How to get your garments into stores: A boutique owner tells all

Get garments into a store

With Gina Morris, co-owner of Radish Underground

Saturday, February 18, 2-5 pm $48

How to get your garments into a store: A boutique owner tells all

Instructor: Celeste Sipes, co-owner of Radish Underground

Saturday, Nov 6, 2-5 pm, $48

Learn how to approach stores and make a sale – that will make both you and the store owner happy.

Celeste will take you through the five mistakes most designers make and how to turn them around to make a negative into a positive on such things as:

• Communication. How and when to approach the store and how to stay in touch.

• Presentation. What items stores expect to see to explain and help sell your line.

• Quality, particularly fit and finish, so the garments are ready for purchase.

• Scheduling. What to show the store and when.

• Delivery. Making promises, making them stick and what happens if you don’t.

If you’ve never sold to a store before, Celeste will help you make your first impression a good impression. If you’ve been trying to sell without success, she will give you tips for turning it around.

Learn how to approach stores and make a sale – that will make both you and the store owner happy.

Gina will take you through the five mistakes most designers make and how to turn them around to make a negative into a positive on such things as:

• Communication. How and when to approach the store and how to stay in touch.

• Presentation. What items stores expect to see to explain and help sell your line.

• Quality, particularly fit and finish, so the garments are ready for purchase.

• Scheduling. What to show the store and when.

• Delivery. Making promises, making them stick and what happens if you don’t.

If you’ve never sold to a store before, Gina will help you make your first impression a good impression. If you’ve been trying to sell without success, she will give you tips for turning it around. End this class with a game plan for approaching boutiques with your product line.

London Textiles comes to Portland

SAVE THE DATE!

WHOLESALE FABRIC SHOW & SALE

with LONDON TEXTILES

TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 3:30-6:30 PM

2111 NE 43rd Avenue, Portland Oregon

In the heart of the Hollywood District

7 blocks north of the Hollywood Max station or 1 block north of the #12 bus stop at 43rd & Sandy

Park for free on the street or in the small lot north of our blue building

If you're looking for fabrics for your clothing line or fabrics you can't find in the local fabric stores, this is the place to be.

London Textiles is a fabric jobber that offers the best quality European fabrics obtained from major name design and fashion houses. Prints and solids are available in wool, silk, rayon, linen, cotton and polyester as well as special blends. Minimums are 10 yards per fabric. Fabrics are in stock and available for immediate and future shipments.

Bring a friend and split yardage if you like. We'll be there to help you learn how to work a textile show.

Wholesale Fabric Show & Sale

Tuesday, Dec 6, 5-6:30 pm

Portland Sewing

2111 NE 43rd

Park on the street or in our lot north of our blue building

If you've never been to a textile show, here's a way to start. If you're looking for fabrics for your clothing line or fabrics you can't find in the local fabric stores, this is the place to be.

Rimmon and Co is a textile wholesaler and jobber, but sells low minimum yardage requirements -- typically 7-10 yards.

As a jobber, Dan Rimmon sells overstock fabric and leather from designers such as Calvin Klein, Anna Sui, Nanette LePore, Monique Lhuillier, Frankie B and others.

As a wholesaler, he has unlimited yardage of Spring and Fall 2012 cottons from Liberty Art Fabrics (formerly Liberty of London), Pickering International organics and sustainable fabrics, Blue Star Silks and Pineapple Silk sustainable, handmade from pineapple fibers and natural dyes.

Bring a friend and split yardage if you like. We'll be there to help you learn how to work a textile show.

Sewing Classes for Kids: Santa's Workshop!

Greta, Kaylee and Lilia have sewn their fleece scarf gifts. Are you ready for Christmas? If not, come to Santa's workshop!

Santas Workshop http://www.portlandsewing.com/santas-workshop/

Join us for some last minute crafting projects.

Perfect for gifts for school friends or family!

For ages 6-14

Mondays, 3:45 to 5:45 pm $39 for both classes or $20 a class

December 5 – Fleece Fun. In this workshop we’ll make scarves, easy enough to make you’ll want to make more than one! Or you could make a cute hat, or an inside fleece football.

December 12 – Christmas Ornaments. Easy ornaments to make; perfect for gift giving, a hang tag on a present or hang on your Christmas tree.

Visit our website at www.portlandsewing.com for details and registration.

Portland Sewing: From beginning to advanced sewing, patternmaking and draping, we are apparel people making your sewing dreams come true. 2111 NE 43rd Ave. Portland OR 1 block north of NE 42nd & Sandy & the #12 bus, 7 blocks from the Hollywood MAX station

Job and West Coast 2012 textile show schedule posted

Just posted: A list of the major textile shows on the West Coast for 2012.

To attend, you'll need a business license. And you'll need to be ready to buy wholesale. For more on how to get ready for a textile show, sign up for our next How to Start an Apparel Business class.

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Job opening: Cintas is looking production sewer with industrial sewing machine experience. Interested? Send a note to info@portlandsewing.com

Where to buy fabric & labor: Sourcing 101 class

at Portland Sewing, 2111 NE 43rd, Portland Oregon -- in the heart of the Hollywood District

• Saturday, Nov 19, 2-5 pm, $48
• with Rachel Ancliffe, product developer for Nike,
  Where will you get your fabric, trims and labor? Overseas or in the United States? Class will answer your questions about how to both, the possibilities, the process and the pros and cons. Other topics include: Duty, Quota, Agents and Agency Fees, Customs, NAFTA/CAFTA/WTO and going to textile markets.
• Register at:
• http://www.portlandsewing.com/apparel-business-classes/where-to-buy-fabriclabo-sourcing-101-for-the-apparel-industry/
• 
  

Full house greets Project Runway's Becky Ross

Becky Ross wants to design for real women. That's her proclamation from her Sunday, Nov 6, "Brunch with Becky" at Portland Sewing.

Real women are America's average women: 5'4", sizes 14-16. "They are the forgotten majority," she said. "We have plenty of clothes for the young and slender but any for the rest of us is hard to find and, frankly, boring." Ross is on the hunt for backers who will hire her or help finance her vision for her clothing line.

Her pronouncement was met with cheers from the audience. They peppered her with questions for two hours:

What was her favorite challenge? The avant garde challenge with the middle school art students. "I got many comments on the dress with the boxes, but I liked it."

What was her worst challenge? The team challenge with Anya and Josh Mc. "I tried to be a team player but it backfired." She hated the garment that purportedly came from her but she hadn't, in fact, designed.

Who was her favorite person on the show? Tim Gunn. "He's a real sweetheart."

Was she prepared for Project Runway? She was excited and ready to win. "But no one can be prepared for the hours and constant series of challenges." She slept for a week after she returned from the contest.

Would she do it again? "It's made me a much stronger designer. I have a much clearer vision of who I am and what I want to do."

And one of those things will be to teach a special class at Portland Sewing. Look for an announcement soon!