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I am a mother of eight and grandmother of four who loves to make and create. Rosemary Hill is the name of our home where we live, work, learn and create together

Wednesday 4 May 2011

Do you mend/alter clothes?

I do. It seems to be the only way to get anything that fits! This is a school skirt belonging to the girl across the road. (Yes! We know our neighbours here and actually interact with them! Well, ok. Just the ones across the road.) Her Mum bought it secondhand and it needed the hem down and taking in. The hem was easy to do. (That's all her sister's skirt needed so I did that skirt before I went to Adelaide.) The taking in required much reverse sewing on my part, but it's done now! This was all good practice for me because Miss 14 will get her new skirt this week and it will need altering too! When the skirts come new they are very long, but just about every girl wears them short, short, short! Why is this? This is the winter uniform too. A longer skirt would keep you warm. A mini skirt? Not so much. Common sense just isn't what it used to be.

So, do you mend or alter clothes at your house?

14 comments:

seabreezequilts said...

Only if I have too, my husband has taken to hanging his work trousers which need taking up on my chest of draws in the hope that it annoys me enough to do them. I have cut them off and finished edge but he has to try them on so I can get the exact length and I only feel like doing it when he isn't around. My stuff I just cut off and sew straight away because I only ever need to alter jeans as I buy short trousers.

Pip said...

I mend clothes but I'm not good enough to alter them. My husband mends clothes as well - because he doesn't want to wait for me to get around to it, lol, he has his own sewing machine (my old one) to do it with.

I remember wearing short skirts at school (in the 70's) but looking back a longer skirt would have been warmer, but I was young and silly.

Leanne said...

When you have a family of dwarfs I am for ever taking things up. It is my most least favourite job

Suzanne said...

I use to mend alot more when the kids were young. I still repair/alter jeans for my kids and their friends.

Nicky said...

I am always telling my family - you waouldn't ask Van Gogh to paint your walls cream so why should I mand/alter clothes.

That said I cannot justify the $35 quoted to hem my hubbies work pants (think of the fabric) and with kids stuff always needs to be mended and altered esp. school uniform so obviously I am not the Van Gogh of sewing sighh

Nell said...

I see mending as an evil necessity (usually left until it absolutely has to be done!) On the other hand I love altering/upcycling especially if it is an op shop adult bargain that ends up as something cute for a little girl :)

Dee said...

I do mend and alter ( mainly take hems up). DD partner is forever putting holes in his work pants so I get that job and everyone in the family seems to have short legs...
At the local high school all of the kilts are measured for each individual so they can come in any length, long or short, a much better option is buying new.

Sarah said...

yes I do but only if it s not complex and I can see potential!

Shay said...

Honestly never..unless you count sewing a button on as an alteration!

Chookyblue...... said...

i'm not very good at the running repairs.......sometimes people grow out of times waiting........my machine doesn't know how to repair things..........

Lotti said...

Oh this skirt brings back memories .... it's my old high school skirt uniform color ... unreal !!

Jill said...

I don't mind sewing on buttons etc for my hubby cos he thinks I'm clever! Unfortunately he thinks I can mend anything and won't throw anything out. An example of this is when he had to get his t-shirt cut off in hospital when he dislocated his shoulder. He asked me if I could sew it back together - I did and he's still wearing it! How embarrassing.

Anonymous said...

I am short. Pants are long. Not a good combination! And I just ordered a school tracksuit for Buster Jim - he's little... the smallest size is size 6. I think we'll be doing some shortening of hems. Don't make the alterations too hard for me though... or I'd be visiting my friend that is a seamstress!

Rose said...

My mending this week was pretty easy. The best part was it included a trip to Spotlight to buy some jean studs. I made two button holes and attached 4 studs. I felt accomplished!