Everyone brings their mending to me...and buttons...I have lost count of the number of total replacement "button jobs" I have done (you know, where they lose one button and the whole lot need replacing, 'cause there's not a matching one to be found). Thank goodness I have an enormous button stash..."The Button Collection" originally belonged to my G.Grandmother, then she passed it to my G.Mother, then she to Mum and as my mother is a minimalist and hates clutter,I am now the "keeper of the buttons".

Except for my immediate family I've learned to just say no!!!

Oh Butterflyblue, I'm 5'7" w/33 inseam, have to go for talls if can be found, then shorten all others are high waters "yuk" guess their going for an aveage, haven't yet figured that out yet, Funny part is can buy mens pants waist and length ! Wonder why that is?? :-)

There is one thing I really don't like to do & that is mending for myself let alone others. I usually get out of it but then it depends on who it is for too.

I was a "sewer" before a "quilter" so everyone knows I know how to do it. I don't mind the change up every now and then! My mothers owns a laundry/pressing bussiness and she gets a lot of alterations. I often do them for her for a little extra cash!

And then there was the time back in the day that I gave in and made the bridal party's dresses ---- not only did I not get paid for the fabric and notions and patterns, but nothing for my time either and they had the nerve to ask me to sew for the next wedding...I had what can only be described as a "laughing fit" so bad my DH thought I was having an asthma attack!! LOL To this day these people don't understand why I won't do sewing for hire!

I teach sewing in high school, I've had kids, teachers, district office personnel, the principal, the security people - all ask us to mend things for them. Oh, and let's not forget the parents - they send stuff with their kid to school and ask if we'll mend it. And the principal even asked one of the boys in my class to make him an apron - the principal is 6'7", so am I supposed to alter an existing pattern for him and what about the material??


We say no and in the case of the principal, we never mentioned it again and neither did he.

I read this somewhere.
Asking a quilter to mend
is like asking Pacaso (sp)to paint
your garage.
( Just not done)LOL

I only mend for a few people. My Sister is on disability, so I sew and mend for her and her little daughter.
I had a cousin that begged me for weeks to make her kids costumes. I told her I didnt have the time to do it, but she said, Oh, it will be quick and EASY!!!!!!!!
So, I said, then WHY DONT YOU make them, lol?????
Of course, she never did!

That's exactly what I say.