The Sewing Place
The Emporia => Sewing Professionally => Topic started by: Sewsuzie on April 09, 2017, 08:42:25 AM
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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 :vintage:
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I too work from Home.. having sewn for the fabric shop I worked for when it went into liquidation I set up as self employed :fabric: :thread: :sew: :pin: :snip:
Well I tend to get more household stuff than bridal.. but the occasional wedding dress comes along.. I'm more likely to make Roman Blinds than put in a new zip but when a customer who I have made curtains for asks me if I'll put in a new zip I don't refuse but I never say that I do them :ninja: I don't advertise at all everything is word of mouth which suits me fine as I 'm quite likely to be asked to go and drive a tractor when DD wants to run the planter.. and I avoid booking things in over Harvest as its so frantic.. I make and sell craft items and do a market once a month lots of my customers come and see me there... and I'm quite likely to pick up work ... can you? or are you busy? would you just? I end up doing allsorts which suits me fine...
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Sounds ideal, Vegegrow. Best of all worlds. Like to keep some flexibility in my working week too, as I'm called upon to do the grandkids after school run a couple of days a week, but then I go back to work once they've gone home.
I'm the exact opposite to you, in that I have done the odd soft furnishings job for regulars but usually turn it away and pass it onto another lady locally that has that sort of business. She returns the favour if she gets clothing enquiries.
Suzie :vintage:
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Wow, lucky girls :)
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I'm in awe of you guys who do all those wedding alterations- I would lose my rag and tell them what's what I'm afraid! I love following 'Fit for a Queen': have you seen her latest job of adding in TWELVE INCHES to a 1970s dress, while being forbidden to actually 'change' it so the bride's daughter could wear it in her turn?
Good grief.
Me, I teach maths in college, mostly A level right now, but who knows what next year's timetable will bring? I like it, but I'm daunted by the prospect of keeping going for another 9 years...
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DF, adding twelve inches in width or length???, Either way the mind boggles!
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Width! There were also wine stains from 1970, and an enormously long foofy train. I would have binned it... ridiculous
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12" width...the mind boggles :ninja:
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Flippin 'eck. Sounds like welding another dress onto the original.
When I was clearing out my mother's house a few years ago I came across some Laura Ashley dresses I'd made in the 1970s and had asked her to give to a charity shop years ago. Bless her, she kept them and I certainly wasn't going to bin them now. However, even if I fancied prancing about like a very mature looking milkmaid now I think I'd need that 12inch width fix!!
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Here's the blog link- it's a good 'un!
https://fitforaqueen.wordpress.com/2017/04/08/lace-from-1973/ (https://fitforaqueen.wordpress.com/2017/04/08/lace-from-1973/)
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0_0 0_0 She would have been sent packing possibily with the assistance of my boot to her backside.
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Gordon Bennet.. wouldnt have touched it!..
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I'm in awe of you guys who do all those wedding alterations- I would lose my rag and tell them what's what I'm afraid! I love following 'Fit for a Queen':
Me to DF. One talented lady. But this one? Like you I'd have a hissy fit! And the dress is pretty hideous anyway.
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I have done a similar upsize to that, a couple of years ago (but not to such a hideous dress). The girl had ordered her dress (from America, probably via China?) in plenty of time and chosen the correct size for her measurements, but the company sent her a much smaller one. So, she contacted them and they said they would send a new one out in the correct size. It arrived 2 weeks before the wedding.... and, they'd sent the same wrong size again!!!! It was at least 10" too small and she was both devastated and panicking when she got in touch with me. I ended up putting extra panels in the side seams and recutting the waistline on the circular skirt to lift it to the right size (including moving all the lace motifs down). Luckily it was way too long for her anyway, so it then fitted onto the altered bodice. Bit of a rush job, but it all worked out OK for her and she had a lovely wedding.
I get lots of this type of work, but that's got to be the biggest upsize I've done. I do think I must be slightly mad to take some of them on, but I'm a sucker for a sob story :'( :'(
Suzie :vintage:
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I take my hat off to you Suzie, I don't even like taking up trouser hems.
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I have done a similar upsize to that, a couple of years ago (but not to such a hideous dress). ... I get lots of this type of work, but that's got to be the biggest upsize I've done. I do think I must be slightly mad to take some of them on, but I'm a sucker for a sob story.
