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Sewing as a full or part time busines...
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dear friends,
I would love to hear from anyone who runs or is thinking of starting their own sewing business as well as anyone who uses dressmakers. I am a custom dressmaker/tailor/patterndrafter who has worked full time from home for the past two years and I LOVE IT!!! The freedom and the flexibilty as well as being able to be creative. I find I spend a lot of my spare time studying fashion, cutting new and radical patterns and drooling over fabric! I think it is important to have dressmakers and tailors, but I feel that with my generation much of this will be lost in North America as there is little appreciation for it! Please share your experiences....
thimble!
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(post #27088, reply #1 of 75)
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Hi again, Thimble!
congrats on your career! I am just a hobby sewer, but I have 2 cents - I think people like you are going to have to market more. It just doesn't occur to people to have their own sewing done. I have a schoolteacher friend who was bemoaning the fact that all the teachers in her school show up in the same jumpers from Macy's every season. It had never occured to her to have some sewn, and it *would* never have occurred to her that it could be done for about what macy's would charge for RTW. It would be a terrible shame if bespoke dressmaking disappeared altogether. Good luck!
(post #27088, reply #2 of 75)
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Hi Thimble,
Well now you've really hit a tough spot. I've been sewing/knitting since I was a little girl; I love fabric and working with textiles in general and especially garment creation.
When I was going to school it was beyond me that I could make a good living in fashion design so I chose a career in electronics and integrated circuit design. When I took a year off in 1987, I attended FIDM in Los Angeles and was suprised to hear that the average fashion designer was making five years into their career what it took me ten years to do. I debated switching careers at that time and finally decided to stick with electronics because of: 1> Locations of heavy garment industry cities were not my top choice in living, 2> My seniority in my career would be hard to duplicate at my age ;), and 3> Self-confidence was lacking.
However... I haven't given up toying with the idea of doing some sort of sewing/garment business entirely, although the idea of working more hours than I do now gives me the shudders. The web has certainly opened up a lot of possibilities that I'm considering like specialty fabric sales, custom drafted patterns, hard-to-find trims, sewing instruction, etc. I see a lot of sites that aren't even close to exploiting the potential of the web.
My aversion to doing something like you do, Thimble, custom tailoring/dressmaking, is really just working with the public. I feel it would demand too many social skills that I (as a confirmed computer nerd) just don't have.
How long have you been tailoring? How did you get into it and what made you decide to make it your vocation?
thanks!
--lin
(post #27088, reply #3 of 75)
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hello people....
to answer your question lin...fashion just came my way by accident. I was all geared up to be a marketing genius, some kind of business guru...this was in Grade 11. One dayw hile sitting in Chemistry class I began to realize that I was bored stiff by all this drudgery of academics and I needed to be more creative...I dropped Chemistry and the only thing left to take that late in the semester was sewing. I looked into the class, i would be the only man amongst a classful of women, not hard to make that decision! I was an awful sewer, but I tried extremely hard and ended up just squeezing by with a passing grade! I did not stop there , i found I loved to sew, I sewed all through my summer and improved my skills tenfold...of course it helps having a grandmother who is a proffesional seamstress who started teaching dressmaking at her own school at the age of 16...so she taght me a lot! The following year I went back into sewing and believe it or not I won both the top student award and a scholarship to design school! the other girls in the class were miffed! Anyhow, onto design school i went...the next Giorgio Armani was I! yeah right! It seemed like to me the entire system of that school was geared towards turning you into a factory worker. Perhaps that is most practical in today's age but it certainly didn't help spread the art of ine dressmaking and tailoring! Which is REALLY what great designers are...dressmakers and tailors! not a bunch of snotty nosed kids with an artistic flair. The myth was that as long as you could draw or dream you could be a designer...no way, as I was soon to find out. I left school in the first year, just walked out. I went to work in a fabric store. 5 years went by and I was still at the fabric store..but i was learning new things everyday, all day long, about fabric, about sewing, about people and about my limitations. Itwas about this time Iwas approached by a company to become their head designer...I jumped at the opportunity, the fabric store had become mundane and boring, i needed something to challenge me...It was in this job that i realised I knew absolutely nothing, school had prepared me for nothing! AN alarming fact is that of an average 60 students that enter the course, 30 graduate and 7 years later on 6 or 7 remained in the fashion industry!!!! Anyways here began my journey into the wonderful world of pattern drafting. Realizing I had little experience, I began to search for books on pattern drafting. I bought entire curriculums of different schools...What a lot of crap these kids are learning, but the secret in learning lies in the teachings of tailors from the 30's to to the 60's...I have amassed a huge (enviable) collection over the past 3 years and I really for the first time ever I began to become really confident about what I was doing. I eventually left the design position to go back to the fabric store so i could continue my studying of pattern drafting, and it was about 2.5 years ago I broke out on my own. Since then I have been to London to research Saville Row tailoring and the cream of the crop in my trade. I was a little dissapointed, even on Saville Row there are few tailors and even a few of them are more RTW than bespoke...a sign of the times I suppose.
