h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Thanks for your advice, pheloxi.

I think we are lucky in that our webpage designer also shares your opinions. He wants to create a page that is not only easy-to-use but also one that we will be able to change on our own, whenever we have new stuff to show.

We were very lucky to find a designer here who likes the 'minamalist' approach, to not make the page 'messy' with lots of artsy stuff. He is promoting a very simple and user-friendly webpage that both Noggin and I feel quite comfortable with.


az

good! you are the costumers. I like the minimalist aproach!

Was doing a google search for 'key words' and when I typed in 'azahar clothing' my h2g2 PS turned up on the first page!


az

Looks like we have our first employee - a woman we met the other day who is coming to sew on Thursday so I can see how well and quickly she does stuff. So tomorrow I have to cut a few things for her. And if all goes well she'll start working with us full-time on Monday.

Now we just need the fabric to show up . . . it's already a week late!


az

that sounds like Spain....may be order a week early next time

Sounds like both Spain and Italy (our fabric is coming from Italy).

We were promised the first delivery on December 20th. On December 21st I started sending emails to our agent, which have become more and more frantic.

Aside from the very real problem of this putting off the 'opening' date of our webpage, I'm concerned about our new employee. I mean, she knows she will be paid by the hour for as much work as we have for her. But I thought we would have the material this week, which meant I could start cutting, which then would have kept her in pretty much full-time work for at least January and part of February. Then, once (if?) sales started happening, she would be regularly employed maintaining the stock. And I know she really needs the money - she's from Romania and has been living here with friends, taking in a bit of sewing work at home, but she really wants and needs more steady employment. And we really want to offer it to her. Well, I just hope she can be a bit patient with us if full-time work doesn't start next Monday as I promised her. Dang!


az

Just got a call from our rep. She said she has spoken to the transport company and our order will be here tomorrow morning, without fail!

What a relief!


az

see if you relax, all will go, even if it goes slow!

Oh dear! The woman came this morning to spend the day sewing three samples I'd cut for her. I gave her the first bundle for a shirt and gave her the sample I'd made for her to work from, and she told me she was happier working on her own. So I left her on her own. Two and a half hours later she still wasn't finished and when I finally went in to check it closely it was a complete disaster! We had to rip the whole thing apart and start over. I even had to re-cut a couple of pieces because they were beyond saving. But even with me taking her through it step by step her seams were all crooked, her stitches were uneven . . . gaaaa!

And okay, I know she was nervous (first day and all) and was getting even more nervous with each mistake she made, but after four hours I finally had to tell her that I didn't think it was going to work out. Oh, I felt soooo bad! And also really disappointed because she had assured me in our interview that she was a very experienced sewer and when I showed her that shirt sample she said it would take her maybe an hour to sew it. Heck, it doesn't take me much longer and I'm a really slooooowww sewer. I mean, the whole point of hiring someone to sew is to find someone who sews better and quicker than I do.

And the thing is, I have worked with professional sewers in Toronto - I know what they should be capable of doing. You should be able to give them a finished sample to work from and the cut pieces and, frankly, I would expect them to want to ask me some questions. So it was kind of making me nervous that this woman didn't ask me anything, and even once when I went in to check she told me she was fine and it was was going well . . . and I thought - 'oh hey, she must really know what she's doing'. Wrong!

So now we're back to square one, trying to find a sewer.


az

Sorry to hear that, az, but you know you will find someone soon.
Has the fabric arrived?

Of course not!

Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaa . . .


az

That's the spirit!

Now BREATHE!


Do you have a local fabric or crafts shop you could put a notice in or ask the managers if they know anyone who might be interested? Dry cleaners and clothing shops often have someone who does alterations and repairs for them. You could always consider getting a couple of part-time sewers if you don't find someone full-time right off.

It'll work out ok.

Rudest elf - ha!

MoG - weirdly there are almost no drycleaning places here other than in the huge dept store El Corte Inglés. But will check that out.

Part-time, full-time - don't care. I just need people who know how to sew! Am also feeling relieved I didn't hire a contractor to do the first production. Can you imagine getting *everything* back substandard and useless?

*Visions of az sewing everything and having a nervous breakdown.*


az

Well, one 'good' thing we found out this morning is that if we pay IKEA a *mere* 31 euros (highway robbery!) they will deliver our tables to the house. The ones we need for cutting.

Seriously looking like our Feb 1 start date is going to be pushed forward . . . and forward . . .


az

But one of your worries about the material coming late was that you wouldn't have any work for the seamstress you were hiring so at least that concern has temporarily gone away - not much consolation I know.

If you have to push the date back then you could launch on st valentine's day which would be cool.

Yeah, it's a slight consolation, kelli, but in fact the sooner the material comes, the sooner I can start cutting. Cutting and grading patterns are also going to take some time. And until we get the tables from IKEA I can't do either very easily. We should have those by Monday at the latest.

Basically, we are way behind, due to this and that. And we know it. And so we are trying to do what we can so as not to start showing a spring-summer line in, um, May or June!


az

Maybe you could start off in the Southern hemisphere.

Ha!

Actually . . . we may have to . . .




az

A local costurera might be able to recommend someone. You could try a few mercerias too, while you're at it. There's always the web...

El Taller de Costura 954 577 099
Arreglos Bueno S.C. 955 982 025

La Bordadora 954 415 142 (merceria)
Javier Velasco y cía 954 227 159 (merceria)

For what it's worth, I think you're handling these disappointments very well (I'd definitely be sulking by now, and blaming Noggin at every opportunity).