Clearly you have the requisite skill and it's all part of running a sewing business, but I wouldn't to do alterations. I hope you charge a proper rate for this sort of 're-engineering'. 0_0
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Mrs Mole's wonderful from 'Fit For a Queen'. She does some extraordinary alterations and she carries them out with such good humour. I love seeing what she's up to.
I'm self-employed and have been since about 1994. Had a break of about 7 years when the children arrived. I alter clothes for a local dry cleaners and a local menswear shop.
Other work arrives via word of mouth, but I'm not keen on strangers visiting. This is mine and my children's home and I don't enjoy people I don't know coming here.
The work I do could be as simple as stitching a small seam, to curtain shortening, to bridal wear alterations...anything really.
As Sewsuzie says, it's lovely to be able to transform a garment for a customer.
Being self employed suits me very well. I enjoy my own company and I seem to work very well under my own steam. I'm not really a 'people-person'...a bit shy and awkward in a group...so my solitary working environment is good for me.
The only problem is that sewing has never been known for good earnings and I'm currently wondering if I need to rethink what I'm doing so I can earn more. (I'm single with two teenage children and I'm feeling a bit skint at the moment.)
Do I need to get a 'proper' job? I don't want to stop sewing. It's the only job I've ever done.
Sandra.
xxx
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The only problem is that sewing has never been known for good earnings and I'm currently wondering if I need to rethink what I'm doing so I can earn more. (I'm single with two teenage children and I'm feeling a bit skint at the moment.)
Do I need to get a 'proper' job? I don't want to stop sewing. It's the only job I've ever done.
Could you supplement with teaching? Like adult education or similar. I know it might be tough if you are a shy person but often the Adult-Ed classes I've done have been quite small and not really "stand up at the front and teach" more just move around the sewing room helping people with their projects on a 1-2-1 basis.
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Teaching....?
I've never been to college or evening classes or anything to know how they're run and how they work, and I've no idea what's available locally, if anything.
I don't drive. Would I need to carry lots of supplies to the classes?
It's a nice idea to work amongst a group of friendly, interested, like-minded people, although I'm not sure I've got it in me to do it...I can get quite nervous/anxious?...vomiting included...if I'm out of my comfort zone.
I wonder if I simply need to get a normal, ordinary job, just so I can pay the bills, and then I'll be able to sew purely for pleasure. :)
I need to think of something. In three years time my youngest will be 18, and as part of my divorce settlement, I will have to sell the house. I'm lucky enough to have a fabulous, (but untidy) separate sewing room which I'll lose. I can't imagine wanting to set up my machines, (and all the mess which comes with it), on a dining table somewhere...on a daily basis so I can get my work done?
Sandra.
xxx
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Yeah I definitely feel you need a separate room if it's your fulltime job!
You probably would need to drive. They instructor I had didn't carry loads of equipment but some.
It was more that we'd all come into the class and she'd talk through with us round a table what we wanted to make. She'd give us a list of things to buy (she used to bring big pattern books in for the Big4 so we could find a pattern and talk it through, then she'd help us work out the sizing and send us off with a list for the correct meterage, type of fabric, and to buy the pattern). Then each session would be helping us with how to cut, how to sew etc. A lot of it was our own work with "help me miss!" when we got to an instruction we found difficult. It wasn't like being a normal teacher.
You could offer 1-2-1 classes in someone's home, or your home. I have been to classes for knitting machines where I visited the instructors house and sat with her for an afternoon. It was expensive but worth it for me.
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Would you consider a 16hr a week part time job ( Tescos for instance let you choose your own days and shifts) Perhaps then you could combine the two.
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Would you consider a 16hr a week part time job ( Tescos for instance let you choose your own days and shifts) Perhaps then you could combine the two.
Yes. I've wondered if this would be the best idea. Part time, then keep my dry cleaner and my menswear work. I'd feel bad for losing these two. They've been very good to me...It's easy work, no trouble and they deliver it to my door.
BUT....If I'm going to lose my sewing room, ( when I move house), I'm back to the messy dining table and strangers clothes hanging up everywhere.
There's a solution somewhere. I just haven't figured it out yet.
Sandra.
xx
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Best part of working from home........ finding something that needs doing on the old lady, where I can see and feel the lovely weather today :).
