Find the SecondStar and soar, and then straight on till the morning…

PollyWollyDoodle

I feel your pain … luckily my builder is now quite well-known to me (because I’ve had so much done 😬) so I feel able to go out and leave him to it, it’s a bit different when they’re contractors you’ve never met before.  And my cats are so shy that they bolt for the back door as soon as anyone arrives, so they just spend the day in the garden. 

Last time he was here for a week or two, I noticed they had learned to recognise the sound of his van!  Them shooting out of the catflap was a sign to me to put the kettle on and open the front door.  

Grit your teeth, it will all be worth it even if you have to survive on biscuits today.   

KajiKita

Hoping that the job was successfully completed and calm has returned? 

KK

SecondStar

Hello! Yes everything is in, and I’ve been having fun playing with my new remote control console. The insulation was basically laid over the top of everything in the attic - over the joists, over the few loft boards I had down, just smothered everywhere. I store about half a dozen boxes and bags up there, and at the moment they’re clustered sheepishly around the loft hatch. I guess I’ll need to add ‘loft legs & boarding’ to my never ending list of things to do / buy.



I’m still working on producing nalbinding stock for our big weekend festival at the end of August. I’m fast running out of time, and it’s only 1 more pay day away. I’m trying not to panic.

I’ve also bought some nice light blue linen from a friend, and I’ve plans to make my partner a new lightweight tunic for the August event, and as an anniversary gift. I can’t believe it’ll have been a year next month! Making that up will be about a week’s work.



I had a nice Saturday doing viking things - I’d been asked to bring some examples of my sewing work down, and so I brought some extra pieces of kit down for display, and people thought they were for sale! So I’ve had a couple of enquiries about commission pieces - 1 wants a linen overdress, and 1 wants a fancy wool overdress. I’ve said I’d price the work and get back to them with quotes, and we’ll go from there.

Pricing is the hard bit. My people-pleasing tendency wants to underprice myself so that it’s affordable for; but my logic brain knows that it’s not my fault if everyone can’t afford my work, but that’s how much it costs. They don’t have to commission me, after all! It’s not even that I don’t think my work is *worth* the price; it’s that the work is so ‘easy’ *to me*, that I can’t see why anyone would want to pay the price, when they could just do it themselves. It’s a spiral of disbelief in my own skill and experience, when I really need to give myself more credit for being so good at what I can do.

For material costs; the linen fabric would be £31, the wool would be £58. The thread for them would be £3 each.
For the time; I’d need to make up a measuring diagram, draw and cut the pattern pieces to size, wash and press the fabric, mark and cut the fabric, either machine or hand sew the construction seams, and then hand sew the neckline, sleeves, and hem.

If I was doing the main construction on the machine, it might take me 8-10 hours - across the course of 1 week. If I was doing the construction all by hand, it might take 30 hours(?) I think? Maybe?

It’s honestly been SO hard to figure out, because I haven’t made a full dress on the machine before since I do all my own stuff entirely hand sewn - but I’ve also never timed myself doing a fully hand sewn dress before. I think it’s taken me about 2 weeks to fully hand sew a dress, and that’s sewing for a few hours after work each weekday evening.

So we’re probably looking at about £150 for a machine constructed item, and about £450 for an entirely hand sewn one. That’s just labour costs, materials would be additional depending on what fabric would be wanted. This seems exorbitant, even though I know it’s not - that’s only £15/hour.

Imposter syndrome is real! I’ll have a think about it, and chat to my partner about it, and then go from there.

Fortune_Smiles

Hi there Second Star 👋  I've always priced my art and craft work as you have above and only offered discounts to close family and friends.  Discounting your prices is giving your money and time away.  As you say, no one has to buy and it might help to think about who you are donating your funds and hours to.  Would they do the same for you?  Giving people the choice of hand or machine made means they can opt for a more affordable item if they wish.

Do get some money up front though.  At least for the cost of materials so you won't' be left out of pocket if they change their mind.

Fortune x

SecondStar

Fortune_Smiles said:

Hi there Second Star 👋  I've always priced my art and craft work as you have above and only offered discounts to close family and friends.  Discounting your prices is giving your money and time away.  As you say, no one has to buy and it might help to think about who you are donating your funds and hours to.  Would they do the same for you?  Giving people the choice of hand or machine made means they can opt for a more affordable item if they wish.

