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You know that question about which you would choose if you could have either a personal chef, a masseuse on call, or a driver? Here's a variation on that.
For those of you who sew, if you could have someone swoop in and take over for one part of the process, which would you choose:
- Someone to trace the pattern. (Not that I've done much of this. I tend to just cut and buy a new pattern if I need a different size. I would like to do some Burda magazine patterns, though, but I'm intimidated by the tracing.)
- Someone to lay out and cut the pattern.
- Someone to transfer all the pattern markings.
- Someone to sew zippers.
- Someone to make buttonholes.
- Someone to deal with interfacing.
- Someone to set in sleeves.
- Someone to do the hems.
- Someone to fill bobbins.
- Someone to iron seams.
- Someone to rip out mistakes.
- Someone to sew on hooks or buttons.
- Someone to turn straps and things right side out.
- Someone to babysit (babies, cats, etc.).
- None of the above! I love everything about sewing.
- All of the above. I can't get the hang of sewing.
- Other. Please specify!
I really want to hear what you think, so I'm going to entice you with presents. I will choose one comment on July 1st as a winner. As the winner, you may choose either a knitting surprise package, a sewing surprise package, or this bag!
Posts
81 comments:
Someone to lay out and cut the pattern.
That would be my pick.
Definitely someone to babysit... I can't get much done with my 11-month-old trying to rip the peddle out from under my foot!
Someone to babysit, when I need it. Sometimes, I don't, they are cooperative or in school.
I would totally want a Fitter. I can't do fittings on myself (who can?) and I'm too tall for the dress form, AND I have to alter every pattern I sew. I want someone to take my measurements, alter the pattern, and then tweak the fit of everything I make.
Are there any freelance fitters available in southeast Michigan??
Definitely someone to sew the hems! They are so tedious and time-consuming.
cut and mark!
i am so not patient and that part kills me
Everything leading up to the actual sewing - washing, ironing, tracing, laying out, cutting. I do love the sewing part, sitting at the machine and making it go. The rest of it is just painful foreplay.
I would love to have someone to transfer all of the pattern markings. I wouldn't complain if they wanted to lay out and cut the pattern, too!
Someone to do all of the housework so I can devote 100% of my time to crafting, sewing, knitting, or crocheting!
I would have to pick someone that would layout and cut the patten for me. I have such a hard time with this step!!!
Buttonholes, for sure! Mine always look sloppy. :(
I'd love to have someone to do that pattern layout/tracing/cutting. But what I REALLY NEED is someone to watch my two kiddos!
Oh my gosh, that is a tough poll!!
I would definitely say that it is a toss-up between laying out and cutting the pattern and ironing seams. I detest them both.
I laughed at the "transfer pattern markings" option, because I don't think I have ever actually done that!
Wow, where to begin! I've only been sewing for about a year, and teaching myself as I go along. There are so many things that I would love to have my "twin" take over for me! I hate ironing, so that would be nice to have someone do that for me. And I HATE that I have to keep the seam ripper handy AT ALL TIMES. Someone can handle that, and pulling out all those little pieces of thread. Wow, it would be nice to have someone babysit my two year old while I did some sewing. And I was thinking, I hate doing any sort of gathering- all those basting stitches, and pulling to meet dots and all that. Someone can deal with ruffles. Whoa, I need like a million other me's just so I can sew all day and still keep the house clean and have dinner ready! PS- I love that fabric you used for that bag. Too cute.
Right now, it would be someone to help me pick a project and fabric to use... i have too many things I want to make I'm having trouble picking one to get started on!
Definitely someone to lay out and cut the pattern - I would sew sooo much more if someone could just do that for me!
How to choose?
After the day I've had today, when my sewing machine became the-evil beast-from-hell (it has issues, and adjustments to tension(s), changes of thread & needle(s), & a good cleanout haven't soothed it in the slightest), I would have a bobbin-filler & mistake ripper.
But mostly, a cleaner & babysitter would do nicely ... then I might, one day, make some inroads into the ever-increasing stash!
