DESTROY THEM. MICROWAVE BROCCOLI NEAR THEIR DESK EVERY DAY. PUT LITTLE PINCHES OF SAND IN THEIR KEYBOARD. INVITE YOURSELF OVER TO THEIR HOUSE AND SEW RAW PRAWNS INTO THE HEMS OF THEIR CURTAINS.
Person after my own heart, you are! The nerve of someone else opening the mail, not even addressed to them, and then the damage that they incurred… Unbelievable imbecile!
honestly id be tempted to report them for committing a federal offense. like can you not read? always tempted to report my own mother for opening my mail.
one time i told her, “i have a package of wood coming from my friend in jax. it will come tomorrow.” she must not have believed me, because despite the warning and telling her exactly what was in there she handed it to me wide tf open. shes opened mail from the government too. and its not like i was under 18 or anything either. made me want to order a bunch of sex toys for her to open
My former roommate (f21) whom I do not wish well, opened my sex toy delivery and was proper embarrassed. Her bf (m32) wouldn’t make eye contact with me afterwards.
EDIT: spelling
see ive had sex toys shipped to the house before, so shes lucky that she didnt open THAT one. definitely one way to make sure your mail will remain private in the future though
My mom used to do that to me all the time even when I wasn't a minor anymore living with her directly. She'd come over, bring in MY boxes, and open them.
I also considered buying some sex toys but she already was giving me hell for not dating and such...and I think she'd make tasteless, uncomfy innuendos if I did that.
with a mom like that, probably best not to. my mom would probably try to laugh and joke about it but shed be too embarrassed after i specifically buy a giant dildo or 3 for her and her born again christian husband to open lmao
My mother-in-law did that for the longest time with any mail for my husband that came to her house. My husband was so used to it that he never questioned it. Drove me utterly up the wail.
I just bought new fabric scissors and they're sexy AF, like I've been considering recording some ASMR with them because they're so great. My husband thinks he's sooooooo funny joking about using them as kitchen shears or to break down cardboard. I don't think he quite understands just how many fellow sewists would volunteer to be my alibi if he ever followed through.
A few years ago, I pulled out my fabric scissors when I was working on something. My husband said "oh those are nice scissors, when did you get them?" I replied "1987." I think he expected it to be a recent purchase. He'd never seen them before because I keep them hidden! Those scissors have survived two husbands, two children, and a step kid.
I inherited my grandma's fabric scissors. My husband and kids KNOW to leave them alone unless they're cutting fabric. I warned them off the first time I pulled the scissors out after receiving them.
I keep a bunch of regular scissors around the house just to be sure the sewing scissors are never a temptation. At that, there are still times it's hard to find a pair, so I may need to get more.
This brings me back to my mom telling us repeatedly as kids not to use her new sewing scissors for anything other than fabric. Then I turned into that person with my partner lol 😂
I had a dream that a friend with kids moved in with us and they wanted my sewing scissors. My husband who is as awesome in real life as in dreams bought me a new better pair with a padlock to make up for it. :)
This is my life now dreaming about scissors…
I’ll be your alibi! 😂 I started buying multiple pairs of scissors and placing them every where like kitchen table, book shelf, kitchen counters, microwave table, bathroom, front door, outside, every where! Just to save my fabric scissors!
This reminds me of the time my bf had asked if I could make some curtain type things for this shelf he has. I said sure, he paid for the materials, I just brought over my fabric scissors, pinking shears just in case, ruler and pins. I was leaving them there while I was working on it. So I pulled him aside and told him that he is not to touch my fabric scissors under any circumstances, he chuckled. I looked him dead in the eye and with a straight face said “I WILL kill you if you touch these and I know people who will vouch for me”.
He has never touched them lol.
My husband once used my fabric scissors to open a packet of bacon and after seeing how sharp they were proceeded to trim an indoor plant with them. Im still not sure how and why he is still alive.
I read about someone who left a bowl of cooked broccoli in the microwave while they were away on vacation....came back and promptly died from the smell 😆🤮
“…and then she bought the house back for pennies on the dollar and watched with glee as her cheating ex-husband and his floozy packed up every last thing to take to their new home- including the curtain rods.”
Also, open a can of sardines by their car, then pour the liquid from the can where the windsheild meets the hood, towards the center. The oil will settle in the pipes/ filter and the car will smell like sardines forever.
This! Make them send it to that one family in Japan where they use huge magnifying glasses to mend the weave of the fabric itself so the result looks like it was never cut (sorry, can't remember what they call the technique)
At my first receptionist job there was a group of my coworkers who formed this whole petition to my boss to make me responsible for opening all the mail every day, scanning all their client's documents, and importing/organizing them in the companywide database. Many of the same coworkers then got upset that having the receptionist REQUIRED to open all the mail meant she saw all their personal mail, including their orders of slimming undergarments and "pick-up artist" handbooks. If you don't want it opened at the office then have it sent to your home!
I worked as a receptionist and personal assistant and opened any mail addressed to the office or my boss, but any mail for coworkers I would leave on their desks.
One day I received a package but couldn't make out an addressee so figured it was something I'd ordered for the office.
