How you find clients will depend somewhat on what age you are. When I was young, I found clients that were friends or friends of friends, and I went to clubs a lot.

If you make striking clothes for yourself, when people see them, they will approach you and want to know where you got them, and this can also be a good way to get new clients.

Another factor is where you live and what the fashion scene there is. When I was in my 20s and early 30s, I lived in San Francisco, which had a very lively and interesting avant-garde street scene. A lot of people liked to wear costumes, and I was always busy before Halloween. I also lived in a theatrical commune for a while and met a lot of people that way. Performers need costumes.

I've never had concerns with having people come to where I lived, but I also always had roommates. I do prefer male clients to female clients, as they are often willing to pay more, and female clients are more difficult to please and can be uncomfortable when being measured. Also, they sometimes argue with the measurements, and so it's best not to let them see what you write down, or use a measuring system that they do not understand, such as metric, if you are in the U.S.

I never did it full-time, and that may be because it's easier for most people to go to a business -type area rather than a home in the suburbs. It's just easier to stop at the seamstress's business if it's near the post office, or the grocery store, or other businesses. Getting people to drive out to someone's house may be a deal breaker if there's more convenient options on the way home.

Most of my clients were friends and acquaintances, and they referred other customers to me. Occasionally there were people I didn't know - none gave me the heebie-jeebies. The only potential customer who did creep me out contacted me by email. I actually wondered if someone was trying to set me up: The writer wanted loose, floor length nightgowns out of 100% linen, with real fabric ties at the neck, waist, and wrists. All things deemed safety hazards for children's clothes, which was why he or she couldn't find what he wanted in the stores. The obsession with little girls' nightwear was weird and off-putting.

Of course you have a neat area set aside for customers; if possible, one where you don't have to lead them through your entire house to get to. Another woman I met doing that sort of work actually set up a small outbuilding (These days, it'd be called a she-shed) and saw her customers and did her work there. It also made it easy to justify her expenses for tax purposes- the square footage was separate from her living area- and it's been a while but she may have had a separate electrical service for the shed.

I would say be ruthless in tracking your expenses - shipping for supplies can eat up profit and actual trips to the store not only costs money for your supplies but also the wear and tear on your vehicle, and your time. Know your worth - don't be surprised if you run into people who expect your to work for minimum wage. Know how long it takes for you to do common tasks, and charge a wage worthy of professional work. It's tempting to "start out low and raise your prices later" but it's a failing tactic. The people who patronize you for your low prices will dump you when you raise them - and they won't sing your praises, they'll just say you were 'okay until she started overcharging.' Working for eight or ten dollars an hour won't be profitable, and will teach your customers that "women's work" isn't worth a living wage. People who insist on doing that make it that much harder for professionals to earn a living.

I would advise in particular for special occasion dresses: ask customers to bring the bra, undergarments, slip and shoes they will wear with the dress. Take bust, waist, and hip measurements at the first fitting, and measure the heels of the shoes as well. Write them on your sales or alteration form. You won't have to re-alter often, but you don't want someone to have a breast augmentation and complain you took it in too much, or not mention that she's pregnant. BTW, if she was wearing four-inch heels and is now going barefoot, don't assume you can hem the dress four inches shorter; it doesn't work like that. And yes, all these things have happened. And yes, I have charged for a re-alter under those circumstances.

When someone says "Just shorten this to 29" inseam" I write PCR (per customer request) on the form. It's also okay to say, "I need to see this on you." I used to hate saying no, but better that than going against my better judgement and disappointing someone. If it seems like a bad idea to me, I won't do it.

I now have no problem referring a customer to somebody else. Need a shirt made out of a scarf? custom silk pants? Need a knee length swing coat made into a hip length fitted jacket? "No, I don't have the pattern-making skills. Here's the numbers for Ruby, Yolanda, and Adele. They'd love a project like that."

I had a woman that wanted me to make slipcovers for two chairs, same fabric, she'd already purchased it, different style chairs. She wanted a VERY custom, very fitted cover. I could easily do this, but making a pattern would take about 3 hours per chair. I showed her a catalog, with slipcovers that were loosely draped and tucked around the cushion for $100ea. I said I'd want twice that x 2. She declined. I'm guessing I'd have 16 hours per chair. So ...yes...I'd be making minimum wage. $12.50hr. for something the average person can't do. I'd have to charge $400ea to get the price an upholstery shop would charge. Charging for what your work is worth can be a problem.

There are tons of people on The Nextdoor app looking for alterations. Advertise there.

"Charging for what your work is worth can be a problem." Yes, indeed it can. In my experience, (sad to say this) women are less understanding and appreciative than men. I work in a men's store and rarely get attitude. Women are prone to say, "I could do this myself, I just don't have the time." Bridal stores were the worst. I had been sewing professionally for 25 years when I first started at a women's special occasion/bridal store. It was like learning to sew all over again.

A little mind boggling: A woman came to me with a vintage dress. She wanted the delicate lace/satin panel in the center front removed, and incorporated into a custom designed wedding gown for her pregnant niece. Then she mentioned she was on a budget. I suggested if she was on a budget she look over the $99 sale rack at the bridal store. "Oh, I wasn't planning on spending anywhere *near* that amount," she said. I explained that fabric and lining for a floor-length dress would cost more than that. She was under the impression that fabric still cost $2-3 a yard, and clearly underestimated the time involved - or she thought a seamstress 'who would be at home, anyway' should be happy to work for less than minimum wage.

I worked hard to gain the expertise I have. No point working for $8 an hour if most jobs around here (post COVID) are starting at $18. If someone was in a situation where money is an issue (ex: broke college graduate going for a job interview) I would (and have) gifted the work. Twice I've altered wedding dresses as my gift to the bride - both were work associates who understood and appreciated what was being offered.

Great advice.