There is one awkward, unpleasant conversation that all sewist have to have.
And in this video, I went to army with some answers to the inevitable
question that if you haven't already, you will get is can you sew this for me?
And of course, when you want to say no to.
Welcome back, my friends.
It is wonderful to see you here.
If this is your first video that you're watching, welcome, my name is Evelyn Wood
I'm the creator of VintageSewingSchool.com here on this channel,
we talk about everything garment sewing so you can get better at making garments
and so those clothes of your dreams if you haven't already do subscribe.
YouTube now that you went to see more of my content
and so you already know today's topic it's about
and the whole thing is that, well, you don't have to say no.
When someone asks you, Can you sew this for me
or repair or, you know, any of the above.
Now we very much as so as most of us actually love to sew
for our friends, family, our loved ones.
It's actually part of sharing skills because we can't
all be good at everything.
It is about that balance in any society
where someone knows something and another and you will share and swap.
But you know, I know, you know, because you've been, as we all know
that there are those times, those random work colleagues, those long
lost cousins, those people that you first meet on the street,
ask you all sorts of like, Can you have my jeans for me? Hmm.
How about me, my old acquaintance
that asks, you know, I have this comment that I would love to be copied.
Well, the really big one, someone you barely know
now finds out that you notice that you so
and then proceeds to ask.
I have this Cinderella
ball gown that I've been dying to have made.
It has a fitted corset.
It's got 13 layers of tulle.
I'm so excited about it. Oh, my goodness.
Oh, you know what?
I'll buy the fabric.
And you know what?
I'll even pay you $50.
I think the $50
mark is a common like amount that people throw out there.
There is an actual Instagram account called Can You Sew This For Me?
And it is about all the random requests like the most, just ridiculous requests
that people ask you the funny things just to laugh about it all on the account.
So I recommend that you go check it out
if you like to have a little bit of a laugh.
Can you? So this for me on Instagram.
An absolute must see.
OK, so some of these are kind of funny and serious,
but it is like how you answer and respond to this question will,
of course, depend on your personality and who it is, of course, as well.
And so I decided to pull my Instagram followers on
what did they say when someone asked them.
The answers were hilarious.
And so basically, we're going through some of the best here
now of group them down into different categories,
so they have different like topics and themes and genres.
So there's a number in there.
I think you can find some to choose from.
Now I will preface that, you know anything.
So obviously you're probably worthy is a little bit different and on your own,
and you would probably insert, you know,
at the beginning before any of these answers you would insert.
Thank you so much for asking.
I am so flattered, but.
Insert your new ad so that hopefully through this video,
you'll have some in your back pocket
that you can save for later when the time comes, when someone asks,
you know, I have written them all down on the topic of I'm still learning.
I charge by the hour and I'm really, really slow.
So probably cost more than you'd actually want to pay.
Pretty simple.
And I like this. one
answer was I can't.
So knits, zippers, fleece denim,
basically insert whatever thing it was that they asked you to do.
Just kind of pretend like you don't.
You can't do that thing.
I think that's a good one.
This is another great one.
I don't feel comfortable taking orders
as I'm not really confident enough to actually do that for other people yet.
I think that's a really good one when you are, you know, still learning,
not confident in your skills. You're absolutely telling the truth.
Along the same line is I'm only learning and immature.
I see that wonky stitching.
You wouldn't want me to sew it.
I like that. One
could simply say I don't take custom orders, commissions, et cetera.
Basically, I think when you insert the word order or commission,
it instantly brings in the person who's asked it
that they're asking you to do something they should you like, pay you for.
If they were thinking of it for free, they weren't anymore.
And I really like this one is that your answer would be,
I'm really flattered, but I'm not as good as you think.
I am a funny version on the same thing of not enough skill.
Don't feel confident yet.
Basically, any of these makes it all up and put the words as you would,
but just don't feel confident charging because your skills aren't good,
you use your own words in there.
The next category is you can't afford me because we all know that if you don't,
so you do not appreciate
how much time, effort, how much fabric costs goes into doing.
All this fast
fashion has absolutely ruined the job of seamstresses and dressmakers
alteration is because the value in like clothing,
we think it can be made for as much as you can buy it for, which is not true.
So when they asked Can you sew this for me?
