Can Sew, Will Travel

In the last year we've worked on a few projects outside of the work room.  It's certainly been interesting and a challenge to work on different types of materials.  We have a range of machines that allow us to work on the lightest of sheer fabrics to the heaviest of leathers or industrial felts.  Or in the case of a house call to a teepee-- hand sewing canvas duck.

Rip in canvas....our first house call to a teepee!

At the end of last year we received a call to work on acoustical panels that were spec 'd on a job that was located in Philadelphia.  The panels were manufactured in Brussels, Belgium and when they arrived on the site of a new office complex, it was determined that a third of the panels were 2" too long.  

Divider acoustical panels

To send the panels back to Brussels would have cost quite a bit of time and money. The occupancy date looming, and sending them back would have caused the interiors company quite a headache.

Leroy Rinehart setting machine to sew heavy felt.

 So we had a walking foot machine that would sew the 3/8" felted fabric, "set" to resew the edges of the panels, moved onto the site in Philadelphia.  In the end we saved this company more than $60,000.!

Denise sewing panels on site

Hanging the shortened panels

Our last project was upholstering a giant egg.  After seeing the frame of the egg and size--14',  we figured it would be best fabricated out of a lightweight 100 polartec which is normally used for outerwear.  The stretchiness of the fabric would allow it to form fit the egg.  (See Blog: How to Make a Giant Egg, Part II)

Fitting polartec 100 onto egg frame

Today we are back in our shop sewing quilts, coverlets and drapes.  Every so often though, we get a call for help in something we've never done before.  We are here and ready to rise to the next challenge!