The Sewing Place

The Emporia => Sewing Professionally => Topic started by: Bloobell on July 07, 2018, 16:45:39 PM

Title: Slight rant...ridiculous request
Post by: Bloobell on July 07, 2018, 16:45:39 PM
I was telephoned at almost 9pm last night by a hotel that's about a 40 minute drive away from me. Hotel is one of those luxury former country house places, which has, according to hubby, had Justin Bieber staying there. Remember - 40 minute drive, each way.

Call was from someone in the management of the hotel, asking if I could help them out. They have a "huge wedding" there today. One of the bridal party tried their outfit on for the first time yesterday (I know, right). It didn't fit.

It needs altering around the bodice and bust, and the length needs shortened.

The wedding is today. Saturday.

They need me to drive up to them, do the fitting, take the dress and jacket away and fix them and then drive back to deliver them. Before the wedding. Which is today.

Today.

So that's four 40 minute journeys (assuming no disasters on the motorway). The alternative was to pack up my sewing machine and all the bits of kit I might need and do the alteration up there.

I don't even know the colour of the damn dress, so how can I pack the right colour of thread? Will I need boning? Will I need a replacement zip? Buttons? Hooks and eyes?

And as for lugging my precious and sodding heavy, worth £1500 sewing machine and £1000 overlocker in my car to a hotel room to work with an audience, where the bridal party will no doubt be screaming at each other over it and comforting a sobbing bride (or holding her back from stabbing her mother, mother in law or bridesmaid)......

No.
Thank.
You!!!

Who, in their right minds, leaves it till the night before the stupid wedding to try on their flaming outfit??????
Title: Re: Slight rant...ridiculous request
Post by: UttaRetch on July 07, 2018, 16:55:25 PM
I think maybe someone mistook you for a theatrical wardrobe mistress who can magic up a change in no time at all. 0_0

They can afford a fancy wedding, but don't have the brains to check every last detail ahead of time.  Tough.
Title: Re: Slight rant...ridiculous request
Post by: Acorn on July 07, 2018, 17:02:04 PM
I'd say that if one of the bridal party couldn't be bothered to try on her dress any earlier, maybe she shouldn't be in the bridal party!

I don't care if she's been on the other side of the world, if you take on that sort of commitment, you have to take it seriously.
Title: Re: Slight rant...ridiculous request
Post by: Ohsewsimple on July 07, 2018, 18:05:58 PM
That would be my response too. Clearly don't understand how long things take.  Hell of a nerve I'd say.
Title: Re: Slight rant...ridiculous request
Post by: Sandra on July 07, 2018, 18:23:08 PM
Good grief!
That's too much to ask/expect from anyone.

Some people.... :fish:

Sandra.
xxx
Title: Re: Slight rant...ridiculous request
Post by: Bloobell on July 07, 2018, 19:23:13 PM
Glad its not just me!!! I wonder how it went....hubby said I could have charged a fortune, but I think I'd have lost my mind in exchange! In this heat, tempers were bound to fray.
Title: Re: Slight rant...ridiculous request
Post by: BrendaP on July 07, 2018, 21:07:41 PM
It needs altering around the bodice and bust, and the length needs shortened.

and might have arrived on the boat from China.... so who knows what else was wrong with it!


No.
Thank.
You!!!


Absolutely the right response!

Tell her to breath in hard, or find some safety pins, or send her out to buy a needle and thread, but don't expect anyone else to do that sort of alteration, without warning, on the day.
Title: Re: Slight rant...ridiculous request
Post by: Mr Twingo on July 08, 2018, 08:17:18 AM
I don't even know the colour of the damn dress

I think I can answer that for you:

In the pink on the happiest day of your life…
(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/06/01/15/004AAB1500000258-4562670-image-a-15_1496328010091.jpg)

or

Uniquely corny…
(https://i.pinimg.com/736x/3b/f8/8a/3bf88ac005ac2a3154e189742056acc4.jpg)
Title: Re: Slight rant...ridiculous request
Post by: Samantha on July 08, 2018, 12:37:16 PM
Those of you saying what a nerve and you can't expect someone to do - why not? I'm assuming they were expecting to pay for it and if anyone was brave enough to do it then I hope they were paid handsomely.  Yes it is a stupid person who doesn't try on their on their outfit before but a non sewer is not going to know how much work might be involved in fixing it and you never know, you might get lucky and find someone. If you don't ask you don't get.
Title: Re: Slight rant...ridiculous request
Post by: Lowena on July 08, 2018, 12:59:56 PM
I might be one of those daft people who wouldn't try on a dress in advance  :| I hate trying on clothes, and it has been known  :|
Title: Re: Slight rant...ridiculous request
Post by: mammafairy on July 08, 2018, 14:31:29 PM
Congratulations on being strong enough to say no! I would have wanted to, but would have been unable to say absolute no. I might have suggested they do the round trip rather than you, though, if they want it enough.  And charge an good excess for the tight schedule, with no promises, as the alterations may not be possible....
Title: Re: Slight rant...ridiculous request
Post by: Sewingsue on July 08, 2018, 14:53:36 PM
I suspect the hotel management just wanted to be able to go back to the guest and say they had tried but been unsuccessful (while thinking 'silly mare, serves her right, still they can't say we didn't try).
Title: Re: Slight rant...ridiculous request
Post by: UttaRetch on July 08, 2018, 15:07:46 PM
I'm assuming they were expecting to pay for it and if anyone was brave enough to do it then I hope they were paid handsomely.
They could go out and buy a new dress for the money I would charge. 0_0  In fact, buying a new dress would have been by far the simplest solution.
Title: Re: Slight rant...ridiculous request
Post by: BrendaP on July 08, 2018, 16:29:53 PM
Those of you saying what a nerve and you can't expect someone to do - why not? I'm assuming they were expecting to pay for it and if anyone was brave enough to do it then I hope they were paid handsomely. 

