Experience Really Does CountApril 17, 2025
So many times I've sewn for myself and gone through phases. When I was mentoring under my guru, my sewing was pretty much excellent all the time. I didn't want to have to re-learn things I already knew, so my mentor had to see that I was doing well,
so she wouldn't make me go take it and outdo it again. That sounds cruel, but it was really good to not only master the techniques but also
get used to sewing really well all the time. That came in handy, 'cause I really do live by the rule, "I spend 90% of my time trying to figure out an easier way to do something, but with the same results!" And most of the time, it's the long way that delivers the best results.
When you sew for a business, you have to match the time spent on a garment to the business. Actually, that's fairly easy, and when you own your own company, you get used to seeing this
formula pretty often.
So that means that if a client chooses the time they want the garment and the quality, I know it's a huge rush job, and that will cost them a pretty penny.
If they tell me the price they want to pay and the quality, I know I that I can do this in my
spare time and this doesn't become a high priority. This rarely happens, as my gowns are usually for an event, which means there's a deadline, but if I'm doing something for a client that isn't deadline-oriented, then I get to choose how much time I have to take making the garment.
And finally, if the client chooses the amount they want to pay and when they want it, then I get to choose how good it is. This also rarely happens because if a client says she's getting married
next week and only wants to pay me $100 for a wedding gown, I usually thank her for stopping by, but I'm not her gal!
And now that time has passed, my time has changed. Before I even accept the contract, I know I'm going to allow myself a lot of time. One of the luxuries of being "semi-retired" is that I get to choose the client. If I like the client, I will
usually do the job, and of course, if they have come to me early enough, then the client is a good fit. So while the client is interviewing me at the first meeting, I'm interviewing the client. If it doesn't look like a good fit, I can simply say, that I can't get the fabric, and that covers everything from they won't pay me what I'm worth, to good luck on getting that made before next month!!!!
That comes from experience.
But what else comes from
experience?
This is the winner from the first Great British Sewing Bee, and she was 81 y/o at the time. Her experience was so great that she beat all the other creatives in the contest. She could pick out the projects she knew she could get done within the
allotted time. She could pick something she knew would probably win the different contests they had throughout the competition. And she had the experience to work through any blocks, mistakes, or mess-ups as they came up.
The other day, I was making a blouse for myself and thinking about how I used to sew for myself and really didn't care what the inside looked like, and frankly, some of my things for myself got rather sloppy. I didn't care. I was after a
look back at my youth, so I took some shortcuts. I was still meticulous when working for a client, but seemed to just let the rules drop when sewing for myself!
As I'm older, I consider myself retired. But because I love my job, I have continued doing my job, only on my terms. I only sew for people I really like and want to work with. Some of my old customers, but I really enjoy those challenges for people who really need it.
It sort of reminds me of that movie The Dressmaker, with Kate Winslet as this fabulous dressmaker, making the wearer feel like the latest, hottest woman in the world. These are just the sort of transformations I love doing, and in "retirement," I get
to do these more than any other.
This one was lots of fun cause it was Walt's niece and the first time to do something for that side of the family (so naturally it HAD to be good!)
Here she is with her sister. Aren't they beautiful? It was a special day for both of them. And the other sister was so excited about my dress for the MOB (Mother of Bride), that she wants me to do one for her this fall for her MOB wedding!
It's going to be a really WOWZA outfit!
This one had all the elements that the bride wanted for her formal wedding. I put just a tiny "puddle" on the back to give that Queen of Hearts profile.
Not that this MOB had this attitude, but I always loved the profile of this dress cause it does make you feel a little like a Queen! This is a standard old-school Victorian profile with a modified back bustle. Actually, I don't do the bustle; instead,
I put in a horsehair braid in the hem. For these long skirts, I like the 3" width because it really makes that hem stand out without a lot of petticoat in the way. I find that my clients don't want a lot of petticoat, but they do like it when the hem of the skirt stands out, with the top of the skirt close to the body and not much fullness around the top.
I'm getting ready to do something similar for another client. She's not really sure what to wear to her family's wedding. Sometimes we simply let our style become so casual, that it gets into a sloppy look very easily.
This is really easy to do. I see so many ads for these casual outfits for travel, and really they are nothing more than a glorified sweat pants and top.
Granted I want to be comfortable on a plane as much as the next person, but unfortunately it's not much of a step from above to this.
And unfortunately, not many people are editing very well, and they are showing up at the airport in something that looks like they just crawled out of bed.
