Re: [h-cost] Hourly Wages
After keeping meticulous records of how long a very basic-looking (but actually rather fiddly to sew) 15thC dress took me to make, I decided that I could either a) make about $0.50/hr but actually sell things, b)charge what it was actually worth and wait years for that special customer who was actually willing to pay for it, or c) lower my standards drastically. I decided to opt for d) make things to fit me, offer them on eBay if I feel like it, and just keep 'em if they don't sell, along with a healthy dose of e) use my other skills to make a very nice hourly rate indeed, thank you very much. In costuming, the money really does seem to be in easily quickly made accessories, and that's just not particularly interesting to me. (Though I like the fiddly, detailed accessories, as my current project list shows.) Actually, due to a lack of quick easy accessories, I'm struggling right now to find a single decent outfit to wear to my 2nd ever (!) SCA event (really not a joiner). It turns out that chemises, shoes, hosen, headwear, pouches, etcetcetc really do become necessary if you want to leave the sewing room. Who'da thunk it? -E House ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
RE: [h-cost] Hourly Wages
Yes, our group tries to be as authentic as possible, so it is of silk. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Sue Clemenger Sent: Monday, September 04, 2006 2:17 PM To: Historical Costume Subject: Re: [h-cost] Hourly Wages Also depends on cost of materials, I'd think. Good quality fabrics, beads, trims could get really expensive, really fast. I strongly suspect that the outfit is more along the lines of a couture-level costume, rather than a cheesy, cotton-broadcloth Elizabethan equivalent of a prom dress from Hellmart.g If the person who made that 2K outfit were giving him/herself a base wage of, say, $25/hour, which is probably pretty low for highly skilled custom sewing (I'm basing this purely on what my old employer from a couple of decades ago used as a base to figure costs for the custom sewing jobs I did), that would only be about 80 hours of labor for the entire outfit, assuming that the raw materials' costs were NOT included in the 2K. I've spent that much time just on beading some things, never mind the 100s of hours one can devote to embroidering something. I'll have something like 15 or 16 hundred hours into the embroidered stripes on my Venetian camicia by the time I'm done. --Sue in Montana, enjoying her rare, Labor Day vacation ;o) - Original Message - From: MaggiRos [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Historical Costume [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, September 04, 2006 11:37 AM Subject: RE: [h-cost] Hourly Wages Clients in my experience want to know in advance how much they'll be paying, so I set a per-hour rate in my head but quote a flat amount depending on the garment and level of ornamentation--with adjustments for anticipated aggravation, of course. :-) That way I don't have to keep careful watch on the clock, or remember that I work more slowly as the day goes on. Not that I do this for a living, but that's the method I developed when I was sewing for other people. Now it's just a recommendation. $2,000 seems quite high, but jewelling and any handwork does take a lot of time. (That's why I learned to sew, in the end.) I guess it depends on what your market will bear. MaggiRos --- Sharon at Collierfam.com [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: A friend of mine had an Elizabethan court dress and hat made, with removable sleeves and separate underskirt. It was beaded and had a good amount of trim. Quite lovely. I believe she paid about $2,000.00 US. ___ 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] Hourly Wages
A friend of mine had an Elizabethan court dress and hat made, with removable sleeves and separate underskirt. It was beaded and had a good amount of trim. Quite lovely. I believe she paid about $2,000.00 US. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Kathy Page Sent: Sunday, September 03, 2006 1:39 PM To: Historical Costume List Subject: [h-cost] Hourly Wages I was having yet another *coughcough* discussion with my husband on what the typical hourly wages independant costumers make - what they charge out at for high end work - full suites of clothing, custom designed, in part or fully assembled by machine, complete with embellishments. He seems to think I am on cheap crack, however I have looked into it through employment statistics in my province and country, and have kept a quiet eye on the discussions in the past here and I believe that I am on track for a 5 year plan of establishing my reputation and credibility. He is a frustrating insta-boing type, thinking I should be able to name whatever I please with no justification behind the price tag. Could I run a survey on what those interested and willing to offer cannon fodder on this discussion charge out for work roughly described above, and the currency it is typically quoted at, so I can compare apples to apples? If it seems like a private subject, please feel free to reply offlist. Thanks for anyone willing to save my sanity, Kathy Ermine, a lion rampant tail nowed gules charged on the shoulder with a rose Or barbed, seeded, slipped and leaved vert(Fieldless) On a rose Or barbed vert a lion's head erased gules. Its never too late to be who you might have been. -George Eliot Tosach eólais imchomarc. - Questioning is the beginning of knowledge. http://www.sengoidelc.com/node/131 ___ 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] Hourly Wages