Do get some money up front though.  At least for the cost of materials so you won't' be left out of pocket if they change their mind.

Fortune x

Hi Fortune! Thank you so much, it does help to get outside validation!

I’ve worried over this since Saturday, it’s been ridiculous. I messaged my best friend who has been a freelance florist for the past 2 years, and she was also able to give me much needed wisdom. It’s funny how the things you know yourself sink in much better when they come from a third party!

At her suggestion, I made up a spreadsheet of all of my costs, my overheads, my labour, +20%; to remove all the hand-wringing emotion of it all, and bring it down to logic and figures.



For a made to measure garment with inner seam construction done by machine and then outer seam finishing, sleeves, hemline, and neckline done by hand, it’s about 6-10 hours of work. I’ve priced this type of garment at £150, plus the cost of fabric on top, depending on what the person wants. For linen this starts at £31, and for fancy wool this can go up to £83.

So around £180 - £230 for machine construction and hand finishing.

For a garment constructed entirely with hand stitching, this is more like 30 hours of work. So that’d be £450, plus the cost of fabric on top.

So about £480 - £530 for hand stitching, depending on fabric.



My friend and I had a useful, thought provoking chat about ‘value’, and how individuals perceive value.

She has a cushion which cost her £80. It makes her happy every day, and she adores it, and thinks it was incredible value for the money she spent. A friend of hers was horrified that a cushion would cost ‘so much’, but that friend wouldn’t think twice about spending £80 on a meal in a restaurant, as nice food makes her happy, and that’s where she finds value from her money.

I’m not interested in restaurants, and I could make the cushion myself; but I would find value in £80 worth of good quality fabric, or DIY supplies, or garden plants.



I was so freaked out about presenting myself and my work to other people, in a way which *makes* them see the value, that I forgot that we all find value in different things. And not only that, but we each have different opinions of the quality of those things, too.

The 2 people who approached me about commissions both find value in reenactment clothing, this much is obvious. But what I don’t know (and can’t control!) is how much *monetary* value they place in reenactment clothing. And what level of *quality* they value in reenactment clothing.



There is a flip side to this as well - there is my opinion on the quality of work which I *want* to produce.

I do not want to run up standardised-size garments, in cheap cotton-linen blends, with polycotton thread, and no inner seam finishing, so that it can cost £60 to make.

I want to work with beautiful, quality fabric; I want to take my time over neat, sturdy seam finishes; and I want to have the finished garments made to fit perfectly. And if that costs £180+, then so be it.

Not everyone will be interested in owning a garment of that quality, and not everyone will see the value in its cost. And that’s OK!



So after fretting for 3 days, taking an anti-anxiety tablet, having my hands shake whilst I was typing up the draft message I sent to myself first, I’ve sent off the quotes to the 2 people and then muted all my devices so that I don’t see their replies for a while! Feeling brave and accomplished 🤣🤣

Fortune_Smiles

Glad you've been able to come to a decision about pricing.  Remember that not everybody can afford hand-made items and that's ok.  It doesn't mean your work isn't worth what you're asking.  I would certainly want to buy from someone who takes as much pride in their work as you do.

I met someone involved in re-enactments last night.  She pays £100s for high quality replica items.

Fortune x

KajiKita

I think you’ve pitched the prices about right, but I think the flexibility you have in giving people a machine sewn option is a good one 😊
I love that you have this skill and ability. Keep at it! 😊
Have all the animals recovered from the disruption? 

KK

SecondStar

Thank you both! I’ve not had a reply from either interested party, but I’m not sweating it. Either they’re willing or they’re not, it’s nothing to do with me

All animals recovered remarkably well from the boiler-based intrusion! I expected my cat to be unhappy for a while, but she bounced back almost immediately after being let out of the crate. She’s come in leaps and bounds since we moved house - being an only cat suits her perfectly, and she was so happy to get away from the younger cat who would pick on her incessantly. She’s far more peaceful, content, and well-adjusted now that she only lives with my dog! I love her so much, I’m so pleased that she’s settled now.

My dog was an absolute star the whole time, I’m always so proud of him!

I also paid the invoice this morning, so that’s a line drawn under it all.



