[h-cost] Charging for sewing
I charge by the job. If I acquire the materials myself, I can usually get a better discount than the person who wants the costume. Since for a long time I always underestimated the amount of time involved, I finally decided to go with a percentage system. I add 33% to material cost for a normal job. If they want something in less than a month I add another 15% expedite fee. But your customer must consider the complexity of the costume you are making. For instance, I once sewed 1240 pearls on a man's doublet. For wedding dresses, a lot of designers add 65-75% to their costs just because the more complex dresses take a lot of detailed hand work. One of the wedding dresses I made had to have German lace hand sewn to the edge of a cathedral length train and aprox 300 pearls sewn on the bodice. So I can certainly see the point. Catalina nunca sin mi vino ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Charging for sewing
I think that everyone charges for the job, but it is determined by the cost of the labor, so you have to figure out first how much you want to make per hour and then try to come up with a good estimate of the time. If 33% sounds like you are getting a good return for your labor, that's great. It doesn't sound like enough to me, since the labor is usually a lot more costly than the materials, but that depends obviously on your materials. I have a website where I make and sell gothic and belly dance costumes and clothing. I can buy the fabric in bulk at wholesale prices so I might pay $5-20 on materials but charge $50-100 for the garment. On the other hand, if I'm making custom clothing and/or costumes and have to buy expensive brocades, velvets, etc., then I may have to spend $50-100 on materials, although it would seem that the labor for such a garment would also be time consuming. I try to make $20 per hour across the board, but after doing this for awhile, I still tend to underestimate. My problem if that for most of my career, I have been making theatrical costumes in professional costume shops, so I never had to keep track of how long it took to make something, plus one is always working on a bunch of things at the same time. It's only recently that I have started to do sewing out of my home. Sylrog On Jul 22, 2006, at 7:57 AM, Catalina Elvira Osorio Lopez de Xerez wrote: I charge by the job. If I acquire the materials myself, I can usually get a better discount than the person who wants the costume. Since for a long time I always underestimated the amount of time involved, I finally decided to go with a percentage system. I add 33% to material cost for a normal job. If they want something in less than a month I add another 15% expedite fee. But your customer must consider the complexity of the costume you are making. For instance, I once sewed 1240 pearls on a man's doublet. For wedding dresses, a lot of designers add 65-75% to their costs just because the more complex dresses take a lot of detailed hand work. One of the wedding dresses I made had to have German lace hand sewn to the edge of a cathedral length train and aprox 300 pearls sewn on the bodice. So I can certainly see the point. Catalina nunca sin mi vino ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Charging for sewing
I charge by the job, but my husband says I always undercharge. Natalie - Original Message - From: Sylvia Rognstad To: Historical Costume Sent: Friday, July 21, 2006 12:17 AM Subject: Re: [h-cost] Charging for sewing I charge by the hour. The problem is doing a proper estimate beforehand. I almost always underestimate. Sylrog On Jul 20, 2006, at 10:10 PM, Sharon at Collierfam.com wrote: Dear Listees, I have been asked by some folks to make some costumes for them. Problem is, I've only worked in community theatre before and that doesn't pay anything (about $300 per show). For those of you that do sewing as a business, how much do you charge for sewing? Do you charge by the job or the hour? Any help in this would be greatly appreciated. Sharon C. Young lovers seek perfection, Old lovers learn the art of sewing shreds together And of seeing beauty in a multiplicity of patches - How To Make An American Quilt ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Charging for sewing
At 12:57 21/07/2006, you wrote: I charge by the job, but my husband says I always undercharge. Natalie I charge by the hour. The problem is doing a proper estimate beforehand. I almost always underestimate. Sylrog On Jul 20, 2006, at 10:10 PM, Sharon at Collierfam.com wrote: Dear Listees, I have been asked by some folks to make some costumes for them. snip . For those of you that do sewing as a business, how much do you charge for sewing? Do you charge by the job or the hour? It depends on the job - a Regency wedding dress (or any wedding clothes) costs more than an re-enactor Regency dress, as there will be no opportunity to change it if the customer wears it and finds something not quite comfortable. If I charged by the hour, no-one could afford to buy from me, so I tend to charge by the job. For a first time, like the quilted petticoat I made recently, I set a price, and discovered I took longer than estimated, so I know that if I ever make another, I need to charge more. BTW prices here are way higher than similar work in the U.S. Suzi ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Charging for sewing
