Pattern services:
We do the sort of work that is typical of western Europe and New York City but at much lower prices. Specifically, we specialize in pattern making for complex sewn products and men’s and women’s lined garments -what consumers describe as “couture” but insiders call “single needle”. Meaning, products that require the highest level of sewing operator skills- with specific emphasis on high end design, suits, coats, leather products, and lined garments.
If you have patterns already made, we provide digitizing, grading and marking services. I’m also available for pattern auditing services which sewing factories are increasingly requesting, in addition to the tech packs. I use StyleCAD software, have a 4′ x 6′ digitizing table and a 72″ Ioline plotter to print markers. All pattern, grading and marking services are billed at $125 an hour. Sample making and cutting runs $60 an hour, production is quoted by the job.
Many people have asked me what brands I work for and will I send photos of work I’ve done for them. Discretion is one reason people hire me but more importantly, it strikes me as facile and predatory to use my customer’s brands for marketing purposes. As to photos, this is simply not done. Would you want me to use photos of your products to solicit work from your competitors? Ever heard of design piracy? I’m not signing on for that -and that’s assuming I had the right to use depictions of my customer’s work, which I don’t. In any event, here and there on this site, are photos of personal projects. Considering the content on the site, I have obvious competencies -check out the tutorials.
Consulting and Instruction:
I’m available for phone consultation at $295 per hour ($250 an hour if you’re a forum member), minimum half hour for an initial consultation and billed in quarter hour segments after that. I enjoy conducting product reviews; other firms charge thousands of dollars for these but in my opinion, few take over three hours. I am available to travel to provide consulting or training to your staff on site with a two day minimum.
Another service I provide is rapid product development -which means you come in and we’ll work on the product start to finish. I make the pattern in CAD (starting with digitizing the pattern if there is one), we cut it, sew it, fit it and rinse, lather and repeat for any needed correction in my 5,000 sqft factory. Ideally, the customer is ready to for a production quote the next day -often, we do the sewing on site. Daily rate is $2150 per day for the first person, $975 for each subsequent person with discounts for 3 or more.
Training for starting and operating a sewing factory is available at our Sewing Factory School in Albuquerque New Mexico. We can comfortably accommodate a maximum of 15 people in our factory training facility. The program fee is $2500 per day with discounts for subsequent attendees from the same company.
One class I think every designer or product developer needs is Production Pattern Making. You will need some tools and basic sewing skills but no pattern making skills are needed to successfully complete this day long class.
Here is a list of equipment and amenities of my sewing factory:
Facilities and equipment
- 5000 sq ft building
- 3 dedicated sewing lines served with feed rail
- cutting room; 2 -50′ tables
- WI-FI wireless network
CAD
- StyleCAD pattern, grading & marking software
- 4′ X 6′ Accugrid digitizing table
- 72″ Ioline pen plotter
- Dual monitor PC workstation
- Synology file server for redundant back up
- Cloud back up
- I-digit photo digitizing system
Sewing Machines:
We’re sustainable! All of our machines are either new with servo technology or have been upgraded to servo, reducing our carbon footprint by 75%. Here is a partial list of the machines we have on site:
- Single needle Adler 271 servo
- 7 -Single needle Adlers 281 servo
- Zig-Zag, Consew 175 upgraded to servo
- 2-Flatlock Merrow Activeseam MB-4DFO servo
- Needle feed, Juki DLN-9010SH servo
- Coverstitch 5 thread Kansai WX-8803D servo
- Buttonhole Siruba BH790 servo
- Bartack, Juki LK1900AHNS (servo)
- Smocking machine, Siruba 33 needle chainstitch (servo)
- 2 Merrow Purl (pearl) machines (servo)
- Hemstitcher, Jap Sew
- 2- Walking foot Juki DNU-1541S servo
- Overlock, 5 thread safety stitch, Reliable MSK-3316N servo
- Overlock, 3 thread Singer, upgraded to servo
- Blind hemmer Consew 817, upgraded to servo
- Single needle Mitsubishi DB-170, upgraded to servo
- Reece welt pocket machine, model 42
- Singer pinch tuck machine, upgraded to servo
- Singer E-stitch (applique) machine, upgraded to servo
Cutting
- Soabar 275 shade marking system
- 2-48 foot, 72″ wide Philocraft table w/rails
- 2-Eastman Blue Streak 8″ cutting knives
- 3- Eastman chickadees
- Eastman Cloth Drill
- Eastman Thread Marker (type L)
- Over 200 feet of feedrail
- 2-68″ spreaders
Pressing
- 1.5 liter Boiler Iron (Reliable)
- Blower & vacuum extraction pressing station
- Sussman gravity feed iron
- Hot Steam, gravity feed iron
Misc equipment
- button covering machine
- nail head and snap setting kick press
- belt and tie turner (production, manual)
- washer & dryer
- Alvanon full body form (curvy -UK size 12), 2006
- Alvanon squishy form, US size 10, 2012
- Alvanon size 6 child’s full body form, ASTM 2007
- Alvanon size 46 men’s full body form, ASTM 2005
- Alvanon size 20W lady’s full body form, custom 2005
Questions? Contact me:
Kathleen Fasanella
Apparel Technical Svcs
The Sewing Factory School
410 Old Coors Dr. SW
Albuquerque NM 87121 USA
T: 505-877-1713 C:575-635-8131
Hi! I’m blowing you up. Sorry. I contacted your on your comment on searchingforstyle.com, FB and now here. Feel free to answer on any platform. My name is Alex. I’m the owner of Wellstyle. (we don’t exist yet, so don’t bother looking – you can check out rushathens.com, my other business for a reference =) ) We are starting a wellness/lifestyle subscription box and one thing that allows most other boxes to suggest that the value is so much more than it is, is clothing. And instead of finding a brand that exists and is small and boosting them, why not start our own. We want something like lululemon/fabletics as far as product (fun workout clothes). Please let me know if that is something you can do for us or point us in the right direction.
