So Jim,

I wonder if I was one of the offending writers when I wrote " to your local
fabric shop, ...  I've gone there (yeah a guy) ".  My apologies if I
offended anyone.  However, please note that in fact I do go to the fabric
store for specific things, including those "punch eyes" for a tarp, got
large needles and heavy thread to repair our leather couch in the family
room, and snaps for the curtains in the Vanagon, so perhaps I can be  given
a little leeway on my comment.  So I'm with you, I go there periodically.  I
guess my comment was probably just because sometimes I feel a little out of
place in this store since every time it is all women customers and all women
staff.  And I often make a little friendly joke when I am there.  And I
actually sew on my own buttons when they come off shirts/pants, and travel
on business with a small sewing kit.

Craftsmen is craftsmen, it doesn't matter to me if it is metallurgy/oil or
something else.

Roland

On Fri, Jan 28, 2011 at 5:08 PM, Jim Felder <jim.felder@gmail.com> wrote:

> Today there was a thread on what to use to attach one fabric to
> another. All kinds of glues were discussed. Sewing was mentioned a few
> times, and in two of those posts it was mentioned that fabric stores
> are the haunts of women, etc. Like the kitchen was thirty years ago.
>
> I recently figured out how to sew. It didn't take long. I inherited my
> grandmother's 1926 Singer 101 and have put it to good use. I am a
> pretty good mechanic and woodworker, and I see no difference between
> those pursuits and sewing, or welding, or masonry to name a few.
>
> I have not been in a fabric store in a long long time, but I'm sure I
> will be again. I am a known face in my local upholstery shop. In the
> last several months, my sewing projects have included
>
> � nine hours of restitching a $2000+ pool cover
> � a kayak hatch cover like you can't buy in a store
> � a wheelchair cushion zipper, saving $200
> � a roll to hold all the pieces of my westy's removable seat track covers
> � reupholstery of a kitchen booth seat
> � a padded cover for my bulkhead-mounted Olympian Wave III in my westy
>
> and more.
>
> This is already over 3 grand worth of savings not counting the number
> of small items I've repaired. If you are excluding the acquisition of
> a sewing machine (dirt cheap) to your tool set because you think
> sewing is beneath you, and you are already process-minded and
> mechanically inclined, you are missing out on something that will help
> you immensely.
>
> I will soon replace the zipper in my westy poptop screen, sew a tyvek
> weather cover for my westy and sew a roll skirt for my kayak.
>
> Anything you want to know about it is on a youtube video. You can get
> into it for less than $50. It isn't rocket science.
>
> Jim
>