Taking advantage?

Oh you poor thing! *LOL*

I feel your pain and have been there with other situations. They have no shame some people, and that includes relations. Indeed one has found relations often are the worst offenders in these matters.

If upon the lady's return, she begins dropping hints about other work she would like to have done, kindly and sweetly smile hand her your price list. The effect is underscored if the words "all alterations must be paid fully in advance", are written on the form. *LOL*

Keep on smiling, you are blessed!

Candide

Wonderful idea, Candide. The other alternative is to offer to teach her to do it herself. You'll never see her again.

Ah yes, but the lady in question might be wise to the trick I pulled as a child when assigned tasks didn't really wish to do. The thing is to do the job so badly or half-heartedly that sooner or later the assignee gives up and says "oh just give it here", and takes things back. However one must know one's audience before trying this, grandmama would sooner go upside one's head for wasting her time, and you STILL had to do the job! *LOL*

Candide

"Never keep up with the Joneses. Drag them down to your level. It's cheaper." Quentin Crisp 1908 - 1999 _+_+_+_+_+_+__+_+_+_+_

My preferred method is to explain sympathetically that I do not sew for money, I sew for love, and I won't take money because I want to be able to refuse jobs that I don't want to do for any reason I might have without feeling obligated to the person I have done something for before.

Maybe some people would prefer to learn how to sew themselves but don't have anybody to teach them. I know that in the past when I have gone hunting for sewing buddies, the only people I have found were people who didn't know how to sew and who hoped that I would be willing to teach them, which is not exactly what I was looking for.

I can just see Beverly saying, "Don't worry dear, you'll get it. It's just going to take a little time, but you'll learn how to do this if it's the last thing I ever do. Now, we need to spend some time going over this. Get out your calendar so we can schedule some sessions. Is eight hours at a time all right for you?"

So true. I don't actually have a sewing business, I usually sew for my own pleasure and for those I love. My father's second wife once asked me to alter a "couple of things" for her, and to please *him*, I said I would. When I arrived, her bed was *covered* with skirts, jackets, blouses, pants and coats. She wanted *something* done to every single one. My poor Dad was appalled. I marked everything and did what I could, although a couple of things could not be altered the way she wanted (which she did not understand, but she was not a sewist). After I delivered them to her, she handed me a potted plant. Dad slipped me several hundred $$$ privately, and told me to

I don't want to jeopardize my relationship with my sister (or hers with her DIL), so I think I'll just suddenly be very, very busy. As soon as this work is completed, "My schedule is full through at least December."

;-)

Beverly

However, it would be just my luck if that were just what she's angling for. No thanks.

Beverly

You know me far too well.... ;-D

Beverly

Amazing, isn't it?

At $/£x an hour ...

Mary

No.

I hate asking anyone to do things for me so I very rarely do. I end up with many things not done but if it saves embarrassment it's worth it.

Mary

Is it really necessary to repeat 80+ lines just to add a throwaway comment at the end?

I didn't count, I beg your pardon :-)

I don't even tell new acquaintances that I sew any more. I just tell them I quilt.

Cindy

Not an option when the person is one's sister....

Beverly