Yes, baking is work.

[dalesys]

People die of exposure...

...or of chilling out...

[Blue Ginger]

All the sewing stories remind me of when my sister and I used to do dance in primary and high school.

Mum loves sewing. She finds it relaxing. She used to run her own market stall in the eighties and early nineties selling all hand made baby to 4 year old stuff. Think t-shirts, skirts, pants, overalls, dresses (with nappy covers for the babies and over knickers for the older girls) and some dolls clothes. She was never going to get rich, but it was good extra money at the time.

So when we started dancing, mum offered to help make costumes. It was a small school in a blue collar area, so everything was done as cheaply as possible. We didn't do competitions, we only had a concert at the end of each year where each age group would do 4 or 5 songs. A lot of the time, the costumes were our black leotard with a skirt or something simple added.

But with the more complicated costumes (or for people that couldn't thread a needle), mum would make the whole thing for a small fee. The amount of parents that would bitch about a $20 for 3 costumes to be done. So they started sewing nights. A few of the experienced people that had sewing machines would get together and anyone that wanted to either learn to make the costumes themselves or couldn't afford the small fee would come and use the machines. So many decided that sewing was 'oh my god so haaarrrddd! How can you do this?' and they stopped bitching about the small fee to have the costumes made for them. Others loved that they could now do things for themselves like hems and buttons.

(My aunty also loved the early years because she used to sew on the sequins and beads for those that really couldn't thread a needle. Again, for a small fee.)

[AccountingDrone]

Yeah, even with an embroidery machine, fancy garb takes time . . .

What is this magical device you speak of ... I do everything by hand. My grandmother taught me the stuff like white on white padded cutwork, reticella lace, tatting, pretty much every embellishment or handstitch known to man or woman ... I made a favor that was our combined coats of arms done in 2 sided embroidery so no matter how it got blown around it looked the same on both sides. Took me 30 hours for something the size of a 3x5 postcard with ties to attach it.

[Cia]

Oy!

People have no clue about the time/energy that goes into things.

One of my co-workers asked me to make pillowcases for her classroom. Nothing fancy, no big deal. Luckily I had a bag of already sewn items in my car, so she could look at different fabrics. She asked for "cheap" fabric. She meant less then $5/yard. The fabric she loved was $9/yard. I found that if I ordered the fabric online and picked it up myself, it was on sale for $4.79/yard. She was thrilled. She needed her pillowcases before the school year started, I had them finished and ready in 2 days. Since it was a simple project, I charged her $5/hour. She only paid the discounted price for the fabric and refused to pay a penny more.

She has no clue why I'm not super friendly with her.

Send an invoice with a pay up or else and when she refuses then repo the pillowcases....during class.

[HorrorFrogPrincess]

Bracing myself for Round 2. Different coworker, fewer cake pops, more complex design.

This time I quoted slightly over $2 per pop.

[morgana]

I made a favor that was our combined coats of arms done in 2 sided embroidery so no matter how it got blown around it looked the same on both sides. Took me 30 hours for something the size of a 3x5 postcard with ties to attach it.

And I thought *I* was crazy . . .

[taxguykarl]

Bracing myself for Round 2. Different coworker, fewer cake pops, more complex design.

What's the occasion and amount this time?

[HorrorFrogPrincess]

What's the occasion and amount this time?

Some Caribbean-themed party. 2 dozen lemon-flavored cake pops shaped like pineapples.

I quoted about $2.30 per pop due to how labor intensive they would be.

Her spouse vetoed them.

[RealUnimportant]

lemon-flavored cake pops shaped like pineapples.

I wonder why not pineapple-flavoured, or lemon-shaped?

I suspect guests will now be receiving actual lemons on popsicle sticks.

[HorrorFrogPrincess]

I wonder why not pineapple-flavoured, or lemon-shaped?

I suspect guests will now be receiving actual lemons on popsicle sticks.

She doesn't like pineapple-flavored stuff, and she liked the look of the pops she saw on Pinterest or something.

Apparently they already have like 3 desserts. I got a LONG explanation meanwhile, I'm sitting there with a bland smile thinking "I don't care. I'm neither offended nor upset. Please stop talking."

[taxguykarl]

OK, who's next?

[HorrorFrogPrincess]

CW 1 again! She's in for Round 3.

Now she wants a multi-tiered pound cake for 200, no icing or glaze.

This one is officially Too Much Work to even bother with a quote.

[dalesys]

...Now she wants a multi-tiered pound cake for 200, no icing or glaze...

Well... there is the one in the freezer that slid off the tray in the stable. With a little touch-up frosting it should be just fine.
Hayzie in the turkey
Strawzie in the turkey
Buck 'em up in a high puckerhaw...

[morgana]

Now she wants a multi-tiered pound cake for 200, no icing or glaze.

Really!?? My mother used to make wedding cakes. From scratch. She stopped doing it thirty-mumble years ago. And SHE would have charged close to that.

[HorrorFrogPrincess]

Sorry, I mean a pound cake for 200 people, not dollars.