history repeats itself

Shirtwaists are button down, collared shirts similar to men’s shirts that women wore with skirts starting in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Before shirtwaists, many American and European women wore corsets and hoop skirts and such. Shirtwaists, or “waists,” became very popular and were sold all over the U.S. in a variety of colors and with embroidery or lace for fancier occasions. The shirtwaist was a working woman’s shirt, a symbol of freedom from domestic responsibilities as more women began to join the workforce in the early 1900s.

Also in the early 1900s, New York attracted millions of immigrants from Italy and Eastern Europe. Many of them, mainly young women, took jobs as garment workers. In the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in 1911 Manhattan, the youngest known workers who lost their lives were fourteen. The bosses locked the doors to prevent the workers from stealing and taking too many breaks, since they did not provide restrooms in the building. The women were expected to work 12-13 hour shifts with one break, and they weren’t paid for overtime, only about six bucks a week. More than 100 people died daily in textile and garment factories in the U.S. When a fire broke out in the Triangle Factory, they couldn’t get ladders to the top floors, and because the secondary exit doors were locked, about 150 people jumped to their deaths from windows or died from smoke inhalation or burning to death. Sound familiar? It was only a couple of years ago that over a thousand people died in Bangladesh in the Rana Plaza building collapse.

A year before the fire at the Triangle factory, a strike had just ended and the bosses agreed to higher pay and shorter hours in exchange for the strikers agreeing to settle all future grievances through arbitration. During the strike, many men and women were beaten brutally and the large factory owners paid the police to look the other way, or to arrest the strikers. But, when it was all over, the garment workers had a voice, be it a very small voice, but it was a start. The strikers’ concerns about fire safety, however, were obviously not addressed.

After the fire, changes were finally realized. The state of New York did a large-scale investigation of factory safety and created a state Department of Labor, and the federal government finally passed the Fair Labor Standards Act in 1938 that sets a minimum wage, a 40-hour work week, overtime pay, and prohibits child labor. It wasn’t long after that until clothing manufacturing began to shift overseas.

What did people do before they could go to a store and buy shirtwaists, before mass produced clothing? Wealthy people had clothes made by a tailor or dressmaker according to the latest fashion trends, which changed much more slowly than they do today. Less wealthy people adapted their clothing by changing the collar or sleeve according to the style. Poor people couldn’t afford to follow fashion, and would either buy clothing second-hand or dress their children in sacks and rags, or if they could afford fabric, make their own clothes. Though there is some evidence that clothing was produced on a larger scale even in ancient Rome, the popular styles in 19^th century Europe and America were corsets and fitted garments with boning, which would have been difficult to mass produce, and the sewing machine had not been invented yet. The freedom of the shirtwaist was not only that it eliminated the need for boning and corsets, (some still used them for some crazy reason), but also that it was simpler to make, could be bought and worn immediately, and could be dressed up or down, linen for office work or sturdy cotton for labor, and could be adapted easily to the latest fashion.

Even before ready to wear fashion and factory clothing production came on the scene with men’s suits and shirtwaists for women, women were doing the grunt work, and at very low wages. When people still depended on tailors to make their clothes, they were generally men. The tailor would create the pattern, cut the fabric, adjust the sizing, and send it to a woman in her home to do the hand-sewing for a very cheap rate. Historically, labor was cheaper than fabric, and that really hasn’t changed. When I think about making any kind of profit off of my sewing endeavors, I realize that if I had to pay someone a living wage to sew for me, I would make little to no profit unless I raised my prices significantly.

The irony is that this new method of mass producing fashion is marketed as a socioeconomically equalizing force by allowing women at all income levels to afford fashionable clothing in developed countries, yet it is so integral to the oppression of poor young women in the countries we depend on for clothing manufacturing.

I can’t help but think about what I’ve heard the guys (and it’s always men, it seems) high up in the fashion biz say, that it is providing economic opportunity for the people in developing countries. I would like to think that is true, and I could certainly see the potential there. I also realize that in the early 1900s, when mass production of clothing in the U.S. began, our country was accepting millions of immigrants, and the clothing and textile industries provided work for them.  But because there were so many of them and many of them were already poor, it was easy to devalue their lives, just like it is easy to devalue the lives of people we can’t see every day, working long hours, missing their families, missing out on an education, in unsafe conditions, with no promise of a future. Why can’t making clothes be a respectable, well-paying career? Even U.S. clothing manufacturers have recently been found in violation of the Fair Labor Standard Act, and American Apparel has repeatedly been targeted by Immigration Enforcement because they openly hire illegal immigrants. In some other manufacturing sectors, people get paid for labor, and overtime, and regular breaks, and they have opportunity to move up and become supervisors. Is that why Americans don’t want to sew, because those opportunities aren’t there in clothing manufacturing, or is it something else?

