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August, 16, 2019
So this is an intervention - of sorts. We are all on the clock. And I've said this before that time is our very most valuable resource, even if you have limited funds. Here's why. If we waste a buck or two or three or hundred, then we can always make it back. If we waste a minute or two or hour or day - it's gone - we can never
make it back.
But how is the most effective use of our time? The truth: as well spent as possible. Sitting with your child while you're on the phone talking with your best friend, isn't really quality time with your child. Sitting with your child while reading a book to your child is quality time. It takes longer to read the book, but the whole process is so much more quality that if you were to go out of your child's life the next day, your child would
fondly remember that book that you read.
Sewing is a lot the same way. There are shortcuts, time-saving tips, and quick patterns, but the truth is that are these projects really time-saving? How well are these garments, shortcuts, and tips really for endurance?...how long will the garment last?...how good is the shortcut - really?...and how long-lasting are the quick patterns.?
The truth is that 95% of the time, they aren't all that time-saving. Why? Because you don't get that much wear out of them. They are dated faster. The garment doesn't hold together well. The garment usually can't stand many washings (which IS the hardest thing you do to your clothing). So that what ends up happening is that the time you spent on your garment, is time pretty much wasted.
Here's the tradeoff:
| |
Short Cut?Quick Version |
Longer/Well-made Version |
| Time |
5 hours |
2 days (16 hours) |
| Materials |
Cost: $15 |
Cost $75 |
| Use |
5 wearings (40 hours) |
20 yrs/20 wearings/year=3,200 hours |
| Work/hr |
8 hours wearing/1 hour making |
200 hours wearing for every hour making |
| $/hr |
$0.375/every hour worn. |
$0.02/every hour worn |
Taking A Look At All This Figuring:
For the cheapie item made with cheap materials the cost in time for every hour spent making is 8 hours of wearing. And for every dollar spent on the materials you get 37¢ value. That's sounds pretty cheap and a pretty good deal.
So let's take a look at the other well-made item:
For every hour you spent sewing the item up, you got 200 hours of wearing - Whoa! That's a lot. For every dollar you spent on the materials you spent 2¢ per wearing.
But wait, there's something else we're not taking into consideration here. What about how you feel wearing that cheapie item as opposed to how you feel when you have made something very elegant and well-made, well-fitted and flattering. So not only is it cheaper to wear the well-made item, but the time you spent is far more efficient AND you feel better wearing the well-made item as opposed to
Now I know that doesn't sound right or a little far-fetched. But this is the big lie that RTW doesn't want you to know - that cheap clothes are actually more expensive than well-made clothes. Why do you think Amancio Ortega (owner and founder of Zara is one of the wealthiest people in the world?!) They have sold this so well, that there is hardly anyplace you can get well-made clothing today
except from a couture designer or from someone who will sew for you ....... or if you sew it yourself.
That means that not only is it far more cost-efficient to sew well-made garments for yourself, it's also more time-efficient. You use less of the most valuable resource you have when you sew well-made for yourself.
What Do All These Numbers Mean
It means taking time to do it the right way first. How many times have you sewn something up only to take it out over and over, eventually ruining the fabric because you've had to remove the stitching so many times. With sewing the right way first, it's more stable, less wear and tear on the fabric and less wear and tear on you. Often that means making a muslin....even if you're making a knock-around-the-house garment. Say you're making a housecoat
or a robe. You can whip one up that's not really put together well, and have it ready in less than a day, and a few weeks later, your sewing up the seams again, or it's raveling (with unfinished seams). And after the first washing - sheesh - what happened - it's got threads everywhere and it's coming apart.
Let's say you took your time to make a beautiful robe with Hong Kong seam finishing on the inside. Every time you put it on you think of how well made this garment is, and you get a great feeling when you put it on with such great satisfaction in enjoying your own work. Then you wash it, and it stays together well, you wear it for year after year and before you know it it's 5 years old - then 10 years old and still the most wonderful robe you've had.
This:
Or This:
This, my friends, is the advantage of quality sewing. This is the advantage of something sewn well. This is the advantage of taking your time with your sewing so that what you make is well-made. That may mean learning new techniques - practicing them so that you can use them well on your garment. That may mean - even for a simple casual top - making a muslin. Making that muslin means that you could have that casual knock-around-the-house garment for
10 years.
But this also means it becomes not only a treasured part of your wardrobe, but it becomes a garment that was made in the most time-efficient manner possible and cost-efficient manner - even though it costs more than the cheap model and took more time.
It's because the time/resources spent in making a garment that is well-made is time/resources well spent.
Yes, there are projects that take less time than others, but even those "quick" projects, when done with time, are so much better than simply throwing something together hodge-podge simply because it took maybe 30% less time.
We all want to save time, but the biggest savings in time is taking time to do it right the first time - even though you know that may mean taking out seams, redoing the front bodice to readjust the a dart, and especially taking the time to make a muslin. Believe it or not these are all time-saving techniques; they are also time-efficient techniques and they can save you money.
But the best part is that every time you wear the garment, you will feel a great sense of satisfaction and enjoyment in wearing the garment!
So take your time!!
Speed is not your friend here.
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PS - I do a lot of posting on Facebook as both Claire Kennedy and SewingArtistry - if you want to friend me to check out the goodies over there for free!
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