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Taking advantage? BEI Design 05-20-2008
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Posted by Samantha Hill - remove TRASH t on May 21, 2008, 12:57 am
Pogonip wrote:
>
> Wonderful idea, Candide. The other alternative is to offer to teach her
> to do it herself. You'll never see her again.


My preferred method is to explain sympathetically that I do not sew for
money, I sew for love, and I won't take money because I want to be able
to refuse jobs that I don't want to do for any reason I might have
without feeling obligated to the person I have done something for before.

Maybe some people would prefer to learn how to sew themselves but don't
have anybody to teach them. I know that in the past when I have gone
hunting for sewing buddies, the only people I have found were people who
didn't know how to sew and who hoped that I would be willing to teach
them, which is not exactly what I was looking for.

Posted by BEI Design on May 21, 2008, 1:52 am
Pogonip wrote:

> Wonderful idea, Candide. The other alternative is to
> offer to teach her to do it herself. You'll never see
> her again.

However, it would be just my luck if that were just what
she's angling for. No thanks.

Beverly



Posted by BEI Design on May 21, 2008, 1:51 am
Candide wrote:
> "BEI Design" wrote:

> > Anyone wondering why I usually *refuse* alterations?
> >
> > Beverly
>
> Oh you poor thing! *LOL*
>
> I feel your pain and have been there with other
> situations. They have no shame some people, and that
> includes relations. Indeed one has found relations often
> are the worst offenders in these matters.

So true. I don't actually have a sewing business, I
usually sew for my own pleasure and for those I love. My
father's second wife once asked me to alter a "couple of
things" for her, and to please *him*, I said I would. When
I arrived, her bed was *covered* with skirts, jackets,
blouses, pants and coats. She wanted *something* done to
every single one. My poor Dad was appalled. I marked
everything and did what I could, although a couple of things
could not be altered the way she wanted (which she did not
understand, but she was not a sewist). After I delivered
them to her, she handed me a potted plant. <Splorf!> Dad
slipped me several hundred $$$ privately, and told me to
*never* agree to do any sewing for her in the future.

> If upon the lady's return, she begins dropping hints
> about other work she would like to have done, kindly and
> sweetly smile hand her your price list. The effect is
> underscored if the words "all alterations must be paid
> fully in advance", are written on the form. *LOL*

I don't want to jeopardize my relationship with my sister
(or hers with her DIL), so I think I'll just suddenly be
very, very busy. As soon as this work is completed, "My
schedule is full through at least December."

> Keep on smiling, you are blessed!

;-)

Beverly



Posted by Mary Fisher on May 21, 2008, 12:00 pm

> My sister called me a couple of days ago, and asked it my machine (trusty
> old Singer 401A) would "sew through denim, like a jeans hem". I said,
> "Sure, I shorten jeans for [younger DD] all the time!" She asked how much
> I would charge her to shorten some jeans which were several inches too
> long. I replied, "C'mon, you're my SISTER, I won't charge you anything!"
> (Mom taught us both how to sew, I'm the one who loves it, she hates it.)
> Besides, it's not like I'd have to rip out the old hem: if they are
> several inches too long, just whack them off and hem them, right?
>
> THEN she explained that she was inquiring on behalf of her
> daughter-in-law, wife of my least favorite nephew. Grrrrrr. :-| But I
> (graciously) told her to have her DIL come on over, I'd mark the jeans and
> hem them for free.
>
> Dear-niece-in-law arrives with two (count ''em, TWO) pair of jeans, one
> three inches too long, the other a bare hem-depth (which means unpicking
> the existing hem) too long. <sigh> So I had her try both pair on, marked
> the new hem, and almost as an afterthought wondered aloud if they had been
> laundered yet. She, "No, why?" I, "Well, because, once I cut them off
> and hem them, if they shrink there's no way to fix them." So I sent her
> home to run them through her normal washing procedure. I'm still waiting
> for her to come back.
>
> Anyone wondering why I usually *refuse* alterations?

No.

I hate asking anyone to do things for me so I very rarely do. I end up with
many things not done but if it saves embarrassment it's worth it.

Mary
>
> Beverly
>



Posted by teleflora on May 23, 2008, 1:44 pm
I don't even tell new acquaintances that I sew any more. I just tell them I
quilt.

Cindy


> My sister called me a couple of days ago, and asked it my machine (trusty
> old Singer 401A) would "sew through denim, like a jeans hem". I said,
> "Sure, I shorten jeans for [younger DD] all the time!" She asked how much
> I would charge her to shorten some jeans which were several inches too
> long. I replied, "C'mon, you're my SISTER, I won't charge you anything!"
> (Mom taught us both how to sew, I'm the one who loves it, she hates it.)
> Besides, it's not like I'd have to rip out the old hem: if they are
> several inches too long, just whack them off and hem them, right?
>
> THEN she explained that she was inquiring on behalf of her
> daughter-in-law, wife of my least favorite nephew. Grrrrrr. :-| But I
> (graciously) told her to have her DIL come on over, I'd mark the jeans and
> hem them for free.
>
> Dear-niece-in-law arrives with two (count ''em, TWO) pair of jeans, one
> three inches too long, the other a bare hem-depth (which means unpicking
> the existing hem) too long. <sigh> So I had her try both pair on, marked
> the new hem, and almost as an afterthought wondered aloud if they had been
> laundered yet. She, "No, why?" I, "Well, because, once I cut them off
> and hem them, if they shrink there's no way to fix them." So I sent her
> home to run them through her normal washing procedure. I'm still waiting
> for her to come back.
>
> Anyone wondering why I usually *refuse* alterations?
>
> Beverly
>



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