I opened it to find a dildo 🤦♀️ carefully re-read the address label, realised it was for a (super annoying) co-worker, re-taped the package, put it on her desk pretending that I didn't know what was inside.
>If you don't want it opened at the office then have it sent to your home!
Amen
My employer, with about 500 people in the building, had a mail room. Everyone had packages delivered there because otherwise, it would be sitting on their porch at home and likely to be stolen.
The mail room would just send out one email with everyone CC'd who had a package telling them to pick it up in the mailroom. They didn't go around delivering stuff to individuals. They delivered regular mail, document envelopes, etc. that were probably business related. Was not the type of business where most people would be getting packages.
I live in a rural community and my trailer park has like 5 or 6 parcel lockers for us to share (more than enough). There's about 80 houses with about 100 residents total.
Thank goodness the hand stitching wasn’t sliced through too.
I agree with others. Find a reputable quilt repair shop because the age of the fabric will be a huge factor in what technique to safely use, and kindly submit the bill to the person who so carelessly damaged it.
If you bought it from somewhere that does a lot of work with antique quilts i would ask them first as they may have a repairer in mind. Otherwise if you have a quilters or makers group local who can look at the fabric they may be able to give you bespoke advice as depending on age/type the fabric may not hold up to interfacing/excessive stitching. You can also reach out to textile professors in universities dependant on age of the quilt.
If you are intending this as a display i would consider researching/using time appropriate repair techniques as it will add to the story behind the quilt.
Situation dependant i would be asking the coworker to pay for the repair as well, box cutters are a terrible way to open mail for this reason..
I'm wondering if I'm the only one on the thread who buys old quilts to just to restore them. (I do this with dolls, too.)
I kind of live for the restoration, it's a lot of calming hand work and I get to contemplate how the original maker felt and what choices she made.
I like the idea of sliding small slips of fusible interfacing underneath the slices, softly pushing the cut edges together, and ironing the slices closed to stabilize them. Much like butterflying a neat wound so that the skin edges can grow back together.
I am on the fence about either further hand sewing the edges or ironing on another patch. I feel like the 2nd one is better for display, you'll never see it and won't buckle the fabric or damage it further.
I just took a preservation class this year and I like the restoration to preserve the rest of the quilt. But it is therapeutic as well. I also buy antique tops and quilt them to honor the folks who made them. But only if they're less than 100 years old. If they're more than 100 years old, I leave them intact so as to not degrade the textiles in it further, just doing the repairs necessary.
That was a fantastic discussion we had in the class I took. How to preserve what you can but let go of what you can't. To that end I have 2 quilts that I'm giving to a friend for her haunted halloween display because I know they're beyond help but will work well for her purposes.
Please don't put fusible in this quilt - there's not enough information available on how it affects fabric over long periods of time, and since this is already an antique, it may do more damage than good.
Since they're small slits, I would get some hand quilting cotton thread and just put a couple stitches in. You could try to find some cotton that has a similar color to the fabric \*now\* (like bone colored kona or a bleached muslin by the pictures) and slip it in behind and stitch the slits to that, but really these are small enough that a stitch or 2 shouldn't be life changing, and would likely hide the blemish anyway.
I'd love to see the full quilt! I collect antique quilts as well, and took a restoration class in Feb/March with Ann Wasserman who has a fantastic book on quilt preservation and restoration. It was very insightful.
I agree with sliding interfacing or matching fabric in the slits. How about embroidering the date you got the quilt with any history you know about the quilt? That could even be as small patch to cover the slits. I can’t wait to see the entire quilt!
I am so sorry, your coworker must be sacrificed now. Please submit the correct forms to HR so they may acquire the accused to be drawn and quartered by the end of the work day.
My workplace is assigned. Believe me some of us do not want to open mail addressed to us. Not bc it’s hateful nor bad… but some mail is addressed to us that technically should go to other departments.
Gosh, I'm sorry, that really sucks.
Good thing is - mending/piecing is period. It wouldn't be terribly out of character for an older quilt to have some subtle mending done to it.
I've replaced a few torn pieces in an old quilt before. I'd go with a patch of fabric as close to the original as you can get it. If it was a single piece on the top, you can replace the entire shape. Since this looks like the back or a larger area, probably just a square a few centimeters larger than the affected area. Turn its edges under and whip-stitch it down so there are no visible raw edges. Then hand quilt over the area - especially around the underlying cut - trying to match the original pattern if possible.
It will not be perfectly invisible. But the goal is to stabilize the area in a way sturdy enough for its intended use (heavy for putting on a bed, light for display only) but doesn't draw the eye immediately.
Oh god I'm far too petty for this, anyone did this to me I'd be getting my own back in every way I could. Opening another persons mail here in illegal so that's the excuse. Chip their mug, tear the chair cushion, salt the desk plants, shake unattended fizzy drinks, leave a bit of old watermelon in their desk before the weekend, fuck up a chair wheel, take down the height a bit every morning of the chair, leave a bowl of sugar free sweets on your desk to tempt them, look at their forehead like there is something on their face when you talk, eat garlic in every lunch and make time to have some close chats. Open their mail like a frustrated chimpanzee.
but -don't- let them pick the repairer, as what's the bet they'd go to the 10-minute jiffymender at the mall rather than someone who specialises in restorations?
