What's your dream job?

[Fizzbw]

What would be your dream job within stitching (or outside it whatever!)

I'm unemployed/retired and I do wonder what job I'd like to do if I got well enough.

For me I think I would enjoy working somewhere like SewandSo! Sorting out orders and stocking up on new things! I'm enjoying selling the odd needle minder and scissor fob but obviously it's a hobby, and it does seem to me that it would be a fun full time job. I have worked in retail before but that was shoes (and I hated it...).

There are loads of other jobs withing the industry, what floats your boat?

Niki xxx

[fccs]

Fun question! I would love to work in a small LNS. My focus, if I could pick one, would be to help new stitchers, basically sharing my love of stitching. Of course, most of my paycheck would probably go right back to the store, but it's a risk I wouldn't mind taking.

My non-stitching dream job would be a museum curator, followed closely by an author's researcher.

And neither the current part-time job I have, nor the full time job from which I retired, are even closely related to those, and that's really okay.

[NeedleAndFork]

I have a number of things I would love to do full time.. some I've done on a smaller scale, one I have done full time for several years. The one I did and loved was a yarn dyer - I was a one woman shop, created colorways, dyed them, marketing, website, shipping, etc etc. If I could do it over, I'd hire someone to do the website, get assistance in the marketing and drudge work (shipping, packaging, etc) and focus my time on actually creating. I loved every second of that part of it.

I've toyed with the idea of starting a line of hand dyed or hand spun floss, and natural dyed fabrics.. but again, the non-creative parts of it make me dread it. I just want to create and let someone else handle the other side of things! So for now, I do it for myself (I'm saving my avocado peels to dye with sometime in the next few weeks!) Maybe if things turn out well I'll offer some up here or something.

I'd love it if I could earn a living making and selling items on etsy. I have dozens of ideas, stitchy and not. Very few of them actually pay a living wage for the amount of time spent creating them though - those that would, I'd have to buy supplies/equipment that I don't have the funds/space for right now. Some day!

Food related is another area I'd love - If I lived in an area with a thriving farmers market, I'd consider a table selling canned jams/pickles, dried pastas, old fashioned fudge and candy. Kinda an old timey theme. Another idea I've had is to prepare freezer dinners - I did this for a while, where I had 3 families, and every 2 weeks I'd email them a menu of that weeks dishes, and they'd place orders - and on a designated day they'd come pick up their order of prepared dinners that all they had to do was reheat according to instructions. It worked out really well for them as they were busy families that didn't always have time to cook - they got a homecooked meal for less than it would cost them to order takeout, and I made a nice side income doing something I loved. I would SO love to turn that into a full time gig somehow. Again - the area I live in now really isn't suitable - here we have people outside walmart selling $1 tamales.

In the meanwhile though, I do the odd comissioned stitching job - mostly it seems to be someone who has a started piece that they aren't able to finish for some reason but want it completed. I know it's not for everyone, but I've been enjoying it. I've also sold a few ornaments here and there and plan on stitching up more to try sell. Not sure how that will go, but if they don't sell, they'll be christmas presents!

[cairee]

I want to own a LNS. Im actually working towards that goal, Im building a web store, and once I have the financial stability to leave my full time job I going to open a brick and mortar store to go with the web store. my goal is to have a LNS in 4 years

[Allyn]

As often as I think to myself that I'd like to have a job getting paid to do this, I don't really think I'd want to. It's my hobby -- it's my mental vacation. If it became a job, it would ruin the craft's ability to relieve my stress; and, in fact, would become the source of stress. To pursue my dream job, I would have had to start decades ago. I always wished I'd pursued becoming a forensic archaeologist.

[Lulu22]

My dream jobs would be either an archaeologist or working for legoland building their models

[rcperryls]

If I won the lottery, I would open an LNS with plenty of space for stitching. Definitely would have at least and probably more than one stitch in group a week. I would stock it with not only the usual supplies, but lots of specialty threads and lovely fabrics. Would have to hire some wonderful, experienced help so that I could stitch also. Need the lottery for this, since it seems pretty clear to me that a LNS in my location is a losing enterprise. Two stores dedicated to needlepoint seem to make it, but there have been at least three focused on cross stitch that have not.

Non stitch related: either of two jobs: own a "kitty" store with rescue cats for adoption and lots of kitty goodies for sale. Or being an astronaut.
Or a veterinarian. Or a ballet dancer. Or ballroom dancer. Or have a lovely voice, instead of being a monotone. Or being a software developer. Or ..... I need a few more lives! (And I did love my last job. Though I am very glad I retired)

Carole

[Fizzbw]

I had my dream job beforer I got ill, working for the British horseracing Board (now Authority). They were greet until I got ill after which they ignored me and then made me redundant on my first day back after brain surgery. nice. But I lived it, running an important committee and doing research.

