Image Editing and Image Creation Work

I need an expert in Photoshop and Illustrator for several image manipulation efforts. What I'm trying to do is beyond my abilities in Illustrator. Several (about five) of the images I need for the final project are raster images. Obviously these don't scale well and become pixelated at larger resolutions. While I'm reasonably good in Photoshop/Illustrator I lack the artistic expertise and the software expertise to recreate the images in a Vector format. The first part of the project is to take these five or so raster images and redo them in a vector format, saved as individual (unique) files). The second part of the project is to use those same files as part of a larger design image that can be sent to an embroidery company to stitch on cloth. (Hence why the original raster images won't work...). I have the project loosely mapped out in Illustrator and can send the original file with layers, but would want an expert to take the structure I have and recreate it for a more crisp overall look. I suspect that the theme I'm going for may also require some image manipulation of the background image I've selected to ensure it's viewable and that words/text aren't muddled and lost in the background and that the final image blends cohesively. For a skilled expert this is likely four to five hours of work. Tops. I'm willing to pay an hourly rate or flat fee, whichever is easier. Willing to pay between $20-45 an hour and/or a fixed price if that's preferred.