Out-sourcing

One of the truly great things about living in New York is that despite the fact that the garment district is smaller each time I go, there are still specialty businesses that cater to those of us who sew. 

There are stores that sell nothing but zippers. There are stores that sell only notions. If you want to get a length of fabric pleated you can bring it a pleater who can pleat your fabric in any number of pleating patterns. A couple of years ago my friend Anne Marie and I wandered from the selling floor to the factory end of a trimming business. They were making multi stranded upholstery cording. We were transfixed by the process run on machinery that must have been a century old. The owners of the shop chased us out. They were horrified to find us in the factory. We could have stayed and watched all day.

Today I went down to Jonathan Embroidery to get the buttonholes made for the kittle. I had called them earlier in the week to get a sense of the pricing for six buttonholes. I was told the price was $5. 

I brought the kittle, the button strip of the store bought kittle and the buttons I planned to use. I waited on line. Signs stated that the customers needed to mark the buttonholes. They gave me a white marking pencil- no, not so useful for a white kittle. Instead they handed me a plastic take out container filled with pins. I used the button placement of the store bought kittle as my guide.

There were several machines staffed with workers. I was called by the woman with the machine threaded with white thread. I showed her the buttons. She did a test buttonhole on a scrap. 

In less than ten minutes, probably closer to five, all the buttonholes were made and cut open. 

For another $5 she would have sewn on the button, but I will be doing that. 

I am sick and stupid and will be going to huddle under the covers as soon as I am done writing. there are just a few small tasks left to do, a sash, belt loops, some collar trimming, and the hem and then a final press. Hopefully the antibiotics will do there thing over night and I will have enough brain power to get this put to bed tomorrow. Yes, with photos of the completed kittle.