Just doing some buttonholes on a dressing gown, using the Singer buttonhole attachment. Need to find a few more jobs that will keep me downstairs, instead of upstairs in my cramped sewing room. A bit of hand sewing in the garden would be nice.... or some unpicking...... :vintage: :vintage:
(http://i.imgur.com/MrTt22cl.jpg)
Suzie :vintage:
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Sewsuzie that looks like bliss. Reminds me to dig out my buttonholer and have another go at getting it to work properly, I'm sure it will but I need to spend time and patience getting the settings right
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It does take time to get the settings just so, but it's worth it. They also respond well to a good clean and oil. Mine was very stiff and clunky when I first got it. I had another buttonhole to do as well, to match up to an existing one with keyhole end, so thought about the Greist template ones I have. Discovered I have 4 of them in boxes, of varying ages, but all had the same size keyhole template, which was too long for what I wanted. There probably is a way of making a shorter one, but I reverted back to the cream/red Singer and produced a very satisfactory alternative.
I sewed the buttons on and found me a bit lot of unpicking to do after that. Even took the unpicking outside to do, in the sunshine. Lovely :) :)
Now, what can I take to bits tomorrow......?
Suzie :vintage:
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I'm like Suzie - I'm self employed, do a lot of alterations and some bespoke commissions, but the main income is from bridal and prom alterations. I don't work for any bridal shops, I prefer to be independent and decide who, where, when and how much for myself.
I like the bridal alterations. In my 11 years in business, I've only turned away two brides from a "the job's not possible" point of view.
One was a girl who'd bought her dress in a charity shop and it was way way way way waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too big for her. It had sleeves, and was made for someone about a foot taller than her. The shoulders stood level with her ears, the bust shaping was at her neck......she was teeny. Basically the amount of work required to take apart this dress was pretty much a total re-make for her, and she wasn't prepared to spend the money it would cost.
The second was a girl recently who brought her dress to me three days before the wedding. Three days. She'd had it months and had planned to "diet into it". Instead, she admitted that she'd put weight on.......She told me over the phone that it was a "little tight" so I agreed to squeeze her in. Oh boy, I should have trusted my instincts.... A "little" turned into a gap of 8 inches. All the way down the CB zip and way beyond it. She couldn't get the dress past her thighs. I offered to add a corset laced back instead of the zip and open it up a bit more, adding a modesty panel, but she wouldn't consider that and told me I had to find the extra fabric from the seams. The seam allowance was 1cm. A total of 6 seams round the bodice would have given me about an extra inch, tops, not the 8 she needed. She wouldn't even consider a wedge insert in the CB seam because I didn't have a perfect fabric match available. I had to tell her I wouldn't be able to purchase a perfect fabric match in the time we had, we live rurally and don't have fabric shops here! So I had to tell her that I'd be unable to help her. I then rode my rainbow unicorn to the kitchen and made myself a well deserved cup of tea!!!!
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Sounds like the gentle art of diplomacy, Bloobell!
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Bloobell, I wish I could learn to say no. This is one I did a couple of years ago with about a week to the wedding. An Internet purchase that the supplier had messed up on the sizing 6 weeks earlier. They assured her they would send a new one in time, which they did, but..... the same size again. She was devastated but a lot more amenable to solutions than your customer. So, I had a bit of satin in the right shade and made panels in the sides, recut the skirt to fit the waist and applied the lace motifs back on. With more time, I would have tried to be a bit more inventive with the side panels, but fabric limitation and time were against me. She was very happy with the results and is still sending friends to me.
Suzie :vintage:
(http://i.imgur.com/bUXjXwnl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/gfwSKaUl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/BzPzXBNl.jpg)
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If I'd had three weeks, not three days, I might have had a chance to add a gusset at least. This was a fishtail dress so VERY fitted all the way down the thighs as well as the bodice. I have absolutely no idea what this bride did. I expect she had to go find another dress in a bridal shop and pay a fortune for it, if she was lucky enough to fit into one of their stocked items.
One thing I've learned (although it doesn't come naturally) is how to remove myself from taking responsibility for the bride's problems. If I can't fix it, I can't fix it. If I can, I do. Anything else is beyond the scope of my responsiblities and I have to almost harden my heart when they're upset. It's horrible, but I can't fix the unfixable, and I have to remind myself that it's not my concern beyond that. The human in me of course wants to wrap my arms around them and wave a magic wand, but the professional in me acknowledges their upset but doesn't take it on as MY problem.
