Leisa's Dressmaking - Perth Bridal Dressmaking and Alterations

Q: How much do you charge?

A: Dressmaking costs depend on what style you are after and the fabric you would like me to make it from. Some fabrics are easy to deal with like satin and others like chiffon are slippery and difficult to handle. When you have a garment made by myself you can be assured it will fit beautifully and be sewn to the best of my ability. If you are thinking of having bridesmaid dresses custom made it is best to stick with the simple uncomplicated styles to keep the costs down, each girl needs to supply her own pattern as the regulations are one pattern per person.

BRIDAL ALTERATIONS FOR BRIDES AND BRIDESMAIDS.

All prices listed are starting points for each section and is to be used as a guide, if you don't require all the layers in a wedding dress hem shortened for example then you will be priced accordingly.

Take in the sides - $80 with no beading, lace or boning in the way; $95 with boning in seam; $170 with beading and boning in position; $260 with lace, beading and boning in position.

Shortening hems from $60 for a 2 layer bridesmaid hem; from $140 for a 3 layers wedding dress hem.

Bustle (train hook up) one point $25, 2 point $45, 3 point $60, extra points add $10/point.

Bust reshaping from $90 for a strapless gown no beading or lace in the way; from $180 with boning and beading; from $240 with boning, lace and beading in the way.

Removing zip and replacing with lace up $250.

Add extra beading $40/hr client must supply beads.

Q: Can you make a dress from a picture?

A: I can make a dress from a picture however a lot of dresses are designer copyrighted so I am unable to do an exact copy you need to be willing to accept some differences in the design. I will make a dress from a commercial pattern and make that fit you and you will save some money by doing it this way as this saves me patternmaking time.

I am unable to offer embroidery for my custom made gowns as I don't have the necessary equipment.

Q: Can I get a quote for alterations without you seeing my wedding dress?

A: No you can't for number of reasons the main one being if I can't see what sort of dress you have I don't know what sort of work I am required to do. I deal with a wide range of style which means different dresses take different amounts of time.

Taking in the sides of dress can sound simple enough until you think about the different styles of dresses, some have multiple separate layers that need to be altered individually and some will have only two layers needing adjustment. Beading and boning also play their part in the alteration process as they need to be removed so work can be done and then replaced after the adjustment of the seams have taken place. Each client needs to have their dress altered to fit their own body so some will need it taken in from under the arms through to the hips whilst others will require it only under the arms around the bust area. Hems can vary widely as well and not just in the number of layers but also the way it has been sewn and how much hem on each layer I am dealing with like an 'A' line hem won't take as long as a full skirted hem.

Q: Can I buy a preloved wedding dress 2-3 sizes too big and have it altered to fit me?

A: Yes you can up to a point, there is only so much I can do to make it fit you decently without taking the whole dress apart. Areas to consider is how the dress fits around your bust area especially if the dress is strapless.

A dress that is too big across the bust area is more likely to ride down if you don't have the position of the bust seams in the right spot - bust shaping is crucial for a good fit and more importantly for you to feel comfortable in it. If the dress has a lot of beading, lace, fabric draping on the bust area and it will require lots of altering in other areas, like the hem and sides as well it is best not to buy it because you may pay a lot more for the dress and the alterations than if you got a dress that fitted you in the first place.

Q: Are you able to do rush jobs?

A: Sometimes I can and sometimes I can't if it is alterations it depends on the commitments I already have. Dressmaking is not something I can do in a hurry due to the actual process required and past experience has shown it means you are making decisions under pressure and chances are high you won't be happy with those decisions later on.

Q: How much notice do you require?

A: I prefer at least 3-4 months notice for an alteration job and 9 months notice for a dressmaking job in peak season September to April. I understand there are times it isn't possible and it doesn't hurt to ask if I am free to help or not.

Q: Can I have my polyester wedding/bridesmaid dress dyed a different colour?

A: No, sorry, you cannot dye a polyester dress successfully.

Polyester can be dyed only with a special type of dye called disperse dye. You cannot dye polyester with any ordinary sort of dye, such as Rit or Procion dye, because it will just wash out.

Disperse dye must be applied by boiling it for an hour with the polyester dress.
Boiling your dress will probably ruin it, though, so it's not worth the trouble of buying the dye. You can use fabric paints on polyester, but you can't get a smooth solid color by using fabric paints. Using fabric paints to imitate the effect of dye is called pigment dyeing. It tends to create an aged, faded look.

Source(s):
Dyeing Polyester with Disperse Dyes:
http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/dispersedye.shtml

Fabric Paints: a different way to color fibers:
http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/fibers.shtml

Q: Do you work on Sundays and Public Holidays?

A: No I don't.

Quality Work Guaranteed!