Looking back at all that I think I am extremely lucky, someone is definitely watching over me. I mean I have no formal education, I have never advertised myself even once, as a matter of fact I have been out of business cards for over two months ! and I am booked solid for two maybe even three months. Word of mouth travels fast i guess!
well i will stop now, I didn't realize how much I had written!
byr for now!
Thimble!
(post #27088, reply #4 of 75)
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My 1st dream was to be a fashion designer. With a young son to support, I majored in Finance instead. Now my son's grown & my time is my own. I study sewing, patterndrafting, fabrics as a hobby. I am so "into" this! I just love it! I have discovered that I actually prefer the designing & fabric selection to sewing. Well, it's F'design, fab selection, p'drafting and then lastly sewing. With all the books & videos available to the home sewer, my sewing skills are the best of all those skills for now. But with formal design training, that could change. I'm studying different pattern drafting & draping books, a little at a time. But, kinda like Lin, my fear is that IF I choose the Fashion industry as my next vocation, dealing with the public will make me hate it. So I remain a passionate hobbyist for now. Just for kicks, I'd love to attend one of the Fashion design schools. Who knows... Also, my idea of the ULTIMATE birthday present is a fabric-buying excursion to Milan, Italy. Watch out, Giorgio!
(post #27088, reply #5 of 75)
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This is interesting; I'm thinking of making the transition myself. After years in computer graphics, I'm finally giving in to my true love and studying pattern making at FIT in New York. I'm just in need of guidance as to how someone older like me can get into a youth-oriented industry, and how to turn it into an independent design business. I just wish I was less insecure
(post #27088, reply #6 of 75)
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Hi Anastasi,
Boy talk about youth! When I took my year off to attend FIDM in Los Angeles I felt soooo old ( and I was only 34 at the time). Everyone was twenty! What made me feel ok while going to school in this sea of young things?
First off I always looked "good" when I went to class, it's fashion design school right? Not dressed up per se; I wore something that I had designed and was unusual; students and instructors noticed, I got compliments and questions about how I did some detail; this gave me more confidence that I was doing the right thing and in the right place.
Second thing: I knocked myself out on all of my projects. No halfway measures. Having spent years in my career in the IC/computer industry doing design and programming gave me confidence in my creativity; most youth just don't have that!
So don't let the environment get you down.
One of my assignments (I forget which class) was to go out and find a real fashion designer for an interview.
I found my fashion designer, a woman designing for a small sportswear company; she had been in the business for about five years and was about 30 years old. I noticed that the first pattern makers/sample makers were noticibly grayer. The impression that I got was that age didn't matter but knowing your stuff did.
When I was in school several of my instructors stressed that hard work and talent were important and that *over half* of the people in class would not last! Most of my instructors were in their 40's to 50's.
Anyhoo, who designs children's clothes? I can't imagine twenty year olds doing this. Or "Women's" lines? Many of my instructors had small design houses on the side. Remember that ALL clothing is designed.
As far as starting your own design business? If you get to California look into Loes Hinse boutique. She's the creator of Textile Studio patterns and is a marvelous example of an independent design business (she's not twenty either). Other good examples abound in nearly every issue of Threads (Lois Ericson, Linda Lee, Fred Bloebaum to name a few). Being in NY or LA really helps!
