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This archived content is from Mary Wilkins’ sewing and
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From: plrlegal
Date: 12-10-2004, 03:32 PM (1 of 6)
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Can anyone give me a ball park figure on what to charge for 2 little flower girl dresses (sleeveless tops with underskirt and layered tulle skirts)? I have just been asked to make them for an April wedding. Patsy Patsy
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User: plrlegal
Member since: 05-19-2001 Total posts: 318 |
From: MaryW
Date: 12-11-2004, 09:03 AM (2 of 6)
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What type of fabrics Patsy? Do the customers supply everything?
MaryW
owner/editor of Sew Whats New |
User: MaryW
Member since: 06-23-2005 Total posts: 2542 
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From: plrlegal
Date: 12-12-2004, 10:42 PM (3 of 6)
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Thanks for responding Mary. I had a discussion on Saturday evening with one of my sisters in North Florida that does bridal sewing and makes mega bucks at it. She doesn't make an appointment with a bride to discuss custom made for anything less that $1,000. She told me that the going rate for flower girl dresses is $75.00; the bride or the mother of the little girl(s) pays for the construction and the fabric and she makes an appointment to shop with the person paying plus the bride if necessary. She told me that if I take the job to set appointments for fittings and inform them if the appointments are cancelled and rescheduled, the price will go up $15.00 each time for the loss of time on the construction. She feels that when people do this, then she is out money for other jobs that she could have taken and been making money at due to a cancelled appointment for fittings. She's been doing this for quite a number of years so I pretty much took her advice. When I talked to the mother of the bride that wants me to do the dresses and told her my price, she was immediately put off with the price. I told her sorry if she thought the price was too high, but there is a lot of work involved in doing bridal apparel. I hopefully talked my way out of that job as I wasn't too crazy about doing bridal apparel again. Patsy Patsy
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User: plrlegal
Member since: 05-19-2001 Total posts: 318 |
From: Carol in ME
Date: 12-14-2004, 08:43 PM (4 of 6)
| Your sister steered you right, I think. I sit down, actually list steps for a job, and estimate the time each step will take. It's been surprizingly acurate, so far. I don't think I could crank out a flower girl dress for $75 at my hourly wage, and I'm not interested in: a) working for $4 an hour ".because they're little girls, and they'll only wear it once," or b) training people to believe my skill, and that of my fellow seamsters isn't worth much. |
User: Carol in ME
Member since: 01-27-2003 Total posts: 105 |
From: plrlegal
Date: 12-15-2004, 12:12 AM (5 of 6)
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Carol you're absolutely right and that's why I really wasn't interested in doing it and also the fact that, knowing the mother of the bride, I am not about to work with cheap, sleazy fabrics and have to listen to the complaining aftewards. My sister said that's the least they could be made for so I advised the mother of they bride they are better off trying to buy the dresses. I' m not interested in sewing for money as sewing/quilting is a hobby and a relaxing past time for me. I have always carefully guarded and been very selective in who I sew for other than costumes for the choir and drama group at my church. There's more of a reward than money in costuming for the church. Patsy Patsy
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User: plrlegal
Member since: 05-19-2001 Total posts: 318 |
From: paroper
Date: 12-21-2004, 02:14 PM (6 of 6)
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Your price is fair. People often want their clothing made because they want to cut costs. It is just that simple. They never take into account that many of the "store" bought dresses that they are trying to avoid purchasing are made in shops overseas where the people are paid pennies on the dollar for what they do. The other reasons: they are hard to fit and can't find what they want (these can be a nightmare) or in the case of a wedding party they can't find the fabrics/colors or sizes to fit everyone in the party. Sometimes they just saw a fabric they really liked and wanted it made up. If you cut rates for one job...any job, it more or less ruins it if you decide to raise your prices to competive rates later....so DON'T. There is plenty of money to be spent in our area. If you want to do this someday in the future, then go ahead but don't cheat yourself. We have people here who can and have (in past) paid thousands of dollars for a custom wedding dress and the person I knew that was doing this had all the work he could handle so I know the money is out there.
pam
Bernina 200e, Artista V5 Designer Plus, Explorations, Magic Box, Bernina 2000DE & 335 Bernette Serger, Bernina 1530 Sewing Machine, Bernina 1300 DC Overlock (with coverstitch) |
User: paroper
Member since: 02-03-2004 Total posts: 3775 |
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