Put the Scissors Down

If you know nothing about sewing or alterations at all, this is a good place for a pair of scissors. Just put them on display and never put them to a garment or piece of cloth. If you can not cut a straight line what so ever I also suggest just display those scissors of yours, better yet hide them in a drawer. Out of sight out of mind. The reason I suggest this so strongly, more than once I have be asked to correct the mistakes of a layman. “I thought I would try to hem these slacks myself”, says a client as I, looking at the chunky cut fabric with an angle and bordering on becoming too short after the fact. Said client not being able to have the slacks any shorter expects me to fix the mistake and make them as good as new. Wrongo. You cannot add back what has been cut. Just like when your child decided to cut her own bangs, before her first piano recital and they are crooked and close to the hair line in spots. Every Mother has experienced this at one time or another. Only good thing about that scenario, the hair grows back. In the meantime you patch it up with straightening and shortening. Pretty again, and soon good as new. If only fabric could grow back without splicing two pieces together trying to hide the mistakes.
Today, I was shown 2 bathing suits by the fitter who took them in at the http://drycleaningstationcolumbus.com/ (the place I do contract sewing for) to my surprise as she showed me the inside of the suits, the client had taken a pair of scissors and cut most of the lining away. One suit happened to be worse than the other. Guess what I was expected to do. The client wanted me to recreate the lining while at the same time adding a bra shelf. At least this is what I derived from the fitter. Actually she was only mentioning the bra shelf. Never once mentioned what to do with the lower half of the lining left in the suits. It is often difficult to home in on certain instructions the fitter is trying to convey to me. When I ask questions pertinent, she has not one answer. Why you ask, because the fitter did not ask them of the client herself. Like, what are your expectations, do you want the new sewn to the cut lining, what is the limited amount you want to pay? These questions and many others are very important in order to have a happy client in the end. I am not saying this job is impossible to do. How much is this job worth? I know, but is the client willing to pay more than what the bathing suit itself is worth? Such a mess was created by the client, a half a day would be spent reworking and hoping the inner lining would fit properly and the stitching would not break when worn. Plus, do I stock the elastic needed and used to create a bra shelf. Big fat no.  I have the right to say no, but the fitter continues to try and convince me to do the job. Oh by the way you must keep the pricing reasonable. I knew this would not be easy, so three times I had to say, "I do not want to do this job". Only then did the fitter say, “You have the right to say no.” There you go, No it is.
I suggest to a layman, if you want to do alterations on your own garments, go to your nearest computer find a tutorial, get a piece of fabric and practice cutting a straight line. Don’t forget to use a ruler first to draw a straight line, for even I the experienced one can not and do not cut a line blindly when it is needed to be straight.
Sorry Bathing Suit Lady, Good Luck!




                                                           Laser Scissors for cutting straight