Wayne Hancock.As I blogged earlier, I was invited to have my sewing viewed at a boutique today on the east side. I received some very helpful feedback from the boutique owner about my work, and what will make it "sellable"
For the record, selling my work was never really in the cards, but who wouldn't want to have something they do well out there in public, for profit??
She chose, as I expected, an outfit that I call Wayne Hancock. In fact she fell in love with it. The Brady Street Fashion Show is on July 28th, so my deadline to have three outfits (top/bottom, 4/6/8 or S/M/L is about a week prior to that. It's a lofty goal, my friends.
Each piece will sell for about $80, of which I will take home about $40. Not too bad, could be better sure, but they're SHORTS. Well, the top will sell too... (entire outfit will retail at about $160) I'm interested in whether they will move, because it will be an investment in time. Of course once you get moving on a pattern and work out the kinks, they go pretty quickly.
I will have to change some of my methods. Overall, she felt my work was high quality. But there are two things I have to do:
- Get a serger or use someone else's. Serging is probably on the clothes you're wearing right now. Look at the seam from the inside. The thread overcasting you see on the edges of the fabric is serging. I use a pinking shears to finish because it's old school and it lays flatter. Doesn't wash very well though
- No hand hemming on the shorts legs. This was and still is a very common practice, and it hangs well. Although it does not particularly sit well with the buyer. So I need to change the positioning and hide the stiches within another seam.
- I have to learn how to size the pattern. I have one pattern, and it's a size 16 (or 6 in modern times). I sized it down, so I can do a small and a medium. A large will be a bit of a stretch. Either way, it'll take some initial work to create an S/M/L scale.
Last but not least...the fabric that I like is on sale at JoAnn right now at $5 per yard. Don't know how much I need for three outfits, I don't want to rush out and do it all today either.
I have time off the first week in July. I think I can do it. In the long run I don't think my goal is to be a designer, but this process moves me up in a few ways. I have to do some math, improve my craft an understanding of scale, and above all, initiate and push.
Tonight I am going to a rather trendy event, with someone I don't know. I'll wear Wayne and see how it goes over. If it goes over well, I'll tell them that after July 28th, they can buy it for their very own at Vieux et Nouveau off Brady :)
Libellés : Vintage Patterns