Monday, December 5, 2011

Happy Holidays!

Wow, holiday time already?!  It has been a wonderful and action-packed year for me and Anne's Alterations. I would like to send out a big thank you to all my clients; it has been a pleasure making your wardrobes better!

 After a sewing-filled year, I am taking a vacation!
Anne's Alterations will be closed from December 12 - January 2. 
Please contact me by phone or email for appointments in the new year.  Regular studio hours will begin on January 4.

I would like to leave you this year with an image from the new Snow White movie coming out in March 2012.  I am currently working on costuming "Alice in Wonderland" for Flagstaff Junior Academy and I think I have giant outrageous dresses on my mind!  Although this is the Queen, I think it would make an amazing Christmas wedding dress or holiday formal (ok, with a little less bustle)! Wow!



Happy Holidays!  Happy New Year!

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Friday, September 16, 2011

Bridal Gown Shopping Rules

I just found this fantastic website by a seamstress in Cincinnati, Ohio.  She has all kinds of helpful information for brides and bridesmaids.  I specifically want to share her Bridal Gown Shopping Rules because she really tells it like it is.  One of my favorites is Rule #4:

"Sales people will tell you that any dress can be altered. As you stand there in a dress that can not be zipped up the back because it is 6" too small a sales person will assure you that pieces can be taken off the bottom to be put in the seams to make the dress fit...

Do not let yourself be talked into buying a dress that needs more alterations than you feel comfortable with or that your budget can handle. It's best for the structural integrity of the gown and your nerves to have the least amount of altering as possible - AND that's coming from someone who makes a living altering."

HOORAY LEANNA!

My Number 1 rule of altering is given enough time and money, pretty much anything can be done.  BUT, it is always better to find a dress that fits well and needs as little altering as possible.  Sometimes circumstances change (I am talking to you, pregnant brides!) and then some custom alterations are required.  However, there are thousands of dresses out there and if you can't find the dress of your dreams, order a custom dress from yours truly. 
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Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Anne's Alterations featured on K.I.S.S. Wedding Blog!

Well, I am just getting some great publicity by the always excellent Melissa Dunstan Photography!  Check out this fun blog posting featuring a dress I redesigned a few years ago.  Kristina brought in a dress from David's Bridal that was one of the most popular designs of the year. She had dreams of a dress that was way out of her price range and I redesigned the less expensive dress into the dress of her dreams!  She wanted lots of fabric so I created a fun bubble hem at the bottom of the dress and ruched the sides of the original hem.  It was a fun project!

Click text to go to K.I.S.S blog!



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Friday, July 29, 2011

Anne's Alterations dress featured on OneWed!

Remember that 1950s themed wedding alteration?  Katie and Jim's wedding was featured on OneWed!  Check out the fabulous posting and Melissa Dunstan Photography's great photos of the event!  Also check out the fun vintage inspired table settings created by KD Event Designs.  Don't forget I also made those cute shoe clips and matching hair accessory!  This was really a fun wedding to work on!






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Saturday, July 23, 2011

Kristina's Wedding Dress

I would like to share a few photos of a wedding dress alteration I worked on in May.  Kristina had a few special requests to make her dress special.  First the dress had a little extra poof in the hips that she wanted eased out and she wanted a ribbon attached to the bottom of the dress to match the ribbon at the waist.  She also needed a bustle for dancing!



















I found the perfect ribbon and I really think it made the bottom of the dress look finished and elegant.



Here is what Kristina said about her alterations

"I wanted to thank you again for the wedding dress alterations you did for me back in May. The dress was so beautiful with the ribbon you added and the bustle made the dress perfect for dancing. I wanted to invite you to look at the pictures we got so you can see how well the dress fit in to our perfect day!"

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Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Studio hours cancelled July 6

Guess I have been working too hard.  I have some seriously fun stuff to post but in the meantime...I have the flu =(  So Wednesday July 6 studio hours are cancelled.  Call me and leave a message to schedule an appointment!
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Thursday, June 2, 2011

1950s Wedding Alteration: Part 3

Here are a few more photos of the 1950s wedding alteration!  I created the bolero from a vintage pattern that I altered to create a more custom fit for the bride.  Hopefully I will be able to post a few wedding photos by Melissa Dunstan Photography soon!




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Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Custom Cape for Bike to Work Week

So apparently the City of Flagstaff Mayor Sara Presler agreed to wear a cape for Bike to Work Week....Little did she know that the lovely folks at Flagstaff Biking Organization were going to take her up on it!  I was commissioned to make a lovely super hero cape for the Mayor to wear at the kick-off celebration last Sunday and I just had to show off some photos!


These photos came from the Arizona Daily Sun

Pretty fun!

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Monday, May 16, 2011

More schedule changes!

The Flagstaff Junior Academy production of "The Princess Bride" was a smashing success!  The students did an amazing job and the costumes looked great (if I do say so myself).  I will post photos of the production when I get them from Cameron and Kelly Studios!  Professional photos even!

