madamekelly

Here's the speech to go along with the sewing kit- "I have decided to go into business doing sewing repairs, and since I am very skilled, I will be charging $25.00 per hour. I will not have time to do your repairs, so I am willing to tell you how to do it." How can she refuse? Enjoy your hobby, not her needs. :thumbup:

B Jane

Well said!

GGinMcKinney

I gave someone a sewing kit with a seam ripper and offered to show them how to. Turns out suddenly their hubby knew how to make the repairs. Oh, yeah, I also mentioned there is a saying, "Asking a quilter to do mending is like asking Picasso to paint the garage!"
They never asked me to mend again. Did ask me to make tablerunners and offered to pay me. Asked me to teach their child to sew on her new machine and gave me a matching machine after the first lesson. It all worked out. No hurt feelings and I do not mend for them. Hubby does their mending now.

cathyvv

You're doing absolutely the right thing...give someone a fish to eat and he/she will eat that day. Teach them to fish, and they will eat for the rest of their lives.

That old adage applies to sewing, too!

chairjogger

this is a hard one.. co-worker.. but a wife of a co-worker means he has to be bring in this stuff??

buy her a beginning sewing book.. so worth the hint and .. "loving" gift !

Hah!

pal

How about "I just don't have the time anymore - I think you can probably take it to the dry cleaners up the street. I think they do repairs." The End!!!!! Most times it is easier to just tell the truth rather than to keep making excuses.

diamondee

UH Didn't the Marines teach her hubby how to sew?
I got tired of people I work with coming up with ideas on how I can sew this or that for them, (wouldn't that be great!) I just smile and say I have so many projects going on right now I couldn't possibly think about adding more. Then say, well you could do that yourself. Its quickly becoming known that I do not like to be volunteered for things, unless I offer to do something on my own. I do not volunteer any family members for anything without asking them first. If you tell her you don't sew, your a quilter, she'd be asking for a quilt for every bed. (neighbor & HER mother) I feel for you. from a retired army wife!

crazyquilter56

I've had the same thing done to me I say I'm a quilter I don't doing repairs. If she comes again say my time is worth minimum wage that what I charge to fix it. Or as one lady said it cuts into my quilting time I don't have time to do my own repairs. I had a friend who wanted me to do that I let her use my extra machine and she had it for almost a year and I had to tell her to buy one if she had that much to fix that I needed mine back. Some people take advantage of you.I love when they say oh it just a simple thing while do it yourself if it's that simple...My time is valuable...

crazyquilter56

I was just pretty ticked when he came home on Tuesday with the blanket and said I was supposed to fix it and give it to her when I see her on Thursday.

I wouldn't have it ready on thur for her and when she asked where it is just say I haven't had time to get to it but if you'd like to take it to somewhere else I will sent it back as I'm not able to do it at this time and have not idea when I can get to it.

cr12cats

sorry I keep reading she is married to a marine. marines pretty much adopt and overcome. If you are a military wife you pretty much have to do that too. Or was that just me? either I learned to do it myself or had to pay for someone to do it. whatever it was that needed to be done. letting her learn to sew would be helping her a whole lot more. you might be surprised she probally knows more about it than you think. One girl wanted some tailered clothes done and I told her I don't sew like that and got a D-- in school in sewing. come to find she sewed beautiful clothes for her self and even didn't need a paper pattern.boy was i surprised. but that was in the phillipines she said. I never understood why that would make a difference?