But I digress. Back to my client's wedding outfit. So she wants to dress up, but
has almost forgotten how. She went to a thrift shop and picked up a perfectly gorgeous dress, but wasn't sure about it. I pulled it out, and it's an Oleg Cassini. Not many people remember him, but he was Jackie K's American designer that she chose right after JFK was elected. She didn't think it was proper for an American First Lady to wear European designers, so she chose Cassini. People remember the classic lines and pillbox hats, but those classic designs were
from Oleg Cassini.
From her beautiful inaugural ball gown, to her bright tangerine Easter dress, to many other ball gowns that Cassini designed for her, he did that ultra classic look.
Once I commented on the "thrift" item she chose, I didn't even have to look at the
dresses from stores. I told her this is it, we'll make this work cause it's well-made and be a gorgeous outfit for the wedding. It's got spaghetti straps, so she needs something around her shoulders, and I found the perfect fabric at Mood.
Even though the gown isn't created for this event, it sort of is. We're fitting it and really reworking it to fit my client's needs for her special wedding, so I won't show it till after she wears it, which is very soon.
We unpacked the other two dresses that were sent in new, but the Cassini, is it! And I know she will not only feel great in the dress, but also that it will last for decades to come.
Reworking a well-made garment is always preferable to something purchased new.
Even from my wealthier clients who can afford really well-made clothing. The alterations I have to make to these garments are so extensive that it's almost like making the garments again. The garments today lack the style in the line of the cut that was so critical in classically made clothing, like Oleg Cassini. Reshaping that clothing is almost like making it all new, then adding the cost of remaking a garment to the price of a new garment, and the cost becomes really
high, even higher than I would charge for something I've made and designed for the client. Unfortunately, the time spent "un-sewing" is very tedious and time-consuming.
Last week's article seems even more timely this week, with redoing so many well-made garments that I can
actually fit and know will look great and be a dream to wear, but "thrifting" brings a minimal outlay of funds for an almost couture garment.
These kinds of transformations can be even better than any garment you can find in the store. The "thrifted" garment on the left (an original Lanvin) became a dress that this client will wear over and over, as it meets her need for modesty while still being
fun enough for a dinner/dance club. What you can't see is that the ruffled, frayed trim, which dated the dress, was cut on the bias and used as the trim for the black organza bib and sleeves at the cuffs. This gave the garment that finished look, but with the fabric from the dress, making it just that much more like one garment.
Maybe it's because I'm doing more of what I want, or simply the fun and challenge of taking an old designer garment and reshaping it for
today's look and client, that makes my sewing level stay very high. While I was making my blouse today, I thought I might have been bargaining with myself in my head to save time in the past, but I don't anymore. And then maybe that's cause I'm retired and only doing what I love. And then I think back to the returning criticism that my mentor gave me, "You take too long to finish a garment, Claire. You have to learn to do is faster." I think she knew I would be
going into business for myself, and it was good to remember this.
As home sewists, we can take all the time in the world. This is the luxury we can afford ourselves, which would be outrageously expensive for even the wealthiest clients. For my clients, I had to deliver exceptional workmanship while remembering the three categories of time, quality, and price. There were times when I would have to make a decision on time and price, and sometimes on quality and price,
because back then, I was in the business of making money.
Whether it's my mentor's words in my head or simply that I'm retired and can spend more time on each garment, whether for a client or for me, I don't know. I do know that I'm having as much fun as ever sewing, and watching a garment being realized right before my eyes! It's magic!
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Tracking a fashion trend isn't all that hard after seeing a few of them.
Living from Mid-Century Modern through Twiggy...
It's worth the time to look at these styles, particularly today as
there is a group of that wants to look....
This is the way fashion used to be -- pretty, flattering and I can't wait to make some of...
NOTE: There are some folks who can't get my email, or it's sporadic, or something is hinky. I will always respond to any of you who send a private message, whether it's about the topic of the week or something else. If you don't get anything
from me, it's probably because the [email protected] email is blocked, and even a private message can't get through. In that case, I'm on Instagram often, and you can always PM me at @sewingartistry.
As a precaution,
please ensure I'm in your email Address Book and check your spam, junk, and trash folders. Some email clients get extra excited when they see emails coming into the Inbox that go to many other receivers. They automatically think it's trash or spam, and it never makes it to the Inbox. I must constantly check my spam and junk folders to ensure I'm getting the emails I subscribe to.
To view in browser along with past emails, click here. We respect your email privacy. |
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