[ethical] What's the best use of MY time?

Yesterday, I attended my granddaughter's Highland dance class, at the invitation of the teacher, who wanted to meet me to discuss a potential job. DD and DGD had told her of my sewing skills, and she needs some costumes made. I came home with a commission for three "Nationals" skirts (fairly simple dirndl-type skirts, not kilts, those might come later) and matching scarves.

Last night I trued the fabric for two scarves (simple 36" squares), and sewed a narrow zig-zag stay-stitch an inch in from all the edges. It took me all of about five minutes for that. BUT! Sitting watching TV, it took almost two hours to pull the threads for the one-inch-all-around fringed edges.

Now my question: Since I'm doing this gratis (bartering at my sewing price for dance lessons for DGD), would it be ethical to have my granddaughter do the actual fringing, and include the time on my invoice? It just seems to me that this type of unskilled work is not the best use of*my* time, but I don't think DGD's time should be free to the teacher, either.

I'd love everyone's input on this, please.

Beverly Ickes BEI Design

Reply to
BEI Design
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Yes, of course it would be ethical. She will work under your supervision, and she will benefit from the work since the lessons are for her. So she will be making a contribution toward her classes, plus she will be helping you and learning in the process. You have the ultimate responsibility to see that the work is done correctly.

My grandmother was a seamstress. She once had a job for a tablecloth and napkins to be hemstitched. She taught me how to do it, and I did some for her. Unfortunately, she took out a lot of my work and redid it. She was really much more skilled than I. But I did relieve her of some of the work, and I learned a new skill. Well, partly learned. I think I could still do it, but probably not to her standards even now.

Reply to
Pogonip

There is nothing at all unethical about delegating labor.

Reply to
Ron Anderson

Since she is getting free dance lessons for this she should be contributing in some way. She'll appreciate the work involved for the lessons. I personally don't believe in handing everything to children gratis and that's what you would be doing if she didn't do some of the labor intensive but less skilled work. Add the time. The work is being done and supervised by you. You are the one responsible for the final product no mater who does the work. Juno

Reply to
Juno

Thanks, that reinforces what my thinking is.

Fortunately, this is really a "no skill" job, and DGD is quite meticulous anyway, so I'm sure she will do an excellent job. I'll give her that squares already zigzagged so all she has to do is pull the threads.

Beverly

Reply to
BEI Design

Ok, I was just concerned that the dance instructor is hiring "me", and I am planning to hand off this to DGD, without sharing that information with the instructor. I guess, if I put DGD on the "payroll" it will not offend.... ;-)

Beverly

Reply to
BEI Design

She would be taking the lessons no matter what, she is very good at it, and her parents are budgeting for the lessons. I just like that I'm able to help out, and it *may* lead to a commission for making custom kilts, which I would really love!

See, I just knew all you sewing folks would understand! ;-) I was just concerned about how the dance instructor might perceive it if she learns about DGD's contribution (and knowing children, she just mayl).

Beverly

Reply to
BEI Design

As long as you share a portion of the "proceeds" with your "assistant," why would the teacher care?

HTH

--Karen D.

Reply to
Veloise

Indeed! And in this case the "assistant" will be getting *all* of the proceeds, in the form of free(ish) lessons. ;-)

Beverly

Reply to
BEI Design

As much as I hate "me too" posts, I have to say.....

Me too.. I agree totally with everything that pogonip stated on this.. The post echoes my sentiments completely.

me

Reply to
me

There really should not be anything to cause offense.. The lady who comissioned you is a teacher, and she certainly should understand that the work being done is a practical learning experience, and that you as a professional sewist ensure that all the work is done correctly, whether it is physically done by you, or someone you have working for you.

me

Reply to
me

Thanks all, I appreciate the feedback. I will be doing the actual sewing of the Nationals skirts, DGD will pull threads for fringe on the "plaids" (that's what the scarves are called) until she upchucks or goes blind. ;-)

Beverly

Reply to
BEI Design

If you are nervous about what the teacher would think, then just run it by her. I wouldn't care if I were the teacher, and like someone else said, she will probably understand perfectly about skills being learned. Besides which, its only thread pulling, a two year old could do that, (attention span permitting LOL) and I am sure your DGD is not two!

HTH

Michelle Giordano

p.s. I want to see pics of these costumes if you are allowed to post them somewhere! They sound so pretty.

Reply to
Doug&Michelle

No, DGD is ten-going-on-thirty! ;-) She has a real "I'm doing [whatever] MY way" 'tude going on, drives her Mom nuts, but I adore her. She is a little difficult to teach from my point of view, as she is soooooo sure she knows everything already. So far she's willing to concede that I *may* know a little more about sewing than she does. ;-}

I don't know if that'll happen unless I take pics of just the garments. She will be lending these to her students, and I don't plan on going to all of the competitions. These first ones are not elaborate, they are like these:

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skirt, velvet vest, cotton blouse, and scarf. Right now, I'm only going to be making a bunch of skirts and scarves. Later, perhaps... ;-) Beverly

Reply to
BEI Design

Hey, back in the days, I had to fringe not only *my* costumes but anything else my mom (a preschool teacher/administrator) needed. Any unskilled task, us kids got, believe me (and some skilled ones)

Didn't have to weave our own cloth, though.

Reply to
cycjec

If it's not ethical, all the world's great art museums would face a dilemma - hanging paintings by the old masters. Most of the old masters were teachers as well as painters, and their students were given many mundane tasks such as doing the backgrounds and the works that we now see in the museums or in books. Sharon

Reply to
Seeker

Riiiiggghhhhttt! I'll give the grunt work to my grandd... errrmm "apprentice". Yeah, that's it, my apprentice! ;->

Beverly

Reply to
BEI Design

My daughter insists on "Protege". With a capital "P".

Kathleen

Reply to
Kathleen

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