But ... But ... It's Not Like It's Work! (Craft Freebies)

[Peregrine]

BTDT....I have been sewing since I was 5 years old.  I also have spent a lot of time working retail jobs in fabric stores.  I have a degree in urban planning and environmental law, but enjoy the more creative work and chance to indulge my hobbies while I'm actually earning some money, plus it's a job that I can drift in and out of since my DH's job takes us on frequent long term travel. 

I have had more people try to commission me to do sewing work.....The one that took the cake was the lady who came in with a picture of a Giorgio Armani (tailored and embellished) coat and wanted someone to make a knockoff of it for her.  I kept a stack of business cards on hand of local seamstresses who did that kind of work, and upon receiving the card, said that she had already checked with the person and they wanted too much for the work.  Out of curiosity I asked what the price quote was ($500 including materials) and was quite pleasantly surprised at the reasonableness. 

The customer then asked what I would charge I told her materials alone were likely to run a couple hundred, and my hourly rates....she was not amused and told me that I should be happy to make it for her at cost, since it would be free advertising for my employer.    When I declined she implied that a little nobody like me couldn't possibly have anything else going for me in my life but my skills at sewing, so I should be honored.   My boss informed the twit of my educational background as well as my credentials in sewing and tailoring and that the customer would be better off taking her business elsewhere.  (the woman had been a long term problem customer)

[TeamBhakta]

I'm reminded of the old letter to Ann Landers about "I called my nephew over in the middle of the night, since he's a brand new doctor. He had the gall to send me a bill later! He should be thankful for the free practice experience we're providing him."

[Jules1980]

My DH has become the computer fix-it for our family.  Especially for the teens who seem to get viruses on their laptops every week. :p  He usually does it, but there are some ground rules.  First of all, he has a full time job, we have a 4 year old and a 4 month old, we are both active in volunteer oppurtunites, and when he isn't working, I usually am, so don't count on it being a fast job.  You get it back when you get it back.  Don't try to get him to diagnose the problem at a family event,  especially without said computer to even look at.  Yes, there really are 100 reason why you are getting the black screen of death and most are dealt with differently, and he wants to enjoy his daughter recital, baby shower, etc.  Also, he is not an expert, so don't get mad if the problem is something that isn't within his expertise. Finally, first time is free after that you pay something.  Now, with that said, he doesn't mean money.  Most of these are teens.  One babysat for us to go to a movie.  Another did DD's make up for recital.  Doesn't sound like much, but I don't wear make up at all and only have a few tubes of lip gloss around the house.  So that saved us either having buy make up or hiring someone to do a makeover for her cause I can't put make up on myself much less a squirming 4 year old.

For me personally, I write.  It helps relax me to play in my fantasy worlds for a while.  It's mostly fanfiction which leads to the inevitable, 'I see you write 'fill in blank' fiction.  Write this story for me.' emails.  Now, I can't write on demand, even for myself.  When I try the write something everyday challenges, I get writer's block faster than you can say 'writer's block.'  So, I can only write what I want, when I want and it's all over the place.  I have fics under Fast and Furious, Grimm, Once Upon a Time, and even older shows like Dr. Quinn and Bonanza.  So, my interest are all over the place.  Usually, people take thanks but no thanks nicely but I did have one berate me for writing for another fandom when I should have been jumping through hoops to write theirs.  I used to offer to collaborate but now I don't have time.  Oh well. 

Finally, to those who decorate cakes, I would love to do that.  I admire that skill.

[mime]

I have a question for the crafters: Suppose I were to approach you and ask, 'Would you be interested in doing <commission>?  What would you charge?'  And after hearing the charge, I said, 'Oh my, I had no idea...I'm afraid I can't afford this right now'.  Would you be offended by this exchange? I'm not saying that your time and skill aren't worth the price, more that I didn't know what that price was and now that I know, it's just out of my budget.

I wouldn't be offended at all. I even have to admit that when I look at my personal expenses each month and know how much chocolate I made, I still get surprised when I see how much $$$ it cost me per pound (not even considering the time). I sure couldn't blame someone else for being surprised.

[Jocelyn]

  Yet when I was a kid, even though manufactured goods were actually quite cheap, it was for some reason considered "low class" if your mom made your clothes, so people had the perception that homemade was done to save money, I guess.

A properly made garment is not obviously homemade. So if someone could look at your outfit and know it was homemade, it was either poorly made, or poorly fitted. If a mom wasn't a good seamstress and she had plenty of money, she probably just didn't sew; a mom who was a good seamstress and had plenty of money could throw out any garment that turned out badly.  My mother was a clothing construction major in college, and in the early 1970s she had a grant from the state to teach sewing to girls whose families received some sort of state aid. It was part of an enrichment summer school program, with the class open to any girl who wanted to take it. The idea was that the girls could learn to sew for themselves and their families, and save money. Of course now, it's far cheaper to purchase clothing than make it.

[Jones]

Not a craft, but a share nonetheless. My sister and her husband started a business a while back; Sister was to take care of the books. Apparently she had problems with the accounting software they selected. Mom decided I would be the perfect person to teach her how to use it. First I heard was a casual question from Mom, "did Sister ever call you? Were you able to help?"

Once she explained to me what I was supposed to help with, I said no, Sister had never called me. Later I pulled Sister aside and mentioned there was a class on that software at the technical college, but I had no personal experience with it (4 other accounting systems, but not that). She said all right, and thanked me for offering. No one has brought up her bookkeeping again so I guess they figured it out somehow.

