PRESENT TRENDS IN HOIME SEWING 



13 



From these figures, it seems that a large part of the labor-and- 

 time-saving equipment of the sewing machines is unproductive and 

 that training and encouragement in the use of attachments would 

 greatly increase efficiency in home sewing. Ninety -five per cent of 

 the 9,560 families surveyed by Ward {11), 97.2 per cent of those 

 reported by Tucker (1), and 98 per cent of the rural families and 

 92 per cent of the city families surveyed by Hastie and Gorton {9) 

 had sewing: machines in their homes. 



REASONS FOR PURCHASING GARMENTS READY-MADE 



The reasons given for buying clothes ready-made are summarized 

 in Table 9. Only the women who answered the question are in- 

 cluded in these percentages. In most reports more than one reason 

 was checked. 



Table 9. — Reasons for purchasing garments ready-made given by women, classified 

 by size of community and by income groups 



Women 

 answering 



this 

 question 



Better style 

 and design 

 in ready- 

 made gar- 

 ments 



Ready- 

 made gar- 

 ments save 

 time and 

 energy 



Unable to 

 ninke 



clothes at 

 home 



Summary of all answers 



Size oJ community: 



Rural 



Under .1,000 



.5.00(1 to lO.fKX) 



Over 10,000 



Not given 



Income: 



Under $l,0O0 



$1,000 to$l,'J09 



$2,000 to $l',uy9 



$3,000 toU.'M) 



$4,000 to $4,y»9 



$5,000 or over 



Not given... 



NunibfT 

 1,478 



453 

 334 

 163 

 453 

 75 



89 

 342 

 315 

 1(J5 



«9 

 141 

 327 



Per cent 



Per cent Per cent 

 72 25.9 



66.1 



74.4 

 72.3 



6y.e 



61.6 

 62.7 



eas 



6'.). 1 

 73.9 

 77.7 

 71.6 

 Oi.7 



67.2 

 65.4 

 72.3 

 82.2 

 69.7 



Sit. 4 

 6<i. 6 

 74.5 

 81.2 

 74.7 

 80. 1 

 t.U. 5 



29.8 

 2K5 

 23.3 

 22.8 

 16l1 



33.6 



2G. 9 

 25.7 



2ae 



25.3 

 19.9 

 28.fi 



According to the summary figures, a large percentage of the women 

 bought garments ready made to save time and energy and to got 

 better style and design. The factor having the least influence wa." 

 "Unable to make clothes at home." Other reasons volunteered 

 are: Difhcult to fit self, poor health, not skilled with silk and wool, 

 get full effect with ready-mades, better tailoring, difficult to get 

 yard goods and trimmings, and unable to get a good dressmaker. 



In the classification by communities it is shown that a largo 

 percentage bought ready-made garnKMits for better style and design 

 and to save time and energy. The variation is greater on the latter 

 rea.son, and the percentage giving this answer increases with the 

 size of the community. A few more women in the rural coininunitiea 

 than in the cities reported that they were unable to make tlu'ir 

 clothing. 



As the income increases a larger percentage buy because of bettor 

 style and design and also because ready-made garments save time 

 and energy. More women in the low-income groups than in the 

 high-income groups buy because they were unable to make garments. 



