Has anyone else heard of the design company Project Alabama? Below is a link that describes who they are. I think they are phenomenal!! This is exactly what I have in mind when I talk about using the resources we have available. I know some people are nervous about clicking on links so here’s a brief description.
“Project <!—-> <!—-><!—->Alabama <!—-><!—-> functions by contracting its work to Stitchers, who are licensed small businesses. Each week, Project <!—-> <!—->Alabama<!—-> <!—-> posts a list of garments that will need to be constructed. The Stitchers bid on each piece by offering a purchase price for the pattern and materials and a sale price for the finished garment. Project <!—-> <!—->Alabama<!—-> <!—-> awards jobs based on its production needs and the competitiveness of the bids. Many of theses contractors in turn sub-contract their work through a similar bidding procedure.”
http://www.chronictea.com/chronic/tea/link.php/317
Another nice article about the project.
http://www.ua.edu/advancement/ur/releases/anews2005/may05/blackbelt053005.htm
This site had some really great article links but it seems to be down hopefully it’s only temporary.
http://www.plantingstitches.org
Edited 8/25/2005 11:43 am ET by TSews
Replies
I have heard of Project Alabama, but only in a fashion context--they make and remake T-shirts into very hip garments. I knew it was meant to work sort of as a collective for women to earn money--I'm looking forward to following your link.
Carol
I went to their website and it sounds very interesting and the clothes very beautiful. Another idea for an article ???? I wonder if any of the people coming to this website are involved?
Edited 8/16/2005 11:00 pm ET by mem
So, do the bidders post reasonable bids, or do they pare their hourly rate to the bone to undercut someone like them who is also bidding?
If the bids provide competitive wages for those bidding (i.e., they make enough to pay for health insurance and save for retirement), then this is a good business model. If this is just bringing Third World wages back to the U.S., then the business is not a good model.
Here's the link to view the clothes.
http://www.projectalabama.com/web/Collections/Collection.htm
The handstiched clothes are quite artistic, have clear folk-art roots. I'd love to see an article on the process. From looking at some of the clothes (if you click on a specific garment on each page, you get a larger picture of a single garment), it looks like they use a lots of traditional handstitiches, applicae, reverse applique, stenciling, beading, etc. And article on combining techniques to achieve these results would be fabulous (great follow-up to the short piece by Lois Ericson on combining embellishment techniques in a recent issue, it was listed under the heading machine embroidery, but was basically a similar principle as these clothes use which are all handstiched).
Marijke
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