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?

Seamstress and tailoring are quite different skill sets. I can cook dinner but I'm not a chef. I think most people can understand the difference.

I think a lot of people can't actually sew on buttons or repair holes. In these times of trying to avoid waste, I'd imagine your services would be v popular.

I can sew but I hate doing things like sewing on badges so would definitely pay someone to do that!

What you have omitted that as well as the OP saying the basics as you listed, she also said:

i'd should get myself a seamstress job on the side

So please tell me how I could have comprehended that statement as nothing to do with presenting herself as a seamstress?

It was her client who said she should get a job as a seamstress. The OP never made any claims beyond "I could possibly sew on buttons, scout badges, turn up trousers/hems etc."

I think it would be a good idea but make it very clear its "odd jobs" and what you will and won't tackle. Or you will get someone wanting you to alter a wedding dress for £5.

If you live near any barracks a stack of those business cards left there will keep you in cap badges and kit additions. Small work but plenty.

Oh yes, I certainly would! I can barely sew on a button.

It sounds like the OP's client made an off the cuff comment but it doesn't stop there being a gap in the market for small sewing jobs that fall below the main alterations type places.

I do a lot of alterations for myself and there is definitely a "quick win" category of badges, shortening hems and sleeves that don't have a lining, buttons, straps, badges, small darns and repairs.

Once you get into broken zips, tailored items, re-fitting etc there's a lot more unpicking involved and it's a different kind of job that a specialist alterations place will be kitted out to do.

I wondered about setting up a business at one point doing basic sewing classes (pre Covid) like for groups of friends, literally buttons, badges and hems. Cannot believe so many people don't know how to, when a generation ago nearly everybody could do it.

Yes yes yes. I used to dream of a local sewer-on off scout badges, trouser hems etc. I think thins is a brilliant idea. Where are you? I have a lot of minor alterations I could send your way that have been languishing for years.

@supadupapupascupa is right with this :
If a low income area no because no one spends that much money on clothing. If you're in a high income area absolutely! If you earn minimum wage through your sewing it can still be a lot to pay in relation to the value of the item

If you were thinking of this as being "your job" then I think it would be difficult to make a living from it, as clothes can be bought so cheaply now, there would be a limited market for people willing to pay enough to cover your time, even at under £10 per hour, to repair or alter a pair of jeans when they can buy a new pair for not much more than a tenner anyway. But if you were thinking,
'While I'm sitting watching tele in the evening, twiddling my thumbs anyway, I could be sewing on some buttons / badges / taking in a waistband / etc at the same time, and this could earn me some extra money" then I think you would have a big market. People will happily pay a pound for you to sew on a badge, that, with your sewing basket set up next to where you sit, will probably only take you 5 mins whilst you are watching Strictly or whatever, so, without much effort you could be £15 richer at the end of the night, for no outlay other than a couple of pence for your thread and possibly printing some flyers. (maybe not even that with social media to advertise on).
Hemming is probably less worth while as you'd have to spend the time with the person to pin the legs at the right length, etc, which puts your time up so puts the cost up so makes it less worthwhile for someone to pay to have it done.

Yes I absolutely would