The Road to the Finished Refashion

Getting it done so cheaply was great — but actually getting to the finished piece turned out to be a bit of an adventure.

When I first placed the order, the sewing uncle told me it would be ready “tomorrow.”

But since I couldn’t go back the next day, I ended up visiting him six times before it was finally done.

I didn’t have any way to contact him, so the only option was to just keep going back. Haha.

Visit 1 — 3 days after ordering (Friday)
He wasn’t there.
So this is what it looks like when the shop is closed…

Visit 2 — 7 days after ordering (Tuesday)
He was there!
But then it was like, “Huh, where did I put it again…?”
rummaging around
“Sorry, tomorrow!”

So… he hadn’t done it at all. Haha.

Visit 3 — 10 days after ordering (Friday)
He was there again, but this time it was more like,
“Oh noooo, I’m really sorry! I’ll definitely do it! If it’s not done next time, you should fire me!”

Should I believe that…?

Visit 4 — 11 days after ordering (Saturday)
Nope. Not there again.

Visit 5 — 18 days after ordering (Saturday)
Still not there.
Maybe he just doesn’t work on Saturdays?
(He had told me he was there every day except Sunday.)

Visit 6 — 20 days after ordering (Monday)
It was finally done!

When he handed it to me, smiling, he said, “It’s for Songkran, right? Nice!”
At that point, I couldn’t even be mad.

Here’s the Finished Result

To put it simply: the top was a success, but the bottoms were not.
Honestly, it was hilarious.

I think this was mostly because of the way I asked for it, but there probably wasn’t enough fabric for the bottoms, so what I ended up with was a pair of super-tight shorts that felt more like leggings.
(Though to be fair, my hips probably didn’t help either.)

He had added an elastic waistband, so they were technically wearable, but the crotch area had been pieced together from scraps
(see the bottom right of the photo), and the whole construction felt… a little forced. Haha.

Still, the top turned out pretty close to what I had imagined, and if it’s something like this, I feel like I could ask him again in the future.

Can the Sewing Uncle Handle Refashioning?

So, can the sewing uncle do refashioning?

The answer is yes.

But here’s what I learned:

・For this kind of refashion, he apparently needed to take it home to work on it, so it couldn’t be done on the spot and had to be ready the next day.　(If you’re able to go every day, I imagine it wouldn’t take nearly this long because you could keep reminding him.)

・I was told he’s there Monday to Saturday (probably around 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM?) but in reality, there were definitely days when he wasn’t there.

・As you can see from Visit 2, the clothes people ask him to work on are basically just piled up. Haha. I honestly wonder what happens during the rainy season. So I’d only bring something you’re okay with being handled that way.
・He will turn it into something. But that may be all he does. Haha. (To be fair, this time my request itself may not have been the best.)

Still, he was such a cheerful and lovable uncle that I already kind of want to ask him again.

Next : Was This Actually the Right Outfit for Songkran?

My first Songkran is finally here, and I’m going to wear the top he made for me and join in!
(The bottoms, however, will be replaced. Haha.)

Next Journey: Was This Actually the Right Outfit for Songkran?