This rain and grey gloom has got me down big time. I took this week off work expecting to have glorious weather like we do every year - I wanted to get outside work done. Instead it’s all been scuppered. I got the front garden and hedges trimmed on Monday, and the rest has been grumbling at the mizzle and not knowing the time of day under this oppressive grey cloud cover.

June is my favourite month, and instead all of June and July has been a wash out!



I’m trying not to be too mardy about it, and to instead lean into the peace of not having to be at work.

I don’t have to be ‘productive’ during my time off. It’s not a ‘waste’ if I don’t ‘get things done’. I don’t have anything to prove to anyone, and I don’t have to justify the use of my time and energy to anyone. I am not beholden to anyone but myself.

Afdaff

SecondStar said:

Fortune_Smiles said:

Hi there Second Star 👋  I've always priced my art and craft work as you have above and only offered discounts to close family and friends.  Discounting your prices is giving your money and time away.  As you say, no one has to buy and it might help to think about who you are donating your funds and hours to.  Would they do the same for you?  Giving people the choice of hand or machine made means they can opt for a more affordable item if they wish.

Do get some money up front though.  At least for the cost of materials so you won't' be left out of pocket if they change their mind.

Fortune x

Hi Fortune! Thank you so much, it does help to get outside validation!

I’ve worried over this since Saturday, it’s been ridiculous. I messaged my best friend who has been a freelance florist for the past 2 years, and she was also able to give me much needed wisdom. It’s funny how the things you know yourself sink in much better when they come from a third party!

At her suggestion, I made up a spreadsheet of all of my costs, my overheads, my labour, +20%; to remove all the hand-wringing emotion of it all, and bring it down to logic and figures.



For a made to measure garment with inner seam construction done by machine and then outer seam finishing, sleeves, hemline, and neckline done by hand, it’s about 6-10 hours of work. I’ve priced this type of garment at £150, plus the cost of fabric on top, depending on what the person wants. For linen this starts at £31, and for fancy wool this can go up to £83.

So around £180 - £230 for machine construction and hand finishing.

For a garment constructed entirely with hand stitching, this is more like 30 hours of work. So that’d be £450, plus the cost of fabric on top.

So about £480 - £530 for hand stitching, depending on fabric.



My friend and I had a useful, thought provoking chat about ‘value’, and how individuals perceive value.

She has a cushion which cost her £80. It makes her happy every day, and she adores it, and thinks it was incredible value for the money she spent. A friend of hers was horrified that a cushion would cost ‘so much’, but that friend wouldn’t think twice about spending £80 on a meal in a restaurant, as nice food makes her happy, and that’s where she finds value from her money.

I’m not interested in restaurants, and I could make the cushion myself; but I would find value in £80 worth of good quality fabric, or DIY supplies, or garden plants.



I was so freaked out about presenting myself and my work to other people, in a way which *makes* them see the value, that I forgot that we all find value in different things. And not only that, but we each have different opinions of the quality of those things, too.

The 2 people who approached me about commissions both find value in reenactment clothing, this much is obvious. But what I don’t know (and can’t control!) is how much *monetary* value they place in reenactment clothing. And what level of *quality* they value in reenactment clothing.



There is a flip side to this as well - there is my opinion on the quality of work which I *want* to produce.

I do not want to run up standardised-size garments, in cheap cotton-linen blends, with polycotton thread, and no inner seam finishing, so that it can cost £60 to make.

I want to work with beautiful, quality fabric; I want to take my time over neat, sturdy seam finishes; and I want to have the finished garments made to fit perfectly. And if that costs £180+, then so be it.

Not everyone will be interested in owning a garment of that quality, and not everyone will see the value in its cost. And that’s OK!



So after fretting for 3 days, taking an anti-anxiety tablet, having my hands shake whilst I was typing up the draft message I sent to myself first, I’ve sent off the quotes to the 2 people and then muted all my devices so that I don’t see their replies for a while! Feeling brave and accomplished 🤣🤣

Well done you! I’m cheering you on.

KajiKita

It’s very hard to stop the self judgement about what we ‘we should have done’. I finished the day yesterday feeling like this, but when I wrote up all that I had done, actually, I had done quite a lot. Plus there is always the need to find time to be human beings, not human doings … 😉

Hope you are enjoying your time off 😊

KK