Have been altering a bridesmaid dress.....let's just say I would rather cut out a dress and start from scratch!!! It is way too big, the store sold her a dress that needs taken in over 3 inches around the waist!! Can't wait until it's done. Trying to custom quilt a wallhanging for a customer too.

I had to alter granddaughters wedding dress. Never again! She gained so much weight and I actually had to hand sew her into the dress the day of the wedding. Oh and she gave me 4 day notice to alter the dress. Still waiting for a gift thank you. That was about 2 years ago, she is now divorced. Sorry I ranted!

Let's just say I did alter my daughter's dress and I refuse to do alterations for anyone except family and of course jeans for my sweetie. Too many bad experiences in the past.

Years ago ,I had all the silk shantung fabric for bridesmaid frocks ,laid out on the carpet ready to cut ,heard a loud noise which was getting louder & louder & the house started to shake.It took awhile to realize it was a earthquake & I ran out leaving it there.Newcastle earthquake ,no damage done .Never did any more since.Brides & bridesmaids often loose weight ,causing more alterations to be done.

1 comment

by katydid 08 Sep 2018

What a story!

Been there, done that, for 15 yrs! I never had a lot of probs w/the bride, but the store often ordered elephant sizes for the bridesmaids and it was like 'total make-overs'. I will never forget one that the little girl stepped into and it kept trying to fall off her. I sometimes thot the custom shop already had dresses made up and didn't want to make another to size.

I was asked to alter a size 14 dress to fit a lady who wore a size 10,it took me 2 days ,then she complained about the price,I decided never again she paid $10 for the dress and $50 for the alterations

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by katydid 08 Sep 2018

Bless you!

I feel your pain been there done that , not again. hope it goes well .

I have a wedding dress to alter this month and I would rather do anything else instead! To me, wedding dresses are the worst to alter, and sometimes it's the bride with the worst ungrateful attitude!

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by katydid 08 Sep 2018

Amen.

Pretty standard in my experience. They order on the larger side because it's easier to take in then let out. I was lucky when I was a bridesmaid, the dress fit almost perfect, my sisters weren't as lucky. I handmade most of the dresses for my wedding and picked and easy fitting top half.

2 comments

by stork 06 Sep 2018

I have done 3-4 weddings a year for a long time and I found it horrible that they sold her a dress way too big!! I had to remake the top because it was so big. The store that sold it to her doesn't even have an inhouse seamstress.

by katydid 08 Sep 2018

I find this more common now. My sweetie's granddaughter is getting married tomorrow and she had a hard time finding someone to alter. No way was I going to volunteer.

Wow...that is probably why the store did not alter the dress for this bridesmaid! I probably would just pass on this job...

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by stork 06 Sep 2018

I probably should have. I really felt sorry for her, she doesn't seem to have a good self worth from what I have found. She should of had a dress 3 sizes smaller.....at least

by stork 06 Sep 2018

I should add that my daughter gave her my name because of all those dresses that I have made.......it is her co workers sister. When we will learn......................lol

I have horror memories of the one bridesmaid dress that I made (and wore). Because one of my bridesmaid friends was a dwarf, the bride and her mother decided that the only logical solution to the varied figures in the wedding party was for the dresses to be hand made. Now, because this mom made all her daughter's slips, bras, panties and pj's plus regular clothes, difficult patterns didn't exist for her! So, they picked a lulu. I sweated for 18 hours to get it to the hemming part and then realized I didn't know how to do a rolled hem for that fabric. So, I had to hire that done. The deluxe materials had already cost nearly what a store bought dress would cost, which meant my time was basically worth NO SAVINGS and NOTHING. Wow! It was probably a lovely wedding, the dress is the part that I remember. Also, the pastor said the wrong name for the groom and the bride never sent a thank you for the heirloom quality wedding sampler I made them! Phew, finally got that off my chest.

3 comments

by stork 06 Sep 2018

Isn't it awful when you put your soul and heart into something and it just goes unnoticed?! I hope they still have and cherish the sampler. This wedding is also beach destination so she is way out of her comfort zone. Really sweet person.

by graceandham 06 Sep 2018

When did destinations and colors and themes become a part of weddings? Isn't the marriage the point and not creating a scenario?

by katydid 08 Sep 2018

Welcome to the club!