Creating sewing projects for a living ?
materialgirl
| Posted in General Discussion on
I design hand embossed velvet scarves. I brun the velvet then construct scarves and totes bags. I have done a few artisan shows locally and also had some of my scarves in local retail stores. I am thinking of branching out and maybe gong to NY or Boston to approach more boutiques.
Has anyone here done this and do you have suggerstions on the best way to break into wholesale?
I guess my second question is, how do you find someone to sew for you if you get extra orders you cannot keep up with? I had a woman do some sewing for me last year and I paid her $8 per scarf to sew up the sides , trim and turn right side out. I just have no idea if this is the going rate. She said she could do 4 in an hour so $32 an hour I thought was fair?
Replies
Thirty two dollars and hour. American dollars? That is more than many skilled trade people get. I think you can find someone that can sew more than 4 scarves per hour, double at least. I used to put together a leotard complete with elastic in under 1/2 hour.
There are many people who would enjoy the some time at their sewing machines or sergers earning cash assembling scarves and don't have so much time or driving interest to do their own creative work. You might find them in mothers (or fathers) at home with young children or retired persons or even a teen with a knack for sewing for starters.
How much to pay is a mental play. It has to be enough to make it worth while but not so much that the sewer gets lazy. You are not paying someone for creative work or for a huge skill set so consider what other jobs in your community with similar requirements pay. And I hope you are paying yourself with a rate worthy of a person with creative experience and practiced skills!
Could you post a picture of a scarf or two? I would love to see!
materialgirl, I e-mailed you some info. Check your email. :)
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