Seamstress for hire?

[ohairas]

I find many seamtress sites for repro clothing such as civil war and edwardian eras, but what about the golden era?? Does anyone have any sites, or have you bought from anyone that makes vintage clothing?

Everytime I try to search for one I just get sites with *real* vintage apparel.

I think Stop Staring and such sites are rediculously high. Surely there's someone that wants to do easy house dresses or playsuits for a decent price.

Nikki

 

[Lady Day]

I find that as well.

I intern for a place called stich lounge, and being here in the bay area I have found that there is a demand for lovely repo at a good price. So Im gonna plant a few things and see if there is a bite

Soooooo.....if it works out we will see Maybe I can take orders

LD

 

[Tough Cookie]

I haven't found any seamstresses specializing in that era, besides Whirling Turban.

I have to say I don't think Stop Staring dresses are necessarily overpriced, though. I figure it would take me about 8-10 hours (in generalities) to make a dress like that (if it has sleeves, especially). At my current not-highly skilled sewing ability level, I'd charge $10/hr to sew for folks. That plus materials puts me about even with the retail price.

Clothes made by skilled Americans, in America, are neccessarily going to cost more. I don't see any way around it. [huh]

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

I've never used them but Buttons n' Bows is supposed to be good.

I've also heard good things about Our Dancing Daughters, but have never used them. They have a cute play suit in their spring/summer section.

 

[Tough Cookie]

I find that as well.

I intern for a place called stich lounge, and being here in the bay area I have found that there is a demand for lovely repo at a good price. So Im gonna plant a few things and see if there is a bite

Soooooo.....if it works out we will see Maybe I can take orders

LD

If that's the case, put me on your list!!

 

[Tough Cookie]

I've never used them but Buttons n' Bows is supposed to be good.

I feel a little lame for admitting this, but...I don't quite understand their website. Does one choose an outfit from their pattern collection and send them your measurments? I don't even see any links to the ready-to-wear clothing.

 

[Fleur De Guerre]

The Ebay tailor I posted before makes repro suits and even a repro repro (Stop Staring dress!!) and will copy any dress you send her way. I am thinking of getting her to copy a day dress sort of thing, just to see how it goes, because her prices are very reasonable and the workmanship is great.


http://stores.ebay.com/TopRunway

 

[Lady Day]

I have to say I don't think Stop Staring dresses are necessarily overpriced, though. I figure it would take me about 8-10 hours (in generalities) to make a dress like that (if it has sleeves, especially). At my current not-highly skilled sewing ability level, I'd charge $10/hr to sew for folks. That plus materials puts me about even with the retail price.

Clothes made by skilled Americans, in America, are neccessarily going to cost more. I don't see any way around it. [huh]

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

 

[Tough Cookie]

Only $10 an hour!
Thats giving it away!

LD

That's true, but that's purely a hypothetical example...I'd soon go nuts with the sewing, I'm not good enough to do it for anything short of love. lol

Plus I guarantee there'd be lots of folks who'd feel that was too much anyways, even if I was highly skilled.

 

[Lady Day]

Dont sell yourself short.

In a time when ladies will pay $300+ for a silk dress in name only, and have it fall apart in a few years, you have every right to get a fair price for a quality garment, made by hand, by someone who knows what they are doing.

Most pro seamstress I know tend to charge a min of $30 per hour depending on the complexity of the garment and time span. I guess thats the peril of freelance in any form.

LD

 

[ShooShooBaby]

Most pro seamstress I know tend to charge a min of $30 per hour depending on the complexity of the garment and time span. I guess thats the peril of freelance in any form.

LD

fftopic: WOW. i knew there was a reason taking sewing classes (going back to basics so i can do stuff faster and correctly) is on my action plan to finding a new career. i didn't know if sewing could potentially be enough to live on, or pay a good chunk of the bills at least. i guess it's about gathering enough expertise, isn't it!

 

[Lauren]

Totally agree with Lady Day. I usually charge at least $15 hour, not including fabric, notions, thread, patterns, etc.. because otherwise it's just not worth the effort! And don't forget to charge fittings in there, too! And for bridal, it's double because white's so hard to keep nice and neat, and you have to deal with brides

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...

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

I feel a little lame for admitting this, but...I don't quite understand their website. Does one choose an outfit from their pattern collection and send them your measurments? I don't even see any links to the ready-to-wear clothing.

They don't have ready-to-wear. Anything you want is custom made to your measurements.
To order all you do is send them an e-mail, or they have a phone number on the "contact us" section of their website.

 

[ohairas]

My apologies ladies.. I was under the assumption that Stop Staring was just a huge line that was being mass produced in another country for pennies. Now that I see they are made here and (ahem... did my homework, duh!).. I see they are definately worth the price, which, is actually very reasonable.