There are good clothing manufacturing jobs here, and some manufacturers in the U.S. have embraced automation, but there aren’t enough Americans interested in the jobs. Airtex, a textile company in Minneapolis that supplies to Pottery Barn, among others, decided to bring its manufacturing back to the U.S. for various reasons. They had been manufacturing in China, but the Chinese wages became comparable to American wages and their clients' demand for American made products made domestic production more appealing. They are trying to get young people interested in careers in textile manufacturing, but they are having more success with…wait for it…immigrants. They are building a workforce in Minnesota, training employees and paying them fair wages, and they have been able to bring back 70% of their production to the U.S. For more about Airtex, NY Times published this article in 2013 and Minnesota Business Magazine published this one in 2014. But, Airtex does not make apparel. Airtex makes a lot of stuff that doesn’t sell or change as fast as cheap clothes, and for that reason I imagine would be much easier to automate production and provide more specialized jobs that are perhaps more rewarding than sewing the same sleeve on shirts all day.

I keep coming back to the conclusion that mass production of clothing on the scale we are doing it is just not sustainable. It doesn’t matter if you made all the clothes out of recycled tires, it still wouldn’t be sustainable. After Bangladeshis get fair wages, and then another group of people die in another building collapse or fire when they move manufacturing to another country, and then they get fair wages, and then on and on, until what? And I haven’t even mentioned the environmental health impacts of growing cotton or processing leather and synthetic fabrics.

What if we all seriously limited the amount of clothing we have, and only replaced one or two things a year? The fashion industry certainly wouldn’t be so damn profitable (the communist in me comes out!) But more importantly, we might think a lot more about how those tee shirts were made and how long they’re going to last. I agree with Sarah Gilbert, that we need to buy less clothing, and be willing to pay more for good quality.

That brings me to my last bit about factory production of clothing…who were these bosses? Who were the people willing to lock doors to keep women trapped inside a building for twelve hours a day? Further, who are the people ballsy enough to say it is good for them because at least they have a job? Are the modern day bosses in Bangladesh and India the same way? The guys who ran the Triangle Factory were Jewish immigrants who had tailoring skills, so when they came to America they went to work in the garment industry. They quickly realized the potential and started their own small factory that grew until they were quite wealthy. They lived lavish lives, and could afford to hire people to beat or kill union organizers and strikers. They were arrested for manslaughter after the fire for the deaths of the people who could have escaped had the doors been unlocked, but they hired a celebrity lawyer and were acquitted. Even after they rebuilt their business, they were repeatedly cited for violating fire code, and were caught sewing on fake labels that ensured products were made in safe working conditions. 

In recent years, people who have tried to organize unions in Bangladesh have been intimidated and beaten as well, even after the Rana Plaza building collapse. The day of the collapse, bosses threatened workers who didn’t want to go into a building that had cracked severely the previous day. Of Bangladesh’s over 5,000 factories, fewer than half are regularly monitored by the companies they supply to or Bangladesh’s inspectors. And now that more inspections are underway because of pressure from retailers, many factory owners are threatening legal action for profits lost while necessary repairs are made, or just refusing to cooperate outright.  It took the Bangladeshi police two years to file murder charges against 41 people involved in the Rana Plaza collapse, including Sohel Rana, and many of them are fugitives. The clothing industry executives have huge influence in Bangladesh because it is one of the most profitable industries in the country, so just like in the U.S., politics is going to slow down progress.

Well, it comes down to greed it seems, which appears to come more naturally to some people. I don't understand how Isaac Harris and Max Blanck, the "shirtwaist kings" from the Triangle Factory, or Sohel Rana could/can live with themselves. There are good people, though, and there are good things going on, so my next post will be a bit more uplifting, I hope. I want to know what the major U.S. retailers are doing to protect the basic human rights of the people making the clothes for them, and who else is in the worker’s corner. I’ll let you know what I find out…until next time!

Georgia

 For more about the Triangle Factory Fire, this was a great article: http://www.aflcio.org/About/Our-History/Key-Events-in-Labor-History/Triangle-Shirtwaist-Fire

Utility apron DIY

I made a couple of these for a friend recently, and I like how they turned out. I wanted an apron, but I was going for a less girly kind of thing, and I decided on a waitress style apron, which could also double as a tool belt.

