I'm a quilter. We don't do buttons. Neither do we do alterations! Unless, of course, it's by accident.
In truth- I do sometimes alter things- I alter materials to make quilts. I alter ingredients to make dishes (food). I have mended holes in jeans & shirts. But I don't do it often and I sure don't volunteer!
Couple days ago, a lady that was visiting our store for the 1st time made her purchase, went to her car, then came back in & asked if I could sew a patch on a shirt. "You mean a regular patch? like boy scout patch? What's the hitch?" ( Really, who can't sew on a patch?) She said the last time she had it done the patches didn't stay on & one wasn't even straight! Oh. OK. Sure. (THat was the ACCident!) So she'd bring it to me the next day (yesterday).
She DID come yesterday --- with a BOX full of blue stuff. We had lunch time customers just then so she briefly told me about the patches and hemming the pants. PANTS?? Well you know we were too busy & I never imagined she though I could do it while she waited. So OK, she'll come back later after the lunch hour.
You know it- we hadn't even had a breather by the time she returned. Work was not done.
Turns out there were SEVEN shirts-- each to have patches on BOTH sleeves. On four of the shirts, I first had to remove the old patches, then sew on the new patches! Plus-put a patch on a CAP and- hem TWO pair of pants & remember- she had only asked me if I could sew a patch on a shirt! Got 'em done & she's already picked them up. It concerns me- where are the other sewing people between here & where this lady lives (30 miles away)?
A different customer couple of weeks ago asked if I'd alter pants. I'd referred him to a place I know but he said he'd already checked there & it was a minimum 3-week wait!
Stan had a great time of it- he's thinking of all kinds of new services we can provide at our store.
Nothing doing, I say!
In truth- I do sometimes alter things- I alter materials to make quilts. I alter ingredients to make dishes (food). I have mended holes in jeans & shirts. But I don't do it often and I sure don't volunteer!
Couple days ago, a lady that was visiting our store for the 1st time made her purchase, went to her car, then came back in & asked if I could sew a patch on a shirt. "You mean a regular patch? like boy scout patch? What's the hitch?" ( Really, who can't sew on a patch?) She said the last time she had it done the patches didn't stay on & one wasn't even straight! Oh. OK. Sure. (THat was the ACCident!) So she'd bring it to me the next day (yesterday).
She DID come yesterday --- with a BOX full of blue stuff. We had lunch time customers just then so she briefly told me about the patches and hemming the pants. PANTS?? Well you know we were too busy & I never imagined she though I could do it while she waited. So OK, she'll come back later after the lunch hour.
You know it- we hadn't even had a breather by the time she returned. Work was not done.
Turns out there were SEVEN shirts-- each to have patches on BOTH sleeves. On four of the shirts, I first had to remove the old patches, then sew on the new patches! Plus-put a patch on a CAP and- hem TWO pair of pants & remember- she had only asked me if I could sew a patch on a shirt! Got 'em done & she's already picked them up. It concerns me- where are the other sewing people between here & where this lady lives (30 miles away)?
A different customer couple of weeks ago asked if I'd alter pants. I'd referred him to a place I know but he said he'd already checked there & it was a minimum 3-week wait!
Stan had a great time of it- he's thinking of all kinds of new services we can provide at our store.
Nothing doing, I say!
1 comment:
EEKKK!! I hate repairs, alterations, etc. I only do those thing for my mom and DH! I hope you charged her appropriately!
And then there are the people that bring a quilt that just needs "a little repair work"... but patches are shredded, seams are undone, binding is g-o-n-e. I ask them how much they love the quilt and would they be willing to pay in the three digit $ amount, because time is money. I finally just started telling people I don't do repairs on old quilts.
I actually had someone that had a store-bought quilt, part of it where her husband pulled it up over him was worn out, and she wanted me to use one of the pillow shams and just sew it over the worn out part... nope, I don't work that way. HAHA! Which reminds me... I need to tell the friend that referred her to me to NOT send any more "quilt repair needed" customers my way.
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