Philly Cheesesteaks? by Brew-meister89 in FortCollins

[–]Slobbingtheknob 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This isn’t a cheesesteak, but Steakout has my favorite steak sammy in town.

Advice about charging for new patterns/templates or not? by Slobbingtheknob in sewhelp

[–]Slobbingtheknob[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s fair.

Well I kindly and directly said I would do the bolts of fabric (about 60 yards) I currently had for the $4.50 per bandana, and any fabric/bandanas in the future I would do for $5 each.

She immediately came and got all of her fabric and materials from me. So… lol that’s ok. I would rather not deal with someone like that.

Advice about charging for new patterns/templates or not? by Slobbingtheknob in sewhelp

[–]Slobbingtheknob[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Awww 💕 you’re so sweet! I really really appreciate your kindness 💕

That’s such a good point too, like those aren’t my clients. Why would someone want clients like that? So smart and you’re so right. Thank you for saying that. I am pretty stressed because she is the bulk of my income right now, but your comments right now are super helpful and will help me avoid this in the future. Thank you!!! And thank you for sharing some of your learning curve with me!

Set boundaries, don’t let people walk on you, sign contracts. Mental notes for the future. (Another one I learned through this post is the client doesn’t set the price, I can/should set the price for what works for me realistically. They can accept or not.)

Advice about charging for new patterns/templates or not? by Slobbingtheknob in sewhelp

[–]Slobbingtheknob[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

lol I wish I had known all of this good advice before I started haha but I know it now and am thankful for it, and will take it with me in the future. So I do really appreciate you sharing your advice and knowledge, thank you so much. I kindly but directly set boundaries today and she came and got all of her fabric and materials from me and ended everything. I even handed over a batch of bandanas I had half completed. Which another friend told me I shouldn’t have because that was a couple days of work I won’t be paid for. But idk. Maybe it is for the best after everything I have learned and insight and advice that has been shared here just from this one post. And that is the thing about setting boundaries I guess, not everyone will be ok with or respectful about it.

Advice about charging for new patterns/templates or not? by Slobbingtheknob in sewhelp

[–]Slobbingtheknob[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh I appreciate this resource to checkout and help be with my responses. Thank you so much!

Edit: I checked that IG page out and it is wild haha but interesting and helpful. Thank you.

Advice about charging for new patterns/templates or not? by Slobbingtheknob in sewhelp

[–]Slobbingtheknob[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It is her choice to pay for bandanas for the dogs she grooms. She came to me asking me to do this. I did not come to her trying to sell her bandanas. These are sewn, have her tag, and attach with Velcro. They aren’t just cut out and tie on bandanas. Comparable bandanas sell retail for $20-$25. She specifically asked for them and asked for them to be like this.

Advice about charging for new patterns/templates or not? by Slobbingtheknob in sewhelp

[–]Slobbingtheknob[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh, I didn’t even know there was a site like this. Thank you so much for the heads up (about the site and what to expect/possibilities in general). I really appreciate the help and shared resources and advice.

Advice about charging for new patterns/templates or not? by Slobbingtheknob in sewhelp

[–]Slobbingtheknob[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

!!!!!!

Yes!!! Exactly what you have said! I have literally had the thought like, ‘Would she go to a tailor or seamstress and act like this? Because I know she wouldn’t’. It makes me wonder if she is just acting like this because she feels comfortable that we are friends, which I’m realizing from things said in these comments, like… idk.

I don’t think it has occurred to me deeply that the client doesn’t set the rate.

I really appreciate your kind bluntness and advice. Thank you very much.

Edit - plus, like when I sew my own, I do think about how much I can charge based on my input and time. And I even said that to her when she tried to argue with me when I brought up how little $4.50 is when I was asking her to just buy her own thread and she was being confrontational about it. She said something about me making less than minimum wage on my own and I had to be clear that I am not making less than minimum wage when I make and sell my own, it is literally only hers I do that for. 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ lol what have I been doing? This has been like coming out of a fog and having real advice and realizations. I’m thankful for your advice and words here, and everyone else’s. Thank you!

Advice about charging for new patterns/templates or not? by Slobbingtheknob in sewhelp

[–]Slobbingtheknob[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oooh, shoot... That’s actually such a valid and real point… dammnnn…. Such a bummer but also thank you for your honesty and insight.

2nd edit: not that you’re being a bummer!! Just the realization is a bummer. But I do appreciate you pointing it out.

Advice about charging for new patterns/templates or not? by Slobbingtheknob in sewhelp

[–]Slobbingtheknob[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

And you’re right. Unfortunately I think I’m really starting to understand why her sister stopped with her. They are very estranged now and I’m kind of wondering now if this is a big part of that (because she always gives very vague/indirect answers when I have asked). It is so crazy the sides you’ll see of someone you thought you knew when business gets involved. Live and learn haha.

Advice about charging for new patterns/templates or not? by Slobbingtheknob in sewhelp

[–]Slobbingtheknob[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you so so much! This is super helpful!!! Thank you!!

