Quote Originally Posted by Dixiecat View Post
Indeed, time is money! For all industries. I learned to sew exactly the same way using my sewing machine. Factory sewing methods were introduced into the home sewing market about 15yrs ago. Sewing most seams you would anchor the top end at the presser foot, match the very end and hold in your right hand, then fold up the seam into your right hand, then keeping tension on the seam using your right hand, start sewing, using your left hand underneath the top layer helping the seams to match as it goes under the presser foot. I've seen people set in sleeves using this method. I'm not there unless I'm working with wool. The cotton velvet of the dance jackets? Ick.
True, but for most of the people on this forum, it really doesn't matter if it takes an extra half hour to make a kilt. Even for me, it doesn't matter. If I don't pin, I might be able to make 41 kilts in the time it takes me to make 40 (although, chances are pretty good that I'd jack it up at some point and kill off any savings I made when I had to take out pleats and re-do them. In this particular case, I don't find the "time is money" argument very compelling.

Your comment that "I'm not there unless I'm working with wool" implies that it is inevitably worth it to "get there". For any specific case, I think it's worth doing the actual analysis. If you can make a blouse at home in half the time by using industrial methods, that's great and definitely worth doing. If I saved 15 minutes over the course of the project, it wouldn't be worth it to me and I wouldn't waste time feeling bad about myself up because I wasn't using industrial methods.