I charge by the hour- $12.50 for straight sewing, $25 for hand work, and pattern drafting. Then I go through and make a pretty accurate estimate of hours and come up with what it's worth. Usually I then negotiate a fee I'm willing to take for the straight stuff. I don't negotiate on hand work (beading, etc). If folks want that, then they have to pay for it. I too come from community regional theater, where costumers are not paid nearly enough (stipends range from $1200-2000, but I'm in California). The problem as I see it is the genesis of the craft. The public still thinks of it as womans' work. I constantly run into people who upon hearing that I sew, say something like Oh, can you make me a dress? rapidly followed up with how much cheaper it must be to get something made by a friend. Anyone else notice how quickly acquantanceship turns to friendship when folks want a discount :) I quickly dissilusion them, letting them know hand made clothes are more akin to couture than discount ready to wear. It's a process, but I think politely pointing out the craftsmanship and the one-of-a-kind aspect quickly justifies the pricing in people's minds. Most decide they cant' afford it, but I'm cool with that too. angela + Angela F. Lazear Cabbage Rose Costumes Theatrical Costume Design Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none: be able for thine enemy rather in power than use, and keep thy friend under thy own life's key: be checked for silence, but never taxed for speech... All's Well That Ends Well 1.1.65-6, Countess to Bertram W. Shakespeare http://www.cabbagerosecostumes.com - Original Message - From: Sharon at Collierfam.com [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: h-costume@mail.indra.com Sent: Thursday, July 20, 2006 9:10 PM Subject: [h-cost] Charging for sewing Dear Listees, I have been asked by some folks to make some costumes for them. Problem is, I've only worked in community theatre before and that doesn't pay anything (about $300 per show). For those of you that do sewing as a business, how much do you charge for sewing? Do you charge by the job or the hour? Any help in this would be greatly appreciated. Sharon C. Young lovers seek perfection, Old lovers learn the art of sewing shreds together And of seeing beauty in a multiplicity of patches - How To Make An American Quilt ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Charging for sewing
I am not a professional seamstress by any means. My forte is gloves. But upon occasion a theater buddy will tap me to alter very special pieces and for those I do charge hourly. I do not announce that my rate is hourly. I use it to calculate the set fee. Now mind you, for web work and development of applications I charge 75/hr. There is no way in heck I would charge that for what I do. I do not do beading or embroidery. THAT stuff is worth the higher rates. My stuff is more along the lines of 12/hr. Gloves ... I do not take commissions for those for pay or from anyone I do not know. But if I did, I could not sell a pair for less than 200/pr. The last one was a wedding gown from the 30's. It was OMG gorgeous. The silk was heavy and thick, and the only reason why I said yes. Had it been a very fine silk I would have said no cause it would not have held up. The first thing I had to do was sit with the dress to figure it all out so I told her that there was an initial consultation charge of 50.00 to spend a day with the dress to assess if I can even work with it. This involved talking to her, seeing her in it as is, seeing what she wanted it to look like afterwards, then testing the seams. Yes, testing the seams. I needed to see if the dress had been altered before and if so what thread they used. It had been altered before and they used cotton instead of silk thread. The seams popped immediatly. Thankfully the cotton thread was of a darker color than the silk thread so it was easy to find. I do not announce what the hourly rate is. I use it as a calculation of the cost and give a set price based on it. Now when I was done she decided to give me an extra 100 on top of the total fee cause she said that other person she went to previously wanted 3 times what I charged her and I did it in half the time. I know why that person did that, they were anticipating that all the seams were going to have to be redone thus taking the entire dress apart. So yeah, had I had to do that, my price would have been the same as the other seamstress. But I did not want to tell her that. It was a one time gig. A wedding dress for her wedding. :) - Original Message - Dear Listees, I have been asked by some folks to make some costumes for them. Problem is,I've only worked in community theatre before and that doesn't pay anything (about $300 per show). For those of you that sewing as a do business, how much do you charge for sewing? Do you charge by the job or the hour? Any help in this would be greatly appreciated. Sharon C. Chiara Francesca Ansteorra ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Charging for sewing
I am doing so much less custom work than I used to, the kids take up too many of my brain cells. My sewing is very part time at the moment. I usually charge an initial $25 consultation fee to sit down and talk with the client about the project (either in person or by email). This can be applied to the final project fee and is not refundable. When I first started doing weddings I had so many people either make appointments and just not show up or meet with me once and never return, the fee helps weed out the casual inquiries. I then try and figure out a general project fee based on past experience. My husband keeps telling me I charge way too little. I do find I make better income off of undergarments than gowns, but gowns are so much more fun. Basic balldresses start at $350 for labor only, fancy trimming or beadwork is added by the hour at $25-50. I state that if the estimate is off by more than a certain percentage I will get their approval before proceeding. There is also the I really don't want to do this factor, for projects I am not enthused about I might quote a huge price and hope they'll just go away. Repair work or restoration/conservation is done by the hour. I try and avoid alterations like the plague. My mother had a booming alteration business in South Carolina and she charged by the hour for wedding dress alterations especially, but had a chart she had made up of what various alterations typically cost that she had worked out from past experience. Katy On 7/21/06, Chiara Francesca Arianna d'Onofrio [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I am not a professional seamstress by any means. My forte is gloves. But upon occasion a theater buddy will tap me to alter very special pieces and for those I do charge hourly. I do not announce that my rate is hourly. I use it to calculate the set fee. Now mind you, for web work and development of applications I charge 75/hr. There is no way in heck I would charge that for what I do. I do not do beading or embroidery. THAT stuff is worth the higher rates. My stuff is more along the lines of 12/hr. Gloves ... I do not take commissions for those for pay or from anyone I do not know. But if I