Don't know if my ramblings contributed to you but I hope so and good luck!
--lin
(post #27088, reply #7 of 75)
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Hello everyone, I'm new to this thread but I'm a dressmaker/ patternmaker here in Melbourne Australia. I have been running a home business for about 11 years now and have loved the freedom and flexability of working from home especially when my children were small. They are teenagers now and I am swamped with work and the best form of advertising is word of mouth. Always look professional and confidant even on the days when you may feel in doubt. Never let a client pick up on your doubts if you have any, with regards to any particular design or fabric. Just agree with them and panic after they've gone.
(post #27088, reply #8 of 75)
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I have been sewing full time for a few years now. I went to school for fashion design but being that I live in Cleveland, there is not much in that line of work so I do alterations and custom work. I have worked in dry cleaners and bridal shops. I just had an interview with The Cleveland San Jose Ballet for seamstress in the costume department. All you sewers keep your fingers crossed for me and say a prayer to the sewing gods that i get this job. AmyBlanche
(post #27088, reply #9 of 75)
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Thimble, glad you have joined the ranks. I am a tailor/custom dress maker of 45 years experience, and I still find the thrill of a new idea, fabric,etc just as stimulating now as way back then. There will always be a need for us, as we don't all fit perfectly into those size 8's. As a man, I seem to odd man out nowadays. Men don't become tailors as they once did - my father was a tailor. My big regret is not having someone to pass all the practical experience along to. Just keep on trucking and enjoying the experience - it never gets old.
(post #27088, reply #10 of 75)
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HELLO PEOPLE,
Thank you for your input. It seems a number of people really would like to pursue careers in the art of sewing in one avenue or another. I think that that is amazing. My friend who is a tailor is forever telling me that tailoring is a wonderful rewarding art, "You'll nevr be Rich" he says" but you'll never go hungry either!"
That pretty much says it. Amy I wish you the best of luck in pursuing your new career...I hope you got the job!
Well keep on sewing...
Ravi!
(post #27088, reply #11 of 75)
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It's very interesting how we sometimes "fall" into the designing/patternmaking business. My Mom taught me to sew when I was in early grade school and in high school I was helping the home ec teacher teach her sewing class. Then I went to college to earn a Home Ec Secondary ED degree but only got as far as the end of my sophomore year. (I married a guy in the Air Force and we went overseas.) The only classes I'd had towards sewing were a textile class and a costume design class. The latter was taking a basic store bought pattern and cutting it up to make our own designs. Later I worked in a fabric store for several years but wanted my own business. Because my husband was in the military (now retired), we weren't in one place long enough to really get anything started. After we retired,I tried advertising for sewing/aterations customers but they were few and far between. Then I got a call from a gal 120 miles away from a small town (I live in a city of 150,000) who has a small dress company and needed seamstresses. Since then, I've been using what little knowledge I got in college, a lot of research at the library and trial and error to make the patterns for her designs and grade them into the various sizes. It's been exciting and we have no idea how many rules we've broken, but we think we've got a gorgeous line. We've been working together for about 3 years. There have been some ups and downs, but we are planning on going to Paris with her designs one day! WOW!
(post #27088, reply #12 of 75)
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Thimble and lin hendrix, you are both amazing. I loved both of your histories. They are very inspiring. When I graduated from high school in the '60s, I could not tell you the name of even one African-American fashion designer. In addition to not having any "role models", I, like lin, did not realize that one could make a good living with sewing! I started sewing in junior high school when all the girls were forced to study sewing and cooking regardless of their major or desire and all the boys took shop (am I dating myself?). For a long time, I thought of sewing as a nice hobby, but I never thought that I was good enough to do anything with it. Like you, I am mostly self taught. Many years removed from junior high school, I starting sewing again for my daughter and for myself. With encouragement and praise from friends, I began to realize that I was on to something but needed more training. Therefore, I started practicing and buying books. Despite making my share of duds, I could see that I was getting a lot better and, as a result, gained more confidence. In the last few years, it has gotten a lot easier because there are several good sewing and fashion shows on cable, I have been able to identify many more good books, and videos, of course, bring hard-to-describe techniques right into your sewing room where you can rewind, pause, and study them to your little heart is content. When I discovered Threads, that opened up a whole world of information.
lin hendrix, I think you should go for it. I would love to do what thimble is doing and work full time at sewing. My goal is to try to move into that arena. I would appreciate hearing from other people who are sewing for others from their homes, either full time or part time. Since I currently live in an apartment, I would like to hear from anyone who has been able to start a sewing business from an apartment. It is a little harder than having your own house because you usually have less space and more restrictions.
