The Sewing Place

slightly panicking!

Yellowfeather

slightly panicking!
« on: June 17, 2017, 07:42:31 AM »
i am so glad to have finally found you all again!  i was really starting to miss TSF, and the advice and encouragement.
i have been super busy with making a load of costumes for a dance school show.  it always starts out as "can you just
do ....."  and then seems to evolve into me doing so many costumes.  this year i started off with one group of 10 adults doing a tap routine, needing a sailor costume.   No problem, just a tunic with a sailor collar and a pair of trousers with elastic waist, lots of different sizes (I feel your pain Catlar!) but not to fitted, so not much of an issue. 
The next "Oh and can you just ..." was another adult group of 12 doing a tap routine to Siamsa, so a kind of hash up of Irish dancing and tap dance.  OK, i have made Irish dance dresses for girls, but for adults????  anyway, not the full blown Irish dance dress thank goodness, but a kind of fitted and flared dress with some applique on - Oh so a nice and easy one then!  so this group goes from very short and rather large, to really tall, and a couple of really skinny ladies, and the dance teacher wants it to be in crushed velour! nasty horrible stuff.  I had to cut each piece out individually, as i couldn't risk mixing up the direction of the grain, and label each dress as i did it, it took me a whole day to do.
The next time i go to the dance school, "Can you just ..."  This time it is a group of 11 children, with a National costume,  which has to look vaguely Polish.  No idea what a Polish National Costume looks like, so Google becomes my best friend. So that is a flowery skirt with a waistcoat and blouse, oh and bloomers, so when they spin, they don't show their knickers! 
i did short cut that costume a bit, with a fake waistcoat/blouse and attached the skirt to the top, so there will be no bits to get lost in the dressing room, but still had to cut out a gazzillion flowers from the skirt fabric and bondaweb them to the neckline.
i have got all these almost ready, as there is a rehearsal tomorrow, i can take the costumes and fit them all in one go, and then i got a text yesterday, Oh, Can you just...  AAAGGGHHH!!!!   now i have 4 boy fairy costumes to make and get ready to fit for tomorrows rehearsal!  Who needs a life??????


Iminei

Re: slightly panicking!
« Reply #1 on: June 17, 2017, 07:51:29 AM »
I feel your pain YF

I knew a mechanic who had a sign in his workshop that read

'Can you just jobs' start at £10 per half hour

Brilliant!
The Imperfect Perfectionist sews again

BrendaP

Re: slightly panicking!
« Reply #2 on: June 17, 2017, 08:53:19 AM »
The other one I liked was:
I charge £20 per hour - £10 for doing it and £10 for knowing how to do it.
Brenda.  My machines are: Corona, a 1953 Singer 201K-3, Caroline, a 1940 Singer 201K-3, Thirza, 1949 Singer 221K, Azilia, 1957 Singer 201K-MK2 and Vera, a Husqvarna 350 SewEasy about 20 years old. Also Bernina 1150 overlocker and Elna 444 Coverstitcher.
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.

Catllar

Re: slightly panicking!
« Reply #3 on: June 17, 2017, 09:50:02 AM »
Oh tell me about it!!!  Those Nationals take an age don't they - lots of yardage!  And I don't care how simple the bloody things are - if you have to make a new pattern to account for the different sizes it goes on forever!

Our teacher is hinting about crushed stretch velvet for us next year - I will have words - it's going to be up there with the suede-y stuff on the revolting level!

I'm pretty much finished but  since then Ive had :

1)a broken zipper to change
2)frills to re-stitch where child got caught on a door knob ( I know - go figure)
3)the vile brown suede-y stuff to alter for one girl who has lost  a shed load of weight in the past month after death of her mum.
 4)a skirt to let out - girl got fatter - polycystic ovary weight gain.
5)skirt to take in - lost weight  - husband left.

These were given to me Thursday pm for use on Sunday. And it's really really too hot to do sewing now apart from for me , of course!

And the best one - could I just - turn this size 12 dress into a size 18 skirt - with no extra fabric? Well of course, I can,  I'll just get my magic fairy to weave more material shall I  and would you like me to feed the 5000 while I'm at it??? 
« Last Edit: June 17, 2017, 09:52:01 AM by Catllar »
If life gives you lemons, add to gin and tonic !

Yellowfeather

Re: slightly panicking!
« Reply #4 on: June 17, 2017, 10:49:54 AM »

And the best one - could I just - turn this size 12 dress into a size 18 skirt - with no extra fabric? Well of course, I can,  I'll just get my magic fairy to weave more material shall I  and would you like me to feed the 5000 while I'm at it???

Shall I send you some fish??? ;)

b15erk

Re: slightly panicking!
« Reply #5 on: June 17, 2017, 11:30:02 AM »
 :D :) :D :)

 :toast:

Jessie
Jessie, who is very happy to be here!!  :),  but who has far too many sewing machines to be healthy, and a fabric stash which is becoming embarrassing.

Catllar

Re: slightly panicking!
« Reply #6 on: June 17, 2017, 20:56:27 PM »
Shall I send you some fish??? ;)

I guess we should  all be pleased the people think we can work miracles, so yes please fish would be good and sliced white if you can manage it - I have sandwiches to make!!
If life gives you lemons, add to gin and tonic !