Originally Posted by
ghostrider
That's just plain baloney. The world is full of self-sustaining artists and craftsmen who are merely hard working, self-confident, talented people who never lose sight of their goals. They are happy, creative souls, loving what they do and doing what they love. It doesn't get better than that. I've known these people all my life...friends, relatives, neighbors and aquaintences...and not a single one has ever had a benefactor or patron.
I was refering to a practice done centuries ago-not in the 21st century. That is how my
ancestors lived when they worked at home. Or perhaps some of them wandered from place to place selling their wares, I will never know as the eldest ones from the old country are gone now. Now to the present (or within the past 30 or so years). Starting in the 1980s, I witnessed the loss of the sewing
factories (that is where the fashion industry and the big players is based, not in homes) surrounding the inner city and older suburbs of Los Angeles close shop and move away. The skilled base of sewers, pattern makers, and cutters are mostly forgotten, dead, or imported immigrant labor now. That is where the friends, relatives, neighbors, and aquaintences that I grew up with are at present. They were all skilled with the needle and can switch from home sewing to industrial sewing-different sewing styles-in a flash. They did what is known as "piecework" and generated their living from that. Not from one or two art quilts or similar one off pieces. That is where the money is. I too did the same sort of work all the while putting myself through college-until the last major player closed shop in my area.
Originally Posted by
ghostrider
Your bitterness about life is palpable and, in reality, should have no bearing at all on the future direction others reading this thread may take. Open the shutters and let some sunlight into your world. You'll live longer and enjoy it more.
What bitterness? I was simply illustrating the massive changes creating the shifting from hand made products to imported cheaper than ever possible Wallly World specials. The home based cottage industry of one to a few cannot compete with this exploitative using- third-world-vastly-underpaid workers business model until a massive shift back occurs. I don't live in a tiny backwater community or in some third world country. I live where I live (super high cost of living) and so does my sewing and other skills and post graduate education does too. By the way, besides the needle arts (considered a side job in getting through school) my major in college was Sociology trained for working in think tank corporations like Rand. I studied these trends in college and followed it post graduate school. I cannot help my professional side peeking out from my mild sewing/quilting side from time to time.
I do not wish to discourage creativity or selling handmade products. I simply wish to share what I have been observing, even experiencing, the changes of not only the fashion industry, but the same people that are potential customers of these same handmade products. I don't expect to get rich assuming I find a buyer for any of the quilts I make.
Actually to live a more fuller life, I now only sew for the local animal shelter. Not dealing with people who constantly try to wear me down with their haggling for undercutting prices. Some examples: