Thanks for the new addition to the forum, Fran!
I'll kick off the chat with a quick introduction into what keeps me busy each day.
I set up a small alterations business 13 years ago, working from home and absolutely love it. I'd worked with my mum for the previous 20+ years sewing made to measure occasion and bridal wear! but didn't fancy carrying it on when she retired.
I know most people hate doing alterations, but I love unpicking and turning a baggy sack into something that fits. I do anything from sewing on a button, to resizing and reshaping expensive (and cheap) bridal wear. Everything is treated with the same careful attention to detail.
In the early days, I did a lot of freelance alterations for a local bridal shop too, but that was hectic and involved several trips out to the shop every week, so when they closed down, I wasn't really sorry. I had already built up plenty of local customers, and word of mouth has definitely paid off. I only run 1 tiny ad in the local church magazine and have a Facebook page to display some of my work. These 2 avenues of advertising bring in enough work to keep me busy all the time, and I love the variety of things I have to do.
Over the last few years I've had a lot more bridal and bridesmaid alteration work, which usually tends to be either from Internet purchases that ain't quite what they were expecting, or from the bridal outlets that seem to be springing up everywhere. Everyone has a budget, and even with the cost of having them altered, they generally represent value for money. There is the occasional 'OMG, what were you thinking?' moment, but hopefully it doesn't show on my face. I've always managed to turn it into something they're happy with.
So, today is a day off, but tomorrow I'll be finishing off a wedding dress alteration, shortening a pair of trousers, resizing a Condici wedding outfit and taking in a couple of shirts..... oh, and finishing off a bespoke jacket that I'm making someone in gorgeous Linton Tweed.
Enough about me, what does anyone else do?
Suzie