You say sure, that will be
insert some crazy figure here.
It was a lot of those answers, actually, and I quite like this one.
Your response?
Well, that sounds interesting.
Well, let's see if we could get a pattern
that probably be $20
then have a look at the design?
Yeah, I mean, if you're only want to do one layer, oh yeah.
Well, probably maybe $160 for fabric, you know, depends on just one layer.
Yes. Yes.
It might be more if we need lining.
Yes. Flip through the design very like thoughtfully.
Well, it'll probably take me about
30 hours of work at
how much do you charge per hour?
Exactly, right.
I mean, once you add up fabric, put in the pattern,
put in your amount of time and how much you would get paid,
you wouldn't probably,
of course, ask the other person how much they get paid per hour.
But that's kind of what you want to say in your head because it is hilarious.
No one wants to pay that amount. We know this.
So any version of that, of course, you could respond with a,
That sounds like a really big project.
You know what?
I bet you could find someone to Etsy to commission that for you.
Mm hmm. Yeah, that bet they could do.
Or I saw a really slow I bet a professional
dressmaker will be much cheaper.
Here's a number.
Have one ready in your back pocket of a professional seamstress in your
local area.
That is a really good one to literally have in your back pocket.
You can keep that around. OK?
Somewhere along the line of I don't have time because who does
have time?
We have our own projects too, so you could simply respond.
I'm in the middle of a huge project right now.
I just couldn't even get to it until next year.
It's February or I simply have so many projects on at the moment.
I just don't have time.
Pretty forward, straight to the point.
Pretty easy. I think we could all remember that one.
I actually had a number, say, pretty much the same thing,
and it was that your answer is
I'm kind of selfish.
I barely saw for my children or husband.
I really only sell for myself for fun.
You'd be surprised how many people responded
with that answer.
As I said, I think it depends on your personality
as to how you would actually say any of these.
You do it in your own style, of course.
Before I get to my top favorite three, if three comebacks to say ancestors say,
if you haven't seen already, you might already have seen them
is that I have just released my new YouTube sewing guides.
I'm really excited to bring them to you because you basically asked for them,
so I've made them.
They are like a video library,
a resource of all of my great content I do here on YouTube.
All of the best topics, tricks, tutorials and tips that we talk about in sewing
to help you get better at your sewing or compiled into one spot
or like systemize and labeled in order
mm in order and searchable so you can search through
all of the video content, either by words or talk it in.
It is so easy to access, and I know these guys
will be a great resource to you in your sewing.
I know you like my YouTube videos because that's why you're here,
so I know these guys are really going to help you.
I put links down
below on how to get your guides, and I really hope you enjoy using them.
OK, and my top three answers.
The first one's a bit funny,
and this was the the answer.
So when someone asks, Can you sew this for me?
Your response?
Uh, I'm actually allergic to sewing things that I don't want to.
So sorry.
I wish I could say something like that.
OK, the next to a more serious and something you could actually say,
so sewing is just my hobby.
I so just for me, it is my time away from the world
and I have to keep it that way by saying no to others.
Sewing is my art, not my job.
I really like that one, I think pointing on that
you just saw for yourself, it is your hobby, your time out.
No one is going to say no to that
or question your answer at all.
So I really, really like that one.
And then my very favorite answer
to the inevitable question, can you sew this for me? No.
But I will happily teach you how to do it yourself.
In fact, I know a great YouTube channel
and then send them over to hear to the everyone
with the YouTube channel, and I'll take care of them from there.
That is my very favorite because you're probably like me
and well, no, you don't want to do it for them.
But if they wanted to learn, you would be more than happy to teach them.
But trust me, they probably will say no
thank you and take it to a professional to have it on anyway.
So I hope you enjoy the list.
I want to hear from you.
Please leave your best answers down below.
How do you say no?
When someone ask you, can you
sew this for me, funny answers, real answers.
All are OK and acceptable down below.
And remember, read those comments
because there'll be so many great answers for that for you there.
Either way, the end of the line, I think, is to have a sentence
or two different versions of this ready to go.
So when someone asks you, it's not awkward, it's not uncomfortable
and you don't get badgered into doing something that you don't want to do you.
So for you, OK, my sewing friends until next time.
Happy sewing, bye.