Sunday, July 22, 2007

Streamlining

The jersey work has begun in earnest. It took awhile to redraft the pattern for these to meet the needs of the players. Then I had to do a good bit of math to adjust the draft to streamline the production of the jerseys, from cut to finish.
My first step was to analyze the pattern, and see what could be done to make it easier to cut. The yoke piece and the side panel were tesselated so that I could make one cut instead of two. The front and back panels were adjusted so that they could be cut from one length of fabric (conserving fabric in the process.)
I did a mockup and tried it on ds, who happens to have a set of football shoulder pads in his room.
The sleeves were too long. WAY too long. We decided to cut about half of the current sleeve length off, so that the end of the sleeve would fall just beyond the shoulder pad end. This is a safety issue as well as comfort; long sleeves can be pulled by opposing players to accomplish a tackle. We also determined that the neckline needed to be drafted slightly smaller for the same reason; a loose neckline can be grabbed by the opposition! This needed to be balanced with the need to fit over our largest head size; therefore, instead of making the opening smaller, we chose to make the ribbing in the neckline tighter.
So, after making all the jersey design changes, I set out to cut. By making the tesselating pieces, I was able to cut my cutting time almost in half! Careful planning of pieces, and a redesign of the larger fronts and backs, cut the amount of fabric needed by 25 percent.
The final step in the equation was to create a detailed stitching outline and instructions for the next time I have to do this (next year).
Then, to sew. I have finished 1/4 of the necessary sewing work, a total of 15 jerseys, in two days. 15 more jerseys are about halfway finished, and the remaining 30 have three of the seven pattern pieces cut. I should be finished by the weekend!
And then......
The big news is a new house, with a big, we're talking huge, sewing room! Moving day should be August 3.

Friday, July 6, 2007

Art or Craft....or both?

Do you sew for art, or for craft? Perhaps for both?
This question has been on my mind lately. I have seen evidence of both in my own sewing. Sewing for "art" indicates a desire to reflect my personality in the finished product. A manifestation in fabric of my thoughts, feelings, state of mind. Art sewing, for me, will often be done with reckless abandon, foregoing all the standard rules and methods that are taught for construction. I'll throw together fabrics, slash pattern pieces, move things around, and embellish until my mood wanes.
Sewing for "craft" is when my perfectionist-side kicks in. I'm not talking about "crafty"; rather, this is when the craft of sewing as a fine skill takes over. I'll fuss over every thread, tying them off and knotting them and pulling them between the layers of fabric. Stitches will be counted, yes, counted, in specific areas so that symmetry will be precise. I've even been known to count the threads from the selvedge so that the grainline will be perfect....but only when I'm in the "craft" mood.
Most of the time, however, sewing is a combination of both. I want to reflect my personality, yes, but I want the construction to be as fine in quality as possible....within limits. If this is for every day wear, to be donned for visits to the grocery store or to take the dog for a walk, I'm not going to count threads. Precise sewing methods are generally saved for special garments. But I do want things to look good, and to last.
How do we balance art and craft in our sewing? We have to decide where we will fight our fabric battles. Is this garment worth hand stitching three rows of hemming stitches? Will I wear this more than once? Am I looking for a classic piece that will live in my closet for years? If I use fusible interfacing instead of sewn-in interfacing, will it shorten the life of my garment? Will it matter?
For me, a garment that will be worn almost daily...for instance, a pair of black pants....will be sewn with great care. Yes, three rows of hemming stitches (I'm rough on hems). The grainline must be just so....the fabric treated with care. I want to wear these and never have to worry about resewing the button, or fuss with scratchy inner seam allowance edges.
But for something that will be worn once...or twice.....such attention to detail seems superfluous. I'd rather make those one-wear pieces more artsy, with the excuse that my artistic soul needs to be fed. Yes, I'll do good work...but it won't be at a perfectionist level.
Do YOU sew for art, or for craft?