These notes are based off conversations with customers and are designed to help make the process of working with a tailor a little more familiar.
Disclaimer: These ideas are based solely on my opinion, please feel free to ignore, flout and disobey at every opportunity.
With the shop closed, most of the work this month has been alterations which can be dropped in without a fitting or much explanation. Which is totally fine. I am not snobby about alterations, I love sewing in any form and I like doing anything which will get clothing back into circulation.
But, I have noticed how many of these little jobs involve reattaching buttons.
Now, far be it from me to discourage you from being me work, but come on. You know how to do this! It would have taken you less time to sew it on yourself than it would to bring it into me.
What is it about picking up a needle and thread? If George Clooney can do it, so can you.
Here are a couple of tips which you may find useful:
1. Don't make the thread too long.
An arms length is plenty. Any more than that and the thread will get tangled.
2. Don't pull the thread too tight.
A really common problem is sewing a button on too tightly, in an attempt to make it secure, but you need to leave room for the thickness of the buttonhole side. Depending on the thickness of the cloth you are working with, you want to be able to fit a 2p piece between the button and the cloth.
3. Don't oversew it.
You only need to do 4 or 5 stitches on each branch of the cross.
If you have any questions about how to do this or any other little job, please don't hesitate to ask.