Something old and something new

Already a while ago Ihave started on my latest dress collection. It was always my plan to move from the t-shirts back to dresses and other womens' wear. Because I am not the best pattern maker, I have paid someone to help with with that, unfortunatelly none of the patterns matched my designs. Getting the needed changes I have to pay her again and again,until the pattern matches my design. And while I can understand what she was explaining, I do not lke, that this was not discussed with me prior to starting the collaboration. For example, I understand that one of my dress ideas had a very complicated design that would break up some of the seams and it wouldbe difficult to make this dress fitting to a person. But rather than telling me that and asking if I therefore like to change the design or remove the design from the collection, it was just altered. So, now I am back with the old crew. yes that is right! I have reached out to my irish manufacturer. While they are rather expensive, with them I know, I show them a drawing and they make not only the pattern but the sample garment and it will match 90% to the discussed drawing, which is really all I need. For some reason this manufacturer seems to be the only one willing to work this rather unusual way. I have reached out to other manufactures in Germany as well as Poland, but they will only make patterns if I provide them with a full specification pack (it is various technical drawings with all sorts of measurements, inside and out). I understand they want this to cover their butts, as they can always point at the drawing and say: but this is what you wanted. However, it is work that I find to be rather difficult without having the actual garment... which makes me running in circles.

You probably have guessed it but the prints I usually have on my dresses (see pictures) are designed by myself. And I find that those prints with the organic material are a unique selling point to my collections and therefore I will focus more on creating new fabric prints rather than dress patterns. Longterm I will have certain dress types that do not change as much, but the prints will.

Tomorrow I have my consultation and I will get the final price on the 9 sample garments I want to get done. It will probably turn out to be 200 Euro per garment + the material that I will still need to source. To reduce my costs the samples will be done with plain organic cotton fabric as this will cost in those low quantities 10€/yard rather than 40€/yard for my prints - yes this is how expensive it is to get my prints on organic material. I am aware that usually in large quantities I should not pay more than 5-10€/yard but then I cannot guarantee the qualitiy of the product anymore. So, as long as I am not in a position to order 1000 yard per print I will have to go with the expensive option. :)