I have been lucky enough to run my own small sewing business on a part-time basis since 2009, and have a good deal of repeat custom from the local area and beyond. Although the bulk of my work consists of dress alterations/repairs and soft furnishings, there have been some more unusual jobs over the years - such as making a seat cover for a scaled-down racing car, and stitching the canvas roof cover for a thatched roundhouse!
Many clients 'save up' their small repairs and bring them to me in bulk so they can be done on an hourly rate (currently £13ph) which is the most economical option. Otherwise see my price list for guideline individual job costs.
Many clients come to me with wedding or bridesmaid dresses to alter - usually shortening or taking in, but here the bodice needed to be expanded at the bust and there was very little seam allowance on the dress. The answer was to create triple-layered inserts at the underarm, using matching fabrics to create the extra room needed as unobtrusively as possible.
The first image is an example of a more complicated sleeve shortening job (due to the elaborate turned back cuffs). The second shows how I upcycled a winter coat by adding a faux fur collar and lapels.
The lining and internal pockets on this leather bag were damaged beyond repair so I replaced them, incorporating the original leather trim from the old lining.
Soft furnishing work has included making stretch covers for sofas and chairs, as well as repairing the decorative trim on a sofa that had been damaged by pets.
Other soft furnishing work ranges from simple scatter cushion covers to fitted armchair and campervan cushion covers.