Quote Originally Posted by Barb T. View Post
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.
Very true. I was not saying that using pins is bad or a time waster in any way. In fact, I used pins making my kilts and I imagine would go home from taking a course with Elsie with my hands bruised from being slapped for not doing things as she likes. Doing things right the first time is never a time wasting attitude and I just know my limitations when handsewing!

I was agreeing with Elsie's 'time is money' when the time you save can get you a kilt out the door quicker, not that you can make more kilts over the same period. I once chatted with a kiltmaker that the Scottish Lion employed some time ago. He was an ex-army kiltmaker who was expected to turn around kilts within 24hrs! That 1/2 saved by not pinning would be to his benefit. However, you're not turning out fast food kilts, but works of art, so whichever techniques you employ that satisfy your high standard of quality is part of what makes your kilts #1.

My comment about 'not being there yet' is more directed at the technique not it's time saving qualities. Sewing with pins can be aggravating at times especially with set in sleeves and a sewing machine. Stopping to take the pins out as you sew, pins getting caught in the foot, etc. Wool is just so easy to work with and eases in like a charm. If I could master the technique with cotton velvet I would be very happy.