Garment Manufacturing

We are definitely capra wallahs- fabric fellows for the non-hindi speakers among us....and I am very satisfied with our progress, we have a lovely pile of skirts waiting on buckles- made easily, to size and with pleasure by us all, the difference in this production run is profoundly different to the pulling teeth feeling of where we used to work.

Did not notice it then because that was what we were used to, but there is a message in there somewhere....when things are all aligned with the stars or what ever they DO run smoothly. If you are having continual headaches and problems take time to stop and see what is going on.....that does not mean blame someone....that means look at yourself, look at the sitation; try and remedy in yourself what is necessary, talk to others about the way things could change.....if improvements don't come about change the situation. Don't continue to torture yourself.

 Which is all so easy to say and mucher harder to do - we believed in the guy we used to sub-contract stitching to, we liked his family...it was really hard to admit he had willingly letting us down, told us big stories and was conciously mucking us around. Still since we have decided to walk away and start afresh it has gone remarkably smoothly.

 This is our new overlocker...sitting at it yesterday working on tableclothes for a wedding was so satisfying. I always try and watch the frame of mind I am in when I work...I think the vibe goes into the work.....so yesterday I started off satisfied with using MY new overlocker- it works so wonderfully...then enjoyed all the lovely silk....then got to thinking- these saris we are re-cycling were luxery saris; they probably have many stories to tell already of lovely weddings and here they are about to grace the tables of yet another one set on the beach at sunset in America....what a story they would have in their very threads.

 yummy or what? by the afternoon I was exhasted, I stitched the same hours as our tailors- I am trying out all aspects of our workshop so I can "see" what it is like. So as I was saying by the afternoon I was exhausted, my back was aching - I had to concentrate on happy stitching and not whinging about discomfort.....boy was I happy at home time and slept well.

 Our new foreman is Pappu [below- tall skinny man laying down on the left]- most interesting watching him work, he is really into details and quality- yeh! and thinks about what he is doing....we are working on things following my ideas but he has come up with a few innovations to make it easier to replicate designs and suggests them in a gentle manner. One client is really into stitched details and it is hard for the tailors to get it accuarte- by stitching with thick thread onto card we have a stamp- it can be rubbed with tailor's chalk and printed on pockets- brilliant innovation.....and work speeds up.

Being India...electricity is a little erratic [workshop is in town so much less erratic than my village home] you never know when it will go out and when it will return, yes we will be buying a generator as soon as Praveen gets back from Delhi....so here are our guys trying to catch a breath of breeze and waiting for the light to come.
Under the fan and aircooler it is OK, the moment they stop you are drenched is in sweat....yuk!
still clouds building up each evening, monsoons thinking of heading our way...things will be so much nicer when the rains come :)
Have a good, satisfying and productive day .