I've had to develop a rhino hide regarding the emotional stuff. I have to give thanks to one girl who tried everything she could to MAKE me fix her problems, for pretty much free. She used tears, snivelling and whining as her weapons initially, then when I said I just couldn't help her, there was nothing I could do, she turned to threats of legal action. As I hadn't done anything to her dress except look at it, that was an idle threat, but her fury at not getting what she wanted was rather alarming, to say the least.
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I've had to develop a rhino hide regarding the emotional stuff. I have to give thanks to one girl who tried everything she could to MAKE me fix her problems, for pretty much free. She used tears, snivelling and whining as her weapons initially, then when I said I just couldn't help her, there was nothing I could do, she turned to threats of legal action. As I hadn't done anything to her dress except look at it, that was an idle threat, but her fury at not getting what she wanted was rather alarming, to say the least.
So Bridezillas don't just exist in US TV programmes? Scary.
Sewsuzie, I would hope that the one with the wrong size dress was just glad someone could rescue a mess that was the fault of neither of you.
Bloobell, seriously? She knew she hadn't 'dieted into' the dress, came to you three days before the wedding, then turned down the only solutions?
As for the other one - words fail!
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Unfortunately some of the difficult ones stick in the mind longer than the many many many lovely women and girls who come through my workroom. I guess if they're a pita, they stand out from the crowd.
I do have a few on a "blacklist" who I'll be too "busy" to fit in, if they ever do approach me again. I keep quite thorough records......
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Oh, Bloobell :(....Goodness me! You've dealt with some awkward people, haven't you? Blimey.
I like the idea of a 'blacklist'....good for you.
The strangest, urgent bridesmaids dress alteration which sticks in my mind was one which was 'a bit tight'. >< It was size 14 and the lady was more like 18 - 20 around her hips.
She couldn't pull it over her head. I had to remove the zip and lace up the back, starting from around her thigh area to get it over her bottom. She was wonderful, helpful and thankful. She was more than happy to drive around to get fabric and ribbon for the lacing and modesty panel for me.
It looked odd, to say the least, but she was so happy to be able to get into it.
Sadly, the photo's I took were lost when my old laptop died.
Sandra.
xxx
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I do find some people just take the ****..'just needs taking in a 1cm on the sides'.. is 10cm and means taking out the zip and re-cutting the armholes and they look totally amazed that you can't do it till next week because they want it for this weekend. Mind you the lady I shortened a dress for one week rang the following week to change her mind and I had to tell her the work was done already (overlocker was threaded in correct colour so I did it straight away)
I once had a ball gown to alter..'just needs letting out a tiny bit' classic 90s ball gown fitted bodice gathered skirt just like sewsuzies pic luckily as it was the 90's it had a bow on the back which was sacrificed to make 2 centre back panels and the gathers were adjusted
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I don't mind awkward jobs - those are the ones that really stretch your creative thinking and the challenge is always fun. I love a bit of a challenge when it comes to fitting or adding that "missing something" to an outfit.
I do, however, mind awkward clients. I don't mean those that consider themselves hard to fit - I have many of these and I love seeing them blossom when the realise that yes, they DO look wonderful in their outfit now it fits them properly. By awkward clients, I mean those with unrealistic expectations, those who refuse to cooperate and those who think I can live on fresh air and don't have bills. Those clients I can do without.
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I've enjoyed re-reading these posts this afternoon, I know it's been a while but just wondered how everyone was doing? and if there are anymore stories to tell.
You ladies who tell their stories here are living my dream 0_0
I have been thinking of making a business out of this kind of work for some time and now find the time is right to get going on it, I already have a small contingent of 'customers' that I have done things for over the years, because of my job it would have been impossible to do it for real but I now have plans to do just that, still researching a few things at the moment, but I feel quite excited at the whole idea.
I'm not naïve enough to realise that there is a lot of hard work involved as well, but I do this stuff for family and friends all the time, and for myself, so it's not the work that I will find difficult, although I don't mind a challenge, it will be the business end, I've run a business before, and until I retired last February have been self employed for about 20 years, but hated the business admin and accounting although it had to be done.
Lots to do, lots to think about but excited at the same time
Any advice and tips would be welcome
JP