Tricks of the trade to speed up sewing for items to sell?
Hi! I have been sewing doll clothes to sell at craft fairs, and have worked out some ways to speed up my work (but still maintain high quality). I use a serger now, I try to do batches of half a dozen at a time, minimize thread color changes by sewing similar color projects after the last one, do some gathering with the serger etc. I cut out the doll clothes with a rotary cutter and cardboard templates. Still, I am thinking there are other things I can do to save time. It can go slowly, because it seems that glitzy stuff sells, and those fabrics always require a lot of special handling.
Any tricks of the trade I haven’t figured out yet? Thanks for any tips on the sewing business!!
Suggested Reading:
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Choose your fabrics wisely. For instance, chiffon and organza can be a real pain to hem. Choose poly chiffons and organzas and cut them with a hot knife and you don’t have to hem them.
Do as much flat construction as possible. For instance, if you can do a dress or bodice by sewing the front, sewing the back, sewing the shoulders and sewing the sleeves in flat, and then sewing the underarm seam and side seam in one pass, you’re ahead.
Use accessory feet that can help you… for instance, learning to machine blindhem or narrow hem can save you a lot of time — try the instructions in Carol Ahles’ book, Fine Machine Sewing, which is commonly available at public libraries.
Flatlocking makes great casings for doll clothes.
Couched threads (try a 7 hole cording foot) are easy and cheap decorations to do, and can imitate expensive trim. Couching can save your sanity when working with metallic threads, especially.
Or go the other way and sew for the carriage trade… luxe fabrics like Egyptian cottons, silks and fine wools, hand sewn details, price ‘em high… fewer clothes, larger profit margins.
You might also consider joining the email group “sewbiz” at quiltropolis… lots of good support from fellow sewing pros:
http://lyris.quiltropolis.com/scripts/lyris.pl?enter=sewbiz
ps: Bill Jones’ method for gluing sequins: http://www.taunton.com/threads/pages/nmt037_84.asp
(and some of his dolls: http://www.basingstoke.org/thumbnails/thumbnails.html )