Thanks to all of you. I have learned so much from following these threads.
(post #27088, reply #13 of 75)
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dear Sandra,
thank you for your kind words....
I want to let you know that I DID start sewing from my small apartment. It was quite a riot. I would cut on my 40" round table...yes that was a nightmare! And I had a huge industrial machine set up in the dining room...
I look back now and I see how spoilt I have become....I remember sewing pants and shirts, cutting them out on the hall way floor...sewing them together in the cramped confines of my laundry room!...now I have huge tables and a great workroom filled to the brim with neat stuff and equipment and I still have no room! Well Progress I guess.
Thimble!
(post #27088, reply #14 of 75)
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Hello! I just wanted to thank everyone for such inspiring thoughts. After earning a degree in Journalism and working in corporate public relations for a few years, I'm making a career change into designing children's wear. Drastic, I know, but exactly what I need! Not living my dream was depressing. I think some people feel I've lost my mind (including myself at times). It's wonderful to read about so many people earning a living doing what they love. It just confirms the belief in my heart that I'm doing the right thing. I'm in the process of applying to FIT to study fashion design formally. Currently, I'm making children's clothes and selling through a gift shop. Anastasi, I was excited to read that you're attending FIT. I'm applying for the Spring semester -- wish me luck! Happy sewing everyone!
(post #27088, reply #15 of 75)
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Hi Tanusa,
I guess I'll see you next semester. I have to save up a little for tuition since I'm an out-of-state resident.
What I'd like to do in the meantime is: try to get my quilts sold. Has anyone had any luck with EBay? I need much more stock to work craft fairs, but I'm trying to find shops in the Northern NJ area.
(post #27088, reply #16 of 75)
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So you feel this is youth-oriented industry. Well
ist's not. I am 45 and started back in my full time design business. For the last 12 years I have been a full time costumer for a University. I learned alot there but my health didn't hold up.
Start at the community college level and learn what you will need to start your business out of your home. Get help from your local Small Business Groups and also consult a reputable tax person. I find this work the most rewarding and I have the house to myself most of the day and can do what I want to do. I also got the local Newspaper to run an editorial on me about the new business of sewing in my area. It was free advertising. Also talk to the American Sewing Guild in your area or members. Also if you are wanting business or getting back into sewing work part time for a Dry Cleaners. Hope this helps.
Rita Sue
(post #27088, reply #17 of 75)
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Hi,
I have read with great interesst the "sewing as a business" post and wonder if anybody has a home dec sewing business (home based or otherwise)and how successful it is. If anybody has any tips or suggestions, I would sure appreciate that. I have sewn out of my home off and on for others for nine years. I've done dressmaking, alterations and home decorating items. I have found alterations and home dec least stressful and I want to narrow things down a bit more and specialize. I am basically self taught, with help from my mom and some classes and lots of books. Any ideas would be helpful.
Thanks,
e.m.
(post #27088, reply #18 of 75)
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I design and make skating costumes. Most are one of a kind. I started out very small however things have been growing in leeps not bounds. I have to make a decision as to whether I stay small just me or get bigger. I live in a rural area of Mass. so the possibility of inexpensive good help is out. I am looking for someone interested in doing some pattern designing or pattern making for me. This is the area I am both the weakest in and haven't the time for any help would be great. Also always looking for anyone who has lycra for sale. Don't always need large yardage as I said most dresses are one of a kind.
