Skirt matching

[kodydog]

Here's a question for you furniture guys.

The girl who does all the sewing where I work wants to know why I don't cut my skirts at the same time I cut the rest of my pattern. I explain on a solid fabric I can do that but on a pattern, stripe or flower, I like to upholster the piece first and then cut the skirts to match. She insists the last upholsterer cut his skirts and handed them to her before he started upholstering the piece and it matched every time.

Could I do the same??? Yes!!! But wouldn't that be a quite the brain teaser??? How do the rest of y'all do your skirt matching?

[sofadoc]

I do them the way that you do. Like you, I probably could cut them in advance. But it would require a lot more thoughtful planning. And since I'm doing my own sewing, and I'm not on any kind of timetable, I see no reason to.

It seems like it would take a lot of time to pre-cut the side and back skirt panels.

[MinUph]

If you cut all patterns from the center point there is no reason not to cut the skirts at the same time. The sides and back (oversized), still need to be placed on the finished piece to get a perfect match but they are pre cut. Actually it is easier to do this when cutting the job. No back to the cutting table again. In lean thinking it is a waste of movement.

[sofadoc]

Paul: Are you saying that you could pre-cut all the skirt panels......hand them to another person, who sews them together........then that person hands a completed skirt back to you,,,,,,and it matches perfectly when you staple it to the chair?

Or are you talking about cutting slightly over-sized skirt panels, and folding the excess under as you staple the individual panels on?

[MinUph]

No I'm just saying to cut the panels and when the outsides are done then fit it and give it to the seamstress.

[sofadoc]

No I'm just saying to cut the panels and when the outsides are done then fit it and give it to the seamstress.

OK, I'm following you now. I do that too sometimes, especially when the available yardage is tight.
Other times, I just wait until the end to even cut the skirt panels. It may not be the fastest way, but it's comfortable for me.

I don't see myself doing it like the example Kody cited.

[baileyuph]

In Kody's discussion, the sewer indicated she sewed, therefore the advantage to the upholsterer is it is available without wait for installation.  Where as most of us have to cut and sew our own anyway.

Waiting when dealing with some matching issues, can make sense as does yardage questions.

Variances in everything, usually no problem.

Doyle

[kodydog]

In Kody's discussion, the sewer indicated she sewed, therefore the advantage to the upholsterer is it is available
Doyle

That is the sewers point. Whenever I hand her skirts to sew she has to set aside whet shes working on. A pain for sure but that is how the boss wants to do it. While shes sewing I find other work to do like pattern the cushions. When she is super busy I sew the skirts myself.

She insists the last upholsterer matched his skirts but I've seen his work and and know he didn't. I feel a custom shop, unlike a factory, should always match them when possible. It may take a little longer but that is what the customer is paying for. And it sure looks good when finished.

[sofadoc]

She insists the last upholsterer matched his skirts but I've seen his work and and know he didn't.

I think you should tell her "YOU and the LAST GUY are both wrong!!"
Sounds like she's just pissin' and moanin' because you're making her do a little extra work. She wants you to take the extra time on your end, so she's not inconvenienced any.

[MinUph]

In Kody's discussion, the sewer indicated she sewed, therefore the advantage to the upholsterer is it is available
Doyle

That is the sewers point. Whenever I hand her skirts to sew she has to set aside whet shes working on. A pain for sure but that is how the boss wants to do it. While shes sewing I find other work to do like pattern the cushions. When she is super busy I sew the skirts myself.

She insists the last upholsterer matched his skirts but I've seen his work and and know he didn't. I feel a custom shop, unlike a factory, should always match them when possible. It may take a little longer but that is what the customer is paying for. And it sure looks good when finished.

Exactly kody,
 It is not possible to get a perfect match beforehand. Possibly a vertical match if you work everything from center but not a horizontal one at the same time. The work I see factories put out now a days is disgusting. Some work I see "Some" Upholsterers put out isn't much better. It depends on the quality wanted, expected, and the abilities of the Cutter, Seamstress and Bench person.