Sure!! Here I will list a few!:

Adding/removing applique or beading

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Some lace or beading you don’t love about your dress? We can remove it! Want to add more? We can do that, too! This is all work that is done by hand, which means it is time intensive. So if you have a lot to add or remove, this can add up. You will need to provide any beading or applique pieces you wish to add.

Adding a button, snap, or hook & eye

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Whether a hook or eye has gone missing above the back zipper, or you need an extra button or snap to hold some fabric layers in place, this is a relatively simple addition. We do carry basic buttons, snaps, and hook & eyes in store, so you need not provide them.

Armhole adjustment

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If you find the armhole of your dress is digging into your armpit, we can reshape this so you’ll be more comfortable. This can often be the case with petite sizes after shortening straps or shoulders, causing the whole bodice to be pulled up.

Basting string

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Not often recommended as it causes a ripple effect- If your neckline juts out and doesn’t lay nicely flat against your skin, a basting string is what we call a long hand-sewn basting stitch that when pulled, slightly gathers the lining fabric so it lays more closely to your body. This can also be done around the arms, or anywhere else the fabric doesn’t lay as toughly as it should. In some cases, the better solution is to take the dress in (making it smaller).

Bust cups

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If you do not want to wear a bra with your dress, or just want additional support, we do carry bra cups in store so sew into your dress. We can also certainly sew in cups you’ve purchased elsewhere.

Bustle

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People often think of bustles for wedding dresses, but they can be handy for some formal dress styles, too! A bustle is a system of discretely placed hooks & eyes, buttons, or ribbons that tie up the train of a gown so it is neatly out of the way for dancing. You can leave your lovely train down behind you for Grand March/aisle walk and photos, then tie up the bustle for dinner and the dance! The style of the bustle and how many points it will have will depend on the style of the dress. For prom, they tend to stay simpler as the trains on prom dresses themselves tend to be smaller than those found on wedding dresses.

Corset

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If your dress came with a back zipper closure, we can exchange it for a lace-up back corset. This is great for adding beautiful drama and detail to the back of a dress, and is also a solution for sizing up a dress by 1 or more sizes. I can order many different materials but we will have to make a color choice if there is not an exact option available online. If making corset from scratch 🪡🪡🪡🪡🪡🪡(often do not have time for this customization)- You’ll need to provide the fabric used for the corset.

Gusset

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A gusset is a typically triangular piece of fabric added into a seam to make a garment larger. Think of a pizza slice pointing down. Adding a gusset also requires altering the lining. You will need to bring your own additional fabric either for the gusset if there is not ample lining material available.

Hem (simple, applique, horsehair braid)

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Tripping over your dress? Altering the hem is making the dress shorter so it’s just touching the floor, or barely skimming over it. The difficulty of the hem comes down to how wide its (how much fabric there is to hem), how many layers, and if there is any applique or horsehair braid. If so, it will need to be removed by hand and then reattached by hand. Applique or other details further up the skirt may also need to be repositioned after shortening the skirt for a more even distribution to match the new hem length.

Layers- removing

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The number of layers in your formal dress are not set in stone! If you feel the skirt is too poofy, we can remove one or more of the tulle layers underneath which will decrease the skirt volume. Keep in mind this will likely make the skirt longer.

Leg slit, open or close

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Many formal dresses, particularly those with a sleek, modern silhouette, can come with a high leg slit. If this slit is a bit too high for your comfort, we’re often able to close it to your desired hight, or completely. Conversely, we can also add a leg slit to the front or side seams of certain style gowns, although it’s not possible for every dress.

Neckline adjustment

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Whether your neckline feels too high, too low, or you don’t love the shape of it, we can adjust it! For example, turning a straight neckline into a sweetheart neckline. As always, what can and cannot be accomplished will entirely depend on the current construction of the dress.

Pockets

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Who doesn’t love a dress with pockets?! I can add pockets to certain dresses! Keep your phone, cash, keys, or snacks close at hand without worrying about where you put your purse! Pockets are a particularly great addition to ballroom style dresses, as there is a lot of room under the skirt for larger pockets.

