That is a LOT of sewing!

[jhockin]

http://www.scotsman.com/heritage/peo...kilt-1-4509855

[The Wizard of BC]

Um, OK. But just because I like numbers --

If this lady has been sewing for 20 years, working 5 days a week, that would be 1,000 kilts per year or 3.8 kilts ever day.

If she has been making kilts for 30 years, 5 days a week, with no time off for vacations or sick days, she is still putting out 2.5 kilts every day.

Amazing.

[Geoff Withnell]

I was just thinking about doing some math when I read your post, Steve. I guess engineers all think alike. I am not kilt maker, but given the picture, it seems she would need to be older to have made that many kilts.

[The Wizard of BC]

That is amazing speed. Even when using a sewing machine, making a really basic, box pleated kilt, I can only manage 1 kilt per day.

If I am hand stitching an 8 yard kilt with 28-30 pleats it takes me 3 to 3.5 days.

Even Barb who stitches lightening fast needs 3 days per kilt.

I was unable to pull up the entire article. Can anyone clarify if this was one person working or was this the output of an entire shop? And how long a career?

[Tobus]

The article says she's 54 years old, and started when she was 15. That's 39 years of sewing kilts. 20,000 kilts over 39 years is 513 kilts per year, or 1.4 kilts per day on average. She claims she was doing as many as 3 kilts per day between 1987 and 1999, which bumped up her average (though she claims she was only averaging 14 kilts per week at that time).

[Bruce Scott]

That is amazing speed. Even when using a sewing machine, making a really basic, box pleated kilt, I can only manage 1 kilt per day.

If I am hand stitching an 8 yard kilt with 28-30 pleats it takes me 3 to 3.5 days.

Even Barb who stitches lightening fast needs 3 days per kilt.

I was unable to pull up the entire article. Can anyone clarify if this was one person working or was this the output of an entire shop? And how long a career?

The main points from the Article:

A kiltmaker has celebrated a landmark year in the industry by hand-sewing her 20,000th kilt.

Elaine Skedd created the milestone kilt on her 40th anniversary at the Tartan Weaving Mill on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile yesterday, after first joining the company in 1977.

Mrs Skedd, 54, only began her apprenticeship as a 15-year-old because she was too young to join her brothers in the army.

However, after being rejected again at 17 due to women not being allowed to join the Royal Marines at the time, Mrs Skedd became “addicted” to weaving, at one stage hand-sewing around 670 kilts a year.

“There was a long period when I couldn’t sleep and was sewing three kilts a day. I think between around 1987 and 1999. I went through what I call my ‘powerhouse phase’ of hand-sewing kilts, hitting a peak of 14 kilts every week.”

Mrs Skedd said each kilt usually takes around a day to make, although at her fastest she was making three per day.

[Stoff]

My question would be to what kind of quality are they. It goes to the old quote "You can only have any two of quality, quantity or speed"

Stoff

[Steve Ashton]

Actually what you guys are referring to is called "The project management triangle" or "the iron triangle" "quality control triangle".




The tenets of the quality control triangle are -

A producer sets the desired standard of quality of a product first.

The quality of the product is then the result or sum of the three points. The scope of the project (or how complex the project is), The available budget or final cost requirement, and the schedule which is either a deadline or the speed at which the product can be produced.

You can trade between any of the points. You can take from one and give to another without effecting the desired standard of quality, but the total of the three must always be the same, or the standard of quality of the product will change.

The quality control triangle does not take into effect anything which happens after the product is produced. For example customer satisfaction.

[Grizzled Ian]

Hmmm. I too wonder about what type of kilts this veritable magician is turning out at nearly ten times the speed that Barb or Steve can achieve.

[Bruce Scott]

Hmmm. I too wonder about what type of kilts this veritable magician is turning out at nearly ten times the speed that Barb or Steve can achieve.

According to this site, Tartan Weaving Mill is run by Geoffrey Tailor Kiltmaker:
http://www.royal-mile.com/interest/t...avingmill.html

Also:
https://geoffreykilts.co.uk/tartanweavingmill/

I know nothing about the quality of his wares but others possibly do.