Tuesday, August 12, 2008

A New Approach

As someone who sews primarily for relaxation and a creative outlet, I typically make one item at a time, following a piece through from conception to completion. Recently, for the sake of efficiency, I've been trying the assembly line approach.
Here are a few pictures of the 25 wristlet zipper pouches I've been working on. I cut all the fabric pieces one night, attached zippers over the course of another few nights, pressed and stitched the straps, and now I'm on the final step. I divided the 25 pouches into three sub-groups according to thread color (black, cream, and orange). Other than that, it's been quite repetitive.

The verdict? This process works, and is especially easy to do while holding conversation with a toddler, but working in bulk can erase some of the fun (although it will be exciting to see such quantity reach completion at once).
Next, I'm going to "assembly line" purses, but only ten at a time. That number might be more psychologically manageable while still helping me to increase inventory for craft shows.

2 comments:

  1. Oh, yeah. I'm all about the assembly line. When I'm making wallets or pouches, it's the only way to go. And, you're right... it's awesome to see them all in a nice stack when your done :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I totally agree. Assembly lines are a big time saver. I love having all my little skirt pieces all lined up on my table and then watching them evolve into a finished product. It's more than time for me to get another bunch moving through. My poor little shop is almost empty. Have to get those crazy kids back in school to get anything done!!!

    ReplyDelete