Show us what you've made!

[pretty faythe]

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I love that stripped dress!! And the hat, did you make it to go with a previous dresss you posted? I think it was you...
yes, it was you, lol this dress.

 

[Amy Jeanne]

Yup, Lauren, my heart is stolen. I love frills and bows and early 1930s prettiness as much as the next guy...

 

[Lauren]

Thanks so much, gals!
Miss1929- yes, mine did come out big! I have a smaller head than the pattern, but this was much bigger than that! I think it's the fabric I used- it doesn't have a very tight weave. Sometime I want to make another with fabric with a little more body!
pretty faythe, yes, I did make it to go with that dress! Hehe. I thought the lightning bolt pattern would match the pattern of the dress I'm going to wear it in a few weeks to a 20s event!

 

[Shirin]

Good Lord Lauren can I commission you to make some things for me? (half serious there!) You could definitely make a profit from your talent.
That striped dress is wonderful but that yellow and white number is sensational. Woweeee!:eusa_clap

 

[Lauren]

Thanks, Shirin! I do actually do it as a job- half the year I work for the opera, but I'm looking for another job while they're off for summer break, so I guess it leaves time to sew for me? [huh] Gals around here don't really get how much time it takes to sew. That's something that I regret about how cheap we can buy clothes- most stuff is made overseas so the old fashioned custom seamstresses find it hard to get jobs that pay going wages. Anyways, summer break can be seen as a good thing.
(sorry, off topic. Back to your regularly scheduled fun show and tell)

 

[Shirin]

Thanks, Shirin! I do actually do it as a job- half the year I work for the opera, but I'm looking for another job while they're off for summer break, so I guess it leaves time to sew for me? [huh] Gals around here don't really get how much time it takes to sew so it's hard to find paying jobs

I can see where that could be a huge problem. People are so accustomed to off the rack clothing and because they don't actually *see* the process involved, they don't realize how much work goes into it. I understand. My mother in law was a professional seamstress up until about 5 years ago, she said that ladies were always trying to talk down her prices and get a bargain. Its a shame and a dieing art.

 

[Lauren]

I know It's like we're a dying breed! I think I'm the youngest gal at work and the age gap is quite significant. It makes me kind of scared, actually.
I could go on another whole rant on the pay rates of people overseas, but I will resist. It's just sad all around.

 

[Lady Day]

I Also think its this notion of longevity. People dont WANT something that, with proper care, can last the rest of their life. Especially clothing. Why? I can just go to the store and buy it NEW, thats better, right?

Im only an avid hobbiest, but I did work with a lot of young professional seamstresses/costume makers/pattern makers when I interned at Stitch lounge, and they kept saying the same thing. Their clients would say, "Why are you charging me $180 for this suit when I can go to the mall and get a new one for $45?" So most of those gals sewed for themselves, but would get people wanting to know where they got their clothes. :eusa_doh: and the cycle just started over and over.

Its not just sewing, its the entire creative field. People act as if they are doing you a favor by asking you to make them something. And for said favor, they expect it to be severely discounted. Its a shame, really.

Okay, thats my bottled up rant for the month.

LD

 

[texasgirl]

It's the same with my quilts. I just finished one that cost about $400 to make. And people say, oh you should sell them, or people will ask for a quote and their eyes bug out. I mean you can get a nice quilt at Penny's for a hundred bucks or even less. But if we all stop making lovely handmade items- that would be sad.

 

[Lauren]

My mom and I took ongoing quilting classes for a while, and you're right, it's super expensive. They're so darn pretty when they're done and the fabrics are so lovely, but when you add up time and cost of fabric it's really a lot! Luckily I have a bit of a stash so when the quilting bug hits I can raid it! I still have a quilt sitting by that I need to get sent out for longarm quilting, though, and that's pretty darn pricey in itself!
LD, you're definitely right about creative fields. It's really hard to find paying jobs. After I got out of fashion school it took me four or five years to find a full time job that paid well. It's such a shame- I even interviewed for a high end clothing company for a designer position and when they told me the wages I was horrified! There's something to be said for making a living wage, for sure- I'm really glad that the creativity continues outside of work, though! It's definitely fun to make things for ourselves

 

[kamikat]

I just wanted to add my $0.02. I am a retired professional seamstress. I got out of the business because brides suddenly went from asking me to make knock-off designer dresses at better prices ($100,00 Vera Wang gown for $25,000) to asking me to knock-off David's Bridal shop gowns (typically in the $5,000 range) for $100-200. They just didn't understand that it couldn't be done. I think there was some kind of societal change in the mid-to-late 90s. I just couldn't make the living I could in the early 90s. The only wedding gown I've made in the last 15 years was for a friend and it was her wedding present. It was also a blood red silk dress that was a total blast to do. I still get people asking me to sew for them and I just won't do it. It's one thing for me to look at Stop Starring dresses and know I can make it for less than they're asking, it's another for someone else to think they can pay me less than SS dresses.