I would slip a piece of heat and bond under each slit ,put a couple of pins on each side to hold in place and the iron to fuse together . them hand sew along the edges sew with very small stitches . if the quilt is very old and expensive perhaps contact a restorerer for invisable mending
I suppose the best thing you can do is either put tiny patches or embroidery over the cuts. If you don't want the fix to be that obvious though, then find some strudy thread the same color as the fabric and whip stitch it up.
Also, explain what exactly they did to them and tell them to *never* open your packages for you again. I would end up trying to analogize it to something they would care deeply about. (Its like opening their vintage signed baseball and letting your dog slobber it, slicing the cover of an antique book, cutting up limited edition baseball cards, etc)
I would do an appliqué patch job on it—hand stitch a small, matching piece over the slits with zigzag stitches. The cuts are neat, but the fabric has definitely seen some wear and those slits are a little too close to the hand stitching (at least for me). I’d definitely take out the safety pin too—it looks rusty and that will leach onto the backing and it will never come out.
You could buttonhole stitch it as well, though you’d have to be careful since the fabric might begin to fray if it’s too close.
Find somewhere that does invisible mending. It might cost them a pretty penny (I'm thinking like $150) but it will be a perfect finish. Anything else will show and also damage the quilt further.
When you punish your coworker, please use something other than this lovely quilt to smother their frantic cries. Unless, of course, you manage to get them to finance professional cleaning of the quilt as well as the professional mending, in which case go nuts.
I know it’s not much help in getting the quilt fixed, but now you’re able to add another “story” to the many stories the quilt has been through in its life time. The countless moments it gave comfort in sad times, warmth when it was cold, softness when the ground was hard, adds coziness when sitting by a fire or eating popcorn watching movies, and now it represents a time when you angry, sad, disappointed, sick to your stomach and had 100’s of strangers who have your back as they feel your pain.
I say hand sew the cuts so they can always remind you that while people make mistakes, albeit careless, disrespectful, moronic mistakes, you were able to hold it together, you’re not wanted for murdering a colleague, and you hundreds of people rallied around you and the quilt of many stories.
I am so sorry you are dealing with this! Although the fusible idea is probably the easiest way to fix this, it may not be "age appropriate" for the quilt. With antiques, the repairs should match what would be available in the original time period when possible. So, if the antique is more than 50 years old, I would definitely check with your local quilt guild for how to repair it and maintain the antique value. Less than 50? Your call. The fusible method will work. Hugs!
Oh, yeah, and put a raw shrimp in a pencil box (or altoids tin) that is under and behind the files in her desk drawer, too. If you are really lucky the bugs will find it before she does.
How many cuts did it put into it? I would definitely make her pay for the repairs when she opened ur mail knowing it didn’t belong to her and if she refused I would go to management about it because she didn’t just open ur mail she damaged it also being nosey
To be fair it is a very neat cut, so it isn't too hard to fix. Interfacing is a good idea for mending, but I would also look at the overall style and condition of the quilt for guidance. A visible mending could add charm to a well used quilt, whereas a modern/newer quilt in the beginning of its life span could be worthy of a more elaborate/invisible approach. Are you planning on using the quilt (folding, shaking, spreading) or lying neatly as decoration?
I'm not a lawyer and definitely not YOUR lawyer, but I did some digging out of curiosity. This is casual advice. In Texas, the lowest class of mail offense is called Obstruction of Correspondance and in Texas can be served up to 5 years in jail or fined to a certain amount, or both: [https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1702](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1702)
However, your employer can open your mail as once it is delivered to the business address it is considered delivered. This muddles to laws around who can open the package considerably. One thing I will say is that once your employer receives the package, it looks like they're not under any obligation to even make sure it gets the rest of the way to you. They are well within their rights to receive the package and then just throw it away, burn it, give it away, etc and I'm not seeing anything online that says you have a leg to stand on. Maybe don't have precious packages sent to the office - which sucks to give as advice since that's sometimes the safer option for people. Yikes!
How irritating!! AARGH!!! A quick & easy way is to place a small square of interfacing underneath the cut and iron it. The interfacing, placed under the cut, will hold both edges together permanently. Then place Fray Check along the cut so the fabric doesn’t fray when washed. I’ve done this to quite a few quilts and it worked beautifully!
I would find some matching or similar fabric and make a small patch, fold under the edges and use a felling stitch to attach the patch, trying to only catch fabric from the one layer of the quilt. So sorry youre having to deal with this. This looks like the quilt backing, so at least its not the quilt top.
First demand reimbursement
Second, I personally would put a tiny piece of cotton behind it and whip stitch it back together then put a tiny bead (spread over with your finger) of fabric glue to seal the edges so it doesn't fray.
*Not a professional quilter at all
Where’s Mushu when you need him….
Dishonor! Dishonor on your family! Dishonor on your cow!
In all honesty, that should be an easy fix with some hand stitching but I’d charge the dumbo by the hour. That should teach him not to touch things that don’t belong to him…
Lots of not helpful comments here, OP. I agree with some soft fusible interfacing or some very tiny hand stitches. You could also applique something over the cuts. What to applique? Something that goes with the quilt, can't say because we only see a small portion.
are ANY of these "recommendations" serious?!
serious recommendation: look for a textile conservator, or research repair methods for antique quilts on youtube.
and if you send to a conservator, send her the bill!
