An $80 investment?

During our day-long trip to civilization, I bought a magazine to enjoy while
DH was getting his haircut. Long story short - the magazine had a section on
saving money. One of the suggestions (really ! ) was to buy a sewing machine
for $80 and save big bucks doing alterations, mending and decorating. Who
amongst us is going to be the first to try that? Polly

On Thu, 21 Feb 2013 09:44:47 -0600, Polly Esther wrote:

During our day-long trip to civilization, I bought a magazine to enjoy
while DH was getting his haircut. Long story short - the magazine had a
section on saving money. One of the suggestions (really ! ) was to buy a
sewing machine for $80 and save big bucks doing alterations, mending and
decorating. Who amongst us is going to be the first to try that? Polly

I am more likely to buy a $5 used sewing machine and then spend $75 on
repairs and a tune up. What can I say? I mistrust plastic.

You have to be careful of that mending business. One time I cut out a
star shaped patch and stuck it on over a hole in a pair of DD2's jeans.
Then I found a worn spot that was threatening to become another hole, and
smacked another star on that. Then I found loose thread in the weave
near the inner seam and so another star. Before I was done I had stars
wrapping around one thigh, going across the backside and running down the
other leg. I had started with brightly colored denim and canvas, and
then decided to accent that with a scatter of lame' stars. Mending a
hole had become an art project.

Reminds me, I have to piece together some "decorator weight" scraps for
curtains in one room. Cats and curtains and big wide windows, it happens.

NightMist



--
I'm raising a developmentally disabled child. What's your superpower?

Den 21-02-2013 16:44, Polly Esther skrev:
During our day-long trip to civilization, I bought a magazine to enjoy
while DH was getting his haircut. Long story short - the magazine had a
section on saving money. One of the suggestions (really ! ) was to buy a
sewing machine for $80 and save big bucks doing alterations, mending and
decorating. Who amongst us is going to be the first to try that? Polly

Well, not $80, but my US machine cost $199 (12 years ago), and I did use
that for mending, making stuff and quilting (until I moved to a
different continent).

Now I have a pfaff, and the last 6 months it has not been used for
quilting, but rather for altering clothes, sewing stuff for other
peoples homes and stuff like that. Getting even basic alterations done
here is stupidly expensive, so I can take up my own jeans. Altought
possibly an $80 machine would die trying.

I also totally butchered the crotch area of my men's size boy scout
pants a couple of years back. Mind you, if I hadn't they would have
looked much worse. Nobody notices, which I'm sure they would have had I
not taken them apart and resown them. Considering that there were 8
(eight!!!) seam in one spot, I don't want to think about what it would
have cost to get them professionally altered. No way could I have worn
them as they were from the shop, but now they are pretty good.

Hanne in DK

I could not get past the notion that an $80 new sewing machine would be any
good. Polly

When once of the gals in the family mentioned she took a pair of shorts to
the
cleaners to have a button sewn back on it I was pretty astounded. That
would
never occur to me. DS used to bring a batch of odd kinds of mending
sometimes when
he visited but I have to say since I gave his bride a sewing machine and an
assortment
of threads in all colors he hasn't done that. I should have asked him for
$80!
I rarely see one of those articles that has ideas sensible folks haven't
already done.
Taria

"Polly Esther" wrote in message ...

During our day-long trip to civilization, I bought a magazine to enjoy while
DH was getting his haircut. Long story short - the magazine had a section on
saving money. One of the suggestions (really ! ) was to buy a sewing machine
for $80 and save big bucks doing alterations, mending and decorating. Who
amongst us is going to be the first to try that? Polly

Den 22-02-2013 03:58, Polly Esther skrev:
I could not get past the notion that an $80 new sewing machine would be
any good. Polly


Yeah, no kidding. However, if I had had any smarts I would have sold
mine for $80 when leaving :-)

Hanne in DK

On Thu, 21 Feb 2013 19:15:29 -0800, Taria wrote:
When once of the gals in the family mentioned she took a pair of shorts to
the cleaners to have a button sewn back on it I was pretty astounded.

I've run into several people recently mourning their favorite shirt/pants/
blouse that they "had to throw away because the button fell off".

The one I ran into in real life got a lesson on sewing on buttons then and
there. Acted like I'd just taught him the secrets of the universe.

Kay

On Fri, 22 Feb 2013 22:42:03 +0000, Kay Lancaster wrote:

On Thu, 21 Feb 2013 19:15:29 -0800, Taria
wrote:
When once of the gals in the family mentioned she took a pair of shorts
to the cleaners to have a button sewn back on it I was pretty
astounded.

I've run into several people recently mourning their favorite
shirt/pants/ blouse that they "had to throw away because the button fell
off".

The one I ran into in real life got a lesson on sewing on buttons then
and there. Acted like I'd just taught him the secrets of the universe.

Kay

Stop that!
People still pay me to sew on buttons and hem things.
You keep on like that and you'll spoil the market! (G)

NightMist



--
I'm raising a developmentally disabled child. What's your superpower?

On Sat, 23 Feb 2013 01:27:54 +0000 (UTC), NightMist wrote:
Stop that!
People still pay me to sew on buttons and hem things.
You keep on like that and you'll spoil the market! (G)

Impoverished grad student. Don't worry, he stuck himself with the needle
several times, so I suspect he'll either get very good or now that he's
been enlightened that it's possible, pay someone to do it!

Kay

Den 23-02-2013 11:42, Kay Lancaster skrev:
On Sat, 23 Feb 2013 01:27:54 +0000 (UTC), NightMist wrote:
Stop that!
People still pay me to sew on buttons and hem things.
You keep on like that and you'll spoil the market! (G)

Impoverished grad student. Don't worry, he stuck himself with the needle
several times, so I suspect he'll either get very good or now that he's
been enlightened that it's possible, pay someone to do it!

Kay


My first year at Boy Scout Summer Camp, I got asked by one of the youth
staffers if I could please hem his uniform trousers (just in from the
US). The deal we made was: you hem one leg, I do the other one. I was
not pretty, but had the same length - pretty sure him Mom went at it
with a sewing machine once at home after camp. But there was a great
sense of accomplishment in the mean time.

A young woman on staff caught on and hemmed for a couple of the adult
guys, for money (she was at college at the time).

Later turned out that the camp director had a stash of iron-on hemming
tape, the only problem with that is that it traditionally didn't last
through the tumble dryer.

Hanne in DK