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The Sew What’s New Archive
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From: DragonLady
Date: 10-03-2005, 02:31 PM (1 of 16)
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Exactly? I mean, I know it's taking apart a finished garment & remaking it into something wholly new. But, in the fashion industry the term has a more specific definition. Or, it's more involved than just cutting something up & reassembling it. Can anyone explain? "No more twist! No more twist!"
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User: DragonLady
Member since: 11-10-2004 Total posts: 152 
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From: dmoses
Date: 10-03-2005, 03:00 PM (2 of 16)
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I think I read somewhere, that deconstruction also refers to the process by which manufacturers take new fabric and 'dirty' it or make it 'raggedy' looking.
Take care,
Donna |
User: dmoses
Member since: 02-22-2002 Total posts: 964 
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From: DragonLady
Date: 10-03-2005, 03:07 PM (3 of 16)
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That makes sense. Like distressing denim?
"No more twist! No more twist!"
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User: DragonLady
Member since: 11-10-2004 Total posts: 152
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From: GreenDragonLady
Date: 10-03-2005, 03:49 PM (4 of 16)
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Also exposed seams, frayed edges, etc.
photos.yahoo.com/greendragondesigns
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User: GreenDragonLady
Member since: 07-29-2004 Total posts: 495 
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From: bridesmom
Date: 10-10-2005, 09:13 PM (5 of 16)
And to think all this time I've been trying to fix those types of things, here they are in style!! 
Laura
Tickled pink with my Innovis 4000D |
User: bridesmom
Member since: 01-21-2004 Total posts: 2026 |
From: bunzino
Date: 10-30-2005, 05:43 PM (6 of 16)
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The September Vogue had a $6000 dress that was from chin to the floor and every seam was sewed to the outside!! THAT is deconstruction!! nancy |
User: bunzino
Member since: 08-16-2002 Total posts: 119 |
From: kathleenfasanel
Date: 10-31-2005, 10:15 AM (7 of 16)
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Exactly? I mean, I know it's taking apart a finished garment & remaking it into something wholly new. But, in the fashion industry the term has a more specific definition. Or, it's more involved than just cutting something up & reassembling it. Can anyone explain? As someone who works in the manufacturing side of the "fashion" industry, I use it to mean taking something apart. I've been recommending that a lot lately. That's really the only way to reverse engineer, to see how we construct things. I recommend people take apart things they buy at thrift stores because -honestly, no offense intended- a lot of "advice" you get in sewing magazines is just bogus. I swear, I don't care how "industrial" the expert says they are, we DON'T make things the way they say we do. I figure that with deconstruction, the proof is in the pudding (you'd think those "experts" would deconstruct a variety of samples themselves to verify what they're writing but they don't seem to judging from the results). Now, another way the term is used is "deconstructed" and that usually refers to a garment that has been made without the usual guts (inner structure). For example, a deconstructed jacket would refer to a sportcoat that doesn't have chest pads or fusible in the shoulder areas etc. Iow, a softer construction, more casual. One caveat; the meanings I refer to here are traditional and I have no control over how marketing people borrow terminology and pervert it 
Nurture people, not products
Fashion-incubator.com |
User: kathleenfasanel
Member since: 08-26-2005 Total posts: 15 |
From: mommydionne
Date: 11-01-2005, 07:18 PM (8 of 16)
Kathleen, you have a fascinating website, does your book include your sewing techniques or is it mainly (as I think it is) about getting into the manufacturing business without going insane? If you have NOT included your sewing techniques... When is your next book with them coming out? 
Jeanette
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User: mommydionne
Member since: 01-08-2004 Total posts: 838 
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From: kathleenfasanel
Date: 11-03-2005, 09:19 AM (9 of 16)
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You are correct in that it's about how to produce a line -designing for money as opposed to sewing for money- so if you're interested in sewing, it wouldn't be for you :( Who knows if I'll ever write a sewing book -at least it feels that way sometimes- the biggest problem being organization...we just sew so differently. For example, there is NO way I could write a sewing book unless it also had pattern drafting as an integral portion because our patterns are so different. I mean, there is just no way you could sew like we do using home patterns. I think my biggest barrier is worrying that people will perceive it as being too difficult but it's not! I mean, once your pattern is set up correctly, industrial sewing is a LOT easier. The other thing is, I seem to have a hard time getting people to truly understand that they need to practice just as an athlete practices their sport. It seems that many people just want to cut their pattern out, follow along with the instructions and get a perfect result on their first try but it doesn't work that way. For example, I still sew up samples of processes before I do it for real if I haven't done the technique in awhile. While sewing industrial IS easier, it takes more prep work and I just think many people want a ready-made boxed solution or a magic wand that will solve their problems with as little effort on their part as possible. But, hopefully I'm wrong. And then, everybody says they would like me to write a sewing book but I'm not sure it will sell. I mean, in 9 months, I've gotten exactly 10 donations off my site and it's hard to justify writing a book if people don't think what I've done thus far is worth the value of supporting. I've got tons of tutorials on my site with little to show for it so you can see how it'd be hard for me to motivate to produce a book if people think it's not worth it now. Lastly, I am very low income (I am disabled). Writing a book means dropping other projects working for no money and I have a child to support. Financially, a book is a very risky venture with little assurance of return based on current returns :(. I've thought of working with a publisher and getting an advance but I can't see that they'd fund it because it would cannabalize sales of their existing books. I doubt an outfit like Threads would publish it because it'd directly contradict just about anything they've ever published and besides, their advance would only cover about 2.5 months of expenses. I've thought of getting private investors but I wouldn't know how to do it. I'm sorry, I'm sure this is more than you really wanted to know. Nurture people, not products
Fashion-incubator.com |
User: kathleenfasanel
Member since: 08-26-2005 Total posts: 15 |
From: DragonLady
Date: 11-03-2005, 12:08 PM (10 of 16)
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kathleenfasanel, I have been to your site, too. I was a member of your forum, but when I went back I was gone...don't know what happened (?).... And if you just didn't like what I had to say, that is fine.... I think there's a basic schism that is hard to bridge between industrial sewing and home sewing and between home or industrial and couture or bespoke sewing.... They are three different things, and will never see eye-to-eye. I'm mostly interested in custom (one-off) sewing. One person, one outfit, one time. "Come back if you lose a button; otherwise, come back if you need something else". I'd like to be able to set up a drafting area, listen to what someone wants, make a recognizable sketch of it, draft the pattern, cut the fabric, sew it together...and be done with it. I realize I'm probably just dreaming, but that's what I'd like. I think I could do that every day of my life and be a very happy person.  I would never want to sew on the same button 500 times a day for five days in a row. That would make me insane. I've done enough repetitive 'grunt' jobs in my life to know that I can't stand them. But for industrial sewing where it's 500 pieces completed in a day, that's exactly what's needed. And I think home sewing is different yet, because it's really a form of personal expression. Yes, some people sew to save money, but with all the cheap clothes now, I don't think you can really save much. So we sew as a form of relaxation & for the feeling of accomplishment. And we get the total freedom to do whatever we want...we can paint it, embroider it, rip it, or shrink it to suit ourselves, and we don't have to worry whether someone else likes it or if it will sell. We don't have to worry what it cost to produce (as long as we didn't spend the rent at the fabric store), or whether we "wasted" the fabric, or if our creation fits the current trends. "No more twist! No more twist!"
