Sometimes I think I'm a Horseshoe Crab

Cutting - in my opinion, the most labor intensive part of the process. The amount of time/effort needed varies depending on the pattern and if seam allowance is included or marked separately, but no matter what this process can not be done by machine. Each and every panel and piece of fabric that goes into a garment must be cut by hand by a person.

Pinning/clipping - pinning (or clipping) is the stage at which you align the pieces you are going to be stitching together and hold them together with — you guessed it! — either pins or clips. This can not be done by machine.

Stitching - the actual sewing. This can be done by a sewing machine, but that machine still needs to be operated by a human being.

Ironing/pressing - two words that mean the same thing. The iron itself is a machine, but once again, it needs to be operated by a human being.

Finishing - depending on the technique you use, there are certain finishing techniques that can only be done by hand. But, let’s assume we’re talking about fast fashion, which is usually just finished with a simple overlock/serger. Once again: these machines need to be operated by people.

These are just the basic steps to making a garment, and don’t include textile arts that I am not as knowledgeable about, such as weaving, knitting, and crochet. Also, it is important to note that there are a lot of things that can only be done by hand, such as certain stitches and decorative techniques.

Also, the machinery being operated in textile factories is not equivalent to a domestic sewing machine. We’re talking about one of these guys:

See that gray cylinder under the table, behind the knee pedal? That’s the motor. These machines can sew through your fingers bones and all and not even stop. The people in these factories and sweatshops are operating heavy machinery, and are subject to all the risk that comes with that in addition to all of the work I mentioned above.

While the crab-eating fox’s (Cerdocyon thous) name implies that crabs make up most of its diet, this canid is omnivorous and has a wide-ranging menu that changes with the seasons. It lives in parts of eastern and northern South America, where it’s found in forests, savannas, shrubland, and wetlands. During the dry season, it may snack more on insects; during the wet season, it favors crustaceans.

Fish

Eyes

And gogo dancers are professionals, right, like they're at work, so they're ready to sexily present somewhere for you to put the dollar but by the time I reach the pedestal I'm like. Remembering/possibly imagining all of my past awkward gogo dancer faux pas and thus am trying so hard to be normal that it wraps back around to being weird and so I stand there holding the dollar up over my head like a kid at the convenience store, hoping she'll just take it, but that's not how the social contract works so she strikes the pose, often already dripping with money and the strap of her g-string is the runway of a regional airport and the dollar a packed Boeing 737 and I'm on the horn with air traffic control (4 vodka crans) trying to thread that needle and then when I finally succeed and muscle my way back to my WIP (Wife of Infinite Patience) I'm like. Dude I just did Tony Tulathimutte's the feminist (le— and my wife is like you did not do Tony Tulathimutte's the feminist (lesbian version) to the gogo dancer you're literally fine just calm down.

But somewhere along the line they just… Disappeared. My mom says they’re not being paid and they’re not in collections. It’s almost as if someone out there did…exactly what Parker did.