The Washington herald., 1910-02-26
OF INTEREST TO WOMEN.
THE NEEDLEwoMAN'S CHANCE.
A Southern WOman's Way OF Earn
Ing a Good Living.

count after all my yearly expenses are
paid" declared young Southern woman
who came to New York tc earn living
with her needle, says the New York Sun.
You know took course as filter and
later a course in designing. Then 1 went
into the dressmaking department Of a
large store.
When the slack season came in Feb
ruary all of US were dropped except the
head filter and a few of the sewing
women who had been there a long time.
For two years I drifted about doing sew
ing by the day and making fairly good
living; that is. as livings by the needle go
these days. had room in a decent
house, good food. decent clothes, and a
few dollars month to put by.
-Four years ago / realized that my
patrons were falling off from me. When
] went to see one woman who had always
been nice to me she said she would be
glad to give me work If I'd take II home.
but living in an apartment hotel as she
did 1t was too expensive TO have her sew
ing done at home when she had 70 give
two meals. She said that If could take
the sewing home and come 20 her for fit-
tings she would give me all her summer
clothes to make
Il had never done such work before.
but feeling that IL was better than losing
her custom / accepted. When the pay
pay time came was little uneasy as to
Just how to render my bills. I knew I
was not expected TO charge as much as
regular dressmakers, and yet II was hard
for me to gauge my prices or to tell Just
how much time I had put into each piece.
FINALLY hit on the plan OF charging
for the whole lot knew Just how long
II had taken me to do all the work and as
my charges when going out had been 50
a day. with two meals. the proper
amount was easy TO compute The lady
was satisfied and gave me another lot,
but before / had finished this lot I had
calls from two new customers, people
who had seen her things.
ITO take their clothes I had TO hire
assistants. These assistants being only
sewing girls. not filters. cost me $50 a
day. AS had 10 go 70 the homes Of my
customers to Mt all the garments cal
culated in making my charges the time
put in by these sewing girls at the rate
that I would have been paid had / done
all the work myself.
I now have an apartment OF six rooms
and the three largest ara given up to
sewing. Often I employ as many as
several months at time. It is a rare
thing for my patrons TO come TO my
place. / go to them. submit samples.
take instructions. and fit them Ny
charges are still at the rate OF 81 a day
s. and two meals-which puts the cost
quite a little below the bills or the aver
age dressmaker.
Il have all the work I can fit and
am putting By more money in a year
than expected 10 do in three. OF course,
there is a limit to my time and that Is
the reason my work cannot grow TO
larger proportions. I can only give five
/ fittings a day and attend to my work
rooms
Another way in which I save my
customers time and trouble, is by having
a shopping girl get samples OF trimming
and lace for them TO choose from. These
samples are carried with me when go
for the first fitting; they make their Sc
/ lections and Go the rest This girls
time is also charged for at the rate that
would charge for my own If I had TO
run around in the stores. I think this is
only fair, since 7 have TO superintend
and direct every detail
/ "One OF the advantages OF my work Is
that it would last the whole year fl did
not feel that / must have at least two
months rest For the last two summers
I have been going to Europe for a rest,
and incidentally to see the styles. While
over there. II I see a new style in en-
broidery or need1ework Of any kind that
I cannot master by looking at It. take
lessons until I learn On my return I
teach my girls, and so my patrons get
the latest OF everything at the rate OF
s. day.
IF I should set UP a regular dress
making establishment. 1 would have the
added expense of shop or rooms in a
central and fashionable quarter and of
several additional helpers. AS It is, I get
the advantage Of the cheap rents uptown
| Besides. a large establishment is about
as great a care as the business itself
Then there is the point Of having to
build UP a patronage. My work is not
better than that of many dressmakers
with a reputation for being exclusive. II
began to compete with them I would
be forced to charge their prices and al
once lose the patrons I have already &C
/ quired. I believe I am now about the
only first-class dressmaker doing such
work.
'As see the business in New York
to-day. my line affords the best opening
for women who wish to make their living
/ by the needle The apartment hotels
are superseding the homes so fast. and
the cost Of living is rising so rapidly, that
woman will often so to a high-priced
dressmaker in preference to paying the
additional cost Of a visiting dressmaker'S
meals. There are very few hotels that
will furnish such meals for less than Z,
cents each, and the majority OF them ask
81 Now add So to the 50 that I charge
for my work and you will see how ex-
pensive It becomes to have your sewing
done at home when you live in an apart.
ment hotel
IF the woman who is starting out tC
make her living IN New York by sewing
wants to find a good opening. let he.
equip herself as good filter and take hel
work home The apartment hotels are
filed with people Of moderate means who
are not able either to pay the high price:
Of fashionable dressmakers OF to give s.
day extra for meals for their sewing
women.
IF had TO start out again. would
try to get all my custom in one hotel i
would make fittings easier, and 1 wouldn't
he "a IN soand fir,a r,,stive- fro,,, 80 - -