very easy to do..the drapes that is...but if you don't want to do it then say NO...good for you....I on the other hand would have yes, what size are they, how many panels, and here is the extimated cost.

Bet you these folks own a rake and I don't see them raking everyone's yard for free:>

I am an excellent seamstress and a questionable quilter, I sewed for many years when my children were young and we needed the extra money. In general women are CHEAP and want to bargain on how much they want to pay you for your work. Men just want it done and usually didn’t question the amount charged. I save alterations for those that I love, I didn’t and still don’t have a problem saying no. As a matter of fact if I had someone that I didn’t want to sew for, I would tell them to read my lips, do you understand the words coming out of my mouth? I once had a close friend who wanted to have the side pleats (vents) sew up in her husband’s suit coat. (God I couldn’t even figure why someone would want to do that to a suit coat). Anyway the dry cleaners gave a price of $35.00 and this heifer told me what the cleaners wanted to charge and then asked me how much I would charge her. I told her $40.00 and she wanted to know why so much. I asked her what want she banking on – our friendship or the fact that the dry cleaners could do a better job than me. Alterations are indeed tedious, time consuming and down right a royal pain in the butt.

My professional charges for my day job are $150/hour. (Not that I get paid that!) I will do mending for that rate ... but not many people take me up on it.

whoo hoo! :) Good for you!

ME TOO!!!!

good for you!!!!!

I don't like to do alterations, but it does buy milk and bread.

I have a sewing machine and I still take stuff into my tailor to do any hemming, altering sizes its not that I can't do it I prefer not to because I find it frustrates me. Some of my friends figure I'll do it for nothing, and I've told them I don't do it because if is wrong or fabric tears I'd feel horrible, they can't seem to grasp what I'm saying sometimes. But good for you to say NO, I swear some think we're just free labor.

I don't know why people think that because we have mad sewing skills we would not mind making thier alterations.lol.

Good for you!!
I have no tolerance for free-loaders!

I would rather make a whole garment or decor item instead of alterations. Good for you!

Good for you! I have been suckered into doing mending and hemming because "I know you love to sew." That is not sewing...it's work.

Good for you. Always wondered why people think you know how to mend just because you have a sewing machine. The only mending I do is for my one son who works outside and it doesn't matter how the mending looks (which is a good thing).

My husband doesn't even ask me to sew on a button - he knows better. It would sit there for days (weeks??) and he would end up doing it himself anyway.

Years ago now my friend Jenny, who is an extremely talented quilter, replied to that same question with "Leonardo Da Vinci didn't paint doors and I don't do mending" The questioner was left speachless. It kept the staff room amused for days1

Good for you!! I've been quilting 6 1/2 yrs. When I got my machine a neighber said, "Oh you have a sewing machine. Gerry (her DH) has some slacks that need altering." I said, "You're welcome to come use my machine anytime you want." Didn't hear another word about it. I'm not a seamstress and don't know how. I'm a quilter. Period. I don't do window treatments either, but my DH made me promise to make drapes for our bedroom before I started anything else. I did reluctantly and I hate them. Now I could probably do a better job, but I still don't want to make drapes.

I have to force myself to sew clothing or do alterations since I got more into quilting. What is it? I used to be so good at it!

Good for you. I would rather make a whole new garment than try to alter a ready made one.

Me too. My DH will give me things to mend all the time. Good thing I love her or she would be going to the dry cleaners.
Most of my alterations go to Good Will. :lol:

Way to go! If someone told me it was just "cut off and hem it" I'd invite them over to use my machine. If they said they didn't know how to use a machine I'd just say to them that "you just sit and press the pedal". LOL !

Good for you. I only mend for family and one friend. That's it.

Alright!

I have to learn to follow your example. I'm going to start practicing right now.

They always pick a 'friend' in hopes they will get the job done either free of very cheap! Good for you!

Good for you !! DH's family is always asking me to sew this or embroider that .. and my DH says of course she will .. Pffffttt .. Did ya ask me ? NO so NO is the answer for you !LOL

My answer is:
"I ONLY sew for people I love,
and I don't love you that much"
J J

I hear ya! It seems I get suckered in every time!
Will you make curtains, will you hem my pants, will you mend this hole, will you alter my bridemaid's dress, my prom dress....
------------------------------------------------------------
Unless this is your business, then I'll guess that you are almost at the breaking point, and some day soon you will have a huge NO printed in the front of your brain.