Oh, definitely "Other" and that would be someone to do the alterations. I LOVE doing everything else, well I don't LOVE tracing and cutting, but once that's over and we can move on to the SEWING...
and thanks for the picture of your sewing soul-mate. She is a helpful little thing.
I love most of what I do when I sew, but having someone else trace patterns appeals to me. It seems like that job sucks up time!
My first would be a personal chef that also will care for the children. Other than that, I love to sew-the whole process-and even to show my oldest the process and teach her!
lovely!!!
someone to lay and cut the pattern.
i am convinced, as i get better at sewing, the faults lie in the crooked cutting.
babysitting would come as a close second, although i might opt for a nap over sewing!
nicola
http://whichname.blogspot.com
Since I mostly sew bags, I would love someone to deal with fusing all the interfacing.
Love your kitty pic!
I just want someone on hand to answer questions and do quick demonstrations. I want to do it all, but I get frustrated without a helper.
Definitely and far and away, someone to lay out and cut the pattern. Gosh I hate that part sooooo much. It is the one biggest obstacle I have to getting all the clothes sewing done that I want to do. Good question!
It's the unpicking that I hate ... I can sometimes beg or bribe my 15 year old son to do it for me :)
For me, I would love to have someone else do the tracing, layout & cutting. My favorite part is picking out the next project and which fabric to use with it. Thanks for the giveaway.
accoupons at gmail dot com
I chose:
All of the above. I can't get the hang of sewing.
I love the look of handcrafted items, and I really really wish I could do it, but all my efforts are pathetic and end up in the bin. :( Which I why I love your blog and other "craft porn" (lol) blogs - sometimes things may go awry but they always look fabulous in the end!! Way to go Petunia! So, you keep me inspired, but if it came down to it I'd need to hire my own seamstress....
buttonholes. I can NEVER get those stupid things right.
Someone to rip out mistakes would be nice but then I saw Historic Stitcher's comment and realized that having a personal fitter would be an amazing help.
You have a lovely blog and this is a much nicer way to enter a contest than begging, "Oh, pick me!!!" (But I hope you pick me!)
Hands down, it would laying out and cutting the pattern out. I will clean off the table only to prep for it only to not be able to find a free flat surface on it later on in the day (especially if my teen son has cooked anything - I keep telling him I wouldn't have to nag if he would just clean up after himself after he is done - the trash can is less than 2 feet away - get acquainted with it).
Can I pick more than one?
I am not such a fan of the tracing part. So if someone volunteerd to take that part over, I would gladly give that task away. And a babysitter now and then would be nice too. Although.. it's mostly the youngest one who is keeping me busy, wanting to be breastfed althrough the day, the eldest two love to help me sew, so I guess it won't really work with a babysitter. Hmmz. And.. I'm a bit afraid of zippers. Don't know why. But then again, I know I just should practice them more instead of avoiding them...
What I need the most is someone who gives me a kick in the butt sometimes. Because my biggest delay in crafting is me... Too many ideas, too hard to choose which to make, and then there are all these lovely blogs to read! Yes, a person who could yell at me from time to time to get me busy would be the most practical I think :-)
It's got to be sewing in the zip. I know, I know. Practice makes perfect. And all those tutorials all over the net are great. But it's still the most frustrating part - unless it goes in perfectly first time. Wish that happened more often!
Other: Someone to tissue-fit the pattern.
PS. Love your blog!
Probably somebody to rip out the mistakes, because I seem to do a LOT of that!
Layout and cutting minions, please! My craft room doesn't have a table large enough for easy cutting and it's so frustrating trying to work with big pattern pieces in a small space.
Absolutely, positively, someone to make the fitting adjustments on the pattern! If that's right, then everything else is cake.
Having one kid able to take over taximom duties is the best thing that's ever happened to my sewing life -- what a time suck all that driving was!
I vote for someone to cut everything out. Once I get everything cut...the rest is a piece of cake. I just hate cutting.
Someone to babysit. That one was easy. The buttonholes were a close second, but I know I'll figure these out if I keep at it.
Tracing intimidates me too so I'd love some help with that!
Someone to set in sleeves and do all "round" sewing. Ugh. But like Historic Stitcher says, fitting and pattern adjustment according to my short-waisted, petite, but not skinny, frame would be absoLUTEly fabulous.
