Sunday, February 21, 2010

Organizing organizers

When I was in college, I spent my summer and winter vacations sewing for a company that made ladies fashion tee shirts.  It is there that I learned the value of sewing in an assembly line.   Tee shirts would arrive from the cutters in big bundles.  Sewers in the back row would start by binding the neck edges then passing the bundle on to sewers in the row ahead who would bind the sleeves.  Other sewers would sew in the sleeves and yet others would sew  the side seams and  finally the bundle would make it to the hemmers.  The goal, of course, was to move as many bundles from the back to the front of the room by day's end.

I use this assembly line method when making quilt blocks and I am currently using it to make organizers.  I received several orders recently and decided I could sew more efficiently this way as opposed to making them one at a time.
I cut out all the fabrics for the organizers and bundled them.  I also cut all the fleece and interfacing that I would need.

Here are the covers with fleece ironed on and ready to quilt.


And the lining and pockets with interfacing ironed into place.
Now I can start sewing by color--all the ones that can be sewed with red thread, for example, then with blue and so on.

OK, now onto sewing!  Talk at you later! 

10 comments:

  1. When are going going to sew something just for you? :o) Very efficient assembly. I do my pillowcases that way...all the yellows, blues...

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  2. Assembly line sewing can be very efficient. Just make sure you don't get too bored with it. Looking forward to seeing your organizers.

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  3. Nice to know someone so organized, Rumi - I'm always to anxious to see how things turn out, so it is one by one! I know your way is better!
    Hugs - Lurline♥

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  4. That is where I learned to assembly line as well, in a garment factory.

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  5. You are a machine, I'm loving the assembly line approach..

    Hugs
    Jodie :)

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  6. Cant wait to see the finished products.I'm with you I would have to be organised.
    xx

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  7. What a great idea. Can't wait to see them finished. I'll be excited to see how this works out.

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  8. I like the assembly line method too when you are doing a lot of the same thing.

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  9. Great idea. I use a lot of beige thread so when I use black I usually have a pile of mending (son's school trousers mainly) where I have put it off for a while.

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  10. Looks like you have a real production line going Rumi! Can't wait to see all the finished products.

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