(no subject)
I really hate doing eylets...
I also don't like doing buttonholes. not as bad but I still hate them.
It's not that I can't do them well, but that you just dont do 2 or 3 or 4. You have to do DOZENS of them for one outfit.
I don't know if those non sewers out there really understand how much time it takes to do them. On average about 10 minutes a piece counting the measuring and opening the hole with the awl, then sewing them, then using the awl on them again...
Buttonholes take about 15 minutes each one, counting the measuring and cutting the hole and sewing.
And lets not forget to mention about making fabric buttons... that's a good 15 minutes a piece counting attaching each of them.
So lets do the math for one cotehardie. 40 eyelets on average down the front is 400 minutes or 3 hours and 40 minutes. thats if you sat down and had no distractions. add in watching tv, making lunch, doing laundry, whatever. It's really more like 4 or more hours just for the eyelets. I have short arms so thank god I only need 12 buttons and buttonholes on each arm to reach the elbow at 3/4" spacing. Thats 24 pairs at half an hour each - 12 hours. So the handwork for the eyelets, fabric buttons, and buttonholes is about 16 hours. Then let's throw in another 2.5 hours to hand finish the sleeve cuffs and the bottom hem on the dress and we're up to 18.5 hours.
So... yeah. I hope anyone out there that doesn't sew that has had a cotehardie made for them with hand sewing really REALLY understands how much work it is. I can cut out and machine sew an entire cotehardie in about 10 hours, but the handsewing is another 19 hours.
People have asked me why I don't make clothing to sell. Now you understand why. How much is my 28 hours worth? I'll gladly make clothing minus all the hand finishing if anyone is interested (you do your own hand finishing) but no one wants to do it. I made 3 guard outfits during my last reign for some of my guards as gifts - and you guessed it - they had to do or find someone to do their own buttons and buttonholes .
I also don't like doing buttonholes. not as bad but I still hate them.
It's not that I can't do them well, but that you just dont do 2 or 3 or 4. You have to do DOZENS of them for one outfit.
I don't know if those non sewers out there really understand how much time it takes to do them. On average about 10 minutes a piece counting the measuring and opening the hole with the awl, then sewing them, then using the awl on them again...
Buttonholes take about 15 minutes each one, counting the measuring and cutting the hole and sewing.
And lets not forget to mention about making fabric buttons... that's a good 15 minutes a piece counting attaching each of them.
So lets do the math for one cotehardie. 40 eyelets on average down the front is 400 minutes or 3 hours and 40 minutes. thats if you sat down and had no distractions. add in watching tv, making lunch, doing laundry, whatever. It's really more like 4 or more hours just for the eyelets. I have short arms so thank god I only need 12 buttons and buttonholes on each arm to reach the elbow at 3/4" spacing. Thats 24 pairs at half an hour each - 12 hours. So the handwork for the eyelets, fabric buttons, and buttonholes is about 16 hours. Then let's throw in another 2.5 hours to hand finish the sleeve cuffs and the bottom hem on the dress and we're up to 18.5 hours.
So... yeah. I hope anyone out there that doesn't sew that has had a cotehardie made for them with hand sewing really REALLY understands how much work it is. I can cut out and machine sew an entire cotehardie in about 10 hours, but the handsewing is another 19 hours.
People have asked me why I don't make clothing to sell. Now you understand why. How much is my 28 hours worth? I'll gladly make clothing minus all the hand finishing if anyone is interested (you do your own hand finishing) but no one wants to do it. I made 3 guard outfits during my last reign for some of my guards as gifts - and you guessed it - they had to do or find someone to do their own buttons and buttonholes .