26/01/2021
🇦🇺HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY 🇦🇺
Only on a couple of occasions over the past 8 years have I had someone question my prices 😊. This was taken from another fb page but I think it covers it.
* Joann’s is the American spotlight*
So far, I have never had a customer object to my prices. However, for those who wonder about how crafters set the price for an item, I am posting something I found in one of my handbag making groups. Consider this:
To the customer who wanted a purse, but who only wanted to pay $45 dollars for it as she had already been to Joann's and found out how much fabric cost...
Seeing as you went to the trouble of pricing up the fabric, I thought I would give you a hand with the rest of the materials and details....
I don't know what bag you wanted to have made for you, but I've listed the materials in shopping list format for the Swoon Blanche Barrel bag.
You will need:
Fabric - you know where to get this, Joann's, right? 🙂
You'll need the sewing pattern for your bag,
So fabric for this bag ... you will need -
Exterior fabric
Lining fabric
Contrasting fabric (can be vinyl, cork, or leather if you choose).
Vinyl (cork or leather) for your tassel.
Foam interfacing
Woven interfacing
Heavy stabilizer
Extra stiffener
The knowledge of what interfacing/stiffener you need to buy and where in the project to use it.
You will also need:
2 1/2 yards of piping cord
And a 2" strip of fabric x 2 1/2 yards long for piping.
The ability to know how to cut and sew the fabric for piping and construct the appropriate length.
Oh, talking of cutting reminds me...you will also need:
A large cutting mat.
Rotary cutter and blade.
Fabric/quilting rulers.
Fabric scissors.
Paper scissors.
Other scissors for cutting vinyl so you don't blunt your fabric scissors.
Erasable fabric pens for marking.
Pencil
Pins
Wonderclips.
You will also need...
A heavy duty sewing machine capable of sewing through many thick layers, including leather and vinyl and cork.
A walking foot.
A zipper foot.
A teflon foot.
A needle for cotton fabric.
A needle for vinyl.
A needle for leather.
A needle for top stitching.
Oh I forgot to mention, needles aren't sold singly, so you'll have to buy them in packs and also in packs of various sizes.
Thread for construction.
Thread for topstitching.
Iron
Ironing board
Spray starch
Basting glue
Double sided adhesive tape.
All purpose contact adhesive.
Rubber mallet.
Fiebings edge dye finish and applicator.
Leather skiver.
Rivet setter/press.
Rotary hole punch.
For the bag hardware you will need:
4 x 3/4" D rings
2 x 3/4" chunky rectangle rings.
4 x purse feet.
1/2" swivel snap.
Zipper for pocket lining.
Zipper for main handbag.
7/16" double capped rivets - you won't need many but again sadly they are not sold individually but are only sold in packs.
If you would like an embroidery design or monogram embroidered on your bag, that is more than doable!
You will need the following extra equipment:
Embroidery machine.
Embroidery needles.
Embroidery bobbin thread.
Cutaway stabilizer.
Tear away stabilizer.
Water soluble stabilizer.
Rayon or polyester embroidery threads in multiple colors for your design.
Bobbin thread and spare bobbins.
You can buy an embroidery design of your choice!
If you want an individual monogram or design, please feel free to use the same software as some sewers do....it's called Wilcom Hatch, and it only costs $1099.
You will need to be an expert in machine embroidery digitizing to use the software.
You will also need a computer powerful enough to run the software:
A USB stick to transfer your design to the embroidery machine.
A printer to print out your embroidery design template.
Printer ink.
Printer paper.
You will also need an extensive knowledge of how to sew, what stitch types, lengths, needles, thread to use for the various parts of the project and how to construct your bag to a professional standard. You will also need to know how to attach the various pieces of hardware and set rivets to a professional standard.
Oh a couple of small things you will definitely need:
Electricity.
Plenty of good lighting.
And lots of hours set aside to cut out the fabric and interfacings and to sew your bag. I don't know how much your hourly rate is at your job, but you will definitely need to factor this in.
When you've bought all of the above, and can sew bags to a professional standard, I would be more than happy to pay YOU $45 for one of your bags.
