Thursday, January 21, 2010

Today's Confession

I began sewing over 38 years ago when I was barely a teenager. Within a year or so I was sewing most of my clothes, plus items for sale at a local consignment store using the same patterns over and over again, but detailing them so no one knew. I can insert a zipper, stitch a buttonhole, stitch an entire outfit, and assemble a queen sized quilt while matching points. BUT, I must confess, I do not mend!

There, I said it. I make no apologies. I'm simply stating a fact. It's not like it is a guarded secret. Everyone in my family knows it, so why shouldn't you? In fact, it was a standing joke in our house as the children were growing up. How, you might be asking yourself?




When the kids were younger and their clothing needed a button sewn back on, or a seam reinforced, I would tell them to put it on top of my sewing table, next to my sewing machine. Just between you and me, there would already be a stack of clothes needing mending there. But don't tell anybody... OK, now for the punchline. The item would sit there until they grew out of it when it would then be placed in the Goodwill box.

I don't know why it's so hard for me to mend clothes but for some reason, I would much rather sew them a new outfit than to fix an old one. And I was always sewing new outfits for them.

Apparently, their father had also succumbed to my affliction... He had a work shirt he needed me to sew the hem in. He hadn't put it on my sewing table because he was still wearing it. One day I was doing laundry and I picked up this work shirt and noticed it was quite heavy. I checked his pockets to see if he had forgotten something in them before I noticed he had duct taped his hem! Problem solved. I thanked him for his assistance. I suppose this could turn into one of those Redneck jokes... You know you're a Redneck when...

I rationize my behavior, quite simply, by stating I'm a Seam Master and not a repairwoman. I create my own creations, not repair someone else's work. I create my creations to last throughout its life so it will be enjoyed by the recipient. I create with a piece of my heart in each and every project, knowing it will bring a warm smile to the heart of whoever uses it.

I'm not saying I've never mended anything, because I have. I just get more enjoyment when I personalize my creations for whoever I'm sewing/quilting it for. And I'm confident my children were happier to receive their new outfit than the old one needing mending.

Now you know my secret behind my signature line. Tell me, what's on your sewing table?

12 comments:

Jocelyn said...

oooo one thing I just do not like to do is take up a hem on a bought garment. To me, it just never looks right. Maybe I should take a hint from your hubby :-)

Vicki said...

I love it! I have mended a few things for my husband and he always has to ask me 3 or 4 times...

I don't really mend for the kids though, but I have remade favorite outgrown shirts into new, larger ones!

QuiltedSimple said...

I put off mending as long as humanley possible - I HATE it.
kris

Connie said...

Working with NEW anything is always so much more fun! I think it is tearing out the old stitches that I really dislike. Once that is done and everything straightened out again I am okay with the mending.

Judy D in WA said...

I hate to mend but I'm such a cheap-o that I do it--when the pile is so high it falls over in my way.
My mind works like this: if I buy that, I can't buy fabric. So I mend. Hubs work overalls cost $50+ a pair! That's a lot of fabric.

My sewing table has bits from my last quilt on it that need to be turned into a pillowcase to go with the quilt.

Judy D in WA said...

I forgot to ask--why is it that when people find out you can sew, they immediately assume you want to do their mending??? I just tell them my going rate for mending is $100 and hour. If they are willing to pay that, I'm willing to mend for them.

Micki said...

I haven't mended something in a long tim!
Micki

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

I agree with Judy - everyone wants a sewer to mend - I just say - Oh I don't do that. LOL

But I do mend, I find that having a mending day each week/month (depending on how many people are living in my house). When the kids were at home it was once a week - and the day before I'd announce - Tomorrow is mending day - get your mending in or it waits a week. They would then bring anything that needed mending and it would go in a basket for buttons, hems, mending a seam (I NEVER did zippers, those went to the dry cleaners for repairs) - and I'd spend part of the next day mending - and it feels so good to have a nice stack of mended articles all done and ready to wear again.

On my sewing table? My computer, my printer, my scanner, my carousel of pens/pencils/rulers/scissors/etc, my two boxes of thread and my Featherweight sewing machine. Oh and five pincushions - who knows why - it just is. My project on the sewing table is the christmas carol challenge block - almost done now.

Myra said...

LOL! I'm pretty much the same way... Right now I have a queen size fitted sheet that I have to make fit a custom extra long 3/4 bed for my son.... Ya, ya, ya, I'll get to it... 8-)
Happy stitchings!

Adventures In Crafting & Stuff said...

I still have my demented sock monkey (yes, it's really BAD looking! LOL) on my sewing table. He's just waiting for his creepy little ears but I just haven't found the time to get them on his head! I hope to get them on him tomorrow. Of course I said that yesterday as well. hehehe

Adventures In Crafting & Stuff said...

Oh and I just wanted to add that I do mend. I only just started actual sewing. But I have been mending for years! It started with my favorite pair of jeans. They zipped up the back and were just darling! Well, after wearing them for about 5 years the crotch ripped. Well, I mended them A LOT for the next 5 years before I just threw them out (by that time nobody wore jeans that zipped up the back anyway! LOL). Now I mend stuffed super heroes. I recently mended Superman for my son and a few months ago I fixed up Kung Fu Panda. hehehe

webbsway said...

I totally Adore that embroidery design! That is exactly how I feel about anything created for someone with love in our hearts!

But right now I would just really LOVE for this Snow to go away! LOL