£19 for silk velvet (plus silk lining plus a very fine lawn) for my DiL's wedding dress.  I didn't begrudge that, but usually buy bargain designer remnants for me.  Some of my customers have brought expensive fabrics. Like everyone else, that gave me the horrors when cutting into it.  On the other hand, those fabrics make up so beautifully and are so good to sew that it almost converted me to paying top dollar. 

Making a full skirt gathered into a waistband. Added an inseam pocket, all very neat, and stay-tacked it to the upper edge to keep it level.  Then gathered the skirt neatly onto the waistband.  Found I had a  gathered pocket, so had to undo the gathers and the stay tacking, regather the skirt and pin the pocket onto the gathers. Nice and even, then remembered I was going to add belt loops to the waistband. Put them in and this should be the last run

Try undoing the facing at the bottom of the waistband. Then with the waistband underneath (and no even feed, if you have it) sew a stay tape along the seam at the top of the waistband, keep the tape taut and let the band do its own thing. Hopefully the feed dogs will gather the fabric slightly as you sew and pull it in. In fact, measure the desired length on to a piece of tape and mark it (don't cut it, so you have something to hold on to). Pin the tape evenly at several places along the band to the measured length, then proceed as above.

Took my spare blade in when I had my 20 year old Huskylock for a service and the man said it didn't need changing.  Still, I don't think it has ever hit a pin.