Would you pay for sewing?

[Autumnflakes]

Due to good 'ld Covid i've found myself having to diversify. I've found myself a wonderful job as a community carer to pay the bills (i'm very much passionate for it and if it paid somewhat of a decent salary i'd stay with it). Today I stitched up my leggings at clients house as I found a great big hole in them. She said i'd should get myself a seamstress job on the side (the kind of lady who doesn't beat around the bush who tells the honest truth).

I'm no curtain maker or dress maker but I have somewhat of a decent grasp of the basis. I could possibly sew on buttons, scout badges, turn up trousers/hems etc. I thought those kind of jobs were gone with fast fashion but I know that it's a dying skill these days. If it was offered in the local area would you take it up for a couple of quid?

God yes. Seamstress, no job too small, you would be very popular - and don't undercharge! Your time and skills are valuable.

Absolutely , I would.

Yes! For jobs I can't do myself, absolutely. There's a woman in my village who does this, she's very busy.

Yeah I've used someone local for this sort of thing.

I did once pay a seamstress to hem a beautiful skirt I had bought that needed altering. She was very experienced and definitely had more than a grasp of the basics. It was the sort of thing that could easily be ruined so didn’t want to attempt it myself. It was more than a couple of quid though, over £10 but under £20, I can’t quite remember exactly. However, if she had made a mess of it I would have wanted her to replace it because it came with a matching top that I’d bought to go to a wedding.
I wouldn’t pay to sew buttons on or scout badges though.

Yes my mum has used the same lady my whole life! Shortening trousers, making curtains/blinds, mending fallen hens/broken jeans, adding a stitch to a “too low” top.

I’ve moved away from home and have used different seamstresses for similar things plus Further alterations to a bridesmaid dress that the bridal shop botched.

Lots of business, especially if you can get spread through word of mouth

I did do this, at a dry cleaners for a year alongside my care work - it was a nice little supplement to my income at the time, I used to pick up/drop off the clothes twice a week. You do have to do it well though a d do t be afraid to say no if something is beyond your capabilities!!

Yes. Bloggers always say take it to be taken in, taken up, darts put in, etc. but WHERE!

The local dry cleaners claims to do that kind of thing but I never know how to engage with them. The one time I tried to explain it all went tits up and they looked at me like I was a loon. They did sew on DHs buttons for him, mend his trouser hems and a pocket when I refused.

Clear pricing and explanation of how it works for women's clothing would be marvellous.

I'm not sure, Probably not, because I can do it (I used to see a lot of my own clothes & other things for my shop) but my 'sewing pile' indicates I don't do it 🤦🏻‍♀️

Of course. I have a tailor next village over that I use all the time. But, it’s not something an amateur can just pick up. You need to take classes and develop real skills.

I do buttons and visible mends because I quite like it. I can technically do alterations like hemming etc but I never do it and it just ends up in a pile.

My friend is a seamstress and I bought a pricey-ish linen dress that was far too long and the waist was in the wrong place as I'm short. It also had pockets in the seams that I didn't want to lose in the changes so I paid her to do the alterations. Most clothes looks better with a slight adjustment and it's generally quite difficult to find someone to do it.

@PlanDeRaccordement

Of course. I have a tailor next village over that I use all the time. But, it’s not something an amateur can just pick up. You need to take classes and develop real skills.

🙄🙄🙄

@WitchesBritchesPumpkinPants
Pardon?

I would , not very often but certainly at the moment .
I have a very old but much loved leather bomber jacket but the zip has come adrift at the bottom and about half way up and the pockets are all hole and no lining.
I would pay good money to have it fixed

I pay my Tailor £12 to take up a dress hem , theses always quite a wait as he's inundated with work

I have a sewing machine and 5 people already have asked me to do wee jobs for them. I've had to explain that I'm a complete novice and wouldn't want to be practicing by screwing up their clothes. So yes, people want seamstresses, even these days!

But you absolutely do not need to take classes! Wtf?! I made some fantastic masks recently following a guide on a website! Not even a YouTube video! I could make and sell them as they look professionally made but I simply didn't want to.

I think some people would pay for those simple jobs. I’d be wary of people who want fit alterations to expensive clothes. This is often more difficult than sewing from scratch!!

I paid £30 to have my dress hemmed but she was very good. Make sure you are capable and then there's a market

@DreadingSeason2020sFinale

But you absolutely do not need to take classes! Wtf?! I made some fantastic masks recently following a guide on a website! Not even a YouTube video! I could make and sell them as they look professionally made but I simply didn't want to.

Lol. Making a mask is a very simple task. Try altering a wedding dress from a size 12 to a size 6 with zero tuition or dress altering classes.

Lots of people need hems and trousers turned up. It's worth looking up what they charge for that in your area. It's easy work and you might be able to do it a bit cheaper from home.

No. I do all my mending myself. I'm mending because I'm frugal. Paying someone to do it for me would not be frugal!

If you do go into this particular diversification I think sewing badges onto uniforms could be valued by the time/sewing skill poor.

PlanDeRaccordement Plannie the OP doesn't intend that, she's contemplating a simple seamstress service.

Absolutely. There's an independent shop run by a lady who does all that sort of thing. She's brilliant.
We take all our stuff to her. She's sewn the buttons back on my coat, repaired my husbands jacket zip and some of his work uniform. And my the zip on my sons coat.
Also we take all his school uniform there and she sews in all the name labels perfectly (I hate names in pen or any other form of labels so will only ever have sew in ones).

Yes and I did! Had a strap break on a dress, and whilst I knew how to do it myself, I didn't get round to it even after a year. Eventually paid a seamstress £8 who made a fantastic job of it, better than I would have done.