Sewing & Apparel
Fabric yardage, notions, and machine time per garment.
Sewing hides its costs in yardage and time. Fabric is bought by the bolt but used by the yard; interfacing, zippers, thread, and elastic are small notions that add up; and cutting and sewing a well-made garment takes real hours that rarely make it into the price.
CrafterBy costs fabric by the yard used, tracks every notion, and adds cutting and sewing labor per garment — so you can price a one-off or a size run without guessing and without working for free.
The challenge
- Costing fabric by the bolt, not the yard used per garment
- Forgetting notions, interfacing, and thread
- Undervaluing cutting and sewing time
- No pricing for size runs or small batches
How CrafterBy helps
- Cost fabric by the yard or meter used
- Track notions and trims per garment
- Add cutting and sewing labor at your rate
- Price single pieces or full runs from one template
How to price your Sewing & Apparel work
- 1Add each fabric as a material priced per yard.
- 2Enter the yardage the pattern uses, plus a small cutting-waste allowance.
- 3Add zippers, buttons, interfacing, elastic, and thread as components.
- 4Add cutting and sewing labor at your rate.
- 5Set a margin, and reuse the template for other sizes.
Worked example
Lined linen dress
- Linen + lining, 3.2 yd$41.60
- Invisible zipper, thread, interfacing$6.80
- Cutting-waste allowance$3.00
- Labor — cut + sew + finish (4 hr @ $28)$112.00
Four hours of skilled sewing is the real cost — which is why handmade garments can't compete on price with fast fashion, and shouldn't try.
Common pricing mistakes
Pricing the fabric but not the hours of cutting and sewing.
Forgetting the notions — zippers and interfacing add up fast.
Quoting a size run from one garment's price without checking fabric per size.
What you'll cost & track
Materials you'd track
Equipment run-cost
Price products like
Frequently asked questions
How do I price handmade clothing?
Cost fabric by the yard used, add every notion, then pay yourself for cutting and sewing time. Garments are labor-heavy, so labor is most of the price — set a margin on the true cost, don't compete with mass production.
How do I price a size run?
Build one garment as a template, then adjust fabric yardage per size (larger sizes use more). CrafterBy keeps the recipe so each size reprices from its own material use.
Should I charge for pattern-making or fittings?
Yes — as labor or a one-time design fee. Drafting a pattern and doing fittings are billable time; folding them into the garment price (or charging separately) keeps custom work profitable.