Do you sit and work out how to make the thing you want to make.
I lost a whole nights sleep recently trying to solve a sewing issue, the next day I realised what I had come up with still wasn’t a great idea so spent the evening trying prototype ideas.
Do you have to make prototypes?
How long does it usually take you?
Do you have little experiments all over the place like I do?
example
Hi Clare, yes, lots of prototypes! I won’t sell anything online until I’m really happy with the finished product and sometimes that take lots of trial runs, often over months or years because I’ll put things away if they aren’t quite right and look at them another day to see how I can do them better. Solutions often come to me in the middle of the night or when I’m not even thinking about it, I suppose that must be because other thoughts aren’t getting in the way! I tend to get quite a few practice things that I don’t know what to do with, but just recently I have started selling at a local market where I can clear them at a bargain price while I sell perfect ones on line.
It took me three attempts to get this bird right:
I tend to draw the pattern pieces on my mac using Illustrator, print them out, cut them out of fabric and stitch together. But I do make alterations as I go so I don’t have too many experiments hanging about. I think as my sewing is more art based it’s a bit different than if you are doing clothing or a symmetrical piece.
Yes, especially if it’s wire: should it be copper or silver, what thickness, how many strands, what kind of weave. I have a whole carton full of interestingly twisted bits of wire to remind me not to bother trying that idea again!
I do this too! old bedsheets and pillow cases make great prototype material!
I do trials but in a different way. When I mix up a new colour (or indeed make more of a current one) I have to do trial prints to test the spread of the paints. Some require more thinning than others, and the temperature of the bath and the air temperature can affect how the colours spread on the surface. Then there is trying out new patterns…sometimes it takes several goes before understanding the movement needed to create a certain designs. My craft area is littered with rubbish prints!
I also sit and work out in my head how to make certain things and do like a proto type before the proper one.
Yes, I can spend days trying to work something through in my head, then I’ll try and draw out what I want it to look like , for example, a new style of bag, with approximate measurements etc, I then make one up in some cheap fabric to see if it goes together as I imagine…this often ends up with a lot of unpicking, re sewing etc. The next one I make will be in better fabric and finished to how I want, but may end up as mine or my daughter’s to test drive! She has been test driving a baby bag/tote bag for me for a couple of months and has given it the thumbs up…no changes needed so I am going to get one made for Folksy soon.