 

[Lauren]

I know!! (especially re: David's Bridal/revamp/stop staring)
If you add up the price of a vintage pattern, and even at $40 that's cheaper than custom patternmaking, plus cost of materials (let's just say $30 for fabric, zippers, thread, etc), that's already half way there and you're not even counting your cost of labour! :eusa_doh:

 

[pretty faythe]

I read somewhere that people actually knowing how to sew on a machine has declined significantly. I can do basic sewing pretty well, just cant find patterns that fit me that I like (48 bust) vintage or otherwise. And I have no clue how to resize patterns. I saw how to do it on shorts on the show Sewing With Nancy, but eh.
I think I'm going to make my daughters take home ec before that graduate, if the school has it, hmm, need to check, so that they learn the basic sewing there, plus other goodies!

 

[Lady Day]

Its really quite depressing.

I thought I had a decent freelance gig lined up, I mean they courted ME, contracts were signed, everything was good and I delivered a piece that they loved.

When I sent the invoice, I got an email back saying the extent of they LOVED my work, but could I charge 70% less for it. :rage:

"We have artists all around the country who are doing the same thing at $50-$75 each, at about the same quality level; blah blah blah." I think that is the most offensive thing to ever say to a creative professional.

So I sent them a brake down, showing them that their price was a good 40% below min wage! I even renegotiated my rate with them, still was not low enough.

"If we can reach a more modest rate, we would love to use your work in the future." Their words.

So I told them I was charging WELL, WELL BELOW industry standards, and even industry standards were a moderate rate. The gawl of their handling of that whole experience has left me totally disgusted.

That **** is what I deal with every day when Im looking for work, and it can bring you to tears sometimes.

Okay, my second rant for the month.

LD

 

[*martini*time*]

I Can't Sew

That's right, i too want to add my 2 cents to this discussion. Even though i get my boyfriend to sew my buttons on stuff (they taught him in Basic training!)

I had my grad dress custom made (it was a replica of the red dress Rizzo wears to the dance off in Grease, red satin with big polka dots) anyways, i was more then happy to pay for it (it was my grad present from my mom) The dress is made perfectly. It was nice to know that i was wearing something that was made for ME and not by some child in a third world country. If the lady who made it still made dresses today, i would probably have a closet full of dresses. She made the whole thing for me, i bought the fabric, and she sewed it. It's a shame there are so many retired seamstresses out there...i wish i could find one...i would rather pay 200 dollars for a decent dress that's CUSTOM made rather then something that was cranked out in a sweat shop.

 

[Lauren]

I'm hoping to find more customers of similar mind, eventually! It's nice to hear the opinion of someone who doesn't sew. Thank you!
I have high hopes for etsy eventually. Right now on there's it's pretty much a de-stash for me of things I've collected, but I hear success stories and am inspired.
I tried piece work and had a similar experience to Lady Day's. The pay was well below minimum wage. Won't do that again. Unfortunately I'm in an area where I have to commute as well- the nearest big city is 50 minutes without traffic- 1.5 hours with, and the only jobs I've seen pay $10-$15 an hour and those are few and far between (CA minimum wage is $8 hr). Not really worth it in the end Like I said, hoping to work on etsy more eventually- and thank the Lord for unemployment. For realz.
Sorry, I had pent up rants, too. All better now
I do really love this thread- it's very inspiring to see so many ladies who still do sew or aspire to! Yay!

 

[JennyLou]

Lauren, I admire you and your talent.

 

[Lady Day]

- and thank the Lord for unemployment. For realz.

Amen, sister.

LD

 

[*martini*time*]

Lauren, you're on my etsy favorites and the second that you offer custom pieces...i'm so there!

I love etsy for custom stuff. I wanted this skirt at a store here and it was just a circle skirt with a petticoat sewn in and they wanted 200 dollars for it! I was like, that's outrageous, so i remember complaining about how i can't sew at all and i wanted a black cotton sateen skirt to a coworker who directed me to etsy. I ended up getting a custom fit skirt in black sateen for about 80 dollars. I love it, to this day it's my favorite skirt.

 

[Babydoll]

It isn't so outrageous when you consider how much fabric can cost. I make circle skirts for myself out of novelty quilting fabric, and the average price of the fabric is anywhere from $8-15/yard. A skirt takes four yards of fabric. Then you have notions. At least six yards of trim to go around the skirt once. Thread, elastic for the waistband, etc.... it all adds up.

I have a friend who wanted me to make a skirt for her girlfriend's birthday. She wanted to know how much it would cost. I said roughly $70 - with me finding fabric on sale or using a coupon - and she thought that was way too high. Really, that doesn't even include an hourly wage for me.

And people wonder why I don't make and sell my skirts. I'd lose money on it. (Especially the skirt that I spent 8 hours hand bedazzling. It's gorgeous, but who would pay $300 for it??)