Privacy screen

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If your dress has a plunging neckline you find too deep or revealing, a privacy screen can be a great choice to add modesty or security. A privacy screen is the addition of a coordinating piece of fabric to the neckline, often closing the gap in a V-neck. The fabric can be sheer, lace, or completely solid. You will need to provide the fabric used either for the privacy screen

Princess seams/reduction

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Since we don’t always match the proportions used in a designer’s dress pattern, sometimes the chest of a dress’s bodice doesn’t exactly line up perfectly with our own. Princess seams are the seams on the front of a bodice that shapes the bust. If your bust is much smaller than the bust of the dress, or if you’re petite, these seams may not hit where they are supposed to (along the center of each breast) and can be adjusted.

Resize (take in / let out)

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Resizing a formal dress is a big category and can combine many other individual alterations. The most common method of resizing is by altering the side or back dress seams. Choosing which seams to alter all depend on the current fit of the dress, and where there exists the excess fabric that needs to be removed. Accessing the necessary seams may require removing and reattaching applique, and altering seams where there is a zipper will always be more difficult.

Taking a dress in (making it smaller) is of course more straight-forward than letting a dress out (making it bigger). How much a dress can be sized up (let out) depends on how much seam allowance, or extra fabric, was left inside the seams by the designer. Some designers leave more than others. If your dress is second-hand, it may have been altered before and the seam allowance used up. If there is not enough seam allowance, then we can look at adding gussets and/or a lace-up corset back.

Shorten straps or shoulders

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A very common dress alteration is shortening the straps, especially if you are more petite. This alteration can also extend to standard straps, not just spaghetti straps, and shoulders in general if your dress has short or long sleeves. This will keep your straps from continuously falling off, and remove any gaping at your shoulders if you have sleeves.

Shorten the bodice

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Another alteration for my petite clients. If you are more petite, but can only find a regular fit dress, you may find the skirt of the dress hits you too low. This can be remedied by separating the bodice from the skirt, and shortening the bodice piece. When put back together, the skirt will hit you higher, exactly where the designer intended.

Sleeve tapering

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If your dress has sleeves, but they’re too big or billowy, we can tighten them up by tapering the inside seam(s). This will allow the sleeves to fit your arms more snuggly.

Adding sleeves

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Whether for more support, modesty, or detail, you can add different types of straps or even full sleeves to your dress. Some dress designers offer sleeves already made for a specific dress that only need to be attached. But we can also make sleeves from scratch. Fabric to be used for the sleeves should be provided by you.

Tack

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A tack is a single point with a couple overlapping stitches (typically done by hand) that is meant to be nearly invisible. These tacks are used to hold fabric or layers in place. If your dress has ruffles, for example, and you want to make sure they are distributed evenly, this can be accomplished with strategically and discretely placed tacks.

Don’t forget the dress!!

Your event shoes are required at every fitting.

Also bring undergarments as they can significantly change how your dress fits the body.

Perfectly acceptable for teens and kids! I prefer to communicate directly with my client. When making an appointment for a child please include their name in the appointment notes and the date of their event.

As an adult bride who is planning a wedding, I understand you like having help with the process but put helpers on things that don’t require your approvals and direct schedule access. Makes for a cleaner and less middle man type of communication.

As explained numerous times, I have limited availability and I run a very tight schedule with inflexible deadlines. I need us both to be positive and respectful of time. I do not like to be treated poorly or as if i’m “serving” someone. I am helping you, lets start our relationship there!

Please give me as much heads up as possible. Sometimes emergencies happen, keep me in the loop as soon as possible. If you miss a fitting due to negligence it may cost an additional hour of my time. Please see your specific alteration detail page.

Yes, the parameters are outlined under each service category.

Because we live in an amazing world where we are all in control of our own lives! I get to choose what works best in my life, and that includes how much time take away from my family to invest in helping the community.

Most often I am on a tight queue with formal wear jobs, which have inflexible deadlines. I only have a limited amount of time in my shop per week so it can be difficult to add in extra jobs. If I have a slower week, I will respond to your casual job request! Please don’t take it personally if I don’t respond!! I get up to a hundred texts per day; so I have to be efficient when I allot time to text responses! Thanks for understanding!

If a garment is left at my studio without being picked up for 3 months- the item will be discarded/donated/sold at my discretion. Altered gowns/clothing need to be paid for in order to be released to the customer. If your event was canceled (or other issues arise) and you have not paid for my time working on the piece- I will only store your item for 3 months before discarding/donating/selling.