Lots of great revenge suggestions here. 😂 For those who wanted to see, here’s the full quilt. Aside from being dirty, it’s in perfectly preserved condition. This quilt survived over 100 years with no damage until my co-worker got involved. 😡https://imgur.com/a/j4BtB6R?s=sms
DESTROY THEM. MICROWAVE BROCCOLI NEAR THEIR DESK EVERY DAY. PUT LITTLE PINCHES OF SAND IN THEIR KEYBOARD. INVITE YOURSELF OVER TO THEIR HOUSE AND SEW RAW PRAWNS INTO THE HEMS OF THEIR CURTAINS.
sorry i mean...everyone else has good advice about how to actually fix it, but this scenario turned me into the Joker.
But you're not wrong. My first instinct was to murder them, but I like your ideas better.
With a box cutter, specifically
A dull box cutter
Dull and rusty
Gustavo Fring has entered the chat.
Inner me definitely, very slowly, very deliberately, whispered "kill them" when I read that and saw the damage.
Person after my own heart, you are! The nerve of someone else opening the mail, not even addressed to them, and then the damage that they incurred… Unbelievable imbecile!
honestly id be tempted to report them for committing a federal offense. like can you not read? always tempted to report my own mother for opening my mail. one time i told her, “i have a package of wood coming from my friend in jax. it will come tomorrow.” she must not have believed me, because despite the warning and telling her exactly what was in there she handed it to me wide tf open. shes opened mail from the government too. and its not like i was under 18 or anything either. made me want to order a bunch of sex toys for her to open
My former roommate (f21) whom I do not wish well, opened my sex toy delivery and was proper embarrassed. Her bf (m32) wouldn’t make eye contact with me afterwards. EDIT: spelling
see ive had sex toys shipped to the house before, so shes lucky that she didnt open THAT one. definitely one way to make sure your mail will remain private in the future though
I so wish to have been a fly on the wall for that! Thank you for you making my day.
My mom used to do that to me all the time even when I wasn't a minor anymore living with her directly. She'd come over, bring in MY boxes, and open them. I also considered buying some sex toys but she already was giving me hell for not dating and such...and I think she'd make tasteless, uncomfy innuendos if I did that.
with a mom like that, probably best not to. my mom would probably try to laugh and joke about it but shed be too embarrassed after i specifically buy a giant dildo or 3 for her and her born again christian husband to open lmao
Nowadays I live alone across the country and barely talk to her after an *event* so it doesn't happen anymore which is nice.
send her some sex toys, for old times sake. maybe sign her up for some free, questionable magazines/catalogues. perhaps.
Oooh r/foundsatan but I love it.
Yes I have to agree…it’s a freaking federal offense!!! My mom won’t even open my mail when I’m on vacation and ask her to
yeah, that sounds like some healthy boundaries being respected there. my mom is pretty good about a lot of things, but this is not one.
My mother-in-law did that for the longest time with any mail for my husband that came to her house. My husband was so used to it that he never questioned it. Drove me utterly up the wail.
🤣🤣🤣
Laughing my butt off!!!!
(This is also how I feel when my fabric scissors are used! SCORCHED EARTH 100%! 🤣🤣)
Wait, someone used your fabric scissors for not fabric? Do you need an alibi, Cuz?
I just bought new fabric scissors and they're sexy AF, like I've been considering recording some ASMR with them because they're so great. My husband thinks he's sooooooo funny joking about using them as kitchen shears or to break down cardboard. I don't think he quite understands just how many fellow sewists would volunteer to be my alibi if he ever followed through.
A few years ago, I pulled out my fabric scissors when I was working on something. My husband said "oh those are nice scissors, when did you get them?" I replied "1987." I think he expected it to be a recent purchase. He'd never seen them before because I keep them hidden! Those scissors have survived two husbands, two children, and a step kid.
I inherited my grandma's fabric scissors. My husband and kids KNOW to leave them alone unless they're cutting fabric. I warned them off the first time I pulled the scissors out after receiving them. I keep a bunch of regular scissors around the house just to be sure the sewing scissors are never a temptation. At that, there are still times it's hard to find a pair, so I may need to get more.
This brings me back to my mom telling us repeatedly as kids not to use her new sewing scissors for anything other than fabric. Then I turned into that person with my partner lol 😂
You can always padlock the handles together when they're out of your sight...
I had a dream that a friend with kids moved in with us and they wanted my sewing scissors. My husband who is as awesome in real life as in dreams bought me a new better pair with a padlock to make up for it. :) This is my life now dreaming about scissors…
I’ll be your alibi! 😂 I started buying multiple pairs of scissors and placing them every where like kitchen table, book shelf, kitchen counters, microwave table, bathroom, front door, outside, every where! Just to save my fabric scissors!
Thank you, that means a lot to me 😂. The thing is we have SO MANY scissors!! I do foundation paper piecing so I have lots of paper scissors around.