[MommyPenguin]

I wouldn't be surprised if some of the change in cost of homemade versus store-bought was the cost of materials.  My mom quilts, and those lovely fabrics cost something like $10 yard or more.  But way back when, you used fabrics cut from clothing, curtains, etc., all the little scraps you could get from cutting around holes and stains.  So in those days the fabric was "free" in a sense.  And I know some clothing fabric was bought new, but there are also various stories of buying feed-bags and using the bag to make a dress.

[Jocelyn]

I wouldn't be surprised if some of the change in cost of homemade versus store-bought was the cost of materials.  My mom quilts, and those lovely fabrics cost something like $10 yard or more.  But way back when, you used fabrics cut from clothing, curtains, etc., all the little scraps you could get from cutting around holes and stains.  So in those days the fabric was "free" in a sense.  And I know some clothing fabric was bought new, but there are also various stories of buying feed-bags and using the bag to make a dress.

My mom is 92- she tells me her mother never used anything but new fabric for quilting. The new fabric was most likely scraps from making clothing, or feed sacks, but apparently my grandmother's opinion was that it wasn't economical to use even slightly worn fabric, as you'd have parts of the quilt wearing out more quickly. The family lived in rural Mississippi, and were about as poor as most families there in the Depression. My grandmother also bought bags of scraps from Sears- apparently Sears bagged up the leftovers after they'd cut out the ready-to-wear clothing, and sold them to quilters. Mom said one time the pieces were big triangles, so my GM worked out a new pattern to use them uncut.
I have a few of the tops my mother pieced as a girl for her hopechest...but never quilted. My GM had packed them away because they needed the backings and batting for quilts to be used right away by the family, and by the time my mother married, prosperity had arrived and she wanted modern blankets in her home, not those old quilts...

[Elfmama]

My DH has become the computer fix-it for our family.  Especially for the teens who seem to get viruses on their laptops every week. :p

EvilMama would say to have him gibbs-smack them and tell them to stay off porn sites.

A certain grandson of mine managed to infect his parents' desktop PC AND a laptop with such tenacious viruses that they had to be replaced.  Yep, porn.

[Elfmama]

I wouldn't be surprised if some of the change in cost of homemade versus store-bought was the cost of materials.  My mom quilts, and those lovely fabrics cost something like $10 yard or more.  But way back when, you used fabrics cut from clothing, curtains, etc., all the little scraps you could get from cutting around holes and stains.  So in those days the fabric was "free" in a sense.  And I know some clothing fabric was bought new, but there are also various stories of buying feed-bags and using the bag to make a dress.

And that's what I don't get about quilters who go gaga for either vintage feedbag fabric or replicas.  It doesn't say 'fun!' and 'cheerful!' to me -- it says 'so far down on the poverty ladder that you can't afford 5 cents for a yard of new fabric.'

My mom is 92- she tells me her mother never used anything but new fabric for quilting. The new fabric was most likely scraps from making clothing, or feed sacks, but apparently my grandmother's opinion was that it wasn't economical to use even slightly worn fabric, as you'd have parts of the quilt wearing out more quickly. 

You might shred worn-out clothes and use them as your batting, though.

[*inviteseller]

I would not be offended if someone asked me what it would cost to knit X for them, and then after a quote, which I feel is reasonable, says that it was more than they expected but thanks.  What grinds my gears are the twits who say "knit me this", shoving a pattern at me and when I say they need to pay for the yarn (I help them pick it) and for my time $20-$50 depending on project) and they are shocked, shocked I say that I will not just use my own personal stash and be honored to knit it for them.  Heck, I will even barter something, but hey, they want it, I have the skill so I should just be happy they want me to do it for them. 

[Jules1980]

My DH has become the computer fix-it for our family.  Especially for the teens who seem to get viruses on their laptops every week. :p

EvilMama would say to have him gibbs-smack them and tell them to stay off porn sites.

A certain grandson of mine managed to infect his parents' desktop PC AND a laptop with such tenacious viruses that they had to be replaced.  Yep, porn.

Well, since its girls he'd be too embarassed to say that.  He'd just be happy if they would learn that the  'oh no, your computer has been infect with a virus, we can help' pop-up was the virus and not click on it.

[Jocelyn]

My mom is 92- she tells me her mother never used anything but new fabric for quilting. The new fabric was most likely scraps from making clothing, or feed sacks, but apparently my grandmother's opinion was that it wasn't economical to use even slightly worn fabric, as you'd have parts of the quilt wearing out more quickly. 

You might shred worn-out clothes and use them as your batting, though.

Perhaps some did...but my grandfather raised cotton so my grandmother made her own batts.

[zyrs]

When I was a kid I remember my mom spent months making clothing for my sister's Barbie dolls.  For Christmas, one of their presents was a one foot deep, 3 feet square box packed full of little designer outfits.  Mom had copied outfits out of every fashion magazine, there were even little mink Hand Warmers and stoles.  There were easily over a hundred separate outfits.

The lady across the street became very upset that my sisters had things that her daughter didn't have and told my mother that she expected mom to make twice as many clothes for her daughter for free.  Mom laughed.


edit - changed to Hand Warmers

[ladyknight1]

I just purchased a new 8" square cake pan with no welds, so the corners are perfectly straight. Square cakes can be very difficult to decorate. I will be making a cake in it this weekend for DS. I'll post any pictures here.