The search for a mechanic to fix my Singer Hemstitcher 72w-19

This is my Singer 72w-19 Hemstitcher. It was made sometime in the 1940's - the exact date can't be determined because of lost manufacturing information. It was refurbished, complete with a new paint job, before I purchased it. It is in incredibly good condition. The curious thing is this industrial machine originally came as a treadle. I would have expected manufacturers to buy machines outfitted with motors in the 1940's. My machine has been retrofitted with a new, modern motor, but I can switch over to the treadle if the power were to go out.

Speaking of power outages... Have you ever been stitching on an industrial machine when the power DID go out? Usually, there is enough reserve power to allow the operator to get the piece out of the machine. This is good because you don't want to leave pieces in a machine because of oil spotting. If the power stays off for more than a few hours, the operators usually get sent home. BUT, if the machines could be switched over to manual power, no lost productivity! There is a learning curve with manual treadles, and I certainly need more practice.

[back from sidetrack] I need to buy a rug and those plastic mover thingy's to put under the legs. It weighs a ton! The cardboard is meant to protect my carpet until I can get a rug.

Here is a close-up of the needle-assembly. You can see there are two needles and two punches. The pre-punch starts a hole. As the fabric moves through, the two needles move in a zig-zag type motion in tandem with a second punch. BTW, the punches are really called piercers. I prefer the term punches because the pierces do not cut the yarns of the fabric. Rather, they just move the yarns apart.

When I first purchased the machine, I needed to have some minor adjustments made to improve the stitch quality. These types of machine, and especially the age, make it difficult to find mechanics willing to work on it. Even when new, each hemstitcher would have it's own unique "personality". A mechanic would have to adjust each machine until it stitched properly, which could be about a dozen possible minor adjustments. Over time, it's personality becomes more distinct. This translates into a lot of time for mechanics who have to tinker around with moving things as little as 1/16".

I ended up calling every sewing machine mechanic within a 500 mile radius. I finally found a hobbyist mechanic who specialized in old hemstitchers. He took the time to teach me how to make many of the adjustments myself, including proper threading. He was worth every penny! Plus, he has hard to find replacement parts. A true treasure.

The most difficult situation I now face is replacing the needles. The two needles need to be oriented just exactly right or I may end up with skipped stitches or broken threads. It is a task I dread, so I don't push the machine to its limits. It is capable of stitching 1300 SPM!

I need to purchase a proper 3-spool thread stand. Here is my make-do set-up. The hanger stuck into an elastic spool works great for the bobbin winder.

In case you are wondering what a hemstitcher does, here is a stitch sample. A hemstitcher creates holes, held open by the stitching. My stitch sample is done on flannels close to the edge. A crochet edging can then be applied as a decorative treatment. I have seen the hemstitching, itself, used as a decorative element on clothing and linens. There really are a lot of possibilities. I hemstitch baby flannel blankets and burp cloths for local customers.

BTW, modern embroidery machines can reproduce a hemstitch, but the quality can't even compare to the real thing. Also, it takes twice as long to stitch.

A CEO's experience is important - the Difficulty at The Gap in 2007

I love BabyGap. I think the designers do an incredible job. The product looks fresh and cute, and it is priced reasonably. I read a very interesting article in February's 26th Business Week, Paul Pressler's Fall From The Gap. My first reaction was here is someone who didn't read Kathleen's book. Reading through the article (and if you can believe everything in it), one can see he clearly didn't understand the fashion business. It would be easy to put all of the blame on him because he was the new guy. The truth is that GAP has corporate culture issues not unlike any large company.

I met an assistant designer for GAP years ago. The impression she left was not very favorable. At least I decided I would not work there, if given the choice. It was a pretty cut throat environment with people climbing the corporate ladder rather quickly because of constant turn over. She left the impression that she could be become one of the head designers within a few years. Success like that does not happen without a lot of back-stabbing.

So I don't blame him entirely for his failure to turn things around at GAP. It would not have been an easy task to walk into a difficult corporate culture, with little fashion experience. Some of his decisions illustrated in the article were indeed poor, others just missed the mark. I think design entrepeneurs can learn from him. Here are my thoughts on some of his decisions:

1. Combining fabric purchases. He made the mistake of combining denim sales for all four divisions of GAP, including Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Forthe and Towne. The result was that all divisions ended up with exactly the same denim to use in all of their denim styles. There is no point in having four divisions if there is not some kind of difference in the clothing. Why buy denim jeans at Banana Republic when you can get the same thing at Old Navy for less money?

