the time, efforts, training, vicarious position and skill that your Sewing Professional provides to you. This is a very personal service.
Even your ready made clothes are all hand made. All clothing is hand made. Most by the poor, much by children, and if you won’t value them then I cry for you. (A tear really came out of my eye here.) Let’s all stand tall and take notice. Let’s value everyone from the poop scooper to the plastic surgeon. And don’t forget to tip all of your service providers at least once in a while. At least give them a word of thanks. Wave to your garbage man, give your postal worker a treat, cooperate with your teachers and buy art and albums from your favorite artists and musicians. And don’t forget to be patient and respect boundaries to/of others and to/of yourself. And gee, look! Here is me with two of my apprentices with big smiles on our faces. Just for you! And look at this super appreciative customer who bought 3 of my one of a kind skirts from me. She just said, "Wow, how cheap! These skirts are all so perfectly fitting and unique. I'm going to buy all my clothes from you Bonnie, from now on!" Now THAT's what I call APPRECIATION! (Smiles all around!)
A pleasant only day off, Sunday, February 16, 2014, with the sun coming through my picture window, and I find myself looking at the reviews on Yahoo Local. Rip Club has no reviews on this venue, but several of my competitors, even two that I’ve worked with, are on there. I’ve noticed something about the negative reviewers on all sites. And the question comes to mind, “How much is tailoring worth? Or even, “Do you value your Tailor?”
One thing is for sure, most of the negative reviewers come across as self-important or judgmental. Some of them write that they think that the jobs they have they can “do themselves” (well, if they could then they would, so that wouldn’t be truthful) or are “simple”, “easy”, or “just…”. Five or ten dollars seems like “too much”, and they even complain that these are “old ladies” or “cranky..”, “prejudice” and “rude”. One’s perception of what we don’t like in others only bothers us because it’s a reflection of what we don’t like in ourselves. Let me tell you some things that really make me laugh. I think it will enlighten you and maybe even make you have some sympathy with people in this position. Maybe even humble you down a bit before you go in demanding that your Tailor shop drop everything and service you immediately while they still have that bit of sandwich in their mouths from a lunch they will never get.
First let’s start with price and attitude. When you have a storefront you are paying huge overhead. To provide a storefront is a great convenience for a customer. Otherwise, you have to make an appointment and be on time for your home sewer. Excuses of being late don’t matter, because it’s their time you are wasting, not your own. So you’re not accountable in your own mind. I find half of the people walking into my store don’t wipe their feet. Children aren’t controlled, and some eat way too much of the chocolate I have on the counter, putting nothing in the “Chocolate Fund/Tip jar.” So they have no problem eating my tips. Who’s rude? Is a sewing machine being run when you walk in? Do you even think that maybe when your Tailor has to stop in the middle of a seam that it has stolen their time from them because they have to redo it now? No. I didn’t think anyone would have considered that to be the case unless they sew or do woodwork regularly.
Right off the bat, if you are complaining of having to pre-pay, or that you’re paying too much, you really don’t appreciate or value your Tailor or Seamstress. Maybe you didn’t value your mother or grandmother either. I have a unique storefront, where the Sewing Lounge allows people who can do it themselves, do it themselves. If they think $10, $18, $25, $65, …$600 is more than my expertise, equipment, storefront, labor, education, talent and skill is worth, then they can use my sewing loft, tools, equipment, thread and even some free coaching from the Master, (me), or one of my Apprentices, for a measly $5 yearly membership and a $20 per day entry free. Only $20! Go ahead and D.I.Y! I’d rather be teaching or working on “hard” sewing like bespoke tailoring, leather work, designing, or couture (custom artistic dressmaking) than doing your alterations or repairs. Stuff most people could never do.
You can do your own alterations and mending, sure, but it takes time and effort.
Now let’s look at what time costs. What’s minimum wage? It’s $8 per hour right now. So if I work 50 hours a week and I spend an hour for you and charge you $10 (less credit card fees) maybe I can pay my overhead if I have a customer like you every hour. What’s the cheapest monthly shop overhead cost? It’s at least $2000. What’s the minimum quality Tailoring equipment and supply cost? It’s at least $30,000 to start and at least $200 per month to maintain supplies. Plus the cost of several hours of downtime per week in maintenance, at least 20 hours of stupid computer stuff to maintain, and dealing with the poisonous sizing and pesticides on brand new clothing and fabric, it starts to look a little dehumanizing. Not to mention searching for that replacement notion or component for your customer. Then the customer will take 15 minutes to 2 hours of your time for you to educate and fit them, and process their order. What about ones who “want” a custom order or other quote who really can’t afford it? They just stole your paycheck.
Ah, now, what about attitude? Isn't the customer, "King"? Well when you add peoples’ 20 years of skin inside their (even freshly dry cleaned) jackets, and sweat, dirt, and body fluids because they don’t respect you or your employees health by bringing in clean garments, we sure do feel like surfs. Add to it getting cuts from pins snagging your skin, and you may get the result of a little bit of crankiness from your Tailor. (Don’t forget the position of the Tailor as they are fitting you. It’s a subservient position and they get to smell first taste of your bodily fumes. (Here I am laughing out loud.)
Do you value your Tailor? Most of the time we don't feel that way. I charge $60 per hour because of all of the downtime. That is super reasonable especially when I am not charging you for your fitting or the overhead or talking to you and educating you. And to top it off hearing that $20 is “too much” for a “simple” alteration that “doesn’t take that much time”. (Yes I’m quoting actual reviews.)
When you break this down you might make $2,000 per month if you work part-time out of your home, charging $20 per hour for the actual work, where people are most apt to respect you. But with a storefront you’ll be lucky to make anything at all. Have to deal with bums, panhandlers, over zealous salesman, crackpots, and liars, people who want free advice and training, and super picky indecisive ones and well as ones who question your expert advice and then wonder why they’re not happy.
Professional Tailor shop owners are lucky to make any profit for themselves after 20 to 50 years of working way more hours than you’ll ever know because they love their craft and they love people and want them to feel good in their own skin by having well fitting clothes. Is $1,000 for a custom gown or suit too much or too little? Would you work for you? Would you rather pay 100% on top of a clothing item that fits or pay for two that don’t?
Anyhow this still makes me laugh. I love my craft and I love fashion and fit and the way it makes people stand taller, feel better, look beautiful and hold on to family heirlooms. I’m an artist, a garment surgeon, and a passionate teacher. Please value the time, efforts, training, vicarious position and skill that your Sewing Professional provides to you. This is a very personal service.
Even your ready made clothes are all hand made. All clothing is hand made. Most by the poor, much by children, and if you won’t value them then I cry for you. (A tear really came out of my eye here.) Let’s all stand tall and take notice. Let’s value everyone from the poop scooper to the plastic surgeon. And don’t forget to tip all of your service providers at least once in a while. At least give them a word of thanks. Wave to your garbage man, give your postal worker a treat, cooperate with your teachers and buy art and albums from your favorite artists and musicians. And don’t forget to be patient and respect boundaries to/of others and to/of yourself. And gee, look! Here is me with two of my apprentices with big smiles on our faces. Just for you! And look at this super appreciative customer who bought 3 of my one of a kind skirts from me. She just said, "Wow, how cheap! These skirts are all so perfectly fitting and unique. I'm going to buy all my clothes from you Bonnie, from now on!" Now THAT's what I call APPRECIATION! (Smiles all around!)
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