The Workshop Questionnaire - The Results are in!

A couple of weeks ago I decided that I actually needed to have some proper information about what you lovely people want to gain from a workshop. I have asked similar types of questions in the past but I wanted to have some more up-to-date information. 

I didn’t take a highly scientific approach to this, as you can probably tell if you replied to the questions. I just wanted to find out what was more important to people when they made the decision to book and attend a workshop. Whether that was one of mine or some others they had attended that might have been nearer to them and their own locations. 

So a massively huge thank you to everyone that bothered to take the time and respond to the questionnaire. I have done a randomly generated number draw and been in touch with that person to let them know that they have won a workshop place of their choice. (The draw was only for a workshop place to say thank you, and no alternatives have been offered). 

So what were the results? 

Some confirmed what I held true from all the anecdotal evidence I have received running workshops recently with The Cloth Cutter. But also some of my preconceptions were busted wide open leaving me to consider my own unconscious biases. I am still processing the data and working out how I can relate the quantifiable responses to what I can offer you in terms of workshops and learning. 

But on the surface of the responses I can say that an overwhelming proportion of you, 85% in fact, cite achieving a better fit for the clothes you make as the top priority and goal for choosing to attend a workshop. This is closely followed by the joy of making and then creating something more personal and being more creative. Bottom of the list currently is greater sustainability, which rather surprised me. I am hoping to be able to change that perception with something I would like to tell you about a bit later in the year. She says rather cryptically!

What you actually want to learn

 This fits with the initial responses, with 78% of responses mentioning learning how to achieve a better fit. Because I wanted to let you respond in your own words rather than have too many tick boxes, I have bracketed your responses into several categories:

• Better Fit 78%
• Pattern drafting and adaptations 57%
• Specific sewing techniques or processes 34%
• Better finish 23%
• Solid basics 16%
  

There were other specific things mentioned like bra making and tailoring, as well as working with less often used fabrics like silk or velvet. All of which have been filed away as possible workshop opportunities. There were also 8 out of the 141 respondents that wanted to learn more about designing and how to generate creative ideas. So the next Diploma Course may be of interest to you? 

Interestingly 85% want a better fit as a primary goal but only 78% cite it as a specific thing to learn? This is where some of the inconsistencies lie with my more anecdotal approach to writing questions rather than the scientific. I have to be a little more nuanced in how I interpret them I think, as both better fit and pattern adaptations could be classed as the same thing? I don’t necessarily think they are, which is why I have them as separate categories. 

Trends

But rather than getting bogged down in the minutiae of data responses I wanted to look more at the trends it showed. Clearly people are dissatisfied with the fit they are obtaining from sewing and making their own clothes. But this then throws up more questions about whether they are generally dissatisfied with the fit of clothes bought from the High Street? Do people turn to sewing in the hope of achieving better fitting clothes? The answer may seem an obvious - Yes. But if we look a bit closer is this really serving us?

Let me explain - the High Street has to operate on average sizes. Now those sizes could represent different consumer groups. A size 10 in Top Shop will not be the same as a size 10 in Marks and Spencers for example. They are aiming at different types and sizes of people. The same works for pattern companies too. We have to make a judgement call on who we want to serve as our customer base. So different pattern brands will have different amounts of both wearing ease and more importantly design ease incorporated into those pattern designs. 

One of the comments in the responses was that although they loved what I was doing they were tall and slim so felt my patterns were not for them. That is totally and absolutely cool. We find the brands that resonate for us on lots of different levels. I, however, am not tall and slim, so I design the clothes I feel more comfortable in. 

Commercial Dressmaking Patterns.

Using commercial dressmaking patterns is just like buying off the rail clothes. The patterns are graded generically, so when we make something up why do we automatically think we will get a better fit?

Although we can use the basic pattern shape we still have to adjust the fit of the patterns to our own individual figures. This is exactly what our Grandmothers and Great Grandmothers did. The difference then was that more people actually made their own clothes so could help each other with the fitting process. 

Sadly fitting yourself is near impossible to do properly, unless you are a contortionist with eyes on the ends of your fingers! Generally speaking, even the most well-meaning partners or non-sewing friends with the best direction cannot give you the fit you deserve. They may be able to pin out any excess fabric or take endless phone pics to show you what your arse looks like in those trousers, they will not be able to explain why the particular fitting issues have occurred. 

So, I am making a huge assumption here, but I am guessing this is why the vast majority of you have placed learning how to achieve a better fit as the top priority for attending a workshop. 

Please let me know if you agree? 

Jules x