Frequently asked Questions

How long have you been sewing?

I started sewing clothes for my dolls when I was about 7. I started making clothes for myself when I was a student; I was always short of money and couldn't afford the clothes I realy liked. I since started altering and making clothes for others. See gallery pages for some examples.

What do you sew?

I will alter and construct most garments. I mostly use and alter commercial patterns. I also copy existing garments when they fit well.

What don't you sew?

I don't make curtains and soft furnishing.

How much will it cost?

It's difficult to price a piece of work without seeing the garment, complexity of construction and what needs to be done. The following list provides an indication to the cost of typical alterations:

Straight dress/skirt per layer                 £12

A-line dress/skirt per layer                    £15

Taking in bodice (without impacting zip) £10

Repositioning zip                                 £10

Shortening jeans                                 £10

Shortening trousers                              £18

Relining skirt                                       £22

Shortening jacket sleeves (with vent)      £35

Is it worth doing?

Some garments can be updated by adding a design detail, shortening the hem line or the sleeves.

If you lost some weight most clothes can be made one or two size smaller, howerever, if the difference is more then that, the garment will not fit properly, and I would advice against the alteration.

It may be possible to make a garment slightly larger, depending on the size of the seam allowence, or by taking some fabric from another part of the garment, for example from the hem. But this is generally more difficult.

In all cases consider how important the garment is vs. the effort involved in the alteration.