Sunday 2 August 2020

Taking up trouser hems

is not something I do. 
I bought the Senior Cat two new pairs of "winter" pyjamas and of course the hems on the trousers needed to be taken up. Middle Cat said, "I'll do that. I have to do S...'s new trousers."
Fine. I cut the ends of the legs to the right point. Middle Cat did one pair. She gave me a pair. I did not look.  I should have looked. The Senior Cat wore them and they appeared in his washing. (We do his washing. The thought of labelling everything and still have it go missing is more than I can handle.) 
I put his washing in the machine. I still did not look at the ends of the legs. Why would I? I should have looked.
Out came the washing ready to dry. Oh. Frayed ends! Wail! Middle Cat had given me the wrong pair, the pair she had not sewn up. There were little bits everywhere. 
I took a deep breath. I thought. I waited until they were dry. Then I went to visit a friend in the next street. She was a professional dressmaker. 
I explained the problem. She laughed. 
    "Of course I can do it Cat. I'll run the overlocker around the ends and then just make a tiny hem. It won't take more than a few minutes...and no, you most definitely cannot pay me for doing it." They are done...beautifully. I took them up to the Senior Cat yesterday. 
And I was able to pay her for doing it in a different way. During the archaeological dig - or room clearing - I came across a printed piece of tapestry. It was new. My mother must have bought it at a church fete although I wonder at that because she had never done one. Even I, who has never done a piece of tapestry in her life, recognised that it was one of the very good prints. It is hand done and absolutely square on the cloth. The design is one which I knew would really appeal to D.... who does do such things. Her needlework skills are outstanding.  When she returned the trousers yesterday morning I asked her if she could use it?  
Oh, yes. That would be lovely. Good. We both have something out of this exchange.

1 comment:

jeanfromcornwall said...

That is an example of why it can be good to accumulate stuff. There is always someone who would appreciate your out-chucks. The real trick is to find them.