Geek’s gotta sew!

Many years ago, someone invented a gadget that would attach buttons to a shirt without any sewing. That pretty much ended any desire I might ever have to sew, a skill in which I lack all possible expertise. Just once, I really needed to sew something. How difficult can it be, I asked myself. I wish I’d made a list of all the things I did wrong (actually, more than THIRTY different kinds of mistakes), but I was too busy trying to finish to write them down. Sewing is indeed a sophisticated skill.

But times have changed, and now I do at least one sewing repair per year. Here’s why: There are three ways you can attach gadgets to a belt:

1. So that they are in great danger of falling off.
2. Using yet another gadget to “rivet” the object to your belt. (Here’s an example.)
3. Using a pouch that attaches so securely to your belt, it’s just not going to fall off.

I’ve seen reviews of method (2) and such gadgets impress me, but I’ve never had the nerve to try them. I can’t understand why anyone goes for method (1), which usually means a simple clip-on to your belt. I’m sure I’d knock any clip-on off in a few days. But if you haunt the camera stores, you’ll see every form of appliance pouch, including some that have an integral belt loop. You run your belt through this loop and the pouch CAN’T POSSIBLY fall off the belt. When it’s new, anyway. Outside of a bathroom, anyway.

These pouches cost $10 to $20, so what do you do when the belt loop begins to crack or tear? The necessary sewing repairs will be invisible – between your pouch and your belt – an idea situation for the amateur sewer. I’ve done a number of sewing repairs, and I’ve extended the lives of my gadget-holders.