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Subject: Alterations advice: Author: Thank you very much! [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] Date Posted: Friday, March 02, 02:07:51pm Can anyone give me a rough estimate of how much I should expect to pay to have a dress let down? There is 3" of fabric folded up at the waist & I want to have it let down 1 1/2" [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

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Subject Author Date that should be 1 1/2" (NT) thanks Friday, March 02, 02:09:29pm If the zipper has to be taken out or messes with and the sides need to be taken out to fit over the hips because of the drop.....around $50 (NT) More if it's sequins. Friday, March 02, 09:35:00pm Thanks! (NT) -- :), Saturday, March 03, 08:03:10am $50 seems really inexpensive. I would charge around $100. Maybe it depends where you are located, but when I started doing alterations I charged $75 for this alteration, and the customer thought that was very cheap, so I think $100 is probably still a bargain; at least where I live. (NT) -- .., Sunday, March 04, 11:04:32am I would also charge around $100.00. It's roughly 4.5 hours of work, plus materials (thread, deorderizer, new zipper, needles). Possibly a bit more or less depending on the actual dress construction. (NT) -- --, Sunday, March 04, 11:37:56am wow, what are you doing for 4.5 hours? When I was very inexperienced maybe it took a couple of hours because I used to hand baste the waist to get it to sit right. But now that I'm more experienced I do these alterations all the time in about 45 mins and charge $35. If I have to replace the zip too, I add $5 for the new zip cost. (NT) -- keeping it reasonable., Monday, March 05, 11:24:58am That's what I thought too! I would take maybe 30 - 60 min, but I would still charge $100 for the responsibility of taking apart someone's precious dress. I think my expertise and experience is worth that much extra to guarantee a good job (NT) -- ., Monday, March 05, 02:31:17pm I've been sewing for 36 years, and I consider this to be a fairly big alteration. I think it would definitely take more than 30-60 minutes to do properly, but probably less than 4.5 hours. (NT) -- .., Monday, March 05, 04:05:39pm Ah, I probably shouldn't post without thinking it through. Now that I have, 4.5 hours is an over estimate, the time would be more like this: two half hour fittings (minimum charge to meet with someone), two hours for the alterations, plus materials charges & the possibility of PITA time for weird dresses or materials. I can't imagine doing this in 45 mins, but to each their own. (NT) -- The total would probably be $70.00 for most dresses, Tuesday, March 06, 09:03:01am What "materials"? New zip if required is less than $5. A few feet of thread is all that is needed on most of these alterations. I don't charge to meet with the client (I consider them possible future custom dress order clients so I do it pro bono), then all that is needed is to rip out old seam around waist and take zipper out of skirt. Iron a little bit, put the seam back in an inch or so farther down and sew zipper back into skirt. If no other alterations are needed, what is the big deal? (NT) -- still 45 mins., Tuesday, March 06, 11:22:39am Wow, you're fast! It would take me about 2-3 hours depending on what "surprises" I found inside. Normally the bodice needs to be let out when you drop the skirt and sometimes there isn't room in the skirt to fit the new bodice size. (NT) -- I would charge $80-$100, Wednesday, April 25, 09:03:50am