Just tell them that you have a lot of your own stuff to finish first, should be through next February 31st of 2012.

I use to do lots of alterations but quit about 13 years ago. Personally I was more interested in sewing from scratch from my own hand drawn patterns and I did a lot of showman shirts & jackets for people that showed horses. It was mostly for a 4H group that couldn't afford to buy them since they charged well over $330 for them and I could make them for less then $100. Most of the time I charged a flat fee of $20 to $40 depending on the difficultly of the item and they had to buy their own fabric.

But the reason I quit doing alterations was this one women that I had been sewing for, for several years brought me a bag of her old underpants and asked me to replace all the elastic in them. That was it for me. I refused that job and asked her why she just didn't go buy new ones (this women was loaded with money and didn't need to do this sort of thing). Her reply was that she already did but she wanted me to fix them so she could give them to someone else in need of some. I could not believe she said that. Who in their right mind would wear undie that were pre used??? I think I would rather go without. Besides at that time you could buy new ones for less then a buck, gees. I had to explain to her it was cheaper to buy new ones to give them, then to fix the ones she had. Sometime I wander how many people are that dang clueless.

From time to time when people ask me to sew certain things, I tell them that they can't afford me. If they persue the subject I give them an outragous $ amount per hour such as $35 or $40 per hour with a minimum of 2 hours. They don't ask again.

Good for you

Good for you. Even if you did know how to do alterations, just because you sew doesn't mean you need to feel obligated to do alterations for someone else.
As you told her there are dry cleaners that have people who do alterations.That or look up a person who does tayloring in the phone book or online.

Good one!!

I hate to say it but I like alterations, I like to see if i can get it to look better than it did when it was bought.

Good for you. :thumbup:

It is just soooo awkward. A very good friend of mine asked me to help her husband to make a pattern for a bra for a car! And, she wants me to put elastic in her several of her coats. She always says that she will "pay" me. Yea, like I would really make my friend pay......

I agree, I used to do weddings, prom, alterations, home interiors and clothes clothes clothes. I only want to quilt now and it is like pulling teeth to get me to do clothes.

The older I get it gets easier to say no, but I like how you responded. It doesn't create hard feelings or constant nagging from the person asking.

I love that last line!
Just love it!

Saying 'No' should always be an option. One of my relatives used to have a lot of 'little favors' to ask: "Can you just do this?" (The 'just' meaning that no reasonable person would refuse.) One day, I was late for work after I watched her children 'just for an hour', which turned into four.
I discovered the word 'No' when only a short while later she refused to let me use her sewing machine for a tiny job. (I did not have one at the time.)
I have issued very simple 'No' answers without explanation ever since. She did ask me why I was "so inconsiderate".

To her chagrin I can say more than 'No'.

Last summer when I was barely learning how to sew a straight line my aunt (she's 85) asked me to make a quilt for her granddaughter's high school graduation. I said, "No, it's way beyond my level of expertise." She pleaded, cajoled, coerced, whined, begged and said she would pay me for it. Finally I got tired of hearing the old refrain and told her I would try. I cannot tell you the pain of cutting, sewing, ripping, kicking the walls and cursing before 160 hours had passed and I got the bloody thing finished. Guess who paid for it? Me, me, me. Then on graduation day my aunt told her granddaughter the quilt was from her!!!

Some people can't hear the word "NO!"

Last summer when I was barely learning how to sew a straight line my aunt (she's 85) asked me to make a quilt for her granddaughter's high school graduation. I said, "No, it's way beyond my level of expertise." She pleaded, cajoled, coerced, whined, begged and said she would pay me for it. Finally I got tired of hearing the old refrain and told her I would try. I cannot tell you the pain of cutting, sewing, ripping, kicking the walls and cursing before 160 hours had passed and I got the bloody thing finished. Guess who paid for it? Me, me, me. Then on graduation day my aunt told her granddaughter the quilt was from her!!!

Some people can't hear the word "NO!"