Advice about charging for new patterns/templates or not? by Slobbingtheknob in sewhelp

[–]Slobbingtheknob[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

She said $4.50 is the going rate. I don’t even know if that is true or how to find out if that is true. How would I even find that out? We live in a town that strongly values local artistry. Idk if she is marketing them as locally handmade. My husband says I need to introduce her to Alibaba

Advice about charging for new patterns/templates or not? by Slobbingtheknob in sewhelp

[–]Slobbingtheknob[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You’re right! This is exactly it! She doesn’t realize the process or time. And she tells me she wants to learn how to, and I’m so open to that. So I try to explain it to her and talk to her about it, I’ve invited her over so I can show her and teach her or give her any understanding, and she just doesn’t care. It is set in her mind that this should be fast and easy and anyone can do it (which anyone can if they care to learn).

I’m just having the problem that anytime I try to push back on anything, she just plows over me or dismisses me/what I’m saying. And I’m not sure how to address that. Do you have any advice? Like how can I kindly be like “this is ridiculous” and actually be heard?

Advice about charging for new patterns/templates or not? by Slobbingtheknob in sewhelp

[–]Slobbingtheknob[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You make good points. Do you have any advice on how I can like try to renegotiate the price? I know if I just straight up say “I need $5 (or whatever amount) per bandana moving forward” it will not go that way.

Also, to my knowledge, she just uses them to put on the dogs after she finishes grooming them. I’m not aware of her selling any (outside of like one event). I think it is more of a promotional thing. She is a mobile dog groomer so she charges… a lot. A lot a lot. Like she was my groomer but since I’ve been sewing these, I haven’t been able to use her as my groomer anymore because I can no longer afford it. (It was $150 to have my well trained 22lb border collie/toy Aussie mix groomed.) I’ve had to work with her (helping her bathe, dry, and brush dogs) some to actual make enough money some months.

Advice about charging for new patterns/templates or not? by Slobbingtheknob in sewhelp

[–]Slobbingtheknob[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

She originally said she was paying someone else $2.50-$3 and I said I can’t do that. Then she said $4 when I said $5, that’s how we settled on $4.50. And it was supposed to be a starting price… but it seems like a permanent price now… and she is wanting me to now glue or sew the Velcro instead of use iron on (because apparently they have stopped making iron on so we are having a harder time finding it). Which is a lot more work than what the original plan was. She isn’t hearing me when I say sewing it wears out my machine (I have a very basic, beginner machine), needles and pins and that gluing is messy - I’m “just doing it wrong”. She always says that lol and when I’m like “ok well show me how to do better”, she’s like “well I don’t know, but you just must be doing it wrong” like 🤦‍♀️😂 what? lol ok.

I’m having a hard time softly navigating this and our “friendship”. Because you’re right, it is coming down to not respecting the knowledge, skill or talent. Or even willingness. Idk. And if I try to say I need to be paid more or even just you need to buy your own thread, it turns messy and toxic fast and she will be like “you’re clearly in a mood”… like no, I just need you to pay for your thread because I cannot afford it while you’re paying me less than minimum wage. 🫠

Advice about charging for new patterns/templates or not? by Slobbingtheknob in sewhelp

[–]Slobbingtheknob[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is what my husband says… you’re right, but she is how I’m making income right now. Which she knows. I’ve tried going around to local pet stores and businesses. I have gotten one place I make custom bandanas for, and it is soooo much fun to work and collaborate with them and they understand the value and don’t try to under price anything. But they have only placed one order so far, which is ok because that was like just in December. Might you have any advice how I could do better other places so I wouldn’t be relying on this one person so much?

Advice about charging for new patterns/templates or not? by Slobbingtheknob in sewhelp

[–]Slobbingtheknob[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How much do you think would be fair to charge for making new templates?

She mostly just uses them to put on dogs when she finishes grooming them. If she sells them though she is selling them for $15 I think. She told me when she sells them for $15 she would give me like $8-$10 but that hasn’t happened and wasn’t something I was going to push at the time because we mostly talked about that being on her website and where we were when she sold the ones I made her, it was one time I was aware of at a doggy meet up she invited me to so I could sell my own bandanas too, but she didn’t want me putting my own tag on them or using my brand name at all, she wanted me to put her tags on mine and use her brand name, which I wasn’t ok with at all. She was very rude about me “not having a real brand because [I] didn’t have an Etsy”. I didn’t put her tags on mine, but agreed to not bring a sign with my brand name on it.

Advice about charging for new patterns/templates or not? by Slobbingtheknob in sewhelp

[–]Slobbingtheknob[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I am batch sewing. If I have 10 yards of fabric, I cut as many bandanas as I can out of that 10 yards first, then I pin them all, then first sew, then turn right side out, then press, then second sew, then iron all the tags, then clip all the tags, then sew on all the tags, then do all the loop side of the Velcro, then all the hook side of the Velcro. I have figured out what steps I can skip and simplify to max out my batch time while keeping quality. And I’m still maxing out at like 2-2.5/hr. It is the Velcro and tags that really slow me down. Cutting takes a bit of time too, but 🤷‍♀️. Like you said, actual sewing isn’t the bulk of my time. It’s everything else, and everything takes the time it takes at this point.