By the time the progress report idea was born, much of September had already bid us farewell. It is slim pickings for projects with pictures, but more conscious effort will be made in the future.
Come take a look behind the scenes at Stacey Sansom Designs, and learn where and how the work gets done.
Patches
Stacey Sansom Designs has regular customers for patch sewing services. It has been a while for some of these customers. Making a mental note to myself: I need to reach out to newer schools in the area and see if this is a service they can also utilize. With the new year approaching, this is a great time for a new marketing push to localized customers.
In September, I worked on a small batch for a martial arts school system near and dear to my heart. Two of my children have continued their martial arts journey at Talon Martial Arts. The youngest is still training at the school and is teaching others to love the martial arts.
One of the biggest problems with martial arts schools is compliance with the patches on uniforms. People do not know how to sew and the adhesive stuff has mixed results. Since my oldest started martial arts in roughly 2002 or 2003, this has been a problem. Back then, I was not as proficient at sewing as I am today, and frankly, patches scared me.
I had always been told they were hard to do. My mother, as amazing a seamstress as she was, complained about patches every time I brought her a uniform that needed one. Even with my puppy dog eyes added to the request to sew her grandson’s patches on, she grumbled. I quickly learned to sew the patches on myself, and the rest is history.
Another problem with patches universally is consistency. With first responder, military, and even scouting uniforms there are clear guidelines on how to place patches properly on uniforms. For many organizations, these guidelines are very lax. You are left wondering if you got it right.
I typically create templates, so at least the application is consistent. The problem is that not everyone uses a template when doing work; the results may vary from uniform to uniform. The most common excuse is that it is faster to eyeball it. As someone who has eyeballed it, yes, it is. That does not mean it is best.
The embroidery is on uniforms before coming to Stacey Sansom Designs, inconsistently placed.
Many of these uniforms, have embroidery on the right breast of the uniform. This embroidery work is smaller than the overall size of the patch to be applied to the left breast. Ideally, these would be the same size. They are not.
As you can see in the image above, this template is a mess. This one is for a size 0 uniform with no yoke. The circles represent the different places the embroidery has been placed on the size 0 uniforms as they arrive in the Stacey Sansom Designs Studio. This embroidery is roughly the size of the center of the patches. I use this to flip over and line up the circle to the center circle on the patch. Then I can pin the patch in place for sewing machine application.
The problem: Lack of consistency.
Even making a template, has yielded inconsistent results because I do not do the embroidery work. I am not currently set up with equipment to do this type of work. As much as it pains me to see inconsistent results, it is what I have to work with until I can justify the expense of a large embroidery machine.
The karate school has changed to another embroidery service provider, and this appears to be more consistent, usually within 1/4 inch in any direction. I can work with that.
Fortunately, for this batch of uniforms, there is no embroidery on the uniforms and there is not likely to be any in the future. These uniforms go through their Lifetime Fitness agreement, not through their physical school locations. It was time for me to practice what I preach about consistency and make new templates dedicated to the LTF patches. So new templates were in order.
New templates have rough measurements and other guides as needed.
Creating templates does take time, but in the end, the results are worth it. The results are consistent and uniform. The time spent creating the templates saves me a lot of time in the long run. I can quickly position the patches and reliably get them in the same location on the uniform regardless of size or style.
A template is made for each size and style of uniform that comes across my table. A little time spent pinning saves me a huge amount of time sewing. I can complete more uniforms in half the time at the sewing machine. I go through a lot of straight pins, but it is a small trade-off when I can now completely sew patches on any given uniform in under half the time spent before.
The results speak for themselves. Consistently placed patches on each size completed in half the time previously taken. I do spend some time pinning up front, but this is a small expense of time and is less than the time saved sewing. I can capture additional time savings once I can invest in a larger machine. That is in the works, but it is not a problem I can solve this month.
The biggest goal when sewing on patches is longevity and durability. Ideally, once and done. These patches will withstand the rugged wear and tear martial artists put on them, securely attached. I get repairs for tears in the uniforms, non-related to the patch locations, 99% of the time. Rarely do the patches need to be sewn down again once I have put my handiwork into them.
My personal goal is to increase speed and efficiency. Templates help me do that. I hope that future progress reports for patches will be quick snippets of work completed instead of detailed progress reports with lots of pictures.
I am grateful for all my patch sewing customers. If you have been putting off getting those patches sewn onto uniforms or other items, contact Stacey Sansom Designs to find out how easy and inexpensive it can be. Schedule your patch sewing services today!
Jeans Repair – Button Replacement
Not all projects that come through the doors at Stacey Sansom Designs are big and glamorous. In fact, most projects are not flashy and exciting.
I don’t have any pictures of this one, but it was a simple button replacement on a pair of everyday jeans. There is a nominal fee for the cost of a new button and other materials needed, but this is a fairly easy repair if caught early, especially when the back of the button starts to tear through the fabric. There are a couple of things that can be done to stabilize the fabric and extend the jeans’ longevity.
There are no promises with these kinds of repairs, especially if the jeans are tight. Unfortunately, that’s a “wearer-created problem,” and the workmanship of the repair cannot be blamed.