Alright, so May is a little hectic.  I suppose it IS wedding season after all.  I will be out of town May 18-24 so I will not be holding my regular studio hours on Wednesday May 18 or Monday May 23.  Please call to schedule an appointment after I get back!  Happy spring!
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Monday, May 9, 2011

Altered Hours

This week I am working with the Flagstaff Junior Academy Drama class to help create the costumes for their upcoming play!  They are putting on "The Princess Bride".  It is going to be so much fun! 

This means that I will not be holding my regular studio hours the week of May 9-12.  Please call if you would like to schedule an appointment!

If you would like to see the show the performances are May 11 and 12 at 6:00pm at the Coconino Center for the Arts!

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More Custom Dresses

Well, it has been awhile, which means I am busy!  Wedding season is in full swing and I have been altering like crazy.  Once of my favorite parts of altering wedding dresses is installing a bustle.  I create my own custom bustles that are individually tailored to each wedding dress and each fabric.  I spend a lot of time playing with ideas while the dress is on the dress form to make sure the drape is just right.

I have also had a few requests for custom dresses for fall and spring 2012 weddings!  Here are a few of the dresses that I am going to help design and create!













I love helping brides create the perfect dress for less than designer prices!  It is so rewarding!

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Wednesday, March 30, 2011

1950s Wedding Alteration: Part 2

I have been having a great time working on this 1950s-themed wedding alteration!  The dress is so cute and I made some great hair and shoe clips to go with the outfit.  First I will show you the progress of the dress!

Here is the dress before I made any changes.  It has such great classic lines and is made of a really nice heavy-weight textured satin.


Here it is after I cut off the top layer of fabric!  I put the dress on a pedestal so I could measure up from the floor to get the height even all around.  That was especially important around the train.


 And here it is after all the fabric has been cut!  Look at how much fabric I have left!  I love the dress short, it is so cute.  And I am glad the bride requested a matching bolero out of all the fabric!  I will post photos of the bolero later!

As I mentioned, I also made a custom hair clip and shoe clips.  The bride is using lemon yellow as her accent color and her groom and bridesmaids are wearing navy blue, so the hair and shoe clips incorporate those colors.  I couldn't find navy grosgrain ribbon with white stitching on the edges anywhere, so I just hand sewed it myself!  I think it was worth it!


And here is a photo of the shoes with the shoe clips!
So cute!

I will be listing hair and shoe clips like these for sale on etsy!  You can contact me directly if you are interested in custom items like these and remember I can make them in any color ribbon!





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Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Suits Suits Suits: Mens Fashion

Although women's fashion gets a lot more attention, men need to look good too!  To most people, a suit is a suit is a suit, but men's fashion has changed a lot over the years.  I think every man needs a good suit in his life, but there is no need to run out and spend big money on a boring suit that doesn't express any personality.  Think vintage! (I always do...).  Lately vintage or vintage-look suits are appearing in movies, weddings, and even in new suits by modern designers.  I personally really like the three-piece suit look.  A vest provides a great option when you want to look tailored but you don't want to wear a jacket (think summer weddings and events). The character of Will Shuester on "Glee" is always wearing great partial suit outfits.

Jude Law sports a gorgeous three-piece suit in "Sherlock Holmes".  JCrew offers a similar charcoal suit that would be perfect for an outdoor wedding.

But there is really no need to spend so much money on a new suit.  Before investing in an expensive, new coat, try to find a vintage one.  Check out etsy, ebay, or your local thrift, vintage or consignment stores for great suits that can be altered to fit! 

Vintage Corduroy Suit



 


To be sure a jacket fits you properly, check first that the shoulder seams rest right above the edge of your actual shoulder. Next, button the jacket. If the fabric pulls when it is buttoned, the jacket is too small. Look for jackets with vertical seaming in the front and the back because this allows a tailor plenty of options for where a jacket can be taken in. A few alterations can extend the life of an otherwise dated and un-usable suit!

Don't forget that tailoring can make anyone look like a million bucks!


Don't forget that I can always provide fashion advice if you need help determining which suit styles are best for you!
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Thursday, February 24, 2011

1950s Wedding Alteration Project

 As you all know, I love vintage!  So when a bride came to me to ask me to help with her 1950s themed wedding attire, I was so excited! She got her dress from a wonderful consignment store in Phoenix called Almond Tree Weddings.  It is a full-length dress with a train, but I am going to alter it to be a tea-length swing dress, similar to the dresses below.



Because we are going to have so much fabric leftover from the dress alteration, she has asked me to create a bolero jacket from the extra!  I found a vintage 1950s pattern on Etsy that I am going to modify for the jacket.  Isn't it cute?!

  To top it off, she purchased a bright yellow petticoat that will peek out under the dress when she swing dances with her partner.  I am going to also help her make some cute shoe clips and a hair clip!  How fun!


'I will post photos of the alterations process as it comes together!
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