did, I could not sell a pair for less than 200/pr. The last one was a wedding gown from the 30's. It was OMG gorgeous. The silk was heavy and thick, and the only reason why I said yes. Had it been a very fine silk I would have said no cause it would not have held up. The first thing I had to do was sit with the dress to figure it all out so I told her that there was an initial consultation charge of 50.00 to spend a day with the dress to assess if I can even work with it. This involved talking to her, seeing her in it as is, seeing what she wanted it to look like afterwards, then testing the seams. Yes, testing the seams. I needed to see if the dress had been altered before and if so what thread they used. It had been altered before and they used cotton instead of silk thread. The seams popped immediatly. Thankfully the cotton thread was of a darker color than the silk thread so it was easy to find. I do not announce what the hourly rate is. I use it as a calculation of the cost and give a set price based on it. Now when I was done she decided to give me an extra 100 on top of the total fee cause she said that other person she went to previously wanted 3 times what I charged her and I did it in half the time. I know why that person did that, they were anticipating that all the seams were going to have to be redone thus taking the entire dress apart. So yeah, had I had to do that, my price would have been the same as the other seamstress. But I did not want to tell her that. It was a one time gig. A wedding dress for her wedding. :) - Original Message - Dear Listees, I have been asked by some folks to make some costumes for them. Problem is,I've only worked in community theatre before and that doesn't pay anything (about $300 per show). For those of you that sewing as a do business, how much do you charge for sewing? Do you charge by the job or the hour? Any help in this would be greatly appreciated. Sharon C. Chiara Francesca Ansteorra ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume -- Katy Bishop, Vintage Victorian [EMAIL PROTECTED]www.VintageVictorian.com Custom reproduction gowns of the Victorian Era. Publisher of the Vintage Dress Series books. ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
RE: [h-cost] Charging for sewing
I'm in CA, too, But my group's budget usually ran approx. $2500 per show, so it was essentially gas money. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of H_Costume Sent: Friday, July 21, 2006 11:24 AM To: Historical Costume Subject: Re: [h-cost] Charging for sewing I charge by the hour- $12.50 for straight sewing, $25 for hand work, and pattern drafting. Then I go through and make a pretty accurate estimate of hours and come up with what it's worth. Usually I then negotiate a fee I'm willing to take for the straight stuff. I don't negotiate on hand work (beading, etc). If folks want that, then they have to pay for it. I too come from community regional theater, where costumers are not paid nearly enough (stipends range from $1200-2000, but I'm in California). The problem as I see it is the genesis of the craft. The public still thinks of it as womans' work. I constantly run into people who upon hearing that I sew, say something like Oh, can you make me a dress? rapidly followed up with how much cheaper it must be to get something made by a friend. Anyone else notice how quickly acquantanceship turns to friendship when folks want a discount :) I quickly dissilusion them, letting them know hand made clothes are more akin to couture than discount ready to wear. It's a process, but I think politely pointing out the craftsmanship and the one-of-a-kind aspect quickly justifies the pricing in people's minds. Most decide they cant' afford it, but I'm cool with that too. angela + Angela F. Lazear Cabbage Rose Costumes Theatrical Costume Design Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none: be able for thine enemy rather in power than use, and keep thy friend under thy own life's key: be checked for silence, but never taxed for speech... All's Well That Ends Well 1.1.65-6, Countess to Bertram W. Shakespeare http://www.cabbagerosecostumes.com - Original Message - From: Sharon at Collierfam.com [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: h-costume@mail.indra.com Sent: Thursday, July 20, 2006 9:10 PM Subject: [h-cost] Charging for sewing Dear Listees, I have been asked by some folks to make some costumes for them. Problem is, I've only worked in community theatre before and that doesn't pay anything (about $300 per show). For those of you that do sewing as a business, how much do you charge for sewing? Do you charge by the job or the hour? Any help in this would be greatly appreciated. Sharon C. Young lovers seek perfection, Old lovers learn the art of sewing shreds together And of seeing beauty in a multiplicity of patches - How To Make An American Quilt ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] Charging for sewing
Dear Listees, I have been asked by some folks to make some costumes for them. Problem is, I've only worked in community theatre before and that doesn't pay anything (about $300 per show). For those of you that do sewing as a business, how much do you charge for sewing? Do you charge by the job or the hour? Any help in this would be greatly appreciated. Sharon C. Young lovers seek perfection, Old lovers learn the art of sewing shreds together And of seeing beauty in a multiplicity of patches - How To Make An American Quilt ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Charging for sewing
I charge by the hour. The problem is doing a proper estimate beforehand. I almost always underestimate. Sylrog On Jul 20, 2006, at 10:10 PM, Sharon at Collierfam.com wrote: Dear Listees, I have been asked by some folks to make some costumes for them. Problem is, I've only worked in community theatre before and that doesn't pay anything (about $300 per show). For those of you that do sewing as a business, how much do you charge for sewing? Do you charge by the job or the hour? Any help in this would be greatly appreciated. Sharon C. Young lovers seek perfection, Old lovers learn the art of sewing shreds together And of seeing beauty in a multiplicity of patches - How To Make An American Quilt ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
