The Sewing Place
The Emporia => Sewing Professionally => Topic started by: Tinkyandi on November 16, 2020, 20:50:52 PM
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So, I have an excellent reputation in my town for being great value and a genius. I don't feel comfortable with the second description, but hey!
Anyway, fast forward to recent times and our local foreign population are now frequent customers. I get odd requests regularly from them, from being very careful to shorten mummy's very expensive dress that cost her over £1400 (it had plastic rhinestones glued on it!) to doing seriously tight tapering to trouser legs, so much so that the gent really had to force his feet in ... on his request, and he was delighted with the result.
Well, this one particular lady started out by bringing me a leatherette skirt that she wanted me to put a zip top to bottom at the front. No problem. Then is was a seriously fluffy cardigan that she wanted a zip putting in, again no problem.
Then she arrive with 2 coats. Both pre-loved, one a size 6 and one a size 8. The lady was a size 16/18 (a guess as she did not want me to measure her in any way), her words "make them fit please". I explained there would not be enough in the seams to do this after a quick look. So she then says " make one out of both. Ooooh my days! One coat was faux fur and the other a corduroy type of material.
I am nuts and LOVE a challenge. So off we go! I snipped all the way up the middle back of the corduroy coat and then snipped a panel out of the faux fur coat at the back. Luckily they were exactly the same length. I put it all together and awaited her return. First fit and it was too large, which I expected, but it gave me the opportunity the gauge how big the panel at the back needed to be.
Fast forward to collection day of the finished coat, which was Friday just gone. Obviously I can't let anyone in my shop at the moment, so she came to the door. I handed her the coat from my doorway and she stripped down to try it on. It was only a blinking perfect fit! and although it sounds hideous it turns out corduroy and faux fur look quite good together. One thing is for sure ... no one else will have a coat like that! 0_0 0_0
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Sounds wonderful! 0_0
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Would have liked to see that coat. You sound highly skilled. Welcome to TSP.
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Welcome to TSP @Tinkyandi :) Love your intro story. Would have liked to see that coat too! :)
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Welcome and after that story I see why you are regarded as a genius.
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Welcome to the forum. :)
Sounds like you do the same weird sort of alterations I do. :S I get exactly the same from one lady where she brings two items (both too small) so I can make them into one item which will fit. A really lovely lady but she brings some very strange combinations sometimes.
Sandra.
xxx
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Welcome @Tinkyandi :flower: :drink:
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Welcome from me too. :D
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A big welcome from me too @Tinkyandi !
Grab a brew and a slice of cake and jump right in!
Jessie
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Welcome @Tinkyandi . Sounds as if both you and @Sandra would be perfect candidates for the Sewing Bee transformation challenge!
Curious to know who Tinky is/was :D
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Welcome @Tinkyandi . Sounds as if both you and @Sandra would be perfect candidates for the Sewing Bee transformation challenge!
:scream: No, no, no.
I'd need a week or so to think about it. Not 90 minutes or whatever they get.
And I still don't think I'd know what to do. :S
Sandra.
xxx
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Welcome @Tinkyandi , well done in the transformation challenge ;) I hope you charged appropriately. I wouldn't know where to start.
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Welcome @Tinkyandi ... One rule of being a member of TSP is Pics, Pics, Pics
Would love to see a pic of that coat!
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Sorry ladies I failed on the picture front! It sat in my shop waiting for her to pick up for more than 2 weeks as well :S
My favourite job to date has been fixing and Elvis impersonators suit. You know, the white one with gems all over it. His ex girlfriend cut the crotch and armpits out :laughing:
Does anyone else get men in with their undies to fix? lol
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Welcome, and yes. I do drag for a few guys so I sometimes get far too close and personal. I also usually have my DH at the shop, so men are far more comfortable when they come. Luckily, I have an antique dressing screen I can put around them when they sit while I do repairs...but I have taken to having an extra lab coat around for the purpose since they want to check out the antique cars.
Few years ago, I was backstage under a Scarlet O'Hara type dress...repairing some of the foundational support by hand. I was like, you fart I am charging you 100 extra and sticking my needle someplace you don't want.
The gasps and terror or men in stages of dress was funny when I crawled out. No one knew I was under it.
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Welcome. Great stories!
Curious to know who Tinky is/was :D
I read it as "Tinky Andi" and figured "tinky" was some esoteric UK term meaning crafty or handy.
Whichever, glad to meet you.
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Tinky means "boss" in teenager/games-speak I believe.
I interpreted the name as boss andy.
Or something to do with teletubbies.
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Nothing as staggering as that. Tinky was one of my kitties. It was always Tinky and I <3
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I read it as Tinki and I - though I had no idea who Tinki might be!