Do you hem your pants / skirts yourself or take them to a tailor? (color, buy)

[Zoisite]

I've noticed several threads where people mentioned not being able to get the right pants lengths or else having to have their pants hemmed to the right length by some tailor. I saw some shocked replies or dead crickets silence on a couple of occasions when it was suggested that a person could do one's own simple made to order hemming. It was almost as if some people have never heard of such a thing, or as if it was beneath them to consider it.

It got me wondering if hemming and small mending of clothing is becoming a lost art. Wondering if that kind of basic domestic skill is no longer taught to the younger generations by parents or in Home Ec courses in high school. Did you learn to do it and do you do any mending/hemming/button sewing/sock darning (etc.) yourself or is it more convenient to pay somebody else to do it for you? Or do you just not consider to buy an otherwise perfect fitting pair of pants or a skirt if it's a bit too long and not exactly the length you want? What about if you're providing and shopping for clothing for your kids? Do you mend their little rips and tears, hem their pants or skirts? What other reasons do people have for not doing mending?

This isn't a criticism, I'm just really curious and trying to understand about what's happening out there in our first world society with regard to whether or not people still do this domestic skill themselves. And what their reasons are for doing it or not doing it.

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[Arkay66]

I've always done my own. Learned about 8 years old and have made my clothes ever since.

But the sewing arts are not taught as they once were. We started a "learn to sew" course at our library and already have a waiting list. The interest is out there, at least around here; they just need to be taught.

[Gerania]

I know how to hem a skirt, but I have no one to mark them for me. Pressing fabric and sewing it is OK for casual garments, but "better" clothing should be marked while you're wearing it. Though pants are a bit easier in that respect, dress and suit pants should be measured.

[tangelag]

Anything I have worth sewing or altering in any way is taken to a seamstress. If I were to do such, I would use Duct (Duck?) Tape. I don’t think I own a needle anymore. If a piece of clothing is clearly too long I don’t buy it. I sewed since I was a teen, making most of my clothes, but after many arduous projects just can’t abide the time and fine/detailed work it demands. I appreciate others who do sew; however.

I have given up ironing as well.

So happy.

[Debsi]

Not good at it, don’t own a machine or know how to use one, happy to pay an expert and spend my free time doing/learning other things that do interest me. Luckily for me, the petite length pants are about right so I don’t have to have everything hemmed.

I hand sew buttons and minor tears. I also choose clothes that don’t require ironing. Life is short.

[MLSFan]

i bought a $25 singer from garage sale, took a free class on how to use it and hem my own pants, takes 5 minutes per pants

not rhe best looking, and threads are different color because i only have one bobbin, but im happy with results

[writerwife]

I do my own but I do hate buying something new that has to be altered right off the bat.

[Ellise]

I do my own hemming (seldom) and mending (more often). I have a sewing machine, and own plenty of needles and thread. I'm in my 60s and remember when this sort of thing was taught in public school.

Still, it's not exactly rocket science to pick up a needle and thread to do a bit of hemming or mending; there's probably YouTube videos to show you how.

I've seen people looking for someone to do hemming for them on local Facebook groups. In the time it would take to find someone, drive to them to have the work done, go back to pick it up, etc., you could have simply stayed home and done it yourself.

[VTsnowbird]

I do my own, and have done hemming for friends as well.

Thanks Mrs. Lovely ! (8th grade home ec teacher)

[hertfordshire]

I was taught sewing in home ec back in the 80's, so I know how to sew, but choose not to do anything beyond sewing on buttons. All pants I buy have to be altered (waist and hem), and I can't accurately mark and pin them myself while I'm wearing them.