I picked up this blue canvas-y stuff for apron #1 a while back at the thrift store, and the yellow squares fabric was a more recent find that I couldn't wait to use for something. The purple and white fabric is from Treadle Yard Goods in Saint Paul. I finally finished off the yard I bought. I used it for this dress for an awesome little girl:

I had this salmon colored webbing in the drawer that I changed my mind about on a previous project, and I think the colors work great together (I'm not sure my husband agreed). 

After I finished apron #1, I remembered this awesome belt I picked up at a thrift store a while ago.

It has metal hardware and a hook on the end of the strap so that the loose end stays put. I thought it would work great, so of course I made another apron. His and hers, I guess. I bought the octopus canvas at Joann's because who can pass up fabric with octopi? Not me. I've been saving it because I couldn't bring myself to cut it. The denim on the front and natural canvas on the back of the second apron are from thrift stores. 

Making the apron!

To make this apron is very simple , 5 steps. I knocked it out in less than half an hour. By the way, this is only my second attempt at a tutorial, and I'm learning that I can't take enough pictures! I hope it is clear, even if I'm missing a couple of photos.

Step 1. Cut 4 pieces of fabric. 

Cut two pieces (one front fabric, one back fabric) for the main part of the apron, 23"W x 15"H. Cut two pocket pieces (one front fabric, one lining fabric), 23"W x 9"H. If you are using heavy fabric, like canvas, you don't need interfacing. However if you are using lighter weight fabric, cut two pieces of medium or heavy weight iron on interfacing, 23" x 15" and 23" x 5". Iron the large interfacing piece to the back main fabric, and the smaller interfacing to the pocket lining.

Step 2. Sew the pocket and pocket lining together.

Place the two pocket pieces right sides together. Sew along the top edge with a 3/8" seam allowance. Turn the seam to the inside, press, and topstitch 1/4" to 3/8" from the seam. 

Step 3. Split the pocket into 3 pockets. 

Place the pocket, wrong sides together, on top of the main apron front piece, lining up the raw edges at the bottom. Now we want to separate the pocket into three smaller pockets. Mark a line straight down using a fabric marker or tailor's chalk about 7 1/2" from either side. Sew down one line, then sew another line 1/4"from the first line. Backstitch several times at the top of the stitch lines to make it extra secure. Repeat on the other side. You could use contrasting thread for the topstitching for a different look. I hope you can see the lines on the first picture below. I didn't want them to be visible so I used matching thread.

Step 4. Sew it all together.

Now sew the back of the apron to the front, right sides together, leaving about 5" open along the top edge for turning it right side out. Trim the edges, and turn right side out. Press, making sure to press the opening so it stays straight.

Step 5. Sew on the strap/belt.

Sew two rows of stitches, one at the top of the strap and one at the bottom. Sew one x-box on either side of the apron to secure the strap to the apron (see second photo below). The second belt I used was extra thick so I did two rows of stitches on top and bottom and x-boxes. Add the buckle and strap-holder thingys if needed.

Happy sewing! Feel free to contact me with any questions!

almost winter in Minnesota...

It started feeling like Autumn to me, so I started thinking about wool and flannel and fleece.  I couldn't help but play around with making a flannel jacket, but it morphed into a dress somehow. Oh well, it's still warm, so mission accomplished! I was unhappy with the neckline at first, but it is growing on me. The back zipper makes it super easy to get on and off, and I think I might make a version that zips in the front so she can take it off herself (though I anticipate that backfiring on me!). After some minor adjustments to my pattern, I hope to put one or two up for sale on the etsy. I love the plaid flannel, she looks like a true Minnesotan, especially with the matching boots!

The toddler summer dress DIY

I'm going to attempt to explain how to make a basic, just below the knee jumper dress. It's easy to get on and off, easy to wear, and can be made from almost any fabric you please. Once you can make this dress, it is easy to adapt it to add sleeves, or different pockets or necklines. The possibilities are endless, and will surely be a topic of a future post. Good luck, and please send feedback if you try my tutorial! This is my first one!

Step 1.       Draft a bodice pattern.

You can do this using a shirt or dress that fits your kid, or you can learn how to draft a bodice using measurements at ELDELAYMI or download one for 18 months to 5T at Climbing the Willow. The Climbing the Willow blog has a lot of great stuff and is worth a look if you’re learning to sew. The bodice pattern I use is very similar to hers, with a couple of small differences. I would suggest though, that you may need to go up a size, because my daughter is a petite 20 month old, and her 2T size fits her perfectly. For the purposes of this tutorial, I am using an 18 months sized bodice pattern.

