Seamstress for hire?

[Tough Cookie]

I'm with Lady Day on the someday thing too... it's just a matter of making patterns and buying fabrics! Someday, God willing, I'll make my line...

I would bless the day that happens--and be anxious to place an order or 5.

I'll be getting my Whirling Turban items in about a week, and I just can't wait!

 

[LizzieMaine]

True and true. Id charge by the garment, and the person would buy all the material and notions. Only $10 an hour!
Thats giving it away!

LD

You definitely ought to go higher than that -- I do some very casual seamstressy stuff around here, altering pants and hemming tablecloths, that sort of thing, and I'm getting $10 an hour for it. *Real* sewing, as in actually making garments, ought to go at least twice that, especially given the cost-of-living in your area. Pricing's all about What The Market Will Bear!

 

[Tough Cookie]

Heh, I promise, regarding that $10/hour I was just pulling a number out of the air, to give an idea of how reasonable the Stop Staring line prices really are. Completely hypothetical.

I do not sew or cook for anyone for anything short of love, so that greatly limits my potential customer pool anyways.

 

[Lauren]

Most of the gals I know, again who do it for a living, want not only to get paid for the time at the machine, but for layingo ut the garment, cutting it, laying the pieces corectly to be sewn, etc. Um yeah!

Heck yes! And the more they change their mind, the more it will cost, because after making a mock up to their specifications and them desciding "I guess I changed my mind about princess seams" then you have to not only redraft the pattern and make a new muslin, but do another fitting! And when someone says "Can you copy this for me" they don't realize often that this involves not just tracing around the lines but figuring in darts, facings, more muslins- and resizing adds at least a few hours as well! Most of the headache in custom to me is the patternwork. Which is why if I make a line they can take it to their tailor and get it suited specifically to them after they purchase the off the peg from me Most people, when it comes down to it, don't want to pay the price for a custom dress or suit or whatever because they don't understand the process behind it. When you explain to them that they have to buy fabric, linings, interlinings, thread, a pattern, interfacings, buttons or fastenings (or both in vintage), and trim- then give them an hourly estimate WITHOUT alterations and fitting, they don't want to pay what your time is worth. But there are those out there who recognize the quality and time that a custom garment takes. The benefit that it has is that for the same price you could pay to have a "brand" that most people won't see the label in- you could have something made just for you in the way you want it. And if your seamstress saves all the patterns with your alterations, you can have it in any and every color

And thank you Tough Cookie! Someday in the relatively near future I'm hoping to start

 

[Lady Day]

Most people, when it comes down to it, don't want to pay the price for a custom dress or suit or whatever because they don't understand the process behind it.....The benefit that it has is that for the same price you could pay to have a "brand" that most people won't see the label in- you could have something made just for you in the way you want it. And if your seamstress saves all the patterns with your alterations, you can have it in any and every color

Oh yes! Cant you just see in the old days, a lady would call her neighborhood seamstress, the one shes been going to for years, and say; "I have a party two weeks from now, can you make up that lovely sleeveless frock in a pink gabardine I just bought?"

Where as the seamstress would reply; "Bring it by Saturday morning, we will talk about it over coffee."

Ahhh, the days

LD

 

[Rosie]

Even though there is distance between you, Shelley and Luaren, you should totally go into business together. It would be great, think about it.


I once made a dress in two hours but, it was no where next to perfect and probably wouldn't have been even if I spent 200 hours with it. the back neck part was not hemmed ( I wore a shrug so no one saw it), my seams were not reinforced, I did that AFTER I wore the dress...twice. And, I busted my finger open on the machine, (blood everywhere, ewwwwww).

 

[BegintheBeguine]

Oh yes! Cant you just see in the old days, a lady would call her neighborhood seamstress, the one shes been going to for years, and say; "I have a party two weeks from now, can you make up that lovely sleeveless frock in a pink gabardine I just bought?"

Where as the seamstress would reply; "Bring it by Saturday morning, we will talk about it over coffee."

Ahhh, the days

LD

Oh, yeah, the days. I go to their house or workplace. I really need to start charging more. When I was a full-time tailor for a drycleaner, however, I worked practically from the time I got up until the time I went to bed. Whew.

 

[Lauren]

Even though there is distance between you, Shelley and Luaren, you should totally go into business together. It would be great, think about it.

Aw, that would be cool! But I definately am not financially capable to do it now. Maybe someday... though I betcha she'd be the perfect partner

 

[Lady Day]

Aw, that would be cool! But I definately am not financially capable to do it now. Maybe someday... though I betcha she'd be the perfect partner

Oh, you!

For me tho, and this is because I have no formal training in it, Id feel like an impostor if I tried to do it for a living. Like speaking a language but not being able to read it, you know? I feel there are so many holes in my skill of it, that Id need to be sat down and edumicatted on all of it all over again.

LD