And while I'm dreaming, someone to keep the hubby occupied so I don't feel guilty that I'm not spending time with him on our days off.
Someoe to trace the patterns for me, coz that's what stops me getting started.
Buttonholes. I'm always so scared at that point I'll screw the whole project up at the very end.
oooh...i'm torn between "someone to rip out the mistakes" and "someone to babysit (though mine are 3 & 6 now)"
...if only i could teach my boys to rip out the mistakes!
I'd pick someone to iron seams - I hate ironing.
i love everything about sewing... apart from making enough space to get the table big enough to cut fabric out. So a declutterer, for a month, would be a good option!
Lynda
It would have to be ripping out any mistakes and then other - A fabric shop right next door to my sewing room, on call 24 hours a day!!
Someone to babysit!! Ah....to sew without interruptions would be heavenly!!
Someone to put in the zipper. Ugh! I really, really don't like putting in zippers. Despite sewing for yonks, they never work out right for me.
Good luck, everyone!
Hmm...torn between someone to lay out and cut the pattern (always feels like the most time-consuming step of the process for me) and someone to put in the zipper. I'm still not a zipper expert...last time I had to put in a zipper for a dress, I somehow ended up putting it in backwards!
I am a lay out and cut girl. I would love if you could just twitch your nose and have everything ready to go.
torn between needing a babysitter and having someone transfer pattern markings. That's always my least favorite part, but not that 2 rugrats impede my sewing aspirations constantly, I even enjoy getting a chance to do that!
definitely ripping out the mistakes. i have a blanket i have been working on for my son for over a month. just adding a satin binding to some fleece. the slippery thing has been a nightmare. i have to sew one day, wait at least two to unpick a mistake and then sew again a few days later. i just don't have the patience for it!
thanks for the giveaway offer. i love the stuff you make.
At first I was thinking someone to do all handsewing, but babysitter definitely tops that one!! I'll hand sew all the live long day if someone will entertain my two angels!
I'd probably say prewash, dry, and iron the fabric. I hate that part. Zippers can take forever if I'm not in a patient mood....and a babysitter for my toddler? Yes please!
i would surely have to go with someone laying out and cutting the pattern for me! i hardly ever use patterns when i sew and i think it's because i hate cutting them out so much. :)
I would love someone to lay out & cut the pattern. My mom used to do all my pinning & ironing for me when I was in 4H.
On the other hand, I LOVE ripping out seams.
Definitely someone to lay out and cut the pattern. I hate that part. I have been reading your blog for a couple of months and love it. You seem to be quite prolific and rather talented.
Some one to measure and pin the hem, then they can sew it if they want to. Yes, like the others said, Pick me, pick me!
Linda
Since I nearly always (foolishly) skip this part, I would want someone to transfer all the markings.
i am taking a class on blogging and part of the 5th and last assignment is to visit 5 blogs that i have never visited. yours is the first, and i find your question intriguing. brings back a lot of memories from high school sewing projects. one time i got so frustrated with hemming a skirt which i had taken weeks and weeks to make that i ended up ripping it into strips in a fit of frenzy. i had reached the end. sewing always seemed to bring out my impatience. so, my answer is hemming. i would want someone to swoop in and hem for me. i can never get them straight and i when i hand-stitch i make the stitches too far apart and big. then they rip out and i have to mend it and it happens all the time.
anyway, i like your blog. it is very well organized and well-designed. thanks for having me!
Hmmmmmmm.... Well, if someone would tidy up and organize my sewing room to maximize productivity and creativity, I think I would be set! What hinders me most is having a very, VERY small window of opportunity for sewing, only to walk in, sit in front of my machine, and... look around at all the mess wondering where to start.
Oh, organizing and tidying elves, where are you?
I love everything about sewing, although I don't love all the parts all the time and sometimes put things off. If I could have someone do anything for me it would be OTHER: I would have someone figure out my full bust alteration - Ack!!
Well, okay, and making sure the sewing machine is already perfect for me (it is I who do that for my daughters), and trim the threads when it's all said and done!