Step 2.       Choose your fabric.

Lightweight woven fabrics work best, like cotton or linen. Cotton/poly blends are nice because they don’t wrinkle as much, but 100% cotton feels better. You need about a quarter to a third of a yard of fabric for the bodice and the same of lining fabric. I often use different fabric for the skirt to make it interesting, but it would still work great if you used the same fabric. For a knee length skirt, you’ll need a 23”H X 20”W piece of fabric. If you want it to be poofier, you can add several more inches to the width. 

Step 3.       Cut the bodice and lining pieces. 

Make sure your fabric is square (information on squaring here). I usually line up a square quilting ruler along the selvage, then cut a straight line across the bottom. When you lay out your fabric, make sure the selvages (the finished edges) are on your left and right, rather than on top and bottom. The fabric is stronger that way. Fold the right side of the fabric over lengthwise at least 6”, more if you are doing a larger size. Once you are sure your bodice pattern pieces will fit, press the fold. Cut two front bodice pieces and two back pieces on the fold. If your lining fabric is different from your outer fabric, cut one front and back from each. There are other options for finishing the neckline and armholes that I’ll talk about later, but it keeps it simple to have the bodice completely lined, and I think it’s more comfortable for the kid.

Step 4.       Cut the skirt pieces.

I like to have a band at the bottom rather than a hem, though sometimes a simple hem looks good too. It depends on the fabric, but I think it’s pretty much always easier to do a band than a hem, and with some topstitching it looks more professional. So, for a knee length skirt for a 12-24 month old (you may want to adjust the length for your kid, just measure from waist to knee), the skirt should be about 9” long. The band is 4” long so that when you fold it in half lengthwise and allow for seams, it adds about 1 ½” to the skirt length. Then subtract the band length from the total skirt length to determine length of the main skirt pieces, which would be 9" - 1 1/2" = 7 1/2". Cut two pieces that are 7 ½” X 20”. Then cut two 4” X 20” pieces for the band. 

Step 5.       Cut the pockets.

I like the pockets to be about 4 ½” X 4 ½”. You can certainly make them bigger or smaller, or leave them off, or check out Behind the Hedgerow to learn about the many, many pocket options. I’m going to do simple square patch pockets on this one. Cut two 5 ¼” squares of main pocket fabric and two squares of pocket lining fabric. Often, I coordinate the pocket fabric with the bodice.

Step 6.       Draw the back keyhole button closure on the back bodice.

Mark the center of the back neckline on the wrong side of the main bodice back piece. This is easy if you pressed your folded fabric before you cut the bodice pieces. Draw a dot straight down from that point 5”. Now mark 1/4” on either side of the top center mark and 1/8" on either side of the bottom mark. Draw lines connecting the top and bottom marks and connecting the two bottom marks. You will be sewing along these lines in the next step. I am using a different dress for the photo for this step because the photo for the other dress didn't turn out so great. 

Step 7.       Sew the bodice pieces to their lining pieces.

Align each bodice piece and its corresponding lining piece, right sides facing. Mark about 2” from the shoulder on the neckline and the armhole (see the photo, it’s confusing).

On the front bodice/lining, sew between the Xs on the neckline and down the armholes all the way to the underarm.

On the back bodice/lining, don’t forget the keyhole opening. Again, I have to use a different bodice for some of the photos, but the black makes it easier to see anyway. For the opening, sew down one side...

When you get to the bottom mark, pivot the fabric 90 degrees, sew across to the other bottom dot, then go back up the other side. Stop 2-3” from the top and backstitch.

Cut down the center 2” or so, between the two lines. Cut a 2” piece of elastic cord or use a small hairband, make a loop with the elastic and sandwich the loop in between the two pieces of fabric about 1” from the top neckline seam, with the ends sticking out past the raw edges about 1/8”. 

 

If you want to use a particularly large button, you may need a longer piece of elastic, and you may need to place it farther down than 1”.  Finish sewing across the elastic, go back and forth a couple of times to secure the elastic, then continue sewing the neckline to the mark (see above photo).

Sew the armholes the same as the front bodice. Cut the back opening almost all the way down, being careful not to clip the stitches. Then clip the corners to make a triangle at the bottom (photo below left).

Clip the seam allowances in the armhole and neck curves (see above right photo). Turn the front and back bodice pieces right side out.

Press the back opening flat and topstitch around the opening 1/8" from the edge.