What if 'someone' (Bloobell) had driven for 40+ minutes, looked at the dress, said it couldn't be done, or couldn't be done in the ridiculously small amount of time left, and then had another 40+ minutes drive home.   Would they have paid handsomely for her time and petrol?
Title: Re: Slight rant...ridiculous request
Post by: Samantha on July 08, 2018, 17:21:41 PM
What if 'someone' (Bloobell) had driven for 40+ minutes, looked at the dress, said it couldn't be done, or couldn't be done in the ridiculously small amount of time left, and then had another 40+ minutes drive home.   Would they have paid handsomely for her time and petrol?

Yep! Or you don't go and look. They've probably got the money if it's a swanky hotel and if they're in a bind then they'll have to pay for their stupidity.
Title: Re: Slight rant...ridiculous request
Post by: crafter on July 08, 2018, 19:58:08 PM
If this is the bride, its probably the case that she has lost half a stone over the last week due to stress.

I am such a mug softee, that I would have gone and I would probably have charged my normal rate.

That is why I never made any money sewing professionally.
Title: Re: Slight rant...ridiculous request
Post by: Bloobell on July 08, 2018, 20:30:31 PM
They weren't offering me anything for going and looking, just payment  if I did the alterations. I was right about the temperature making folk fractious. After all, we're bickering a wee bit on here, and I really didn't intend that, sorry everyone. I said they needed to use someone closer to eliminate the three hours of travel I'd accrue.
Title: Re: Slight rant...ridiculous request
Post by: BrendaP on July 08, 2018, 20:42:10 PM
They weren't offering me anything for going and looking, just payment  if I did the alterations.

All the more reason for saying you did the right thing by refusing!
Title: Re: Slight rant...ridiculous request
Post by: Samantha on July 08, 2018, 20:42:26 PM
@Bloobell if they weren’t offering to pay you for your time to go over there to see if you could help then they really do deserve all the comments on here  :fish: :fish:
Title: Re: Slight rant...ridiculous request
Post by: Sewingsue on July 08, 2018, 21:13:27 PM
They weren't offering me anything for going and looking, just payment  if I did the alterations. I was right about the temperature making folk fractious. After all, we're bickering a wee bit on here, and I really didn't intend that, sorry everyone. I said they needed to use someone closer to eliminate the three hours of travel I'd accrue.
Now that was taking the proverbial.
Title: Re: Slight rant...ridiculous request
Post by: Ohsewsimple on July 08, 2018, 22:13:28 PM
If they'd wanted it done, they should have come to you!
Title: Re: Slight rant...ridiculous request
Post by: PollyWally on July 09, 2018, 05:17:39 AM
Surely in this digital age they could have emailed you some photos so at least you would have some idea what was required.
Title: Re: Slight rant...ridiculous request
Post by: b15erk on July 09, 2018, 09:26:55 AM
Bloobell, don't feel bad, it was an unreasonable request.  It would have helped had the message come from the person concerned - not the hotel. 

Even so, not your problem.  As someone said they could have offered to come to you.

Jessie
Title: Re: Slight rant...ridiculous request
Post by: Bloobell on July 09, 2018, 18:04:40 PM
To be honest, I'd never agree to do work on a bridal party outfit in such a short space of time anyway, unless it was something super easy like re-sewing a dropped hem or fixing a missing hook and eye. Anything else would be too risky - I get really clumsy when I'm nervous and I really don't like to be rushed. The faster I try to go, the slower I am, because I make mistakes and forget things. All in all, this was one for someone with nerves of steel to survive the stress and bridal squealing, a workroom much closer to the hotel than mine and a neck with enough brass in it to charge the appropriate amount.
Title: Re: Slight rant...ridiculous request
Post by: crafter on August 01, 2018, 22:57:51 PM
I agree with @Bloobell.  In my bridalwear days  I always insisted on finishing the garments one month before the big day.  Call me over cautious but I had had enough of trying to work through flu, sprained wrist, sick children, etc. etc.