If you are going to take in a customer or friends clothes, take extra time to pin the garment with accuracy.  Mistakes are made when short cuts are taken.  I have a policy which is "Where I pin is where I sew".  That means I take special care to pin the garment on the persons body, letting the person know that if they are happy with the pinning, they will be happy with the final alteration.  It can't be any other way.  There is no point in pinning the garment on the customer one way, and then taking the pins out and altering it a different way. You will be surprised how many people operate in this way.  And then they wonder why the customer comes back and says the garment doesn't fit properly.  For more information on my technique for taking in, have a look at my book Clothing Alteration Secrets Revealed.

Happy sewing

Judith aka genie