Gayle
(post #27088, reply #19 of 75)
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Thimble....you are truly a brave and resourceful soul. I too went to school in Fine Arts and you are right, you do not learn the real information in school, although my school tried with seminars about promotion and art photography etc and one professor led an independent study on putting together a show, press releases and all. I am a painter, potter, sculpter and seamstress...but make a living in the computer business as 'that is where the money is'. (Aren't parents wonderful?) My plan was always to give it 5 years...time to have all of my pensions and 401k vest....and then I launch myself out into the world of creativity. I think that I do have an advantage as I have been in the business world for awhile and that gives you a certain tempering that is valuable in the real world of creative whatevers.
Lin I am like you a certified computer nerd with some limited social skills. I just want to tell you that there are classes out there for 'soft skills'. Obviously the continuing education that you would normally pursue, I presume, will not have these classes. But there are lots of places to find that information, which is what it is. Contact Fred Pryor Seminars or the National Seminar Group to acquire some of the social/people skills that you think that you lack and puruse them the way you would pursue new circuit designs.
(post #27088, reply #20 of 75)
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Dear Gayle,
I too live in a rural area of Mass,in the Berkshires. Don't know if you are in this area or some other part of Mass, but if you have any great places or resources for fabrics, etc. please let me know. I have lived here 3 years and can't find the type of shops that I used to enjoy just going into, sometimes just because of the people. Best of luck in your endeavor! I am envious - how did you get the courage to try it and how did you start?
Catherine
(post #27088, reply #21 of 75)
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Catherine and Gayle--where are you in rural Masssachusetts? I'm a Berkshires native who is trying to relocate to that area by next year--I really miss it! However, I am currently living in an urban area on the west coast, and have at least a few places to buy good fabrics, so I'll miss that if I come back. You could travel to NYC and spend a day or so in the garment district--there's lots to look at and bargains to be had there if you take the time, especially in specialty items like lycras that are hard to find in more remote locations. Also, mail-order and online ordering might work for you. GOod luck! Hope to be back in your neck of the woods soon!
(post #27088, reply #22 of 75)
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Hi everyone, I would like to know if anyone out there that sews for "OTHERS" feels unappreciated at times. I live in a small town and I find myself always explaining why my prices are as they are. I am getting very discouraged and am seriously considering a Leave of Absence. My husband, children and former clients keep me going. Am I the only one out there feeling this way?
(post #27088, reply #23 of 75)
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I just had a pair cranky client here last night. I
delt with them by telling them that it looked like
they wanted something off the rack instead of
getting custom work. I told them that they would
save money if they went that route and that I had
no hard feelings about it.
BOY did they change their tune FAST!!. I even got
a nice phone call from the mom on my machine
today. If folks seem to be truly awful i tell them
that the project will be too difficult to do or
somehow beg off. A contractor pal told me to
factor in the pain in the a** factor for certain
clients. for some it can be even up to double your
usual fee. With others it is better to give up the
income because of the toll it takes on your guts.
I beg off jobs that will be awful. I don't regret
any of them. the one time I did not beg off a job
i should have declined still leaves a bitter taste
in my mouth. I will never do t
(post #27088, reply #24 of 75)
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Hello Cal,
I can understand your sentiments. In addition to sewing I knit "art" sweaters. I've had people stop me and demand that I knit them a copy of a sweater I'm wearing; they say they'll gladly pay $100 for it! This is a sweater where the yarn alone cost over $200. When I tell them this they always look at me like I'm trying to steal from them! And I don't even want to knit for some fool off the street. Sheesh!
One suggestion might be to print up a simple, small fact sheet with an explanation of your charges...
nothing defensive just factual like " It takes an average of two hours to hem pants, at $17 for this service you're getting labor cheaper than Burger King" or "My equipment needed to give you, my customers, professional results costs $x"
Leave a small stack of these lying in a prominent place (on that little table near your business cards?) with a chair nearby. When meeting a customer make an excuse about having to leave the room and "Won't you please have a seat?" Take off just long enough for them to look at or pick up the flyer. If your charges still seem unreasonable to them then you *really* don't want their business.
