A Field Trip to the Fashion Incubator

Another event in the past, but a treat.

Earlier this summer, I had the opportunity to meet Kathleen Fasanella in person and visit her work space through the Material Girls group. Kathleen writes the Fashion Incubator blog; although it is oriented towards manufacturing, it often covers topics of interest to home sewers as well. She also literally wrote the book: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Sewn Product Manufacturing.

Quite a facility! It's not a factory, per se, more of a manufacturing lab. I found it an interesting peek into  a world of sewing different from my hobbyist's setup.

Some of Kathleen's assortment of industrial machines. We had the opportunity to give them a spin. Industrials definitely take some getting used to!

Pay attention to the foot setup on this machine. You don't have to change the feet, just spin to the next type.

This is the industrial serger. I liked how the surface was flush with the tabletop. There was also a scrap catcher that went straight to the waste basket.

A steam generator iron. Similar to mine but more heavy-duty. Take a look at the templates hanging behind the ironing board, which has the ability to blow air into or out of a fabric.

My favorite machine. This is a commercial buttonholer with numerous types programmed in. Once you've set the fabric in the machine and hit the pedal, it does it all in seconds--from sewing the buttonhole to trimming the threads to cutting the fabric. Beautiful! If they ever manufacture a home version of this puppy, I will be the first in line.

Many thanks to Kathleen for inviting us to her work space!