Looking for Bleachable Thread??

[Laurie]

I have not tried ordering from a conversion chart as of yet... when my employers bought this business 2 1/2 years ago it came with a lot of thread, some Maderia, Isacord and some other stuff that is crap! I like the ARC that came with teh machine, but have been instructed to "use what I have" One time I did need to order something, replace a particular red from Maderia, so I got the number off teh cone and ordered it. NOT the same color!! Noticible difference sitting side by side. Luckily I was able to finish the large order I was working on all with the same cone. Any one else ever have that happen? Order the same thing and have it NOT be the dame thing???

Laurie

[Shuffletown Embroidery]

I had that happen with a really old Isacord thread once. When sewn, it looked the same, but I was careful not to change to the new thread in the middle of a design.

[Gabi Kat]

Dye lots have a lot to do with it. Yes I have had the same with ARC thread.

[Laurie]

Ok, so the jackets have been brought back in... the thread is definatly pink, however I was mistaken about the starting color. They had originally been black. So, riddle me this... the other side is stitched with the school's name and is also in black and is still BLACK!!

As I mentioned, this is a hard to please person, and is not happy at all, and doesn't believe she sould have to be charged a second time to stitch them again.
I tried to explain that we can't control what the thread does... I told her I would discuss it with my employer, who will probably cave and say to just do it, to keep the customer happy.

Yet, I still have to remove the old stitches - which really is a pain in the you know what! (which I also informed her might ruin the garment)
I am jsut at a loss... UGH! [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Laurie

[signman]

Several things here...are you positive that the jackets she brought back ARE the ones you did-could they have been ones she had done earlier by someone else? Yes, I've had customers try to pass off someone else's mistakes as jobs I did...just a thought...
and it's totally possible that the 'black' was a dyed red, dyed-to-make black from a bad batch of red or something. Never heard of it before, but I'd lean more to the fact that you didn't do the jackets, someone else did-and they used red thread! Now the client is hoping to con you into redoing them. A total loss for you-just the time spent to remove the threads before resewing is a loss of probably 4 times in wages what the sewing will cost. Up to your boss...what he wants to do as far as eating this order. Or grab a black fabric marker and change it all back to black!
Good luck-and remember this the NEXT time this customer comes in that she's a pain!
Also a suggestion-somewhere INSIDE the jacket, if you can fold over a flap write in indelible ink the date you re-did the name on each jacket. Then if she brings them in again, if your marking isn't there-it's not YOUR job! Don't tell her about the markings-that's why you look for a flap you can hide it under-NOT a flap where it will show through!

[Laurie]

ROLFMBO!!!!!!!!

I thought about grabing a fabric marker for sure!! [img]tongue.gif[/img]

I am very perplexed about the 'pink' thread left behind by the bleaching process... I just don't get it. It would be grey even white if it had been black.. right??

Still searching for the anwser...

Laurie

[Laurie]

OH! To answer your other Q, no I can't be positive that they are the jackets that I did...
no way of knowing for sure, but it is the image I created, ie the same font and size. I suppose that could have been matched??

crazy... any other customer it might not bother me so much, but this woman makes me crazy! :/

Laurie

[signman]

Typically black thread and cloth is made from the rejects of other colors-that's why it is always 'heavier' in weight for the same amount. It is heavily dyed to cover up the original color.
But my first thought is that it was red...and she is trying to get YOU to fix someone else's mistake!
Hence the suggestion to 'mark' in a hidden area any jobs you do for here.
Are these jackets individually named? Did you keep a list of the ones you already did? If the name isn't on that...then you didn't do it!
I've even been blamed for sport numbers falling off uniforms during a game-when I had nothing to do with it-parents thought WE were the ones the coach ordered from and brought them in for ME to fix! Glad that shop is now out of business...it wasn't the first group with problems like that!

[Laurie]

same name on both jackets... but the more I think about the more I think I did three of them. My employeer updated our quickbooks last month and I can't get into any of the old files... Have to wait for her to get back from lunch and help me look into it.

I actually filled in one letter on one of the jackets! [img]tongue.gif[/img] Looks fine... just don't know for sure how I want to handle this one yet...

laurie

[Laurie]

Ok, so I checked, and I must just be over analyzing this one... I only did two jackets.
I have been checking a couple other places as well, and it seems that if I try a POLY thread, I might be OK... I guess all we can do si try and let her know that if it washes out too... OH WELL!

Screaming in Nebraska-
laurie

[gcannon]

This is just a sidenote- rayon is the best for the LOOK, hands down. But, in this world of "I needed that YESTERDAY"; poly is, dubiously, the only choice- it runs well and wears out slowly. Quality is no longer a factor it seems- make it look good & get it out the door- really good business model (sneer).

[Jenny]

I haven't had this same problem but I do keep a list of all names I put on shirts or jackets, etc. I list each name on the invoice and I keep a copy of the invoice also. I put the thread color and number along with the design and if it has a number the design number also on the invoice...this helps also if a customer wants another shirt like one I did before...I have all of the information on my copy of the invoice...I feel for you and hope you can resolve this issue without it costing you too much time and worry and I know a lot of headaches
...hang in there...until next time...

Jenny

Westbrook Wonders

[Gabi Kat]

In addition to noting on the invoice details of what was sewn, the item brand & style number with all colors are noted, the thread Brand and number and I will add a hand written note on my invoice the supplier used for the blanks and price I paid, additionaly I keep a sewout in the client's file. Document everything, even if you're in a hurry. It will save you time 4 months - next year when they order again the "same thing as last time".

[Laurie]

Thanks gang. I do keep a record of what color of theread I used and the sort... this was just the WRONG thread! [img]tongue.gif[/img] I was able to remove teh stitches and it is barely noticeable on its own, so if I can basically lay the name right back down where it was... still not sure what to do about weather to charge her or not. I want to AND charge her for the time to rip the stitches as well... BUT that is not my call.

I'll tell you how it ends...

Laurie

[Jenny]

Another suggestion...When I get a order in I make a label for each item...on this sticker are the Name of Supplier, date of order, invoice number, description of the item, color, size, product number and price paid with S/H on this sticker...
when I use this item for a customer I take this sticker off and attach it to my copy of my invoice also...this takes a little time at first but then in my inventory I will know what I paid for that item and all the information for that item...this may be too involved for most shops but for me at this time this is how I keep my inventory labeled...

Jenny
Westbrook Wonders