If the problem is caused by the tightness pulling the fabric, it causes undue stress and creates stress points. Even jeans are designed with wearing ease, and typically not designed to be so snug that you have to dance around the room to get them on. Proper sizing is critical for the longevity of button replacements on jeans.
Dress Alteration – Incomplete
This dress was brought to me to improve the fit and front modesty of the dress. The customer felt that the opening on the dress was too deeply cut for her. These are usually quick, but can be tricky. It was “too baggy” overall above the waist. This adjustment can be tricky when you are also decreasing the size of the opening.
This alteration was on a shorter timeline, but it is incomplete this month due to needing to “refit” the garment.
The customer was very petite, but without a zipper or other opening on the dress, I was worried that she would not be able to get back into the dress once I reduced the neckline roughly 2 inches. That does not seem like much until you have to get it over your shoulders. I did not give it a second thought when she brought me the dress after the initial fitting. She got it off without help.
I put the dress form in its smallest size and I could not get the dress over the shoulders. The human body can contort more than the rigid dress form, but this raised some red flags. The initial alterations created some “bunching” on the dress form. This warranted a refit to reduce the bunching and verify that the customer could easily get in and out of the dress.
So it is incomplete waiting for a refitting session.
No Cut Alteration #1
Sometimes alterations are required to be “no cut” because the item belongs to someone else or is rented. These alterations are required on uniforms for most school organizations, such as band, choir, or orchestra. They are also ideal for situations where younger or rapidly growing children. They may need additional length before the clothing items are too small. No cut alterations offer a little bit of longevity and ensure reusability.
Located near a handful of schools, I see a lot of no cut alterations at certain times of the year. Usually, it is a mad rush before the first concerts of the semester, with parents in a frenzy because the dress is too long and they have no sewing ability. Or perhaps someone else has tried and failed to make the adjustments themselves.
This hem needs to be as invisible as possible on the outside of the skirt (or pants if appropriate).
This particular hem, was taking down the sloppy hem from a previous year. Often they will be reissued the same uniform year after year unless it no longer fits. This hem was not a change in length; it was a complete redo. The dress was shortened roughly 5 inches. This is a large hem allowance on a very full floor-length skirt, but the more length you reduce on these fuller skirts, the more you have to ease into the hem without rippling. This can get tricky.
I did learn something from taking this previous hem down. While not a smooth adjustment in this instance, it was a clever way to reduce the “taper” of the skirt before the hem and did in fact reduce all the “easing” of the fullness in the hemline. It was already reduced in a side seam, right above where the hemline would fall.
The previous hem was done by machine. I do my no-cut hems 90% by hand.
Nursing a Repetitive Stress Injury
Some alterations have been difficult to complete with an ongoing repetitive stress injury. I have been battling tendonitis and pinched nerves in my dominant arm – wrist and elbow – since May. This month, I saw an orthopedist because the pain was unbearable, and it was nearly impossible to hold the needle or pick up straight pins. My cortisone injections in both the wrist and elbow were done a couple of days before these pictures were taken.
While still slow and unsteady, I was able to complete 2 no-cut alterations and save the day (or performance) for local students (and their parents).
This hem was not level all the way around the dress. It was poorly executed on the blind hemmer machine used. When I think about buying one of these machines to save time, it is only a tool whose use must be perfected. These blind hemmer machines are not super expensive, and they are fast. Quick or poorly executed results do not yield long-lasting or even better results. These hems tend to fall faster than well-executed hand-stitched blind hems.
No Cut Alteration #2
One of the biggest no-nos in alterations for school uniforms is “hem tape.” Just say no!!! It is awful. It does not last. It is not always invisible, and it can bleed through the fabric. It can even damage the fabric. Every school organization that I have received guidelines for (and even many private ones) clearly reads: Do not use hem tape. Just do not do it!
While I do charge more for “no cut alterations” because they do take me longer sewing every stitch around the floor-length skirt or tux pants by hand, the money spent is a cost of you or your child performing. They will look more professional. You can also avoid any potential fines for damage to the garments when they are returned.
I had to pull down the remaining and failing hem tape. It is important to remember that the hem tape was not designed to withstand certain temperatures or certain chemicals; these chemicals are commonly used by many dry cleaners. Uniform dresses and tuxes are typically dry-cleaned at the end of each school year, or if the school owns them, before they are returned to the student the following year. However, as you can see in the picture above, this is not a guarantee. The tape does not always come off; in fact, it can damage the material below it. Just don’t do it.
This dress was shortened approximately 4 inches. This material was different from the previous dress. The hem stitches are a little harder to hide on the thinner fabrics, but after pressing, they become almost invisible. I reduced the taper on the hem at the seams of the skirt before folding and stitching.
What can Stacey Sansom Designs Do for you?
As you can see, Stacey Sansom Designs performs a variety of services each month. Some tasks are small, but make all the difference. Others are trickier and more time-consuming. If you have any questions about something you need (or want) done, contact me! I may ask you to send pictures to help me visualize your request, but start with the question.
Do you have an upcoming event? Do you need alterations or repairs completed? The calendar fills up quickly. Do not wait until the last minute! Schedule your quick and painless appointment today!