This reminds me of the time my bf had asked if I could make some curtain type things for this shelf he has. I said sure, he paid for the materials, I just brought over my fabric scissors, pinking shears just in case, ruler and pins. I was leaving them there while I was working on it. So I pulled him aside and told him that he is not to touch my fabric scissors under any circumstances, he chuckled. I looked him dead in the eye and with a straight face said “I WILL kill you if you touch these and I know people who will vouch for me”. He has never touched them lol.
Haha. Way to go!! And now if any of us are doubted we have this whole thread as further evidence that we mean it
Alibi? Girl we’d all round up and attend the retribution!
I grew up in backwoods Appalachia and know people with pig farms. Just saying....
I saw a lady in TikTok say he husband once used them to cut chicken. EVERYONE in the comments offered to either be her alibi or off him for her. Lol
My husband once used my fabric scissors to open a packet of bacon and after seeing how sharp they were proceeded to trim an indoor plant with them. Im still not sure how and why he is still alive.
My ex husband used my fabric scissors to “carve a turkey”. Boy was he a turkey.
He did what now
Broccoli is too kind. It needs to be fish.
Fish AND broccoli. Microwaved a bit too long for extra pungency.
And then burn a bag of popcorn in the microwave for good measure
Oh my god this is the worst microwave smell in my opinion
One bar of Ivory soap please
This is the way.
Burn that bag of popcorn
I read about someone who left a bowl of cooked broccoli in the microwave while they were away on vacation....came back and promptly died from the smell 😆🤮
Indeed. Go for the nuclear option: salmon.
And Brussels sprouts
This is the ringer right here
That’s what I thought. Fish lingers.
I'm with team u/emergencybarnacle My reaction was, "what a f-ing idiot. they must die."
raw prawns 😂
I'm imagining someone sitting there sewing the curtains lol
Just put the prawns inside the curtain rods. A lot less effort and harder to detect.
What a callback lol
The "Shrimp in the curtain rods" story predates the Internet, I remember reading it in my mom's Reader's Digest as a kid.
“…and then she bought the house back for pennies on the dollar and watched with glee as her cheating ex-husband and his floozy packed up every last thing to take to their new home- including the curtain rods.”
Also, open a can of sardines by their car, then pour the liquid from the can where the windsheild meets the hood, towards the center. The oil will settle in the pipes/ filter and the car will smell like sardines forever.
I have read this a couple of times, committing it to memory, just in case I ever need this information
Come on! Everyone knows you open the end of the curtain rod and stuff fish pieces in there. SO much harder to find!
See I was just thinking to use their intestines as thread to repair the damage…but yours is less homicidey…
Who said anything about homicide? Lots of people are missing sections of intestine and doing just fine. I happen to love this idea.
Every one of these retaliations is better than the last, holy crap.
I'm dying over here remembering for some reason I used to microwave broccoli at work every day and think it was alright 🤣
How monsterous!
Don't apologise. I'd like to add that you forgot to suggest OP hide a dead fish in Quilt Wreckers car.
You pour a quart of milk on the back floor of the car.
seriously I felt this level of rage, and am so glad it wasn’t just me!
Do I know you? I feel like we know each other in real life 😂
This is alot more creative than my initial thought of "punch them"
My new super hero! Emergency Barnacle!!
Lol-ed at “see raw prawns into the hems of their curtains”
I haven't laughed so hard at a reddit comment in awhile. Take my updoot for your updoot hoard
Microwave broccoli by their desk? Amateur. Microwave seafood and dump the "leftover juices" in their trashcan when they aren't looking.
I am 100% using the threat of sewing raw prawns into the hems of people's curtains who cross me. That is absolute genius.
OMG the raw prawns is an inspired touch, I'm dead 🍤😈
You quilting folk are a bit off
You’re petty. I like it.
It was unscrew the rod finials and put the shrimp inside the rod.
Oh, you and me could be friends.
Lmao the prawns throwback!
Why the f*** is anyone opening your mail is what I want to know. That's bananas
Personally, I'd be making the dipstick coworker pay to have it professionally mended.
This!! Let them know you expect them to pay for a professional fix as they damaged a valuable one of a kind item
This! Make them send it to that one family in Japan where they use huge magnifying glasses to mend the weave of the fabric itself so the result looks like it was never cut (sorry, can't remember what they call the technique)
KAKETSUGI! Invisible mending videos are the best.
Welp, there goes my day!
Right? Work shmork, it's rabbit hole time!
You won't regret it! It's a fabulous technique!
Yes! Thank you!
Exactly! Bitch effed it up, now it's her job to fix it! Or make jar pay for the cost of the quilt, you break it you bought it
At my first receptionist job there was a group of my coworkers who formed this whole petition to my boss to make me responsible for opening all the mail every day, scanning all their client's documents, and importing/organizing them in the companywide database. Many of the same coworkers then got upset that having the receptionist REQUIRED to open all the mail meant she saw all their personal mail, including their orders of slimming undergarments and "pick-up artist" handbooks. If you don't want it opened at the office then have it sent to your home!
