A Day with G Plan Sewing Machinists

Nestled in the beautiful countryside of the South West of England, the G Plan HQ is home to three Development Sewing Machinists who work alongside the rest of the Design and Development team to craft, improve and perfect all new G Plan models.

In celebration of Sewing Machine Day, we sat down with two of these talented creators to find out what is involved in the process and their day-to-day tasks. Because all G Plan furniture is designed, developed, perfected and manufactured in the UK, our Design and Development team work closely with the factory to ensure the consistency of the high-quality furniture that goes out to our customers. “It’s nice to know this is made here, that it’s not made some far-flung place, that we’re doing it, making it here”.

Anthea joined G Plan in 1995, starting in the factory as a Sewing Machinist, before moving into D&D 3 years ago. Teresa has worked at G Plan for 26 years, also starting in the factory before moving to D&D, where she has worked for 11 years. Both women have spent time training our fleet of talented Sewing Machinists in our sister factory who sew all the made-to-order covers before they’re fitted to the final product.

No Day is the Same

Every workday for our Sewing Machinists is incredibly varied as they work through the process of creating a new range. ”No day is the same” they explain, “We don’t only do the sewing side of it, we do the computer side of it.” The Machinists are involved in the whole process from puzzling together the design of how every piece fits together with the Development Upholsterers, to helping convert every template into digital form ready for manufacture with the CAD (Computer-aided Design) team.

“We work closely with the Development Upholsterers to bring our designs to life, starting from a template we sew each cover and review the design at each stage, making minor changes, until we are all confident with the finished result“ Anthea explains the collaborative process of developing a new design within the studio.

“One product could take six months, it could take a year, it depends how many variants.” Teresa explains, the lengthy process of perfecting a new range is highly dependent on the size of the collection. “A small range [3 Seater Sofa, 2 Seater Sofa and an Armchair] will take a much shorter time, if it’s got Recliner Units it really adds to the time, then if you go in fabric and hide it doubles in time again. So it can be quite some time before you have a completed project.” Anthea adds.

Work to be Proud of

The pride one feels in the things we create is second to none and this feeling continues with every project for the Development team. When asked about her favourite part of the job, Teresa replied: “The creativity of it all. You know, to see that finished product.” beaming with pride as we sit in a showroom full of their creations, “I remember the last show I went to, I felt really proud… and I made the one that I’m sitting on at home. It’s nice. It’s like that’s brand new and I made it” she adds. “When you see it in a setting, it’s different to when you see it in your room. Because you can’t see it styled with curtains and rugs. It just looks beautiful. You think to yourself, ‘yeah, I made that one.’” Anthea explains, whilst they reminisce on seeing their work styled at shows.

Favourite Pieces

Choosing a favourite model makes for a tough choice for those who spend so many months perfecting every Sofa, Chair and Footstool to come out of the G Plan factory. Teresa was quick to answer with her favourite as we all sit on a Plush Indigo Morley Corner Sofa “Oh, I enjoyed this one. Yeah, it’s beautiful.” Morley initially joined the G Plan family in 2022, sporting a classically mid-century, plump shape with a modern twist, inviting all passers-by to sit back and relax. As well as ample comfort, Morley offers storage, a charging port and a solid armrest to place your beverage of choice.

Crafty Outside the Studio?

Much like many of our creative customers, DIY is in our blood at G Plan, Anthea particularly enjoys creating and extending the life of homewares, “I make blinds and curtains, things like that, for other people, or for myself. If it breaks, I like to repair it. I like to see things being used again. You know, if I can repair something, I will.” Many of our staff love an upcycle project, because longevity and sustainability is at the core of what we do. Check out our Instagram feed for inspirational G Plan restorations.

What happens to the Development Models after Approval?

Once a collection has been signed off, the Design & Development team make a few of each piece as if they’ve been ordered by a customer, in order to create construction and timing instructions for the factory floor. Some of these ready-made beauties then make their way into our Outlet Stores across the UK where you, our customers, can bag a deal on a new G Plan Sofa, Chair or Footstool, whilst others get snapped up by staff. Who doesn’t love a bargain!?!

 

The many Sewing Machinists of G Plan work incredibly hard and with true precision to help craft the comfiest and most luxurious soft furnishings for your home. Though we have only spoken to a couple of those who work here, we would like to thank each and every one of the Sewing Machinists that continue to craft covers to the highest quality.