Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Just Say No

Sometimes Mrs. Hunting Creek has to put her foot down and say NO.
No I do not want to develop a sloper for someone else. No I do not want to teach you how to quilt. As Christina said so eloquently a few months ago: "Hem your own damn pants."
I could not have said it better myself.
Others who say it better include the Selfish Seamstress, who inspires me to stop being so nice to people. What IS it with people who think just because I like to sew, that must mean that I would love to spend my precious leisure hours working in their sweatshop...I mean...sewing room?
This is not to say that I do not sew for others. I do. I make all kinds of gifts for other people. But I get to decide what I make. I will not make your curtains, ten identical placemats or maternity clothes.
Things I hate to sew:
Someone else's ripped pants, tears, someone else's buttons, worn out old pajamas, and hemming men's pants.(you know guys, they come sold already hemmed with certain lengths. If they don't have your magic number, don't assume I'll fix them up for you.)
There. I feel better now.
What do you hate to sew?

9 comments:

gwensews said...

I hear ya'! Once upon a time, I had an alteration business, working out of my home. BIG MISTAKE! I found out I hated working on other people's clothes. Even getting paid for it didn't lessen the pain!

neighbourhood.gal said...

Bleh. I got my arm twisted into letting out a seam on some very basic snow pants for a man at church. Bleh, bleh, bleh.

AuntieAllyn said...

Your rant made me laugh! Several years ago, my boyfriend showed up on my birthday with a dozen roses and several pairs of trousers that needed hemming. THAT was the beginning of the end of THAT relationship! Except for doing small sewing projects for my sister, I don't sew for anyone else!

Christina said...

I hate hemming jeans. So much so that I have 2 pairs that are too long and I just fold the hem up to the inside when I wear them! I usually end up hemming my husband's jeans though, after they've been sitting in my sewing area for 2 months.

cidell said...

Hemming jeans. I have a very short friend who brings her $200 jeans to me all the time for hemming.

Gretchen the Household Deity said...

On the rarest of rare occasions I sew for others, but only as a surprise gift and never by request. Lately I've been having fun turning my old skirts into dresses for my niece. It's my hobby and my leisure time!

I don't even alter my own clothes, as others have said. On one of my last RTW shopping excursions over two years ago I bought two pairs of pants. They're still waiting to be hemmed (easy) and taken in at the CB waist for swayback (bleh).

Kathi said...

I don't like altering!!!!! I want to create something new, not fix something old!!!!
I will sew for others when asked if I know the person well enough. I do it only so I can buy more fabric!!! If I were independently wealthy, I would just sew for ME!!!!!!!

Nancy Winningham said...

I also hate altering clothes! And why is it that as soon as someone finds out that you sew, they you want you to "fix something" for them? I may be selfish, but 95% of what I sew is for myself - I don't think anyone else would appreciate it as much as I do :-)

badmomgoodmom said...

I married the son of an European tailor so my FIL used to do our repairs and alterations. When he retired, I tried to do it myself but resented it. Now I send my own repairs out to the neighborhood cleaners.

The husband does the cleaning and the wife does the alterations side of the business. She has 25+ years experience between the 20 yrs in a Korean clothing factory and the time running the family business.

For more complicated stuff, I have a friend who does couture-quality work (movie and theater costumes) for only $20/hour. But she is very selective about her clients and their projects.

She declines anything that doesn't interest her and anyone who doesn't know the difference between ok and exceptional work. And she makes me wait if some other work that pays better appears. She has to make a living.

She recently relined a vintage (1950s or early 1960s) cashmere coat I found at a thrift shop with silk. It took her a day and cost my $160 labor, $50 coat, $40 silk. I had to wait 2.5 months until she had an opening in her schedule, but it was worth it.