The idea is not without merit. I have had corporate execs suggest the same in the past. The goal is to negotiate a lower price for the raw materials by buying in bulk. A small company can combine fabric purchases to also negotiate a lower price. The point is that you shouldn't buy only one fabric, or one style of fabric. Large fabric mills will push you in that direction because it is less expensive for them to run 10,000 yards of the same denim fabric. But what are you going to do with 10,000 yards of denim?

A small business is more likely going to need, say, 300 yards of denim, which will cost more than what GAP will pay. But you can still negotiate a lower price. Sometimes, your order can be combined with an order from another company. Both companies could benefit with a lower price. Perhaps, you could up your order to 500 yards and you can use the extra fabric the next season or in another style. If the fabric company has more than one type of fabric, perhaps you could combine your fabric needs with one company. A long term relationship between supplier and buyer can lead to lower prices.

A small business should never buy ALL of their fabric from one source. You never know what could happen, so make sure to have back-up choices.

2. Outsourcing development. Pressler required his designers to create their patterns in the states and then have the samples made in Asia. Sample making in Asia is cheaper. The problem is time. It takes time to mail samples and patterns back and forth. Even with internet technology, there are many barriers to the ease of communication. Language differences is the biggest. This kind of product development can take as long as 3-4 months for final product approval, especially on a new style. Pressler would not give approval for expedited shipping.

You can outsource product development. It should be something to consider, especially for childrenswear designers. A lot of children's clothing is made overseas - just shop the competition and you will see very few USA labels. Because competition is so stiff, you can save a lot in labor by moving overseas.

If you decide to take this road, give yourself plenty of time. Time to find a reputable manufacturer. Time to find a manufacturer that will run smaller lots (small is a relative term, but expect 500-1000 pc runs to be termed "small"). Time to teach the manufacturer and their technical people your product and quality standards. You can do a lot of things long distance. One Chinese manufacturer preferred that designers actually come and spend a few weeks in China working directly with a patternmaker to develop samples. Not only was it faster, but it ensured the designer got what they wanted.

3. Market Research. Pressler tried to use traditional market research tactics to predict the next big trend. The problem is that customers look to their favorite brands to lead on the next trend. This means that designers predict or envision what should happen next. Fashion companies rely on their designers for this.

Market research is important for building a better brand and better product. Designers do need to listen to their customers. I have seen a few online fashion companies add product reviews and customer comments on their sites. This type of system can help a company improve problems faster. Inspect returns for product defects. Learning from the past can help you move forward.


What will happen at the GAP next? They are now on the hunt for a CEO with apparel experience. I don't see the death of GAP, but I do see some serious growing problems.

Another Care/Content Label Example

It's time to look at another care/content label. These labels were found in a 12M knit top that is part of a two-piece set.

The first thing that caught my eye was the placement of the country of origin. Country of origin information must be placed so that it can be seen without flipping the label over. Nothing can cover the country of origin information, like a brand label. It should be placed in an easily accessible area, like the back neck or waistband.

Another interesting observation is the style number and lot number information included on the front of the label. The lot number probably refers to the production lot and corresponds to a date of manufacture (lot numbers are unique to each company, so it could mean almost anything). Generally, this information is found elsewhere, like the reverse of the tag or even on a separate tag stuck into a side seam. It is certainly not anything that a customer is going to care about. I like the inclusion of this info for easy back-tracking, but it should be placed elsewhere.

This tag contains both an RN and CA numbers. The CA number is the Canadian equivalent to the the US RN number. This product was most likely sold in both Canada and the US, thus the need for two numbers.

The reverse side of the label contains all relevant information. My only nit-pick is the overall formatting. I generally prefer the content information first, followed by the care info. This label is just the opposite. Further, the content information is a different font, font size, and right-aligned compared to the care instructions. It makes the whole reverse side appear sloppy.

My final nit-pick is that the label should say "2 piece set" somewhere. Inevitably, the two pieces will be separated. This helps the shipping and store employees on the retail end realize there should be two pieces on the hanger.