Clients in my experience want to know in advance how much they'll be paying, so I set a per-hour rate in my head but quote a flat amount depending on the garment and level of ornamentation--with adjustments for anticipated aggravation, of course. :-) That way I don't have to keep careful watch on the clock, or remember that I work more slowly as the day goes on. Not that I do this for a living, but that's the method I developed when I was sewing for other people. Now it's just a recommendation. $2,000 seems quite high, but jewelling and any handwork does take a lot of time. (That's why I learned to sew, in the end.) I guess it depends on what your market will bear. MaggiRos --- Sharon at Collierfam.com [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: A friend of mine had an Elizabethan court dress and hat made, with removable sleeves and separate underskirt. It was beaded and had a good amount of trim. Quite lovely. I believe she paid about $2,000.00 US. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Kathy Page Sent: Sunday, September 03, 2006 1:39 PM To: Historical Costume List Subject: [h-cost] Hourly Wages I was having yet another *coughcough* discussion with my husband on what the typical hourly wages independant costumers make - what they charge out at for high end work - full suites of clothing, custom designed, in part or fully assembled by machine, complete with embellishments. He seems to think I am on cheap crack, however I have looked into it through employment statistics in my province and country, and have kept a quiet eye on the discussions in the past here and I believe that I am on track for a 5 year plan of establishing my reputation and credibility. He is a frustrating insta-boing type, thinking I should be able to name whatever I please with no justification behind the price tag. Could I run a survey on what those interested and willing to offer cannon fodder on this discussion charge out for work roughly described above, and the currency it is typically quoted at, so I can compare apples to apples? If it seems like a private subject, please feel free to reply offlist. Thanks for anyone willing to save my sanity, Kathy Ermine, a lion rampant tail nowed gules charged on the shoulder with a rose Or barbed, seeded, slipped and leaved vert(Fieldless) On a rose Or barbed vert a lion's head erased gules. Its never too late to be who you might have been. -George Eliot Tosach eólais imchomarc. - Questioning is the beginning of knowledge. http://www.sengoidelc.com/node/131 ___ 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] Hourly Wages
Sheesh! Yet another husband that wants to get rich quick on the labors of his wife? My ex used to harangue me about this same thing, which I found rather irritating, especially since he enjoyed being on unemployment... IMNSH opinion, if he thinks that he can get the high prices, let him negotiate with the customers. And then have him deal with their nitpicking every little thing to get the final bill reduced; and he can also deal with those who abuse the garment so that a seam fails and then wants free repairs! I suggest that you do your usual quote type thing, and calm the the customer down. I charge $20/hour for garments that have straight basic sewing (no embrodiery work or beading or minimal hand sewing). Charge $25/hour for garments that have embroidery work, beading or lots of handsewing. 3 Fittings are included, but if they miss a fitting without any notice, they pay $10 penalty. If they lose so much weight that alterations are needed before they wear the garments the first time, the hours needed for altering is at the higher rate of $25.00. Anyhow, I found that if I do a flat fee quote, I seriously underestimate the time I spend sewing the garments. On the other hand, folks seem to think they are getting a bargain having me sew for them at my rates, but they still can't afford me. Sad, huh? I don't sew for folks too much anymore, I just don't have the time.. Best of luck with *coughcough* discussing this with your husband.. Elena/Gia -- Original message -- From: Kathy Page [EMAIL PROTECTED] I was having yet another *coughcough* discussion with my husband on what the typical hourly wages independant costumers make - what they charge out at for high end work - full suites of clothing, custom designed, in part or fully assembled by machine, complete with embellishments. He seems to think I am on cheap crack, however I have looked into it through employment statistics in my province and country, and have kept a quiet eye on the discussions in the past here and I believe that I am on track for a 5 year plan of establishing my reputation and credibility. He is a frustrating insta-boing type, thinking I should be able to name whatever I please with no justification behind the price tag. Could I run a survey on what those interested and willing to offer cannon fodder on this discussion charge out for work roughly described above, and the currency it is typically quoted at, so I can compare apples to apples? If it seems like a private subject, please feel free to reply offlist. Thanks for anyone willing to save my sanity, Kathy Ermine, a lion rampant tail nowed gules charged on the shoulder with a rose Or barbed, seeded, slipped and leaved vert(Fieldless) On a rose Or barbed vert a lion's head erased gules. Its never too late to be who you might have been. -George Eliot Tosach eólais imchomarc. - Questioning is the beginning of knowledge. http://www.sengoidelc.com/node/131 ___ 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] Hourly Wages