I'd love to work on a raceourse. Racing is my passion as well as CS which will come as a surprise to no one looking a to my SALs.

There is a wonderful shop in my local town, it's a knitting shop, really old fashioned, tiny with high walls full of wool. They are delightful in there. I wish it was more of a cross stitching shop. They have a couple of very expensive kits. I used to go in there all the time when I was knitting before I found CS. I just think I'd like working somewhere like that as well. Cosy and non stressful. If I ever get well enough to get back to work!!

Nxxx

[fccs]

Oh, I just hate it when employers treat their employees like that. When you're better, I hope you can get back into a racing-related field. The yarn shop sounds wonderful! (Have you considered asking them to sell your needle minders and scissor fobs on consignment?)

[Gypsy57]

I also wanted to become an archaeologist!! Strange!
I also had the odd mini fantasy of selling made stitches- apparently here in China a lot of people buy them made and are willing to pay quite a bit for it. I'm not sure I would have the time and I'd feel sad giving them away after working so many hours on them!

[NeedleAndFork]

As often as I think to myself that I'd like to have a job getting paid to do this, I don't really think I'd want to. It's my hobby -- it's my mental vacation. If it became a job, it would ruin the craft's ability to relieve my stress; and, in fact, would become the source of stress. To pursue my dream job, I would have had to start decades ago. I always wished I'd pursued becoming a forensic archaeologist.

That's part of why I stopped with the yarn business. The stress of juggling all the non yarny parts that I wasn't that good at to begin with was taking over the joy of playing with yarn all day on the days I dyed. That's also why if I do it again on that sort of scale, I'll be getting help for it. I miss the dyeing part a lot, but I still have so much left over that I can't justify dyeing any more, especially since I hardly knit any more!

[Fizzbw]

Yes I can understand that keeping stitching safe from the corruption of "have to do it" is important! I'd certainly not do actual stitching for money (beyond the stitching for mags thing, I can see that being interesting).

Mind you I just got madder and more passionate about racing when I worked in it.

As for my minders, I have been thinking about taking the Needle Safes to a local shop which is really a fabric shop but does have floss and some bits and bobs. Not sure I'm confident enough yet. I would try the knitting shop but I don't think they get any real stitchers, although I have a few ideas fermenting in my head that might work........

Niki xxx

[curly sue]

I am past 60 and retired with health issues, so working would indeed be a dream....If I had a do-over, I would like to be a teacher. If I were a bit younger and able bodied I would like to be a process server.

But....... but not as a job!

[richardandtracy]

Dream job: Fast Jet Pilot.
However, it's not my dream lifestyle (and neither is a commercial airline pilot's), and my eyesight isn't good enough to pilot a commercial aircraft let alone a fast jet.
Ahh well, have to stick with what I'm good at instead.

Regards,

Richard

[Lizzieh]

My dream is to own a little tea shop which would sell all home made cakes and it would also sell all the stuff me and my mum make. Yes it's just a dream as I know it is a bit simplistic!

[MaggieM1750]

Within the stitchery industry:
I think I could be a good framer.
I am very particular.. so I would try and stretch it all evenly.
I'm also good with color.. so coordinating fabric, flosses, matting and frame might be kind of fun.

Copyright cheater investigator.
I can sniff out those cheaters pretty easily.
And I like to dig around on the internet and see where things go.. click, click.. here, there.
And, well, someones got to do it.

My dream job if I didn't have to worry about being paid: architectural historian. I love old buildings.

[BizzieLizzie]

I'd love to be a writer. I'm currently doing a degree in English Literature and Creative Writing with the Open University. The problem is fitting it in around the day job. I try to get up at stupid o'clock in the morning to write before I leave for work (I have a long commute) but it does take its toll energy-wise. I'm working on it, though.

I wouldn't want to work in any area related to stitching as then I'd have to find a new relaxing hobby!

[richardandtracy]

I do admire you taking an OU degree.
My wife took a BA in 'Sociology & Social Policy' through the OU in 5 years rather than the more normal 6. I reckon it was MUCH more difficult than my full time engineering degree, both due to the level of the learning & the fact it had to be fitted around a job. [As an aside - It was interesting proof reading her essays - meant I learnt a lot more about the subject than I realised until later, and was a surprisingly good grounding for when I became a school governor & had to deal with problem families!]

Regards,

Richard.

[BizzieLizzie]

Thanks, Richard. Your wife's degree sounds very interesting! I do find the OU materials and teaching to be very good quality and it's a subject I love, but it is tough fitting it around everything else. My day job is rather mudane so I'm doing the degree to exercise the old grey matter and hopefully keep it functioning well into my dotage. If I can earn a bit of money from writing to supplement my pension when I retire (20-odd years to go) I'll be happy with that.

[LastingAllure]

A princess!!!