Thanks a ton!
Hi Alex, well, there’s much to consider. I recommend reading entries on this site to explore your options. If you decide you want to move forward, then you might consider purchasing the book (top right) and contacting me as your schedule permits.
Speaking of contacting me, I don’t have an account on the site you mention and am not notified of responses, much less how to find that particular entry. As to FB, I didn’t receive any messages from you. The following comment is not to you personally, but generally as this is increasingly common; it is best to contact providers directly, either via email or by phone. We are all so busy that few small businesses have time to keep up with social media (my customers would be annoyed considering my backlog). We don’t have full time assistants to keep up with that. Rather, we’ll take the next person who contacts us in the smoothest way possible. To be sure it would be different if this were a buyer’s market but this is how things are for now. One must be proactive in contacting providers using old school means. Specifically, pick up the phone and call. Chances are excellent that no one will return your call if you leave a message so keep calling back until you reach someone -for optimal results, do that during regular business hours.
Speaking of (this definitely has nothing to do with you), I was annoyed by a caller yesterday who said she looked for me on Instagram and where was my account so she could see it -fashion being so visual and all. When I told her that I didn’t have an instagram account, she hung up on me. Which was just as well since she’s obviously not my customer. Even if I had an instagram, did she expect that I’d post photos of my customers products? Really? How would she like it if I posted photos of work I’d done for her before she even had a chance to sell it? Which is why, I don’t post photos of customer’s jobs.
Hi Kathleen! I am a retired hairstylist of 28 years and now venturing onto my next project. My dream is to start my own swimsuit cover up line. I am lost? I want to order your book but before I do, can you tell me where to start as far as getting patterns of my vision made?
I’m not sure I follow. Are you saying that if I provide a referral, that you’ll buy it once I come through for you? Or is it that you want to start working on patterns in the meantime? Like I said, I’m not sure I understand.
We do provide referrals but not publicly. The reason is that if someone gives you a referral, they are vouching for you, implying you are ready to take this step. However, I have no way of vetting anyone reading a public referral and risking my reputation so we only do it privately in the forum. It’s also a two way street as you can ask others about the performance of a given party before you commit to sending them a job.
In my estimation, it is best to read the book to determine to learn expectations and develop a strategy to work with providers beforehand. In this way you don’t get blown off or make a bad impression. You can get a head start by joining the forum too.
In any event, I wish you joy and pleasure in the next phase of your journey!
Hi Kathleen.Thank you for your reply. In no way am I trying to get something for nothing.. Lol! I’ll put it simply, I was asking is the book for me? A person that is new to everything in the fashion business. I will order the book. Thank you. WeirBeautiful!
This is helpful, thank you.
Is the book for you? Probably. If the topics on this site are useful, the book will be more so (I don’t duplicate information). To be sure tho, there are free chapters of the book online. Read those and mull it over. Good luck!
Hi Kathleen,
I am based in Cape Town, South Africa, moving to the UK and interested in discussing making patterns and production of a clothing range…. My email address is [deleted to prevent spamming] …. Have tried to make contact on Facebook as well…. Many thanks, Jane-Louise Sonnenberg
Hi Jane, I wrote you a couple of days ago. Check your spam folder.
Hi Kathleen,
I bought your book close to 9 months ago and had a great time reading it. I’m still slowly trucking along but have my first protos done and looking to plan production to figure out cost/etc. I had reached out but not sure if my message ever went through, Have been following your site/posts since I believe 2008, so I’m a long time, long distance- fan of yours. Anyway would love to see if you are available for pattern-making services currently. I’ve been burned by 2 pattern-makers (part of the journey I guess, both came from reputable sources) and would love to work with someone who is so driven by the craft, doing it right, and educating us (DEs) along the way. I also am itching to work with a consistent pattern-maker, with the added bonus of production. Please do let me know if you are able to work with me.
Kindest regards and respect,
-Taylor Mills
Hi Kathleen,
Good morning! I am just a home sewer and I make my own patterns. I haven’t ventured into the digitized patterns yet and I was wondering if you can offer your services for digitizing and grading my patterns as I am planning to sell these digitized patterns online. Could you help me through?
Sorry if I have contacted you through the comments section.
Julius
Dubai, UAE
Are you still doing boot camps? Are you available for on site training of a newly formed workforce?
I would love to talk with you if this is something that you do.