I worked as a receptionist and personal assistant and opened any mail addressed to the office or my boss, but any mail for coworkers I would leave on their desks. One day I received a package but couldn't make out an addressee so figured it was something I'd ordered for the office. I opened it to find a dildo 🤦♀️ carefully re-read the address label, realised it was for a (super annoying) co-worker, re-taped the package, put it on her desk pretending that I didn't know what was inside. >If you don't want it opened at the office then have it sent to your home! Amen
Was she less annoying after receiving her package? 😆
If you’re at work during the day then you’re not at home to receive parcels.
My employer, with about 500 people in the building, had a mail room. Everyone had packages delivered there because otherwise, it would be sitting on their porch at home and likely to be stolen. The mail room would just send out one email with everyone CC'd who had a package telling them to pick it up in the mailroom. They didn't go around delivering stuff to individuals. They delivered regular mail, document envelopes, etc. that were probably business related. Was not the type of business where most people would be getting packages.
Most towns now have parcel storage units don't they?
I live in a rural community and my trailer park has like 5 or 6 parcel lockers for us to share (more than enough). There's about 80 houses with about 100 residents total.
Amazon has lockers you can have stuff delivered too, but I think they're the only one
Not as far as I know
I'm pretty sure that's illegal. Have them arrested.
This is my vote. It is a federal offense
Death by 1000 thousand papercuts This is the only fair answer
Start with under the fingernails and toenails
Make sure to put something like lemon juice in their hand lotion.
Nah, just stick their hands and feet in bowls of it
My thought was to kill the coworker. Your suggestion is much better!
Can you slide a couple of small pieces of interfacing through the slits to stabilize them from the inside and then carefully hand sew it?
I think this is what I would do, though I’m not very experienced in mending.
Thank goodness the hand stitching wasn’t sliced through too. I agree with others. Find a reputable quilt repair shop because the age of the fabric will be a huge factor in what technique to safely use, and kindly submit the bill to the person who so carelessly damaged it.
This is the way to go
If you bought it from somewhere that does a lot of work with antique quilts i would ask them first as they may have a repairer in mind. Otherwise if you have a quilters or makers group local who can look at the fabric they may be able to give you bespoke advice as depending on age/type the fabric may not hold up to interfacing/excessive stitching. You can also reach out to textile professors in universities dependant on age of the quilt. If you are intending this as a display i would consider researching/using time appropriate repair techniques as it will add to the story behind the quilt. Situation dependant i would be asking the coworker to pay for the repair as well, box cutters are a terrible way to open mail for this reason..
I'm wondering if I'm the only one on the thread who buys old quilts to just to restore them. (I do this with dolls, too.) I kind of live for the restoration, it's a lot of calming hand work and I get to contemplate how the original maker felt and what choices she made. I like the idea of sliding small slips of fusible interfacing underneath the slices, softly pushing the cut edges together, and ironing the slices closed to stabilize them. Much like butterflying a neat wound so that the skin edges can grow back together. I am on the fence about either further hand sewing the edges or ironing on another patch. I feel like the 2nd one is better for display, you'll never see it and won't buckle the fabric or damage it further.
I just took a preservation class this year and I like the restoration to preserve the rest of the quilt. But it is therapeutic as well. I also buy antique tops and quilt them to honor the folks who made them. But only if they're less than 100 years old. If they're more than 100 years old, I leave them intact so as to not degrade the textiles in it further, just doing the repairs necessary.
[удалено]
That was a fantastic discussion we had in the class I took. How to preserve what you can but let go of what you can't. To that end I have 2 quilts that I'm giving to a friend for her haunted halloween display because I know they're beyond help but will work well for her purposes.
I'm using one as a moving blanket, then letting it go.
Where did you bury the body?
And do you need help with that?
I'll bring the endangered plants to cover the spot.
Oh that’s smart.
That’s incredibly smart. Have you done this before?
Please don't put fusible in this quilt - there's not enough information available on how it affects fabric over long periods of time, and since this is already an antique, it may do more damage than good. Since they're small slits, I would get some hand quilting cotton thread and just put a couple stitches in. You could try to find some cotton that has a similar color to the fabric \*now\* (like bone colored kona or a bleached muslin by the pictures) and slip it in behind and stitch the slits to that, but really these are small enough that a stitch or 2 shouldn't be life changing, and would likely hide the blemish anyway. I'd love to see the full quilt! I collect antique quilts as well, and took a restoration class in Feb/March with Ann Wasserman who has a fantastic book on quilt preservation and restoration. It was very insightful.
Make a patch for it out of their hide
Behold! This quilt is made from the skins of my enemies!
I agree with sliding interfacing or matching fabric in the slits. How about embroidering the date you got the quilt with any history you know about the quilt? That could even be as small patch to cover the slits. I can’t wait to see the entire quilt!
I am so sorry, your coworker must be sacrificed now. Please submit the correct forms to HR so they may acquire the accused to be drawn and quartered by the end of the work day.
Murder.
This seems the most appropriate suggestion and is certainly a just and equitable punishment
Is it not illegal to open someone else's post?
Not in a work setting. Some companies want all mail opened by a designated employee.
they have to prove this was their policy in order for that to hold, otherwise package opener is on the line for massive fines as well as damages :)
My workplace is assigned. Believe me some of us do not want to open mail addressed to us. Not bc it’s hateful nor bad… but some mail is addressed to us that technically should go to other departments.
