Harris Tweed; fascinating (well, to me ) prog about manufacturing, lost skills etc.

wageslave

lostinrates wrote: »

I'd make curtains.

Do you know, I think you might be right

wageslave

Raoul_Duke wrote: »

You do know i can speak garlic?

So can my granny but she doesn't have a spare camel

wageslave

I googled tweed curtains and what is on offer is enough to make me wish I was drunk

lostinrates

wageslave wrote: »

I googled tweed curtains and what is on offer is enough to make me wish I was drunk

Yep, mine woul be nothing like that. I've (crudely) mad some pretty sumptous curtains in my life so far.:cool:

fc123

wageslave wrote: »

Do you know, I think you might be right

Yup, she is as they would be great for insulation and cut down on heating. I would do some matching cushions with velvet surround and backing......would look lovely against a magnolia wall with cream leather suite from DFS. Very commercial.

The big problem is making the products as mainstream manufaturers have got so used to Chinese/Bangladeshi laboutr rates. Pennies per hour..

However, if the product is right (so far less price resistance) and it gets to market quicker, Made in UK makes sense

Actually, I am going to have a small brag..............

I have a concession in a high footfall location in London...pretty much market leader in my sector.

I got 'moved' for LFW to a prime spot..and our sales then went through the floor all of a sudden...it was all a bit bizarre...and puzzling.

So, last week I went up there to see what was what and we were plonked in the middle of the Made In China section and everything that surrounded us was half our prices with 10 times the processes (embellishment etc).

Anyway, we changed some ranges and price points (as we stock cheaper lines) and sales soared overnight. We don't make the margin that our rivals do but we do sell a different look and can change ..in an instant...I actually sat at the machine and made 30 units to trial 3 new styles the other day and all sold out today.

Another unit is having slow sales but all made off shore...to change direction, is a far bigger job and will take them at least a month, if not longer to pull back.


It's a shame that tweed doesn't fit into what I am up to at the mo as combined with other cloths, it has potential.

Adding lycra to weave would probably be difficult due to the old looms that they use......good pattern cutting sorts put fit issues though.

Lycra (brand name for elastane yarn) and elastane yarn has become the mass markets saviour in terms of fit.

Clothes fit better the more curves the pattern has as it goes around a 3D shape (the body) but the more curves a pattern has, the more waste on the cloth layplan.....that is why cheaper clothes don't feel like they fit so well...thinking cheap jackets as they aren't cut with enough curves around the armhole for example.
Imagine a cloth with tessalating squares on it and one with circles...the circle one will have loads of gaps (therefore waste)

And there endeth the lecture and todays lesson on fit.:D

wageslave

lostinrates wrote: »

Yep, mine woul be nothing like that. I've (crudely) mad some pretty sumptous curtains in my life so far.:cool:

I can't sew. I have tried and I just can't. I can knit though, thanks to the above mentioned granny

Afriend_2

Raoul_Duke wrote: »

Are you drunk again?, remember last time? You was posting topless pictures of yourself, to be honest it is the only reason i am still speaking to you.

Was it this one?

wageslave

Afriend, what is an internet holiday? Is at an MSE staycation thingy?

Afriend_2

wageslave wrote: »

Afriend, what is an internet holiday? Is at an MSE staycation thingy?

It is meant to be a holiday from the internet.
For me to study. Life-long career learning and all that malarky.

Coming on here is a break for me.

lostinrates

wageslave wrote: »

I can't sew. I have tried and I just can't. I can knit though, thanks to the above mentioned granny

I can't knit, tried and tried. I can make, very, very basic pinned lace though. (or could at school). I sew very roughly. I hate threading the machine, and pinning and cutting, I like actual sewing. Because I hate threading the machine so much (I can never remember which way to load the bobbin, and all that tension business) I tend to sew by hand. as I get more bored my stitches get bigger and less even.:o