How much should I pay to sew on name tapes?

[Pollaidh]

Huge pile of new school uniform which apparently needs to be name taped and have hanging loop. Have tried iron-on and they don't survive the tumble dryer. Thought I could sew on each end so it could be used as a hanging loop too - seem to remember it's what I had as a child.

Unfortunately I can't sew well at all and don't have time to keep going with my hamfisted attempts. I thought of asking a local 18 yr old who is off to study clothing design, or my cleaner, but not sure how much to offer them. Any ideas?

[Toomanyhouseguests]

Here is an online tutorial for sewing in tags, if you want to do a really good job of it!

sewaholic.net/one-way-to-sew-labels-into-sweaters/

[stealthsquiggle]

I should maybe clarify that I am not a consumer of the 50p an item service. In fact, I would be up for the nametapes for wine business model myself as I quite like sewing nametapes in front of the TV. I suspect the service is mainly used by the parents of boarders - if they get new bits of uniform, then 50p an Item is a damned sight cheaper than sending it home and back again just to be nametaped.


I don't get all the judginess, though. If you can't do it and/or don't want to, and are prepared to pay someone else to do it, then why the hell not? Why is it different to paying a carpenter or buying a ready made cake?

[Tanith]

I can stitch better than that sewaholic tutorial - the stitches are all uneven

[Fram]

I have never seen labels sewn in the way sewaholic has done it!

I go all the way round the perimeter. Isn't that the usual way?

[Toomanyhouseguests]

I'm not sure tanith, I always use a permanent marker on the manufacturer's tag, myself!

[Changebagsandgladrags]

If you need to make hanging loops you just stitch the short ends. I managed it and I once stitched my sewing project to my skirt at school.

Mind you, I only did loops once. Now I use marker pen. Other people cannot cut out marker pen...

[Quangle]

Still not getting the hanging loop. What's wrong with the back of the collar? Or more likely the bottom of the bag, crumpled up? It's school uniform, not the Turin shroud.

This seems like Classic women's work to me - valued by the school for no particular reason because it's 'free'. Then we feel it must be done to certain standards....laundry pen, laundry pen, laundry pen.

[Cakecrumbsinmybra]

This thread has opened my eyes to the fact that I could get someone else to do it!!!! I have been struggling along for 3 years now and got no better at it and I hate it. I bought iron on labels, but the bloody beaver badges still need sewing on. Now DS1 is going to a new school and it says all the labels are to be sewn on (do they really mean this do you think??). But now I am thinking that the woman who irons DH's shirts might also be good at sewing! I hope so!

[Bunbaker]

I hate sewing, but it requires minimum sewing skills to sew in name tapes. I would have thought that there are plenty of tutorials on YouTube.

[atticusclaw]

How many items are there? Its not going to take more than five minutes an item.

[stealthsquiggle]

Good for you, cakecrumbs. Who knows if the school are going to be pedantic about sewn in labels (if it's a boarding school then they might well be, as school laundries would seem to be particularly tough on iron in labels), but if your ironing person is prepared to do it then it's one less thing to worry about.

[Spirael]

For the hanging loops, could you use these?

[BrianTheMole]

How can you not sew on a label? Seriously? Have you never sewn on a button or anything?

[lljkk]

50p each sounds about right. I am thinking I could do max 12 in an hour so still below minimum wage. Often it's impossible to do with a machine because of angle etc.

[atticusclaw]

Realistically its not going to be worth anyone's while do do it for less than a tenner so bung them a tenner, see how many they get done.

[Cakecrumbsinmybra]

I can sew them on, but they look terrible. Yes, have sewn buttons on, and other necessary seamstress chores.

[Pollaidh]

Thanks for all the good suggestions - will definitely be just attaching the two ends to make a name tape/hanging loop.

To those who are shocked by inability to sew:

1. Some of us have physical problems which make us particularly ham-fisted. It takes me 1 entire evening to sew 4 labels. I know because I tried. This also meant I was unable to pick up my baby the next day. Count yourself lucky that this sort of thing is so easy for you.
   
2. Some of us don't have time!
   
3. Even if the above don't apply I always look logically at such things. If my time costs x/hour, and someone else can do it, much quicker, at a fair price, for much less, then it's entirely logical to give someone else the work.
   

All I wanted was a fair price to pay.

[Bunbaker]

My apologies Pollaidh. That'll teach me to make assumptions. I thought it was lack of skill rather than any physical reason.

BTW OH uses argument 3 when people ask us why we get people in for DIY jobs.

I hope you find someone to do it for you.

[stealthsquiggle]

Good luck with it OP. It would appear that 50p an item or an hourly rate would be reasonable. If I were doing it I would be more comfortable with a price per item because then I could do it as and when it suited me without needing to keep track of time spent on it whilst watching television

[goldface]

I would love to sew them for you for a bottle of wine and a kit Kat, you don't happen to be in Yorkshire do you ?!

[Pollaidh]

I should admit that I was pretty rubbish at sewing even before having physical problems, but I'd have been able to persevere in those days.

Stealth, yes I take your point. I can imagine for some people it'd be a reasonably relaxing experience in front of the television, and there's no rush.

I only wish my husband tried to use that argument Bun, as instead he tries to do it himself, which results in extensive damage and emergency plumber call-outs.

[ephpa95]

See it as a challenge of the year: You take a thread and thread it through the eye of a needle. and then you start stitching. You can do it! And if in doubt, you'll find a tutorial on you tube. It's honestly not difficult. Or ask your cleaner to quote a price. I would NOT do that for 10p though. Outrageous!

[Ktay]

Ephpa95 did you not see op's post from 22:02 yesterday?

[Machakos]

I've just bought 36 name tapes (with name) for £3.25 off an ebay seller.

[plumbermum]

just to say - I have a name tape sewing service - all done by me by hand and those sewn on 25 years ago still going strong. When you take the minimum wage (let alone the living wage for London and the south east ) divided by the number of labels you can sew per hour, then neither 10p or 50p per hour is a viable option.
Up to my eyeballs at this time of year, and there will be many phone calls / texts in the week before school starts for those who have left it til the last minute and need help. (increased price for the 24 hr turn around September service)