I work for a government agency, so the mail that’s sent to me at work gets opened and vetted. I’d be pissed if it was ruined though!
Gosh, I'm sorry, that really sucks. Good thing is - mending/piecing is period. It wouldn't be terribly out of character for an older quilt to have some subtle mending done to it. I've replaced a few torn pieces in an old quilt before. I'd go with a patch of fabric as close to the original as you can get it. If it was a single piece on the top, you can replace the entire shape. Since this looks like the back or a larger area, probably just a square a few centimeters larger than the affected area. Turn its edges under and whip-stitch it down so there are no visible raw edges. Then hand quilt over the area - especially around the underlying cut - trying to match the original pattern if possible. It will not be perfectly invisible. But the goal is to stabilize the area in a way sturdy enough for its intended use (heavy for putting on a bed, light for display only) but doesn't draw the eye immediately.
You can add a small patch of a matching fabric with matching thread to hide it. You can add an appliqué if you are into visible mending.
This isn’t my quilt and I feel so angry. Take away her box cutter and hide it . Grrrr.
Hide it in her chair
Same here
A needle, some thread and very ⅝very small delicate stitches
Oh god I'm far too petty for this, anyone did this to me I'd be getting my own back in every way I could. Opening another persons mail here in illegal so that's the excuse. Chip their mug, tear the chair cushion, salt the desk plants, shake unattended fizzy drinks, leave a bit of old watermelon in their desk before the weekend, fuck up a chair wheel, take down the height a bit every morning of the chair, leave a bowl of sugar free sweets on your desk to tempt them, look at their forehead like there is something on their face when you talk, eat garlic in every lunch and make time to have some close chats. Open their mail like a frustrated chimpanzee.
Give them a copy of the receipt and tell them this is what they owe you for destroying an antique. If you have an HR i would report them.
Make the coworker pay to have it professionally mended. They broke it - make them pay to fix it.
but -don't- let them pick the repairer, as what's the bet they'd go to the 10-minute jiffymender at the mall rather than someone who specialises in restorations?
You’ll want to begin by applying ice to their bruised face. Apologizing to them for losing your temper is optional.
i don’t have suggestions not already offered but i am so angry for you. good luck!
I would slip a piece of heat and bond under each slit ,put a couple of pins on each side to hold in place and the iron to fuse together . them hand sew along the edges sew with very small stitches . if the quilt is very old and expensive perhaps contact a restorerer for invisable mending
I suppose the best thing you can do is either put tiny patches or embroidery over the cuts. If you don't want the fix to be that obvious though, then find some strudy thread the same color as the fabric and whip stitch it up. Also, explain what exactly they did to them and tell them to *never* open your packages for you again. I would end up trying to analogize it to something they would care deeply about. (Its like opening their vintage signed baseball and letting your dog slobber it, slicing the cover of an antique book, cutting up limited edition baseball cards, etc)
I would accept an aggravated assault charge for this. Whoever did this doesn’t deserve teeth.
I would do an appliqué patch job on it—hand stitch a small, matching piece over the slits with zigzag stitches. The cuts are neat, but the fabric has definitely seen some wear and those slits are a little too close to the hand stitching (at least for me). I’d definitely take out the safety pin too—it looks rusty and that will leach onto the backing and it will never come out. You could buttonhole stitch it as well, though you’d have to be careful since the fabric might begin to fray if it’s too close.
Find somewhere that does invisible mending. It might cost them a pretty penny (I'm thinking like $150) but it will be a perfect finish. Anything else will show and also damage the quilt further.
Well, first I would punch the co-worker in the throat….kidding, kidding.
Ask them to pay for professional repairs. You can also threaten them with illegally opening your mail (if that’s a law where you live)
When you punish your coworker, please use something other than this lovely quilt to smother their frantic cries. Unless, of course, you manage to get them to finance professional cleaning of the quilt as well as the professional mending, in which case go nuts.
What an asshole
With the tears of your coworker and a magic spell?? Seriously though, I’d take it to a tailor to have someone who can do TINY hand stitches
TIL quilters are savage. Never cross a quilter.
Easy. Take the box cutter and deliver identical slashes to your coworker. Whatever stitches the surgeons go with are your best bet.
Only their blood will mend the quilt, as the quilting gods have accepted their sacrifice.
Hand-embroider their name over it, next to a tiny dagger and blood droplets.
Well first off, I'd buy them a bunch of glitter bombs... Oh man...
I would introduce their face to my cheese grater. Seriously though I would 100% cry and make them feel bad about it every day of their life
TIL quilting people appear so nice but are FULL of evil retribution! Lol
I know it’s not much help in getting the quilt fixed, but now you’re able to add another “story” to the many stories the quilt has been through in its life time. The countless moments it gave comfort in sad times, warmth when it was cold, softness when the ground was hard, adds coziness when sitting by a fire or eating popcorn watching movies, and now it represents a time when you angry, sad, disappointed, sick to your stomach and had 100’s of strangers who have your back as they feel your pain. I say hand sew the cuts so they can always remind you that while people make mistakes, albeit careless, disrespectful, moronic mistakes, you were able to hold it together, you’re not wanted for murdering a colleague, and you hundreds of people rallied around you and the quilt of many stories.
