Garment Making in Bangladesh

Today someone in Dhaka, Bangladesh, searched The Stitchery for “shirtmaking” posts. It reminded me that yet another disaster has befallen the largely female work force in the garment factories there.

According to Reuters, Bangladesh is number 2 in the world in apparel exports.

Yesterday, April 24 2013, an 8 story building that housed an indoor market, a bank and 5 garment factories collapsed 20 miles outside of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The numbers vary: 250 dead, 2000 pulled from the rubble alive, 1500 injured, 1000′s unaccounted for.

The 9th floor of the building was still under construction and had been certified as safe only the day before when large cracks developed. The owner of the building has been arrested and locals are calling for him to be sentenced to death. Some of the garment factory owners are also being arrested.

My heart is breaking for these low-paid employees. Shirtmaking shouldn’t be this dangerous!

Edited April 28 The building owner has finally been detained, he was not arrested immediately because he could not be found after Tuesday. And he said the building had been inspected but the police report that they advised the building was unsafe. There are also reports that 2 of the factory owners forced their employees to go to work. Politics and avoidance of responsibility make reporting almost impossible.

Shirt Making

Last week I finished a blouse for me. I posted about it over at The Sewing Divas and at PatternReview.com where thankfully it was well received. I hesitate to post at PatternReview because I have to do all my own photography and it’s not always Pretty! But I took the plunge and it worked out OK this time.

One of the commentors at PatternReview was curious to see a photo of the button spacing because I wrote about it but didn’t not originally publish a photo of the button spacing.

The first button down the front is 1 1/4″ from the collar band so that it can be buttoned with a nice and modest spread to the collar. The second and third buttons are 3 1/4″ apart so that the third is exactly placed horizontally between the bust points, preventing the dreaded gaposis. The rest of the buttons down the front are 3 9/16″ apart and end 2″ above the hemline so that the blouse can be worn untucked and neat. Unfortunately I didn’t pay much attention and took the photo before I had ironed in the hem. Details, details!

Shirt making is all about details. I love to make shirts

But I don’t always review the patterns I use or post photos of each and every project. I have many more that are unpublished.

However…

I also love to read about fine shirt making and see others work. So that brings me to my two favorite shirt makers in the whole world: David Page Coffin and Pam Erny’s blog Off The Cuff ~Sewing Style~.

Pam posted a wonderful tutorial on making fast and perfect flat felled seams on her blog Off The Cuff ~Sewing Style~ yesterday.

If you like to make one-of-a-kind shirts you’ll appreciate Pam’s work. She posts clear tutorials, professional results and innovative styles.

If you have missed checking out this great blog, go see!

Oh, and no, I have no affiliation with her beyond being an unabashed fan.