Production 101: what I've learned so far.

Friday I dragged Scott with me down to Orange County to meet with the pattern maker and drop off fabric for market samples to be made. I'm using a full service sewing house, which means they can take a concept, or idea, from beginning to end (pattern making, drafting, grading, marking, cutting, embroidery, sewing, etc.). I had brought them my pattern about two months ago for a first sample, and they took my pattern and digitized it. This means, they laid it out and ran what looks like a wireless mouse over my pattern which transferred the pattern into the computer. There, they can make any corrections and adjustments (like making sure everything is even-steven).

At this point, for that sample, I think they just printed it out and cut it out of the sample fabric I provided (or, they might have just used my pattern for the sample, I'm not sure). But for a regular production, it's a little different. If I were making apparel garments, then they would also have to grade the pattern; that means taking the same pattern and making it into different sizes.

[this is looking down into the cutting room from the pattern makers office. Both long tables are used for cutting, although on this day, the table on the right was holding pieces that were being die cut by a machine just out of the shot on the bottom right. There is fabric on the left table with a marker on top of it.]

After the pattern is digitized and you are ready to go ahead from there, they make a marker. The marker is your pattern laid out on paper, but utilizing the layout (width of the fabric) to get as many patterns in the space of the marker when it's printed out. Does that make sense? [probably not]. When the marker is printed, it will be about 4 feet wide, and maybe 5 or 6 feet long. Depending on the size of your garment, they might be able to get more than one cut of that garment onto that one sheet.

When they do this, they have to keep in mind the fabric, and the direction of the print. In my previous production, I used non-directional patterns, so they could get more cuts. This time, one of the fabrics is a one-way print [I couldn't help it, I fell in love], so they might cut all the garments in that direction this time, but if I go into a bigger production after market, it might be a better idea to make another marker with better yields for the non-directional prints. It saves money in the long run.

In either case, there will usually be some waste fabric, and they might suggest something to be made with that. That's why you'll see a lot of pot holders, scrunchies or hair bands from other apron makers. I decided to have them add 4x4 fabric swatches into my marker this time so I could add them to my line sheet for very interested buyers at market.

[Also, once the pattern is digitized, the pattern maker will be able to give you fabric yields; this means, he/she will be able to tell you just how much fabric each piece will take, so you know how much fabric to actually order, and can break everything down for costs. Genius.]

After the marker is made, they print it out on a giant printer, and it's given to the cutter. When you buy fabric for production, it needs to be ROT [rolled on tube] - this is the fabric rolled flat, instead of folded on a smaller bolt (like you see at fabric stores). [if you can only get the fabric you want on the bolt, they will unroll and unfold it, but they'll charge you for it.] There are giant tables down in the cutting room [see above]. The fabric is put on a rack above the table, and pulled out and across for a length (I don't know, maybe 6 ft? It depends on the garment and the marker, I think), and then it's cut from the bolt, and another 6 ft. length is pulled out and placed on top of that. They do this for however many cuts/pieces they need to do, and can have as many as 100 layers in place.

Then the marker paper is placed on top of the layers of fabric. Remember, the marker is your pattern, on paper, and this is all the fabric for, say, your main body. It can also be different fabrics [that will all be cut together], just as long as they are for the same piece.

The cutter uses a cutting machine - it's on a guide that rolls across the fabric/marker, with a straight, saw-like blade that cuts all the fabric at once [pretty nifty]. The marker will also have guides where things go, like pockets, and the cutter will punch a tiny hole so the sewer will know where it goes.

[I believe the cutting machine fits into this rolling guide that the cutter moves along the fabric as it cuts. They can cut up to 100 pieces of fabric at one time!]

At this point, it goes to the sewing department, and they work their magic!

[the sewing room looked curiously empty, but I didn't go in. They might have been on a break or at lunch. It's usually buzzing with activity and quite interesting to watch production sewing.]

There is also a full scale embroidery department, which was in full operation - amazing to watch!

There is some great reading material out there that goes into depth about this process, and has been helpful in explaining some of it to me. If you are interested, check out The Entrepreneur's Guide to Sewn Product Manufacturing by Kathleen Fansanella, and also check out her blog, Fashion Incubator (there is a link to buy the book directly on the blog). I just bopped over there, and she has a post on Markers. The book is mainly about garment manufacturing, but also has a lot of information about marketing and sales, and general terminology; I bought it years ago, and didn't really read it until last summer. Also, Cece Marie told me about a book called Fashion for Profit that supposedly covers all this too, but I haven't checked it out yet.

Also, don't take this post as gospel on the subject of production! I'm as green as they come, and am learning all of this as I go. There might be mistakes here, but this is pretty much what I've learned, and my experiences so far. It completely intrigues me.

P.S. All photos were taken with permission...for a change.

Comments

[beki]

Wow, Carrie, this is fascinating. Thanks for sharing!

[liz elayne]

this is so cool. thanks for sharing your experience!

[pam]

Very cool. So are these people in the phone book? How did you find them? I love the phone book but these days I hardly ever look there, just go directly to the internet. I think so much can be learned just from the headings. Anyway, love this info. VERY SUPER COOL.

[seemownay]

Thanks for sharing. This was a great and interesting read!

[Krissy]

Holy geez! You've convinced me to never go into the bag making business. Okay, but really that is prety cool to know what goes into the work you do.

[Jamie Lentzner]

Congratulations - I am so impressed and happy to see you moving on up! This is a big step and you will be so happy, trust me. Glad to see another blog that has the 'guts' to show what it takes to run a business!

[Lisa K.]

Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. It is fascinating! I had an opportunity to visit the 'Tom Bihn' factory in Seattle last year and it was like a whole new world was opened up to me. I learned a lot that day, and it gave me a lot to think about. And so does your post!

Congratulations on making the move up!! You should be really proud of yourself for taking the initiative to do it.

[Bec]

Wow - this was such an interesting post. Thanks so much for sharing all this information. It sounds like an amazing experience. Congratulations!!!

[Elaine L.]

I've been too busy to read the blogs the last week, so I'm getting caught up.

This blog is the place you should feel free to vent yourself. We'll listen with a sympathetic ear.

This whole business is so complicated. When a customer sees a price tag on a handmade item, she has no idea what planning and time has gone into the production of that item. I'm really learning something from your posts!

Here's wishing you the Best of Luck!
~elaine~

[KB VanHorn]

Wow, so that's how the big dogs run. I'm scared! but also fascinated. Congrats on taking the initiative to move to the next level! Keep us posted on how everything develops.

[melissa@yummygoods]

wow, carrie. Thank you so much for taking the time to post all of this. I had to chuckle when I saw the embroidery machine.My day job is at an embroidery and screenprinting shop- I used to run one of the six-head embroidery machines!

[Lazy Organizer]

Thanks for the tour. How exciting for your business!

[Knitterella]

Wow so many steps! So cool too!

Very exciting for your bags!!!! Best of luck to you!