Talk Back Thursday

Oh, the stories that are out there just waiting to be told...

Thank you so much to Toni, Sarah, Becky, Lisa Laree, Mamafitz, Summerset, Joanne, Alison, Miss Linda, Claire S, Amelia and Claire for talking back to my confession last Friday! I confessed that sometimes I wonder about turning my sewing hobby into a small business and asked if others had any experience in this area...

I'll try to summarize what I learned, but this is really one of those times when it's worth going back and reading the first-hand accounts of people's experiences taking on sewing jobs for pay (click here). There are some very interesting stories out there! ;)

The stories seemed to fall roughly into three camps.

There was a sizable group of "No, thank you - not for me." (Said with varying degrees of vehemence!) A few, including Toni, Alison and Claire S, have tried it and had bad experiences. Becky, relying on her experience as a musician, reported that turning something you love into a paid job can take a lot of the fun out of it. Lisa Laree pointed out that the legal and financial paperwork necessary to becoming a small business is overwhelming and a couple, including Miss Linda and Claire, simply said that it's not for them.

At the other extreme, two people have experience working as a full-time dressmaker at a retail store. Interestingly enough, both of them spoke really highly of this experience. Sarah stressed how much she learns there and how creatively inspiring it is and Mamafitz reported that she loved it and the good experiences far outweighed the bad.

Finally, in the middle, are people like Summerset and Amelia, who do take in sewing jobs. Both reported a mixed bag - they certainly get tired of hemming pants and replacing zippers. At the same time, each has a few special clients who make it all worth while. Apparently the trick is getting lots of the later and none of the former! ;)

What about me? For now, between a full-time job and all the sewing I'm trying to do for myself and my friends, my plate is full. But maybe, someday...

By the way, one of the blogs I subscribe to is the Sewing Business blog - it's worth checking out if you are in, or are thinking about going into, business for yourself.

Thanks again, everyone, for taking the time and trouble to share your stories! :)

PS - I had to prepare this post ahead of time, as I will be computerless at my grandmother's house from Wed. through Fri., so my apologies if someone else commented more recently and was not included in this summary.