Sewing In Bulk Quantities - Topic Overview

Hi Everyone! Let's talk about - Sewing In Bulk Quantities!  I'm excited to share the things I've learned with you as well as pick up new tips and suggestions from the group. Maybe you're asking - "Why would I want to sew in bulk?" There are a few reasons... First, maybe you want to sell items you make at a craft fair, in an Etsy shop, or in local retail. Second, maybe you're considering donating a bunch of items to a charity during the holidays (which will result in lot's of happy little girls and boys!), or maybe you just want to make a large wardrobe for your collection - a girl can never have too many pairs of jeans, right?! 

In the video posted below, I share with you an overview of the month long topic including my Top 10 Tips For Sewing In Bulk Quantities. I hope this will encourage you to think through your methods and inspire you to sew in bulk (or sew in larger bulk quantities if your already a mass production expert)!

Pattern Overview:

• Liberty Jane FREE T-Shirt (AG, WW, H4H, Barbie, JG, KNC, BFC, AGAT)
• Liberty Jane Jeans Bundle (AG, WW, H4H, JG, KNC, BFC, AGAT, Bitty)
• Liberty Jane Piccadilly Sweater (AG, WW, H4H)
• Liberty Jane Baseball Tee (AG, AG Boy, BFC, KNC, WW, JG)
• Liberty Jane Leggings
• Liberty Jane Basic Pants (Yoga Pants) Great for PJ sets with a tee or Piccadilly Sweater!
• Liberty Jane Salina Dress (AG, AGAT, KNC)
• Liberty Jane Avila Aviator (AG or WW) Simplest jacket to sew in bulk, just 3 pattern pieces!
• Liberty Jane Janes Shoes (AG, WW, JG, H4H)
• Liberty Jane No Sew Janes Shoes (AG, WW, JG, H4H)
• Liberty Jane Open Toe Janes Shoes (AG, WW)
• Liberty Jane Dress Form (AG, WW, BFC/AGAT, Ellowyne/H4H) If you're sewing in bulk you'll need lots of these for display!

Top 10 Tips for Sewing in Bulk:

1. Be sure to Get Organized first ;) You can review last months topic HERE.
2. Use a notebook or Sewing Planner to keep your projects and plan organized. Pick a pattern your are familiar with that is simple in design.
3. Choose fabrics wisely. Work with fabrics that are all the same type so that your machine settings stay the same, you use the same needle, thread color, and pressing settings.
4. Stack your fabrics and cut with a rotary cutter and cutting mat. Start with 4 layers to determine how thick you can stack your fabrics and still get an accurate cut.
5. Don't use pins! Yes, you read that correctly :) Pins are great, but for bulk sewing they will really slow you down. Alternately you can use fabric weights, or anything heavy you have around you, even your finger tips! Most seams are short and can be accurately sewn without pins (if you've chosen a simply designed garment like a t-shirt)
6. Nip your notches. Instead of cutting triangle notches, cut a short 1/8" slit into your seam allowance to mark notches. This can easily be done through multiple layers of fabric at once as well.
7. Finish all the exposed edges on all your pieces first. You can do this with a serger or a zig-zag stitch on your machine. 
8. If needed, change the order of instruction so that you can sew as much as you can without getting up, then move to your pressing station and press all at once.
9. Get a good swivel chair! This will help with efficiency as well as comfort and posture!
10. Sew buttons with 2-3 strand of embroidery floss instead of thread. Even better, use your machine to sew buttons on automatically - major time saver!

 Week One task:

• Watch the video :) Then share your tips and suggestions with me and the group! This should be a fun topic with a lot of discussion, I'm sure there are many bulk sewing ninja's in this group! If you have questions or need help in specific areas, ask!
• Participate in the polls posted below.
• Post questions as comments under the Facebook Group Post 

Next Tuesday  - Week 2: Bulk Sewing Process & Resources...