Before and after…
On Wednesday, as my husband was leaving for work, I noticed he was holding a neatly folded pair of pants and jeans. My questioning look resulted in a verbal response – “I’m going to drop these to the mending ladies on the way into the city this morning. My jeans pocket has a hole in it and the button on my pants needs sewing on.”
Negotiations started, and needless to say, I put up a good argument and I got the job! Mind you, I originally was given the job of sewing the button back on three weeks ago…
Jeans with a hole in the pocket (you might need to look closely)…
Jeans after my repair job, which is far from perfect (hello wonky stitching!), but none-the-less very functional.
And the School Fair Skirt formula I was devising last week…
Is now a girls skirt.
My favourite thing about this skirt is definitely the ‘tucks’ near the hem. I unashamedly copied borrowed the idea from a RTW skirt.
A couple of ovesights during the ‘drafting/formula calculation’ phase did lead to some ‘on the go’ improvements. A contrasting waistband facing was not in the original plan, but I really like it!
Now I have 15 more of these to make between now and next March. If you were me, would you?
- start a production line now and get them over and done with
- do a couple a month – slow and steady wins the race
- leave it to the last minute
With me, any of these things are possible!
The skirt I adore…..I’d definitely buy it!!!!
Thanks Ivon. The huge question of course is always pricing. Thankfully, we have lots of time to think about that!
Nice mending. Sometimes those simplest of tasks take so long to get around to! The skirt looks great. Hmm… I’d be open to all the production possibilities too! Probably think too long about first two options and end up having to do the last 🙂
Thanks Jane. Can you believe that I’m already procrastinating about purchasing the fabric? The thought of washing and drying it in this weather is very off-putting!
If I was me, I would do all the skirts at the last minute. And hate myself for it.
But if I was you, I would do a production line. You might hate every step but before you know it, you’ll have a great big rack of skirts!
Carolyn, you’ve summed it up perfectly!
You VOLUNTEERED to do mending…???
I know, I’m nuts!
Production line is my suggestion. Make the time to get them done early. Then you don’t have to think about them anymore.
It is excellent advice. Tonight I’m going to start by calculating the amount of fabric I need to purchase.
Get that production under way and you will feel sooooo happy when they are done.
Good advice Linda. Thanks.
Get a production line going. Otherwise you are going to hate those skirts and resent volunteering to do them. Or at least I would. A while back I told 3 friends I would make softies for their bubs and hated doing 3 of the same thing at the same time!!
I must admit I’m a bit like that too. Although, give me a item of clothing to sew any day over a cushion, softie or oven mit!
I think I vote for production line too. I love that your husband was going to drop his mending into an alterations shop. I think I’d kill mine if he tried to do that!!
I did have to have stern words 🙂
I tried to get my husband to take his new jeans to the mending lady but he suggested I used my machines to do it!! It took about 4 weeks of them sitting in the ironing bucket before I finally got around to it… I would cut all the skirts out at once and then make one every two weeks. I don’t like production line making because I get all confused and end up putting the wrong pieces together. That’s what works for me when making shorts or pants for the boys. I make them each about 8 pairs per season.
Your detail is very helpful Leith. I think it’s the way to proceed.
Another vote for the production line approach. I’d segment the jobs so that you only do one bit at a time. Cutting out one weekend, all the overlocker stuff another day, attach the waistbands in one session and so on.
My next door neighbour gave me his jeans for a pocket repair. His fiance was SO embarrassed, He only did it once. My husband and kids wouldn’t think of taking repairs anyway else.
Production line it is! 🙂
Production line – stat! That way it’s over and done with, and you can sew for yourself guilt free!
(and trust me – I’m a school fete sewing veteran 😉 )
Good advice from a school fete veteran 🙂
Another customer here! And another vote for production line… but I’d go the prolonged production line. One session would kill me!
Was that an offer to help me? Just kidding 🙂