I'm just such a huge clearance shopper, so when I go to say, Dillards.. and see a simple dress for $100, I know the markup is outrageous and the same dress will usually end up on the clearance rack for about $30.

I don't think $15 or even $30 an hour is unreasonable for a contracted seamstress at all. I have had a few garments made, and paid well over $500. Judging materials involved, (Which I usually hunted and bought myself), I thought it was well worth it.

I'm just saying that a simple lil' old wrap dress without buttons or zippers (IMO), shouldn't cost more than $50, minus materials. I would think it would take about an hour and a half to make?

But when you start talking mega pleats and darts, peplums and ballgowns, etc.. things change! Also if a pattern has to be drastically altered drafted.

I'm stilll surprised there aren't more sites out there. You girls should get on the ball, lol!

Nikki

 

[Lady Day]

I dont think Ive ever made a dress (simple or no) in an hour.

Im not that fast. For me its all about finishing. Wen you hem a seam, or add a collar :eusa_doh: *beich* Sleeeeeeevvveeesssss! :rage:

But one hour even if there are no buttons? I dont know....


LD

 

[BegintheBeguine]

Easy-care doubleknits

I used to whip up a mod dress in 90 minutes, in time to wear it to a photo shoot. Mind you, there was a lot less fabric involved then and I used vintage polyester. (Am I kicked out of the Lounge yet?) Now I have recently raised my price to $20 an hour and may raise it again. I'm so swamped with alterations at home I haven't taken on any tailoring projects in weeks.

 

[ohairas]

Poor LD, you hate sleeves....
See, that's why y'all should just set prices according to how the garment is made, with some sort of hourly price in there somewhere...lol! For you, sleeveless garments would be cheaper, ha!

fftopic: I mean, with hair, I set my prices to the hour as well and there are certain things that take me longer or certain things that I don't like doing, (like pulling hair thru the cap). Even tho the cap should take less time, I abhore doing it and it takes me longer sometimes.. but I can't charge more just because I don't have my time down and hate doing it, ha! Well, I *could*, but I don't...

Also, is this something you'll do 'on the side'.. where you're not going to be able to get down to a certain time frame to finish something. Or what I'm trying to say is, that people who ONLY sew for a living do it quicker as they've had more experience day in and day out, or have done a particular pattern so often that they can do it with their eyes closed.

Or like, I couldn't charge more for a foil color when I was just learning and it took me forever.

Everyone is different. Some sew just as a hobby, and if they were to sew for others it becomes a chore. The seamstress who made my wedding dress only charged me $300. (I had bought all supplies). My jaw dropped, I was like NO WAY! With a rolled hem and tons of trim work! I tipped her $75. But I think she was cheaper because it was like her hobby and she just loved doing it, therefore she sold herself short. I took her like three different patterns and pics that I had drawn and asked her to change a bazzillion things. I had a zipper, loops sewn in for ties, and a million covered buttons. Maybe she just loved a challenge, lol!

Nikki

 

[Lady Day]

No, sleeves and I do not like one another lol

As far as how fast you are, are you counting the zipping on the machine, or all the prep that goes into prepairing the garment for the zip on the machine? I know splitting hairs (no pun intended ). 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!

I was taking all that into account, so if just sewing, I guess I could have it done in a couple of hours, but thats just machine time. I dont know any people who sew who charge just machine time.

But Ohairs, if I do take on some dress projects Ill contact ya maybe we can make an arrangement lol


LD

 

[ohairas]

Ha! Exactly.. does that include inroning the seams, yadda-yadda...

Sigh... THIS is exactly why I don't want to sew my own things, lol... even tho I KNOW I could. If I could just have someone else cut out the pattern, hehehe..

Just some things I want now, before I learn to sew better, which, who knows when that will be. So, I keep paying others to do it instead of taking the plunge.

Do keep us posted LD.. and others, if you take on some side projects!!

Nikki

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

No, sleeves and I do not like one another lol

As far as how fast you are, are you counting the zipping on the machine, or all the prep that goes into prepairing the garment for the zip on the machine? I know splitting hairs (no pun intended ). 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!

I was taking all that into account, so if just sewing, I guess I could have it done in a couple of hours, but thats just machine time. I dont know any people who sew who charge just machine time.

But Ohairs, if I do take on some dress projects Ill contact ya maybe we can make an arrangement lol


LD

OOhh, count me in!!! It's gonna take me a while to learn to sew at a level that is good enough to create some of the vintage patterns I have. I would love to make some sort of "arrangement" with you. If we lived close by I could barter my dental hygiene skills Hey, nobody ever likes to pay the dentist!! I would even search for patterns of dresses that are sleeveless