I just got back from Joann's, and I had a moment. Let's review some back story.
I bought a shirt like this from Old Navy before school started this year, and I wear it a lot. Mine was 3/4 sleeves, but similar. The recovery on the knit is really bad. By the end of the day it is all stretched out and looks really bad. On my Sewing With Knits class from Craftsy, I found out that having a little Spandex/Lycra in your knits will really help with keeping your shirt the same size all day. One of my projects in the class is a T-shirt, so I thought, "Perfect, I'll make a new cute red T that stays good looking all day."
Fast forward to me at the cutting table with my new and improved jersey knit with 5% spandex in bright red. I hand it over to my lady who I have gotten friendly with over the last couple of years. She asked what I was making this time, so I told her a T-shirt. The older lady behind me butts in at this point and says, "Honey, that is a knit fabric, and those are very stretchy. So it's going to be hard for you to sew. You can buy a T-shirt and not have to do that," and gave me a pitying smile with nose wrinkle.
Pause.
Before I could get my neck rolling and my finger up with a, "Excuse me? Do you know who I am? I am staciethinksshecan.com, clown! I know you did not just say that to me...." The lady at the cutting table said nicely to me, "Are you going to use your serger on this?" and I answered with a stunned, "Yes."
The lady behind me said, "Oh, I didn't realize you had sewn before."
What the heck? What is it about me that she assumed I couldn't sew? Was it my age? I admit I usually like the cutting table. It is usually full of good advice like warnings that a particular fabric frays easily or something will be on sale next week or a good idea on something to try. All I can say is what the heck, and walk away rocking my yoga pants even harder than usual.
I bought a shirt like this from Old Navy before school started this year, and I wear it a lot. Mine was 3/4 sleeves, but similar. The recovery on the knit is really bad. By the end of the day it is all stretched out and looks really bad. On my Sewing With Knits class from Craftsy, I found out that having a little Spandex/Lycra in your knits will really help with keeping your shirt the same size all day. One of my projects in the class is a T-shirt, so I thought, "Perfect, I'll make a new cute red T that stays good looking all day."
Fast forward to me at the cutting table with my new and improved jersey knit with 5% spandex in bright red. I hand it over to my lady who I have gotten friendly with over the last couple of years. She asked what I was making this time, so I told her a T-shirt. The older lady behind me butts in at this point and says, "Honey, that is a knit fabric, and those are very stretchy. So it's going to be hard for you to sew. You can buy a T-shirt and not have to do that," and gave me a pitying smile with nose wrinkle.
Pause.
Before I could get my neck rolling and my finger up with a, "Excuse me? Do you know who I am? I am staciethinksshecan.com, clown! I know you did not just say that to me...." The lady at the cutting table said nicely to me, "Are you going to use your serger on this?" and I answered with a stunned, "Yes."
The lady behind me said, "Oh, I didn't realize you had sewn before."
What the heck? What is it about me that she assumed I couldn't sew? Was it my age? I admit I usually like the cutting table. It is usually full of good advice like warnings that a particular fabric frays easily or something will be on sale next week or a good idea on something to try. All I can say is what the heck, and walk away rocking my yoga pants even harder than usual.
Granny just scared to death of knits so she wanted to put that fear in you...kinda like my family being afraid of Vogues so they talk bad about them but probably haven't sewed one since 1960 something!
ReplyDeletehehehe
DeleteBoo-ya! Great job by the cutting girl. Can't say that anyone at my Joann's cutting table has ever had my back like that.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing that story! :)
I know! I think I need to make her a Christmas present for helping me stay classy.
Deleteoooooooooooooh people.. why do they assume because you are a certain age....you can or can not sew.. Or if you buy a certain fabric...you don't know what your doing?
ReplyDeleteVery nice of the cutting lady to cut in..
But on a good note...I think your red tshirt will be gorgeous.. and us blog friends "know" that you can sew some really pretty things.. happy sewing.
Aw, thanks!
DeleteThe clothing you were wearing that day was just so perfectly, tidily made, it never occurred to the old Duck, Mrs Becky Homecky, that you made them yourself. Hence her comment was actually flattering! LOL! (well, it's a positive spin. Probably she's an escapee from somewhere they left the dead bolts unlocked by accident if you know what I mean...)
ReplyDeleteLOL, thanks for getting my back!
DeleteI know some people who would have made a big deal out of something so incidental as this encounter. Good for you for not giving it a second thought.
ReplyDeleteThanks! You can't let the little stuff get you down!
DeleteIt's absolutely ageism. I get this all the time. Someone will look really confused and I'll ask them if they want help and they will tell me no. Then they will turn around and ask my mom if she is with me, who will then direct the question back to me.
ReplyDeleteMy MIL and I went to the quilt festival in Houston a few years back and I couldn't even get people to wait on me until she would get their attention.
I have tons of other things that have happened that show how ingrained it is. Luckily, the shops around me all know me and I don't have these sort of problems locally, but when I first moved here, I saw it everywhere.
That's crazy. My friend Holly and I went to the Houston Quilt Festival last year and a long arm salesman told us the average age was either 63 or 68. I love that show, it should be coming up...yay!
DeleteAwesome post! Sometimes we just come across those kinda people.
ReplyDelete