Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2011 07:45:09 -0600
Reply-To: mcneely4@COX.NET
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET>
Subject: Re: Friday rant: fabric stores and sewing
In-Reply-To: <AANLkTikU25gYOeSiifc0=bRnTiNjSofOnpu=xk1Bbyr7@mail.gmail.com>
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I've always wondered why a professional sewer, if male is called a "tailor," if female a "seamstress." Either way, it is a very respectable craft. mcneely
---- Roland <syncronicity1@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> So Jim,
>
> I wonder if I was one of the offending writers when I wrote " to your local
> fabric shop, ... I've gone there (yeah a guy) ". My apologies if I
> offended anyone. However, please note that in fact I do go to the fabric
> store for specific things, including those "punch eyes" for a tarp, got
> large needles and heavy thread to repair our leather couch in the family
> room, and snaps for the curtains in the Vanagon, so perhaps I can be given
> a little leeway on my comment. So I'm with you, I go there periodically. I
> guess my comment was probably just because sometimes I feel a little out of
> place in this store since every time it is all women customers and all women
> staff. And I often make a little friendly joke when I am there. And I
> actually sew on my own buttons when they come off shirts/pants, and travel
> on business with a small sewing kit.
>
> Craftsmen is craftsmen, it doesn't matter to me if it is metallurgy/oil or
> something else.
>
> Roland
>
> On Fri, Jan 28, 2011 at 5:08 PM, Jim Felder <jim.felder@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Today there was a thread on what to use to attach one fabric to
> > another. All kinds of glues were discussed. Sewing was mentioned a few
> > times, and in two of those posts it was mentioned that fabric stores
> > are the haunts of women, etc. Like the kitchen was thirty years ago.
> >
> > I recently figured out how to sew. It didn't take long. I inherited my
> > grandmother's 1926 Singer 101 and have put it to good use. I am a
> > pretty good mechanic and woodworker, and I see no difference between
> > those pursuits and sewing, or welding, or masonry to name a few.
> >
> > I have not been in a fabric store in a long long time, but I'm sure I
> > will be again. I am a known face in my local upholstery shop. In the
> > last several months, my sewing projects have included
> >
> > • nine hours of restitching a $2000+ pool cover
> > • a kayak hatch cover like you can't buy in a store
> > • a wheelchair cushion zipper, saving $200
> > • a roll to hold all the pieces of my westy's removable seat track covers
> > • reupholstery of a kitchen booth seat
> > • a padded cover for my bulkhead-mounted Olympian Wave III in my westy
> >
> > and more.
> >
> > This is already over 3 grand worth of savings not counting the number
> > of small items I've repaired. If you are excluding the acquisition of
> > a sewing machine (dirt cheap) to your tool set because you think
> > sewing is beneath you, and you are already process-minded and
> > mechanically inclined, you are missing out on something that will help
> > you immensely.
> >
> > I will soon replace the zipper in my westy poptop screen, sew a tyvek
> > weather cover for my westy and sew a roll skirt for my kayak.
> >
> > Anything you want to know about it is on a youtube video. You can get
> > into it for less than $50. It isn't rocket science.
> >
> > Jim
> >
--
David McNeely
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