Mending--I don't think so....
 

I saw a posting on Facebook, but couldn't figure out how to post it here.

It was one of those cute antique-looking cards that said:

Asking a quilter to mend something is like asking Michelangelo to paint a garage.

Very clever, huh?

lol,I have seen that-sew true and funny

So true! My daughter has lost some weight and asked me if I knew how to take in a waistband. Uh....no! I can quilt, but for some reason cannot do clothes well.

You don't even want to know what my mending pile looks like! And somehow DH thinks I can make whole cloth out of thin air with the things he sticks in that pile!

one of our members uses that in her signature

That is so funny!!!

When $600 is about average for one hunting jacket, I will mend a rip or two for DH. I have been known to pink the hems of too long prom dresses for my girls and say perfect! LOL

I mend clothes. I make clothes. And I quilt. To me it sewing which I like to do.

I am meticulous in mending clothes as I am in my quilting.

When I have to I will do hems, usually for my husband's jeans for some reason he can't find them in the right length! However he always says (when he sees my sleeves rolled up) it's too bad that you don't know someone who sews!!

I hate and despise altering and not particularly fond of mending, but I've got a jacket I simply love that's a bit too big for me. I can't decide if I want to deconstruct it or just let it droop on me! It wouldn't be easy to alter, the body is princess style and has embroidery that lays over the chest seams.

My hubby brought in his barn jacket-----------with the whole front bottom worn off---------to get mended. I thought I'd fix him good, so I found some fleece with a cardinal on it and used that. I thought maybe that would discourage him coming back with more mending. Didn't phase him. His tools don't care one hoot what he looks like.

Ah but you can! Just cut it up into squares,strips etc and make a quilt.

I've been sewing since I was 12. I made my clothes, my wedding dress, my children's clothes, until my daughter was in college, I made clothes for other people, I made bedspreads, drapes, cushions, etc, for other people( for money) and I still make drapes and cushions for my house. But I've lost all interest in making clothes for myself, and haven't done so in years. And I detest mending, but I'll do it if I have to.

Sharoney -- I agree. I have been sewing since 5 (grandma's treadle -- oh how I wish that machine did not get taken to the dump). I started making my own clothes at 9, made my wedding dress, shirts and pj's for DH and children's clothes. In college I did mending (and made good money). I made drapes, cushions, did upholstering and made throw pillows. I too have a hard time making something for myself -- and lately I have had a hard time getting motivated to do any sewing (sigh) even though I feel like I am in heaven when I go down and quilt. I will do mending, but not happily.

Michelangelo wasn't too good to do a church ceiling, and I'm not too good to mend. I'll hem something, stitch something if a seam rips, etc. My son will often tear up something and I'll fix it. I've sewn all my life and can do a zipper, but my dry cleaner will do it for $10, so why should I bother? But the tone of the inital Facebook quote bothers me, even if said in jest-I have an issue with every second rate quilter who calls themselves an artist and their sewing room a studio. Pleeeezzzzeee, honey, we've seen your work. Not you, Booklady, some of the people on Facebook forums.

OUCH! That stings!

A beautiful colored or patterned quilt that may not have the precision sewing or piecing will win my vote over a masterfully sewn butt ugly quilt any day.

I will do basic mending. Not for money and only for family or close friends. I had someone ask me if I altered clothes and I said "no." I can follow a basic pattern, like a vest or tote bag, but changing it to where it will fit a certain body type - not skilled enough.

I'm not a professional quilter but I call the room where my machines are my "Quilt Studio." Years ago, I was watching an episode of Murphy Brown. She was at an Art Exhibit and she made a statement that her 2 year old could do better. So, she pretended that some of her childs drawings were actually by a famous artist and she fooled a lot of people. Anyone else remember that episode. It's been a looooong time ago.

So, art, like beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder.

I sew, I quilt. I love to sew, that was my first love, and I did not make a quilt until a few years ago. I am not very good at altering, but I can struggle thru. Right now I am in the middle of making my dd wedding dress. Well not really in the middle but starting over as she found a pattern she likes better than the one we first intended. So today I am hitting JoAnns for more muslin to make a test dress, then onto the real one for her. I loved making clothes for my grandkids, still do. I don't sew much for myself anymore, but I do still do sewing to decorate. Have a very cool little sewing room with all the things I have made, so I guess I love to do both. And I have to say I am probably a better sewer than I am a quilter, but I have been sewing 90% of my lifetime, quilting not so long...

I have a mug that says "quilters don't do buttons." That said, I sewed clothing for decades before discovering quilting. I will only do repairs for three people: my father-in-law (who thinks anything I touch is golden), my husband (who bought me TWO VikingHusqvarna machines and a house with a room to put them in) and my daughter. All others are informed that I don't do alterations or repairs because I hate hate hate doing them.

There is skill involved in mending. I admire people who can do a good job at it. Examples include my late grandmothers and my mother. And when done for others, as much love is given as that given in making a quilt for someone.

Last night I mended a "made in China" knit dress for the 7 year old girl next door. It has rows and rows of narrow decorative ruffle that was somehow gathered in the same step as application to the dress. Mending a ruffle was a tedious job, but a worthwhile one. Now nobody can tell it was mended, and my little friend can wear the dress with pride. Meanwhile, she has learned that things can be fixed instead of tossed away when a small problem develops.

