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Posted by Ron Anderson on June 20, 2006, 3:05 pm
I live in a little bitty town near a small city and many of the shops I
service would jump with joy if they could get a good seamstress for less
than $25.00 per hour. When I worked in the factory 16 years ago there were
girls making close to $20.00 P/H piece work, but those few never spent much
time in the break room, and I am sure there was a bunch that barley covered
minimum wage.
--
Ron Anderson A1 Sewing Machine
PO Box 60, Sand Lake, NY 12153
518-469-5133
http://www.singera1sewing.com
http://www.a1sewingmachine.com
>
>> At $25.00 an hour I would be wary of the instructors credentials. A good
>> seamstress can command mush more than that and all they have to do is
>> what
>> they know best.... Sew
>>
>>
> Depends on where we are Ron. Big city -v- smaller city -v- little bitty
> town. We all charge what we need to cover overhead and what our market
> will
> pay.
>
> Sharon
>
>
> --
> Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of time and just annoys
> the
> pig.
>
>
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Posted by Candide on June 19, 2006, 6:45 pm
> I'm thinking of getting sewing lessons. Due to my other commitments
> it's almost impossible to take group classes. I've called several
> places and most of them have hours I can't attend. This one place (a
> small shop that sells/services sewing machines) offers one on one
> private lessons whenever I want but it costs $25 an hour (ouch!)
>
> How can I make most of this time with the instructor? Here's my
> background. I can thread a machine and bobbin. I have made curtains,
> pillow cases and little dresses for kids so I know my way around the
> sewing machine somewhat. I'm not comfortable with the quality of my
end
> product. and I want to learn to sew clothes for myself.
>
> I'd appreciate any suggestions. If you have any questions, please
post.
>
>
> Thanks.
Before taking private lessons, may one make a suggestion? Purchase one
or several good sewing books (Reader's Digest, Vogue, Singer all have
excellent books), they can be found cheaply on eBay. On a quiet
afternoon/night/day with no distractions sit yourself down with a bevy
of choice and have a good read. Read everything through until you
understand completely, just as one does at school, then it is time to
put theory into practice. Remember to feel free to experiment, if you
can achieve the same results by using a different technique or method,
have at it; you are not being graded.
Go to your local fabric store, or even on eBay and buy some cheap cotton
muslin, about several yards, and any other sewing supplies you are
lacking. Then start practicing various seams, stitches and techniques
until you have them down. It is far better to go to an instructor with
examples of what one is doing wrong, then just asking carte blanche
"teach me to sew".
After you have mastered certain techniques, look for projects, either in
the aforementioned books or patterns that cover said techniques and try
to run them up. If you make a mistake, don't kill yourself over it, that
is what cheap muslin is for. Rip out and start over, and keep at it
until you get things right. Though it may not be up your street , I
recommend Miss. Ahles' s book "Fine Machine Sewing". Besides giving
instruction on heirloom sewing, Miss. Ahles give some very good basic
information for all sewers, beginner, novice and advanced. Sometimes it
is the simple things like tension, thread choices, and other basics that
throw things off.
Believe it or not "Google" can be your friend when it comes to sewing.
Once you can identify a specific problem, try searching Google. More
likely than not you will find answers because some one, some where has
been there and done that.
Like every thing else, excellence in sewing is going to require
practice, practice, and practice. You can be sure no beginner sewer sat
themselves down and made a perfect haute couture suit their first time
out, so take it easy on yourself. With practice and time you'll find
yourself where you want to be.
Candide
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Posted by Sharon Hays on June 20, 2006, 8:12 am
> I'm thinking of getting sewing lessons. Due to my other commitments
> it's almost impossible to take group classes. I've called several
> places and most of them have hours I can't attend. This one place (a
> small shop that sells/services sewing machines) offers one on one
> private lessons whenever I want but it costs $25 an hour (ouch!)
>
> How can I make most of this time with the instructor? Here's my
> background. I can thread a machine and bobbin. I have made curtains,
> pillow cases and little dresses for kids so I know my way around the
> sewing machine somewhat. I'm not comfortable with the quality of my end
> product. and I want to learn to sew clothes for myself.
>
> I'd appreciate any suggestions. If you have any questions, please post.
>
>
> Thanks.
>
What you need to do is talk to the person teaching. Tell her all that and
ask for suggestions. I am working with a student this summer (and that's
about what I charge for lessons as it's on a par with my normal labor rate.)
She is going to the Fashion Institute in NYC this Fall. Her designs are
great but she didn't feel like her sewing skills were where they need to be.
We are working on garment construction from a pattern. What she needed most
was to know how garments are put together. Our first project was a pair of
shorts with a fly. We're going to try and fit in a blouse and possibly a
bagged skirt.
We planned all that out just by sitting down and chatting for a half hour.
That's what you need to do too. We can all offer you opinions here but the
only ones that count are yours and the teacher's.
Sharon
--
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of time and just annoys the
pig.
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