Seamstress/Dressmaker

sophiamarie0924

Does anyone know of a seamstress who makes custom wedding gowns or can sew without a pattern for less than $1,000?

geebee908

sophiamarie0924 said:

Does anyone know of a seamstress who makes custom wedding gowns or can sew without a pattern for less than $1,000?

What area are you in? This is an international board, so you may want to ask on your local board. Also, a custom-made dress for under $1000 is asking a lot. There is material cost as well as labor cost, and someone with those skills should be paid what they're worth.

ETA the quote

monkeysip

I used an etsy seamstress and paid around that much.  But she doesn't work through etsy anymore and charges more.  But I've seen other seamstresses on there for reasonable prices.  Look around etsy, but make sure that you're choosing someone who is actually a seamstress in America, and not giving you cheap work from China.  Look at their reviews, and even see if you can find reviews of them NOT on etsy.  

Also, if you find someone online, make sure that you're sending them really accurate measurements.  It's a good idea to get professionally measured to make sure you're doing it right.

CMGragain

You must realize that if you have a dress custom made, you will be stuck with whatever results you get.  No refunds.  If you can find a dress that suits you in a shop, you will know exactly what you are getting for your money.
Beware of online sites that offer "custom made" dresses.  Most of them are Chinese knock off sites with poor quality materials and workmanship.

MesmrEwe

What about making it yourself?  For $1000 for CUSTOM work, I'm with CMG that you really should consider dress shopping instead.  Knowing some of the outfits I've purchased fabric for making DD a costume (formalwear fabric) I've easily spent in the hundreds just for fabric (with a coupon no less!) from JoAnn's, let alone the pattern and notions.  The economics of the $1000 for a wedding gown that is sewn is going to be incredibly difficult to pull off...

CMGragain

OP, why do you want to do this?

monkeysip

I'm not OP, but I went shopping at 3 different places and couldn't find anything I liked.  This was especially back before sleeves came back in style.  There was nothing with sleeves, and nothing I fell in love with anywhere remotely near my price range.

So I did custom.  And if someone is doing this for a living, they usually know how to source affordable fabrics.  I don't think $1000 is a wildly outrageous price limit.  Will it be couture?  No.  But you can still make a nice dress for that.

When I had another seamstress (local) do my alterations, she remarked that she was surprised at how well my dress was made.  

CMGragain

monkeysip said:

I'm not OP, but I went shopping at 3 different places and couldn't find anything I liked.  This was especially back before sleeves came back in style.  There was nothing with sleeves, and nothing I fell in love with anywhere remotely near my price range.

So I did custom.  And if someone is doing this for a living, they usually know how to source affordable fabrics.  I don't think $1000 is a wildly outrageous price limit.  Will it be couture?  No.  But you can still make a nice dress for that.

When I had another seamstress (local) do my alterations, she remarked that she was surprised at how well my dress was made.  

Brides today are so lucky.  Thank you, Princess Kate, for bringing lace and sleeves back into fashion!  When daughter and I went shopping for her dress, we could usually only find one or two dresses per shop that were not strapless.  Today there are all kinds of alternatives.
I wish designers of street dresses would take notice!  Not all of us have attractive, fit upper arms.  I want sleeves on my dresses!

MesmrEwe

CMGragain said:

monkeysip said:

I'm not OP, but I went shopping at 3 different places and couldn't find anything I liked.  This was especially back before sleeves came back in style.  There was nothing with sleeves, and nothing I fell in love with anywhere remotely near my price range.

So I did custom.  And if someone is doing this for a living, they usually know how to source affordable fabrics.  I don't think $1000 is a wildly outrageous price limit.  Will it be couture?  No.  But you can still make a nice dress for that.

When I had another seamstress (local) do my alterations, she remarked that she was surprised at how well my dress was made.  

Brides today are so lucky.  Thank you, Princess Kate, for bringing lace and sleeves back into fashion!  When daughter and I went shopping for her dress, we could usually only find one or two dresses per shop that were not strapless.  Today there are all kinds of alternatives.
I wish designers of street dresses would take notice!  Not all of us have attractive, fit upper arms.  I want sleeves on my dresses!

Even at the peak of my lifting I barely had a bicep to show off...  My arms looked flabby even though I could bench over 225lbs.