In a message dated 9/4/2006 1:39:12 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: $2,000 seems quite high, but jewelling and any handwork does take a lot of time. And I don't think that is high enough. But that is one of the reasons I DON'T sew for other people--I don't think they are, on the whole, willing to pay what I think I'm worth. Ann Wass ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Hourly Wages
Also depends on cost of materials, I'd think. Good quality fabrics, beads, trims could get really expensive, really fast. I strongly suspect that the outfit is more along the lines of a couture-level costume, rather than a cheesy, cotton-broadcloth Elizabethan equivalent of a prom dress from Hellmart.g If the person who made that 2K outfit were giving him/herself a base wage of, say, $25/hour, which is probably pretty low for highly skilled custom sewing (I'm basing this purely on what my old employer from a couple of decades ago used as a base to figure costs for the custom sewing jobs I did), that would only be about 80 hours of labor for the entire outfit, assuming that the raw materials' costs were NOT included in the 2K. I've spent that much time just on beading some things, never mind the 100s of hours one can devote to embroidering something. I'll have something like 15 or 16 hundred hours into the embroidered stripes on my Venetian camicia by the time I'm done. --Sue in Montana, enjoying her rare, Labor Day vacation ;o) - Original Message - From: MaggiRos [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Historical Costume [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, September 04, 2006 11:37 AM Subject: RE: [h-cost] Hourly Wages Clients in my experience want to know in advance how much they'll be paying, so I set a per-hour rate in my head but quote a flat amount depending on the garment and level of ornamentation--with adjustments for anticipated aggravation, of course. :-) That way I don't have to keep careful watch on the clock, or remember that I work more slowly as the day goes on. Not that I do this for a living, but that's the method I developed when I was sewing for other people. Now it's just a recommendation. $2,000 seems quite high, but jewelling and any handwork does take a lot of time. (That's why I learned to sew, in the end.) I guess it depends on what your market will bear. MaggiRos --- Sharon at Collierfam.com [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: A friend of mine had an Elizabethan court dress and hat made, with removable sleeves and separate underskirt. It was beaded and had a good amount of trim. Quite lovely. I believe she paid about $2,000.00 US. ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] Hourly Wages
I was having yet another *coughcough* discussion with my husband on what the typical hourly wages independant costumers make - what they charge out at for high end work - full suites of clothing, custom designed, in part or fully assembled by machine, complete with embellishments. He seems to think I am on cheap crack, however I have looked into it through employment statistics in my province and country, and have kept a quiet eye on the discussions in the past here and I believe that I am on track for a 5 year plan of establishing my reputation and credibility. He is a frustrating insta-boing type, thinking I should be able to name whatever I please with no justification behind the price tag. Could I run a survey on what those interested and willing to offer cannon fodder on this discussion charge out for work roughly described above, and the currency it is typically quoted at, so I can compare apples to apples? If it seems like a private subject, please feel free to reply offlist. Thanks for anyone willing to save my sanity, Kathy Ermine, a lion rampant tail nowed gules charged on the shoulder with a rose Or barbed, seeded, slipped and leaved vert(Fieldless) On a rose Or barbed vert a lion's head erased gules. Its never too late to be who you might have been. -George Eliot Tosach eólais imchomarc. - Questioning is the beginning of knowledge. http://www.sengoidelc.com/node/131 ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Hourly Wages
I charge $20 per hour for whatever I do, from sewing to patternmaking to designing. Sylrog On Sep 3, 2006, at 2:38 PM, Kathy Page wrote: I was having yet another *coughcough* discussion with my husband on what the typical hourly wages independant costumers make - what they charge out at for high end work - full suites of clothing, custom designed, in part or fully assembled by machine, complete with embellishments. He seems to think I am on cheap crack, however I have looked into it through employment statistics in my province and country, and have kept a quiet eye on the discussions in the past here and I believe that I am on track for a 5 year plan of establishing my reputation and credibility. He is a frustrating insta-boing type, thinking I should be able to name whatever I please with no justification behind the price tag. Could I run a survey on what those interested and willing to offer cannon fodder on this discussion charge out for work roughly described above, and the currency it is typically quoted at, so I can compare apples to apples? If it seems like a private subject, please feel free to reply offlist. Thanks for anyone willing to save my sanity, Kathy Ermine, a lion rampant tail nowed gules charged on the shoulder with a rose Or barbed, seeded, slipped and leaved vert(Fieldless) On a rose Or barbed vert a lion's head erased gules. Its never too late to be who you might have been. -George Eliot Tosach eólais imchomarc. - Questioning is the beginning of knowledge. http://www.sengoidelc.com/node/131 ___ 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