--lin
(post #27088, reply #25 of 75)
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Dear Cal, don't fret and don't feel bad. I think most of us come up against the same problem all the time. Lately I've found that I feel more indignant than upset by the people who baulk at my prices. They percieve dressmaking as being a hobby rather than a highly skilled, income generating business. They think that the garment will be 'home-made' and therefore cheaper than going to a 'designer' or even to a retail store. Because I care so much about my work, every time someone questions my prices I feel it as a personal attack. I immediately wonder if I'm doing everything wrong, and if I should discount the price just for them. This is an almost completely emotional reaction. To snap back into reality, I ask myself this question: "With what that person was willing to pay me, would I have been able to cover my overheads and feed and shelter myself for the number of hours it would've taken to make the dress?" Sometimes we just have to let those people go. Don't consider it a loss; if they were edgy about your price over the phone then they're liable to be difficult clients anyway, and may not even be able to pay on completion of the job. You'll know yourself if the service you provide is worth the cost, within the context of your local market. Mine is, but every now and then I still have to remind myself why. Think of your past achievements, and the time, effort and skill you put into your work. It will all be okay. You ARE worth it.V.
(post #27088, reply #26 of 75)
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Thimble, I would be interested in hearing anything you'd like to share about your business. I have been in business for about 2 1/2 years. I started when my husband's boss asked me to alter suits for her(!) Now, I am into some designing of my own, especially for girls, occasional custom work, and some small production for boutiques. I've also taught a couple of classes. Right now, I really am going in too many directions and I know I need to narrow my focus, but I need more time to determine what to concentrate on. I enjoy creating my own designs best, but not mass producing them. I also enjoy teaching a lot because I am very passionate about sewing. I have no "official" training. I learned from friends and reading. since I have been purchasing more and better equipment, I haven't really made any money yet. But I love it, and I like being independent.
I have a website (a grad school project of my brother's) at www.idsi.net/~ppeters I'll take any advice on the business you'd like to dish out. thanks!
(post #27088, reply #27 of 75)
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Virginia, I really enjoyed, and appreciate your pricing pep talk. I find the same attitudes with my handmade garments and accessories. However, the few who do appreciate the quality and workmanship make up for the rest.
Also, Thimble, you said that dressmaking may be a dying art. I am optimistic, though. I sense that some clients that come to me for alterations do so because they on some level value the personal service and "old-fashioned" relationship between women that must have developed and centered around the creating of clothes for eachother. I often say "I can't compete with Walmart". But perhaps a better attitude is "I don't want to compete with Walmart. what I offer is in no way related to what can be had at walmart, or any other chain store for that matter" Gosh, it feels good to vent this. I just spent the day at the only craft fair I do each year, watching people admire things then look at the price and disappear! Best wishes to you both.
(post #27088, reply #28 of 75)
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Hi Thimble and everybody. I got out of custom dressmaking because I got fed up with having to educate my clients all the time. I now work for a bridal shop. We do alterations and custom. But because I have a boss between me and my clients, this works best for me. I love the creating involved in dressmaking--just not the clients.
Chris.
(post #27088, reply #29 of 75)
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Hey everybody! Dawn, you're absolutely right - the 20% make up for the 80%. I do costume work as well as ordinary made-to-measure, and I find that the more adventurous and experimental clients are the ones that make the job fun. I think your 'Walmart' example shows a really good way of looking at our business. Your situation sounds quite similar to mine - self-taught, building up equipment and resources, and the inclination towards teaching. What courses have you run? I haven't started doing that yet, although I'd like to in the future. At the moment I'm concentrating on bringing my business up to full-time status, which is taking quite alot of energy. Choosing exactly what to focus on and how was difficult, but gave me a better, more income-generating business structure. I focus mainly on women's formalwear (bridal, evening, etc) with some costume and daywear. Cheap clothing imports from places like China have had a huge effect on the spending habits of most New Zealanders, making them turn their noses up at dressmaking prices more than they used to. Ah, well. I look forward to hearing from you again, V.
(post #27088, reply #30 of 75)
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I am thinking of starting a sewing business in my home.
I have had some work that was sub-contracted to me but am really looking for some tips about how to go about starting a sewing business. I saw that several of you ladies have a lot of experience in this area. Is there any advice you would give me? I live in Eastern TN as a contrast to many of you who appear to live in the Northeast. Do any of you live near here?
I would love to have anything any of you would be willing to share.
Stacey