Thank you for the fun giveaway and poll!
Because I haven't even gotten as far as buttonholes or zippers I have to say marking and cutting the pattern pieces. A close second would be organizing my stuff so I would know I already had the materials needed and could lay my hands on them NOW.
Pressing and sewing hems, for sure! I'd wear everything unhemmed if it looked nice. Maybe that means it's time to buy a serger...
if I could have someone do anything for me in the sewing process, it would be pinning!! I hate pinning seams together :)
Someone to hem for me. I always hem by machine becaue my hand sewing is a dire. But it would be nice to have a lovely blind hem done by hand. Also someone to distract the dog. She sits next to my sewing table and looks out the window and will tell anyone off who walks past the house. For a small dog she has a very loud bark, not what you need when you are trying to set in a sleeve.
None of the above. I'd like a fitting assistant, someone who could make pinning adjustments, mark hems, set strap placement, etc, when I'm making or modifying something for myself. I do this all the time when I'm building costumes for actors, but when it comes to making things for me, I wish I had a duplicate of myself, with my brain and fittings skills, just to assist in the fittings. Even a dressform, no matter how close to my measurements, is a poor substitute for being able to actually fit something on my body.
I am a new sewer when it comes to using patterns, so I would have to say: Some of the above!
I am getting better, but there are still a few major things that I am afraid of!
Someone to trace the pattern.
Someone to sew zippers.
Someone to make buttonholes.
Someone to deal with interfacing.
Someone to set in sleeves.
Someone to do the hems.
Someone to sew on hooks or buttons.
I am good with rest, especially ripping out seams ;)
Thanks for offering a giveaway. Your stuff is always so amazing!
What a great thought provoking question. My gut is to say all of the above, but actually, it is "other" & Babysit! The other portion would be to have someone at my fingertips to interpret pattern directions or maybe just read them out loud to me or hold my hand or tell me EXACTLY what I need to hear at that moment about a particular pattern. I often seem to have conversations with Simplicity/Butterick/McCall's patterns about their confusing way of saying or not saying the most basic thing.
Love your blog and am adding it to my long list of sweing gems!
Hi there,
I'd like to have someone do bound buttonholes and welt pockets. They have been the bane of my existence since I've been sewing. Gah! It's been several decades now, and I try to avoid either if possible. But it is my goal to make something that uses both. Not at the same time, though.
Angela
I would definitely choose "someone to rip out mistakes." I HATE that part and it always puts me in a bad mood while I'm sewing! :-)
I kind of hate hemming (though for the most part, even the less-awesome parts of sewing are still pretty great). I actually made a jumper some years ago and wore it with the hem pinned up w/safety pins for TWO YEARS.
I would like to hire someone to help me make the necessary adjustments to make things FIT me. For no particular reason, I'm a little terrified of alterations.
Absolutely I'd have a personal hemmer, at least for blind, hidden hems. My husband HATEs for the hem to show on his dress pants but still wants me to hem them. When I become a tailor, anyway?
Definitely someone to lay out and cut the pattern, as that always seems like the most tedious part of the process. Bobbin winding is positively exciting in comparison!
I'd love an on-call kid herder and farm hand. And maybe a magical clock to add more hours to the day/week.
I'd have someone to lay out and cut the pattern. But they'd better be accurate about it! ;-)
A cook would be REALLY nice, too!
Someone to do the interfacing.
Penny
psmjaguar@aol.com
Can I say everything to do with patterns? I prefer to wing it, even if the failure ratio is a lot higher.
All of the above...my Husqy is sitting in the closet collecting dust, where it has remained for almost a year now (about a month after I bought it)
I get tons of compliments on my bag! Love love love love love it:)
I'd want someone to just finish the thing for me. I'm great at starting stuff, but I have a house full of unfinished projects, because there's always some tiny little detail that I just don't want to do!
Or, you know, even a sewing buddy to hang out with and craft together. That'd be ever so helpful.
Someone to babysit and cut it all out and get it ready for me and then stand there and just tell me what I need to do so that I can just have it all done, finished, no mistakes in an instant!
Dreaming?
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