A Crafter's Life

Mysterious Package…

tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

I had a different post planned for today but last night I picked up a package from the mail.

A mysterious package…

2018-10-09_19-04-26_597

The return address was from my brother who lives on the East Coast of the U.S.

He’s bought me fabric before, he’s a world traveler…maybe to celebrate my 5th year blogging he’s sent me some interesting fabric from his travels…

It’s a soft package…feels like fabric…(anticipation building…getting excited…)

So I open it.

It is not fabric..it is a HEAD! A bear’s head!

2018-10-09_19-05-09_702

Is my brother sending me a warning that he has ordered a mob hit on me?!?!?!?

Also inside the package is a body…

2018-10-09_19-05-25_057

Then I remember – this is my 6 year old nephew’s favorite teddy bear.

My brother has sent the decapitated bear to me for repair!

Now normally I do not like to be asked to do repairs (and please never ask me to hem/mend your clothes) as I think asking a quilter to repair fabric items, mend/hem clothing, etc. for you is like asking an artist who paints landscapes to paint your house. 2a76ea28325e65d0f8ae1304e9daebe2.png

I always flinch when someone asks me this BUT this is for my beloved 6 year old nephew. So I am going to do a complex head reattachment surgery.

If you are a quilter, how do you feel when someone asks you to hem or mend a fabric item just because you have a sewing machine/know how to use a needle?

Published by tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

Quilter, crafter, obsessive tea drinker and lover of all furry creatures (especially dogs and cats) - join me on my tierneycreates blog as I share stories from "A Crafter's Life".

50 thoughts on “Mysterious Package…”

  3. Ummmm…I would do anything for my parents, so that would not be an issue. But asked to put in a new zipper, add dimension to a garment that’s too small, or mend a hole that’s not in the seam? I nicely send them the name of a woman who does alterations in my town!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. That is awesome – “here’s the local alterations person’s name..”
      Like you I will do it for family and maybe a close friend but I cringe at anyone else asking 🙂

      Like

  4. I agree – I usually say I don’t repair my own clothing why do you think I would even consider doing yours? With that said I am like you for someone special I will while adding a special touch so they know it’s been repaired with love.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. My answer to being asked to mend something is “I don’t do that kind of sewing”. It doesn’t always work, and then I have to give a blunt “no”.
    The teddy bear is a different story, though. I am sure your nephew will always be grateful to you for the surgery to his bear.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. You have great boundaries – I have not given the blunt no in the past but did it to be nice for a friend and was feeling quite irritated! But yes for my nephew – of course – teddy bear surgery it is 🙂

      Like

  7. Sorry, I am a bit perplexed. Surely you didn’t mean to say that making clothes is somehow “beneath” quilting? Because that’s what it sounds like… 😦 I don’t like to do alterations either – they are boring – but they did bring in most income when I was a full time tailor.

    I do understand how you feel though – people ask you to do something that is not in your field and they don’t understand that not all sewing is the same. I also refuse quilting jobs because some people actually assume that if you know how to make clothes, then surely you quilt as well. 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Oops, no I definitely did not mean to imply that clothes making is beneath quilting. Actually I consider clothing making a magical and mysterious craft that I hope to aspire to someday! I mean being asked to mend when your craft is not focused on tailoring type of skills. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  9. I offered to assist but not do! Look at mending choose thread and needle practice fabric. Let her mend … she never asked again. Problem solved.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. Nope, I’m pretty sure your nephew is sending you a warning: “Today it’s Teddy, tomorrow it’s the person who doesn’t hand over the gummy worms!!” Despite the slightly psychotic nature of this package, it’s very sweet of you to mend it.

    Liked by 2 people

  11. Lol! At least it wasn’t a horse! I know you will be happy to restore this guy to his rightful , much loved place.

    I do get asked to do hemming and mending for people all the time. I give them the name of the tailer my husband uses. 😊 I truly do not have those skills.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. I’m only a beginning quilter, but I hate mending/hemming anything. I have done it for people, but it’s definitely not my activity of choice.

    Please do let us know how Teddy makes out with his surgery. I would be happy to put him on the prayer list…

    Liked by 2 people

  13. I get asked to mend for others and I sometimes agree…depends on who is asking. If it’s a perfectionist, I always decline! However, how can anyone say no to mending a favorite teddy bear? It’s like telling Santa you don’t have any cookies for him! Or telling Rudolph you don’t have carrots!

    Liked by 1 person

  14. When my grand boys ask me to repair a stuffed animal or fix a rip in a blanket, I always do it. Also do small (emphasis on small) repairs for their dear parents. I leave an old portable machine at their house for that purpose. But I gently turn down anything larger, and they seem OK with that.

    Liked by 1 person

  16. I offer to show them how they can do it themselves. If they take me up on my offer, great! We get to spend some time together and they’ll learn something and understand what’s actually involved in doing repairs/alterations. Usually they don’t though and if they don’t want to spend the time doing this job why should I?

    Liked by 1 person

  17. I have different reactions. For a loved one, OK, unless it is a major repair. For an elderly person, like our neighbor who was in his 90s and bought some xxx shirts that needed to be shortened. But for someone who is capable of doing the repair themselves, I tell them to come (perhaps bring their machine) and I will teach them to do it. This occurred to me the other day. A friend had a Halloween table runner that looks like it had come in contact with something acidic. It took me much longer to show her how to fix it (plus I provided the fabric to repair) than it would have taken me just to do it but I wanted her to see what is involved. She is happy with the result but I’m really not sure she got the fact it did involve my time/materials as well.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Christine thanks so much for your awesome comments! I think you have some wonderful boundaries there and I like how you offer to teach them how to do it themselves! Even though you friend may not have gotten the amount of time and materials involved, I bet she really appreciated you helping her 🙂

      Like

  19. I did hem some curtains once for a lady I used to work with, but that was me offering after the alterations place told her it was going to cost $250 and I knew it would only take an hour. She was so grateful she bought me a lovely gift, but then at that point she knew how much money I had saved her 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Wow that is a lot of alterations – maybe I should skip the health care career and go into curtain alterations – ha! That was very thoughtful of you help her! Thanks for your comment 🙂

      Like

  20. Oh no! That poor bear really has lost his head 😆 I hope he’s feeling better soon! I don’t really get asked to do repairs, although FYI I do offer a “hospital” service for injured Beasties! In a previous job, I often got requests for things from co-workers that were well outside my crafting comfort zone. I took them on initially to be nice, but it wasn’t long before I started politely declining!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hospital service for Beasties! Of course, I could totally see you doing that! Sounds like you have a great method to deal with things outside your comfort zone – tailoring related things are definitely outside of my comfort zone!

      Like

      1. Well, hopefully tierneycreates Beastie will never need to visit Beastie Hospital… But you know it’s there if she does! And yes, there are so many people out there who DO tailoring alterations and mending – I reckon you’re better devoting all your time to what you do best!

        Liked by 1 person

  22. Pingback: From Decapitation to “Recapitation” – tierneycreates

  23. I hand sew and embroider, so I am often repairing button eyes, plackets and many, many jeans have been patched by these hands.
    My Mama was an R.N.; her surgical skills were often necessary for repair of favorite stuffed lovies.

    Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.