Mending may not be considered artistic, but as already posted, neither are a lot of quilts. And workmanship on either endeavor can either be shoddy or of good quality.

Dayle

I do mending for my granddaughters. They bring me their stuff by the bag full. I can't say no to them. They are both short....so I do get the prom and homecoming dresses. Their mother has a hard time sewing a button on.....so it all me. I really need to teach one of them how to sew!

Mending isn't my choice, but it seems that my sewing room holds a number of things my family wants me to "fix" the pile isn't getting smaller...I hate doing it...but for LOVE I will...I just love to quilt..

I love mending clothes. My daughter just brought me 4 snowmobile suits with the knees out. (She has a day care and keeps these around.) It took me a few days to figure out how to do that. I'm going to cut open the side seam, cut out the whole knee, and put a new piece in there. That will be the quickest and easiest. I'm just looking for some rip-stop nylon to use for the outer fabric. The suits are in good condition except for the knees, and I think they are worth it.
I also make jackets and square dance dresses for myself, and am making quilts for all of my 21 grandchildren.
Do I feel like Picasso? You bet. Most people are quite proud of their own work, even though they know it isn't really artistic.
Quote from this thread: At least she has learned that things can be fixed instead of tossed away when a small problem develops. ( from Daylesewblessed)

I've always mended. When doing laundry, if something is discovered that requires mending, right to the sewing room we go and it is fixed immediately. Also when helping out daughters with their laundry, can't stand to see things that need mended. Yes, I sew garments and home decor items along with the mending and quilting. Just LOVE to sew and it doesn't matter "what."

I guess it’s no surprise not to find many clothing menders and alteration/repair sewers on a quilting board. I mend clothing and accessories more than doing quilt work, which so far has only included quilt block piecing.

I’d like to find a forum where folks primarily discuss mending and alterations, but I haven’t bumped into it yet.

CD in Oklahoma

Believe it or not! Leah Day has a video lesson dedicated to just this topic. She does a pretty clever "cover-up" at the same time she uses the SITD.

I totally agree!

Believe it or not, I used to do lots of mending in my day. I grew up in an era that was dedicated to frugality and with a mother who was a perfectionist. Mending tears or making things fit was an art form! My Home Economics teacher was also "one of those" who thought everyone ought to learn to mend--even knitted sweaters.

I find that the most mending my husband needs is his back right pockets where his billfold goes. He wears a hole in it. That is all the mending that is required of me. And it's a little tricky not to sew the pocket closed.

While I'd rather be quilting, I don't mind mending one bit because everytime I mend something for my DH or kids they act like I'm just the cleverest person in the whole world to be able to fix something that they would have just tossed out. I guess they know how to brown-nose me! And weekend after next, I'm going to spend 2 wonderful, fun days doing alterations on prom dresses for underpriviledged girls at Cinderella's Closet. I've done this for the past 5 or 6 years and I wouldn't miss it for anything. Those young ladies can't believe that anyone can sew and transform these beautiful dresses to fit them perfectly. It really stokes my ego.

I use the line it's a sewing machine not a mending machine. LOL That being said I do quick repairs on hubbys and my clothes, DD and DGK's are out of state so no need to do any fixing for them.

I would rather buy new clothes than mend. I'm not the greatest at it and it frustrates me with how it looks. I've made some clothes from scratch and that is easier than mending...lol.

I will hem and mend for someone that I love. :). I used to sew for myself but I would much rather make quilts than clothes. However I adopted a 85 pound Boxer named Olivia that I am squeezing into a too small coat to go for walks. Bought the fleece will attempt to draft a pattern off the old coat and make it bigger. Poor Olivia they don't make cute clothes for big girls!

If it can be done on a sewing machine (sometimes by hand too) , I will do it, one way or the other. Kind of like the little engine who could. I see a quilt and look at the pattern and try and figure out how it was made.

Good for you Pam, what a great thing. Kids today don't usually get to learn how to sew in school like us oldies did. When in high school my neice was born and I made her Raggdy Ann and Andy and clothes. Mom looked at me and said if you can sew that good I am not sewing for you any more. Now I will attempt anything. And I take after my grandfather and can figure many things out without a pattern and make one like it.

If you find one, let me know. How about we start one. LOL I wouldn't know the first thing about that.
I do a lot of patch, remodel, repair work. If it can be fixed, I'd love to do it, rather than throw it out. I even fix stuff before I donate it to Good Will or St. Vinney's. And I pick up stuff there that I can fix and re-donate!

Awww...Olivia is beautiful!!
I can mend but have never liked to do it....not sure why, since I love to sew.

"Sideways" I am in love with your fur-baby, I used to breed Boxers many decades ago and I know what wonderful characters and love babies they are, and as for Baby sitters duties they are the best :)

As far as mending is concerned, about 6 years ago when I moved back down to North Wales to be near my sister she gave me a huge pile of jeans/trousers etc; and said seeing I could sew could I sort them out!

I did one pair of Jeans and delivered them all back to my Sister along with a Toyota cheapy dressmaking machine that I had, and told her.

"You know I use to be a Chef? Well asking a quilter to mend clothes is like asking a Chef to do the washing up!

Never had another request for mending from any of the family! They think I am to posh to mend, they don't know what quilters are.

In my sewing days, I would rather construct a garment from scratch than do alterations. We won't even talk about "mending" quilts! Nope, nada, no way!