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User: DragonLady
Member since: 11-10-2004 Total posts: 152
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From: kathleenfasanel
Date: 11-04-2005, 11:54 AM (11 of 16)
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kathleenfasanel, I have been to your site, too. I was a member of your forum, but when I went back I was gone...don't know what happened (?).... And if you just didn't like what I had to say, that is fine.... Dragonlady -lol- I've never banned anybody! Well, only spammers. I don't care how much somebody disagrees with me -well, I DO care but I'm not going to delete them over it! My forum got hacked and I had to start all over :( . I have to do some serious config updates but once I finish that, I plan on upgrading to a for-pay BB system like Mary's (this one). I think there's a basic schism that is hard to bridge between industrial sewing and home sewing and between home or industrial and couture or bespoke sewing.... They are three different things, and will never see eye-to-eye. You know, I agree but not for the same reasons...there is a whole lot of mythinformation...industrial sewing is NOT about doing one operation a jizillion times. Really. Anybody from home, be-spoke, & couture stands to gain a lot! It is just not what people think. It's not about tacky shortcuts. That's not to say that some industrial outfits don't take tacky shortcuts -home sewers, couturiers and tailors do too! LOL We don't have the market cornered on tacky shortcuts. If anything, industrial sewing is doing it the "long" way...our patterns are much more stringent than anything else out there and that's what makes the difference. More pattern work = less sewing. It's engineering. I'm mostly interested in custom (one-off) sewing. One person, one outfit, one time. "Come back if you lose a button; otherwise, come back if you need something else". I'd like to be able to set up a drafting area, listen to what someone wants, make a recognizable sketch of it, draft the pattern, cut the fabric, sew it together...and be done with it. I realize I'm probably just dreaming, but that's what I'd like. I think I could do that every day of my life and be a very happy person. This is basically what I do except it takes me two or three iterations. That's the difference. Professionals don't get it perfect on the first try...we just keep at it til it is perfect. I would never want to sew on the same button 500 times a day for five days in a row. That would make me insane. I've done enough repetitive 'grunt' jobs in my life to know that I can't stand them. But for industrial sewing where it's 500 pieces completed in a day, that's exactly what's needed. I would disagree with this tho. Maybe I could do this if my life depended on it but it wouldn't be a happy life, that's for sure. And I think home sewing is different yet, because it's really a form of personal expression. But I don't see how sewing with industrial methods strips you of individuality. I'd just think that it'd allow you to do it more professionally and cleanly. Nurture people, not products
Fashion-incubator.com |
User: kathleenfasanel
Member since: 08-26-2005 Total posts: 15 |
From: DragonLady
Date: 11-04-2005, 01:39 PM (12 of 16)
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Dragonlady -lol- I've never banned anybody! Well, only spammers. I don't care how much somebody disagrees with me -well, I DO care but I'm not going to delete them over it! My forum got hacked and I had to start all over :( . I have to do some serious config updates but once I finish that, I plan on upgrading to a for-pay BB system like Mary's (this one). Ah...been there, done that. I use the Simple Machines Forum now, and so far it's been great. I haven't had a single problem using it, or the earlier YaBB system. And before that I was getting hacked or something every other week. PHPbb just has too many people thoroughly immersed in its code & inner workings to ever be very secure. If anything, industrial sewing is doing it the "long" way...our patterns are much more stringent than anything else out there and that's what makes the difference. More pattern work = less sewing. It's engineering. I do understand that. It's been slowly dawning on me since I began making my own patterns. I've never really understood why a t-shirt could take 3 yards of fabric...or why a pair of underpants could 2 and 1/2. Now, I'm starting to understand that the way the pattern is drafted makes all the difference. I'm discovering I can tweak things just a little bit, and shave inches off my fabric use. And believe me, that makes me happy.But I think the big difference I see with different types of sewing is in the equipment. I picture an industrial setting with a hundred sewing machines and a hundred girls all doing some single piece over and over. And I see seperate machines for buttons, buttonholes, pockets, collars.... A piece of fabric goes in one end and a jacket leaves the other in fifteen minutes flat. Every piece is already sold to someone, and the designers and pattern folks are busy working on the next line. (And in some companies it seems no one cares if the buttons are loose, the threads are hanging, or the zipper catches on the seams everytime it's pulled.) In couture or bespoke, I see a single machine for four or five people. I see people hand stitching the interfacings and linings, painstakingly lining up all the details so that every part of the pattern matches & falls at the best places. I see them using 25lb irons that shrink and shape and turn fabrics into whatever they want them to be...paint chips one day; ice sculpture the next. Just look at the dresses Ballenciaga turned out. They aren't just sewn of fabric and thread! They're engineered, sculpted, carved, motorized and molded till the materials are completely brainwashed and putty-fied. And then, of course, all of us home sewers with our machines that share table space with luncheons and homework, our incredible stashes of fabric ("Give me three yards. I'll figure out what to do with it later"), our boxes of notions (under $10.00 each so we wouldn't have to beg), our folding tables, plastic rulers, 5 lb irons that never work quite right, and -if we're lucky- sewing rooms that are also guestrooms. So, I think a lot of the information we pass around and "tips" that work for us take into account our working conditions and the fact we can't sew for 8 hours every day -rather we just get moments after everything else is done. "No more twist! No more twist!"
