Seamstresses gifted sewing pattern kits from trade ministry

A total of 50 seamstresses were given Lutterloh pattern making kits in an initiative through the Ministry of Trade on Thursday.

An elated Minister of Trade Paula Gopee-Scoon expressed excitement at the opportunities that the kits would give the seamstresses during a distribution held at Jimmy Aboud on Henry Street in Port of Spain.

“You could probably find yourself sharpening your skills where you can probably do sewing and pattern making from your home or you could find yourself becoming a little bit more skilled so you can join a garment factory, or you may now begin to sew things for your family and that way save some money,” Gopee-Scoon said. “Either which way I saw the economic advantage in having these.”

She told Newsday the kits cost less than $50,000 and thanked the Minister of Finance for his assistance acquiring the kits. An online search showed that the system costs about US$229.

One of the recipients Pamela Isaac said the kits would come in handy for her.

“I used to sew for my daughter so it will come in handy. I could get to sew for her and get back into sewing clothes for myself.”

Gayle Oliver said she had not used the method before but seeing how easy it was made her very interested.

“I sew for people like friends and family. With this, when they describe it, this is a new method for me, where you can draft a pattern from only three measurements. It is so much easier. Even though I will still use my own methods I will definitely try with this.”

Lisa Marie Daniel General Manager of Fashion TT said she believed the Lutterloh system kits would be beneficial to all the recipients.

“From research on this system, it will be very beneficial for the industry. Sewing factories always seem to be a bottleneck within the industry, which we're working through, and we're happy to be just very much part of this initiative.”

She said the sewing kits would also help strengthen the industry to provide high quality over low prices added that locally made products may be more expensive but their quality is unbeatable when compared to ready-made garments.

“We always talk about retail and we always talk about local, always a big difference between the prices of what a retail imported good would be as compared to a local garment. But the thing is with local garments our key value proposition – our unique value proposition is that we provide premium quality goods at a price that is of course in line with our quality.”