Some might say that sewing is a lost art. When a zipper fails, a button is lost or a hem falls, it’s time to throw away the offending garment, right? Wrong. That’s when you pay a visit to The Sewing Room at 27 Genesee St. in Greene, where owner Deb Eggleston and her small staff of seamstresses are ready and waiting to make your clothes good as new.

As I learned during my recent visit to the downtown Greene shop, mending and alterations are only a portion of what they do. If it can be sewn, Deb has probably done it. And we’re talking everything from making gowns and curtains to stitching lawnmower bags, banners and a top for a jeep.

The shop even has a contract with The Raymond Corporation to make carrier bags in which safety and training information is distributed to new customers. Those bags, handcrafted in Greene, find their way all over the country.

When I asked Deb what the craziest thing she’d ever sewn was, she laughed and handed me the picture of a young weightlifter. Apparently he’d come to The Sewing Room to have his competition attire, ahem, fitted.

With the current state of the economy, she told me, more people are reworking rather than replacing their wardrobes. That means an influx in the number of people needing The Sewing Room’s services. This year, she’s replaced more zippers than ever before, she said, handing me a seam ripper. Then she put me to work removing one of those zippers that needed to be replaced.

While needlework is the mainstay of the business, Deb has also branched out. She takes in dry cleaning and sells a variety of gift items. Her downtown storefront also serves as the headquarters of the Greater Greene Chamber of Commerce, of which she and her husband Joe are co-executive directors.

Recognizing her own dependence on local customers, it’s no wonder Deb believes strongly in supporting other members of the local business community. Most of the fabric and thread she uses, and even her sewing machines, are purchased from other Greene-area merchants.