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User: DragonLady
Member since: 11-10-2004 Total posts: 152
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From: mommydionne
Date: 11-04-2005, 06:02 PM (13 of 16)
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Well... I would love to learn new techniques, I took a pattern drafting course a while a go (ie 12+ years) and loved it, it gave insight as to how patterns work etc. I'm not afraid now to cut and slash and move pieces around. I also use a lot of my "own" techniques for things (zippers etc) and rarely read instructions any more b/c they are bass-ackwards. Seriously, why on earth would you put the zipper in a dress LAST.  But Kathleen I hope all goes well with your site and you get some donations that would make you consider writing a book. (how about an ebook? I just bought one and thought that was a cool idea). But thanks for all your insight and advice (the tips and tricks are pretty cool too!) 
Jeanette
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User: mommydionne
Member since: 01-08-2004 Total posts: 838
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From: MaryW
Date: 11-05-2005, 04:56 AM (14 of 16)
Kathleen, there is an excellent idea. An e-book! 
MaryW
owner/editor of Sew Whats New |
User: MaryW
Member since: 06-23-2005 Total posts: 2542 
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From: kathleenfasanel
Date: 11-08-2005, 12:58 PM (15 of 16)
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And then, of course, all of us home sewers with our machines that share table space with luncheons and homework, our incredible stashes of fabric ("Give me three yards. I'll figure out what to do with it later"), our boxes of notions (under $10.00 each so we wouldn't have to beg), our folding tables, plastic rulers, 5 lb irons that never work quite right, and -if we're lucky- sewing rooms that are also guestrooms. So, I think a lot of the information we pass around and "tips" that work for us take into account our working conditions and the fact we can't sew for 8 hours every day -rather we just get moments after everything else is done. You know, I understand this better than you'd imagine and believe me, I AM sympathetic...I used to have to sew out of a closet, literally! I do have one idea that I've tossed around for ages...you know, when guys are really into cars, 5 or 6 of them will go in together on a shop space away from home where they can work on them so they're not hogging space in the driveway or garage at home. I've often thought home sewers should do this too. I mean, just renting a space where you could put up a long cutting table would do wonders for all of you. You could buy an industrial iron, maybe even get an industrial machine or two. They're really cheap these days, a whole helluva lot less than the home sewing ones! I really think women should consider this. Get a small warehouse space and go to town! I know a guy in el paso who sells 4-foot sections of cutting table for $25! Even me (for example), if I knew some ladies I could trust, I'd consider renting out space on my cutting table (I have a 20 foot table). I say ladies should pool their resources just like men have. Nurture people, not products
Fashion-incubator.com |
User: kathleenfasanel
Member since: 08-26-2005 Total posts: 15 |
From: DragonLady
Date: 11-08-2005, 03:32 PM (16 of 16)
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That's an excellent idea, Kathleen. I would be tempted to do that if I lived anywhere near a town (I'm thirty miles out in the desert). Honestly, I'm planning to buy a shed that I can set up behind the house. That way, I can move all my sewing stuff out there, and have a larger place to work. Even if I still sew at the kitchen table, I can have a cutting table, storage shelves and such out there. As it is, I spend most of my sewing time wandering around the house looking for all my bits and pieces: fabric, bedroom closet iron & ironing board, laundry room sewing machine, cabinet in living room pins, needles and threads...big box in the linen closet rulers, tape, pencils...anyone's guess (the kids had 'em)  By the time I have it all in one place, it's time to clear that place to cook or something.  Renting a small building and pooling equipment would be a great answer to the budget problems, too. Splitting the cost of tables and other sharable equipment would really, really help. "No more twist! No more twist!"
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User: DragonLady
Member since: 11-10-2004 Total posts: 152
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