how much do you charge for your sewing service?

I have a friend who asked if I would be interested in doing some sewing for her.  It involves making some window treatments for her new home.  She has supplied all of the material.  Nothing is difficult but a fair bit of time will be involved.  She wants to pay me but I have no idea what is reasonable.  Does anyone have experience in sewing-for-pay?  How do you price your service? 

OK!  If you can work out the exchange rate for the dollar in Australia...... I charge $15 per hour for anything professional and $12 per hour for friends of friends and about $10 per hour for friends and family if more than 6 hours is needed.  It is just a rough guide line because a lot depends on the "reason" I am doing the job in the first place and how much time is involved altogether. I have been told this is VERY cheap, but then I'm a bit of a push over!  Don't forget to include travelling time, that can add up with out noticing it! 

I charge the same thing!  $15/hour (Canadian, which at the moment is about the same as $15 Australian)  I also discount for close friends (sometimes we even trade services - sewing in exchange for photography or graphic design work) but have found that, in the end, the friends that I discount always end up paying me extra anyway as they don't think I am charging them enough. 

Heck- I charge the same thing! ($15 US/hour)

I may fib a little on some jobs for friends to make it a little cheaper because they insist on paying the same fee as others. Overall, though I tend to stick to a per job fee that way no one is surprised at the cost.

Thank you!  Your advice is helpful.

Has anyone ever been asked to design clothing semi-professionally?  How do you charge for that? I am being asked to design some men's jackets and active wear and then create sample I know how I will charge for the samples but I am not sure how to charge for the design.

on the semi-pro designing, $30 if there is any illustrating involved. 

Heh...looks like I've been overcharging. I usually charge $20 an hour...but only really use that guideline when I'm setting prices for Etsy. (I have two children at home, 3 and 1, so my time is kind of "premium" until they head off to school!!)

I don't charge at all for sewing. I do it for free or I don't do it. I have sewn for money in the past and I've found that no amount of money is worth my time when it comes to sewing. That's just me though.

That said, I have paid skilled seamstresses $10-15 per hour for contract sewing, i.e. my pattern, my fabric, my thread, multiples of the same item. I prefer to work it out to a per piece cost.

For advertising design I don't charge friends or family. And I try not to do work for friends or family at all, just give them advice and point them in a colleague's direction unless it is something I can do fast. Professionally I used to charge somewhere along the lines of $50-$75 per hour depending on the type of design and other factors. Most of my colleagues would consider this cheap in my field. Production artists might be paid somewhere in the $25-35? range for their time, somewhat analogous to contract sewing.

I have no idea what fashion design is worth but you might get some ideas from Kathleen Fasanella at www.fashion-incubator.com. She has an interesting book on the fashion industry if you can borrow it from the library or pick up a used copy, it's not cheap. i imagine there are similar differences between production sewing rates and rates for custom sewing, and design/pattern drafting rates as there is in the field of advertising design.

I am new to this site and was reading some posts and came across yours regarding how much money for sewing.  I sewed for money years ago as well and I agree that it is not worth my time for any amount.  I lost my love for the craft in the process and found myself working too many hours because there it was all the time.  It was mostly design and sewing of dance costumes and all the time I invested was not worth it in the long run. 

I love to sew again and invested in new machines a year and a half ago including an embroidery machine which I was new to at that time.  It is so much fun and such a new direction I love making things for friends and family as gifts again.  My husband says it is the best thing I have ever acquired for sewing and he is happy to see me enjoy it again.  Happy new year. 

It's good to know I'm charging a fair rate.  I too charge $10 for friends and family and around $15 for others.  I don't charge for travel time or measuring either.  I'm a fairly quick sewer but like to hand sew hems and sometimes side seams on drapery and blinds.  This slows things down but I'm happier with the results.  I don't like to be rushed and really try and warn people that I have a busy life with other commitments.  If they are willing to wait then I will take on the job.  I call myself the reluctant designer.  I do interior painting as well and charge around $17 an hour.  Much more profitable.