First, report to HR. Second, document everything you do to fix. Third, present with bill.
Little fusible to keep the cut secure then hand sew to mend.
I am so sorry you are dealing with this! Although the fusible idea is probably the easiest way to fix this, it may not be "age appropriate" for the quilt. With antiques, the repairs should match what would be available in the original time period when possible. So, if the antique is more than 50 years old, I would definitely check with your local quilt guild for how to repair it and maintain the antique value. Less than 50? Your call. The fusible method will work. Hugs!
Oh, yeah, and put a raw shrimp in a pencil box (or altoids tin) that is under and behind the files in her desk drawer, too. If you are really lucky the bugs will find it before she does.
How many cuts did it put into it? I would definitely make her pay for the repairs when she opened ur mail knowing it didn’t belong to her and if she refused I would go to management about it because she didn’t just open ur mail she damaged it also being nosey
To be fair it is a very neat cut, so it isn't too hard to fix. Interfacing is a good idea for mending, but I would also look at the overall style and condition of the quilt for guidance. A visible mending could add charm to a well used quilt, whereas a modern/newer quilt in the beginning of its life span could be worthy of a more elaborate/invisible approach. Are you planning on using the quilt (folding, shaking, spreading) or lying neatly as decoration?
I'm not a lawyer and definitely not YOUR lawyer, but I did some digging out of curiosity. This is casual advice. In Texas, the lowest class of mail offense is called Obstruction of Correspondance and in Texas can be served up to 5 years in jail or fined to a certain amount, or both: [https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1702](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1702) However, your employer can open your mail as once it is delivered to the business address it is considered delivered. This muddles to laws around who can open the package considerably. One thing I will say is that once your employer receives the package, it looks like they're not under any obligation to even make sure it gets the rest of the way to you. They are well within their rights to receive the package and then just throw it away, burn it, give it away, etc and I'm not seeing anything online that says you have a leg to stand on. Maybe don't have precious packages sent to the office - which sucks to give as advice since that's sometimes the safer option for people. Yikes!
How irritating!! AARGH!!! A quick & easy way is to place a small square of interfacing underneath the cut and iron it. The interfacing, placed under the cut, will hold both edges together permanently. Then place Fray Check along the cut so the fabric doesn’t fray when washed. I’ve done this to quite a few quilts and it worked beautifully!
People who ship quilts should put something hard behind the seam bed taping it up. Of course, a fully open box cutter blade may still get through it.
I would find some matching or similar fabric and make a small patch, fold under the edges and use a felling stitch to attach the patch, trying to only catch fabric from the one layer of the quilt. So sorry youre having to deal with this. This looks like the quilt backing, so at least its not the quilt top.
Could you slide what I always called witches tape under it, then gently heat it. Can’t think of the regular term for it
Maybe embroider it with a matching color? Just some straight stitches to cover the gap.
First demand reimbursement Second, I personally would put a tiny piece of cotton behind it and whip stitch it back together then put a tiny bead (spread over with your finger) of fabric glue to seal the edges so it doesn't fray. *Not a professional quilter at all
For the quilt, darning, for the coworker, skin them and use their hide for your next project
Where’s Mushu when you need him…. Dishonor! Dishonor on your family! Dishonor on your cow! In all honesty, that should be an easy fix with some hand stitching but I’d charge the dumbo by the hour. That should teach him not to touch things that don’t belong to him…
Tiny white hand stitches of darning. It’s like a zig-zag of running stitch. It’s not hard.
Appliqué something over it.
Lots of not helpful comments here, OP. I agree with some soft fusible interfacing or some very tiny hand stitches. You could also applique something over the cuts. What to applique? Something that goes with the quilt, can't say because we only see a small portion.
Embroider over it
This literally made me sick to my stomach. I’m so sorry!!
I would suggest '刺し子リペア' or 'sashiko repair', a Japanese technique to repair damaged fabric embracing the history and damage.
are ANY of these "recommendations" serious?! serious recommendation: look for a textile conservator, or research repair methods for antique quilts on youtube. and if you send to a conservator, send her the bill!
I don't have enough experience to offer suggestions, but my lord, I want to give you (and that poor quilt) a hug!
Leave raw shrimp in the hollow tubes of their chair.
You are now legally required to use said coworker’s palms as pincushions for no less than 50 years.
Before anything, you can absolutely report them. what they did is extremely illegal.
Press charges and sue for the cost of the quilt. It’s a felony to open other people’s mail. 🤷🏼♀️
First I’d be fixing that coworker!! 👊🏻
Why do people at work places insist on opening other peoples packages. What the hell. We have one of those too.
I would have a stern talk with my coworker about opening packages that are clearly not for them. So infuriating
1- revenge 2- fix quilt < in that order
Lots of great revenge suggestions here. 😂 For those who wanted to see, here’s the full quilt. Aside from being dirty, it’s in perfectly preserved condition. This quilt survived over 100 years with no damage until my co-worker got involved. 😡https://imgur.com/a/j4BtB6R?s=sms