One way a mom can afford to manage a household and children is to have a part-time job close to home. Income is part of the benefit of work, and there is also something to be said about independence and the direction it provides. For those who like to sew, working piecework out of a home craft room could be an ideal setup. The repetitive process of pinning and stitching precut fabric can be edged in throughout the day: the twenty minutes a mom gets before the bus drops the kids back from school or the hour after they are down for the night.
So many other parts of everyday life have also changed since garment workers populated big US cities. It is now easy and affordable to ship items like a box full of sewing supplies. Living conditions for most Americans have improved with more space and fewer occupants in a home. This frees up the workspace for a home studio. Being an independent contractor is pretty commonplace. Crafting sites like Etsy already attract vendors of homemade goods.
Now, what if an entrepreneurial spirit wanted to start a clothing line? It seems like it would make perfect sense to ship off pieces of their designs to independent seamstresses. This would save on overhead and fixed costs. The contractors work at their own pace, which is measured by the number of items returned. The designer would focus on quality, design, and distribution.
Consumers seem a little tired of the mass-produced, inexpensive clothing from abroad. Maybe a (temporary?) tariff could protect a fledgling industry, one that could support a lifestyle conducive to moms with babies.
Home Economics 