This is the job I've been working on today.
I get a lot of alterations from this lady and most of it would be considered 'funny'...She's lovely, but she doesn't half find me some odd work to do...(and she'd be the first to admit to it.
) She's always delighted with whatever I've done for her...so she's a great customer...but some of the things she's asked me to do, make me feel a bit embarrassed.
I think it was Bloobell who said...'part of you will die inside'...when you have to bodge something? That's absolutely spot-on. I know exactly what you mean.
Well I've done more of that sort of work for this lady than for anyone else.
This coat needed to have about 8 inches adding to the length. Customer helpfully supplied a second coat for me to cut up.
The spare coat was a few sizes larger, so I had a bit extra to play with across the width of the pieces I added on.
I cut the new pieces at 15 inches deep...just to be sure I'd have enough after levelling everything up...plus...the back of the coat seemed to lift up a bit shorter than the front when the lady tried it on, so I wanted, and needed to have the extra allowance for the back.
The pattern's obviously off, and we've got a slightly fluffy line where the pieces have been seamed on. There just isn't that much fabric to play with pattern matching. The length has been safety pinned up for now at roughly the length she wanted. She will return for a fitting and we'll see how it is and if I need to do anything else.
Another problem with the coat was the neckline. It's simply cut far too wide and is showing too much skin around the neck. Customer started talking about collars...
Then she mentioned she didn't like how the back of the coat seemed to swing outwards, so I pinned a chunk out, losing about three inches at the neck, straight down to lose about 5 inches at the hem. She said it felt much better around the neckline, (so I think I've got away without having to worry about a collar.)
Sandra.
xxx