Oh man, I HATE that! I made the mistake of crocheting a beautiful soft baby blanket for a co-worker once, who'd just had her first baby. I had 15 people demanding afgans of their own with specific color and yarn types. Seriously, some of these blankets would have cost me like $200 to make!!
The one lady asked that I make purses for 2 3-year olds and since their 1 year olds baby sisters will get jealous, I should make one for each of them too.
Seriously? A handcrafted handbag....for a one year old?
I have no problems making stuff for babies. (Toys, clothes, blankies, bibs) But a hand crafted purse?
Whoa. So like, I totally understand if you don't want or have the time to make a purse for me. I don't want to be among those ladies... Just say no, girl!
I would raise your rates to the point where it covers material + time and see if they are still demanding you make them products. I think it will take care of your problem in a big way...
Okay so materials for the regular Bags are like $10 plus 3 hours labor.
What would that "cost"?
The messenger bag (since i've never made one before would be probably two or three times material cost and maybe 4 hours labor. Let alone time spent searching for pink, green & blue plaid.
my aunt, who is a seamstress, says go by your tailoring shops for pricing. Set yourself a base pay that you won't go below (for me, it's $20 on dresses.) this is before material costs. Another deterrent? Price the materials and such before you agree to the project and then have the customer pay for the materials up front.
As far as the pricing bit goes, I'd say follow solemn_druid's advice. As far as the pattern goes, I'd say, tell the lady to find a commercially created pattern at Jo-Ann's or other craft store that best matches the style the granddaughter wants and that she has to buy it as part of the payment. If the style is that important, she can pay for it, fall under part of materials fee. Then you have an official pattern with directions to go by in creating the bag.
That's so annoying that they expect you to do projects for them for a pittance. If they are gonna make you do all that work, they can darn well pay you big bucks for your time. Any artist would be insulted to be treated so shabbily. Despite all the folks I know in SCA, I wouldn't expect them to make me nice crafted stuff for so little unless I had a project I could trade in return of comparable value. (Not that any of my skills are as good as the folks I know in that group.) It's professional courtesy.
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The one lady asked that I make purses for 2 3-year olds and since their 1 year olds baby sisters will get jealous, I should make one for each of them too.
Seriously? A handcrafted handbag....for a one year old?
I have no problems making stuff for babies. (Toys, clothes, blankies, bibs) But a hand crafted purse?
It's kinda insulting.
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You are also not 3 years old or wanting a bookbag with a pattern your 8 year old granddaughter stapled together on notebook paper.
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I'm sorry you are in such a bind...
HUG
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What would that "cost"?
The messenger bag (since i've never made one before would be probably two or three times material cost and maybe 4 hours labor. Let alone time spent searching for pink, green & blue plaid.
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<3
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That's so annoying that they expect you to do projects for them for a pittance. If they are gonna make you do all that work, they can darn well pay you big bucks for your time. Any artist would be insulted to be treated so shabbily. Despite all the folks I know in SCA, I wouldn't expect them to make me nice crafted stuff for so little unless I had a project I could trade in return of comparable value. (Not that any of my skills are as good as the folks I know in that group.) It's professional courtesy.
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