to charge what I want ?

[SeptemberFlowers]

I've taken up sewing in the last 2 yrs, I do it purely as a hobby and a way to relax.

Over that time I've made various clothes (dresses, skirts, jumpsuits etc) for both dc and myself. I've been lucky enough to have lots of positive feedback about them and have made the odd gift. Along with the clothes I've made other items too.

I've posted some items on FB showing pics of my dc wearing them occasionally and just kept an album of various things.

I made my dc an item of clothing this weekend and put a pic on Facebook. A friend has left a really lovely comment and asked what I would charge for similar for her dc. I left a comment saying as it's only a hobby for me, then all I ask is she pays for the materials.

I then get a quite abrupt message from a an acquaintance who has just gone into business for herself as a professional seamstress, she has said "People like me are the reason she is finding it hard to make a living" as by friends paying a reduced price from me are undercutting her

I can see her point to a degree but surely what I charge a good friend is between her and myself suirely ?

Your friend is being ridiculous. What are the chances your other friend would find a professional seamstress to make the item for her? Quite low id expect as she'd have to get the pattern from you, or pay for a bespoke private piece. You are not stealing business if there was no intention of giving her business in the first place.

Honestly, my husband is forever fixing things for friends and we've never had a business complain

Your friend didn't ask 'Does anyone know a good seamstress?' She asked you if you'd make her something similar to something you'd already made. It's not as if there was a 'job' you somehow stole from this other woman. She's being ridiculous and really shouldn't be running a business.

Sunshine, I am a FB Refusenik too

Message her back saying, 'Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't realise you had already been asked to do this.'

She's a twit. You might soon find you get fed up with making things as favours, though so I wouldn't be too free with these offers.

Be very careful about offering to make something for free for a friend on Facebook. An aunt of mine put up a picture of a hat she made for her GD and one of her friends asked if she could do one for her niece. No problem, said my aunt feeling happy that someone liked her work enough to want their own item. Then another friend asked her, then a relative. Within a week she had 12 requests and as she'd said yes to the first few, she felt she had to say yes to them all. A few months later someone tagged her in a picture of a hat and asked if she could make it. Before she could reply, a bunch of the last hat requesters had asked for this one too.

It happens to her all the time now and it's become expected that she'll say yes. Everyone is nice about it and most people give her a box of chocs/bunch of flowers as a thank you. But she'd really just like to go back to knitting/crocheting as a hobby rather than an obligation. I learned from her experience and when I took up both crafts I either avoided posting up pictures of my work (apart from in hobbyist groups) or as soon as someone asks me to do one for them, I self deprecatingly point out that I'm such a slow knitter that I'd have to charge about 400 quid a jumper to even make half of the minimum wage. That way people stop asking. I do make things as gifts sometimes but I keep it off Facebook.