Start Up Kids Line

What you Need to Work with Sewing Contractors for Salesmans Samples

January 27th, 2007

In the past week contractor nightmares have been a theme. And, since I dropped off the sample kits with my sewing contractor yesterday (I still can’t believe I made it – I was cutting up to the last minute, even putting the right spec sheet with the right kit on the way there!), it seems really timely to share what I’ve learned. I even learned more yesterday.

The first contractor I went to, I found through the yellow-page grapevine. Few people in the area take on, or have experience with children’s clothing manufacturing. I was also running late in the season – which made me feel desperate to find somebody, anybody, that would work with me. I should always be concerned about finding THE RIGHT person to work with me.

This being my first experience I went in with somewhat schizo spec sheets (admittedly), bolts of the fabric. I’ve since learned sewing contractors generally never cut the sample fabric on their own. She didn’t say anything about this. It was a disaster. Not a single sample came back on time, not a single sample came back decent, and what’s worse was that the styles actually changed. Unmatching prints and fabrics came back, wrong color trim on many of the garments – and in restrospect, I’m sure she had no clue what I actually wanted. But instead of ASKING me what the he** I just left with her (we did talk through it when I was there), she just went for it. We shouldn’t have paid, but we did – so mistakes all the way through.

Now, I’m in the loop with a good contractor, who was referred to us by my most-excellent pattern maker. He laughed at me (not in a mean way), when I asked if he cut the samples.

After our nightmare experience (and a whole season literally lost), here’s the single most important thing I learned, and trust me, if you don’t have the time to do this, then don’t do your season: Have the contractor make only one or two samples the first time. See their work, understand the communication process and how they like to work, what they expect from you, how they meet deadlines, how much respect they have for you as a small business – all of these things are crucial to the development of your product.

Beyond that, here’s what I need for my contractor and how the sample production process works:

1. Once I’m satisfied with the pattern, fit and look, I sew up one final prototype. I will take this prototype to the sewing contractor, it doesn’t matter if my sewing skills suck, it’s for a visual of the style.
2. I cut the fabric for the samples and group them together. Yesterday, I dropped off three styles, for two samples of two styles, three samples of the final style, almost all in different colorways. This is a small line and you can see from reading that last sentence how confusing it can be. The sample stage is more complicated because you’re throwing a variety of styles at the contractor at one time. (I’ve received some good production advice along these lines, but will save it for another day).
3. Group all of the inputs for each sample together into one kit. I throw it all in one ziplock bag – including the associated spec sheet. Make sure any buttons, snaps, elastic, ties, etc. are also included in this bag.
4. The spec sheet is the most crucial part. I hated the very idea of spec sheets when I first started this, maybe based on fear of the unknown alone. The spec sheet says everything about that style, contains the technical sketch of that style and (this is important) has mini-swatches of the fabrics and trims stapled to the top right corner, reading from left-to-right in the following order:
   • Self – Contrast – Trim
5. Talk about each style and each sample of that style. Don’t leave until you feel you’re both on the same page (or get off the phone, whichever it may be).

I’m lucky enough to have a local contractor; this eliminates weeks of back-n-forth shipping for the samples. I will literally have the first round of samples next week, and time to drop off the final round of samples before KIDShow.I’m sure there is more I’m missing. Oh, yes, the new thing I learned yesterday. Stick the style# to the prototype for cross-referencing. I didn’t do that. I’ve needed little stickers a lot lately, so probably a good idea to just have a few blank sheets of address labels in the car at all times.

It was such a relief to get everything done yesterday that I actually got a full night’s rest last night. That’s about the most amazing thing of all. Somehow, miraculously, we’re all a little happier this morning. And I have lunch with some of my oldest and dearest friends. Excellent.

Entry Filed under: Product Development