Step 8.       Sew the shoulders together.

Follow this crafterhours tutorial. It’s very difficult to explain, and she does a great job, so why reinvent the wheel? You’ll see why you stopped two inches away from the shoulder seam in the earlier step. Here's what it looks like after!

Sometimes I have one shoulder that is wider than the other. If this happens to you, turn it back wrong side out and see where you went off track with the seam. I've had to resew both the neckline side and the armhole side before to get it just right.

Step 9.       Sew the side seams together.

Put the outside fabric right sides together and pin, then fold the lining pieces up so the right sides are facing too. Pin along the lining pieces. Sew all the way down, making sure the underarm seams between the bodice and lining stay aligned. Serge or zigzag the seams.

Now your bodice is all finished! Press it so it looks beautiful!

Step 10.   Prepare the pockets.

Place the pocket and lining fabric pieces right sides together. Sew together, starting near the middle of one side, and pivoting around corners. Stop about 2” short of where you started so you can turn the pockets inside out. Repeat with the other pocket.

Trim the corners and turn right side out. Push out the corners. Press flat.

Step 11.   Sew the pockets to the skirt.

Choose one large skirt piece and lay it out right side up. Place a quilting ruler so that it is creating a line 2” up from the bottom.  Measure 3” in from the side, and place the pocket along the ruler so it is lined up straight. Pin the pocket down. Repeat for the other pocket.

Sew 1/8” from the edge down the side, around the bottom, and up the other side. Backstitch back and forth several times at the beginning and end so the pocket doesn’t come loose with use.

Step 12.   Sew the gathering stitches on the skirt.

Across the top of the large skirt pieces, sew gathering stitches. This basically means sew about ¼” from the edge across the top with the longest stitch length your machine allows. Some people say you should sew two lines ¼” on either side of your seam allowance, like in this Instructables tutorial. You sew two because one might break. And you can sew your seam in between the two gathering threads, then remove the gathering threads.  I’ve been lazy lately, and I just sew one line most of the time, and I luckily haven’t broken any. If you have a problem with thread breakage, this technique seems awesome, thanks Niler! If you aren’t using the fancy way, start the gathering stitches without backstitching on either end, and allow at least 3/8” at the beginning and end for the skirt's side seam allowance. Leave the threads long at the beginning and end for pulling. Move the long threads out of the way.

Step 13.   Sew the side seams on the skirt and band.

Sew the large skirt pieces right sides together. Then sew the band pieces right sides together. If you have a serger, serge the seam also. If not, zig zag stitch along the seam to prevent fraying. This seam is exposed on the inside of the dress. Be careful not to cut off the gathering threads from the previous step when serging.

Step 14.   Pin the skirt to the bodice and gather.

Lay down the bodice right side out. Place the skirt wrong side out and upside down around the bodice. The skirt is much wider than the bodice at this point. Line up the side seams and pin on both sides. Now start pulling one of the threads on either side. Choose one, the front or back threads and be consistent. I’ve heard that the back thread is generally easier to pull, but I haven’t noticed a difference. As you pull, move the gathers over to even them out across the skirt. Be patient. If you’re having trouble, don’t force it or the thread will break. Sometimes this can be very frustrating, and sometimes it can be the easiest part of the dress. Once you have gathered the skirt to the same width as the bodice, place several pins to hold it in place.

Step 15.   Sew the skirt to the bodice.

Sew a 3/8” seam allowance around the pinned skirt and bodice. Go slowly and make sure the gathers don’t bunch up as you go. Serge or finish the seam.

Step 16.   Sew the band to the skirt.

I like a band at the bottom of a dress or skirt because you don’t have any visible seams on the bottom of the skirt. Fold the entire band (both pieces sewn together from Step 13) in half lengthwise wrong sides together and press. Similar to how you placed the skirt on the bodice, place the band around the skirt upside down (if your fabric is directional, pay attention here!!), raw edges lined up. Sew around, then serge or finish the seam. Press the seam up, and topstitch 1/8” above the seam. Topstitching isn’t necessary, but it looks great.

Step 17.   Sew on the button.

Choose a sweet button for the keyhole closure and sew it on where it belongs. I hate sewing on buttons, but I love finding awesome vintage buttons at thrift stores!

The dress is done! I love this dress because it is guaranteed to look adorable, while also being comfortable and easy. You really can’t go wrong. Happy Summer!!

Here are some variations on this dress, one of which is available for sale in my etsy shop, Astrid!  I'm thinking about making a grown up version for myself!