I do my work out of my home in Latrobe Pa to keep my prices down. I also make custom bridal gowns. Let me tell you a little about myself :-)
Many years ago, at the age of 5, my mother gave me a piece of fabric, my baby doll, scissors and a beltless treadle sewing machine and told me to make my baby a dress. This would keep me busy while she cleaned my bedroom. I do believe that this experience st
arted my interest in sewing. As I grew, the projects became more for me and less for my baby dolls. By the time I was a teenager, I would attend weddings with my parents and found myself fascinated by how the train on the wedding gown "disappeared" into the bustle. While in high school, I took every class that was offered for sewing. In 1975 I enrolled in Clarrisa School of Fashion Design in Pittsburgh, Pa. I studied both men's and women's patternmaking and construction. Studying this I learned to take your measurements, design the gown of your dreams, and construct it without the use of a commercial pattern. In 1977, I graduated and took my first job as a seamstress at a local dry cleaner. There I was trained to do alterations on everyday clothing. I found that I could take my knowledge of patternmaking and see where to take excess material out of a garment or add material in to make the clothing fit like a glove. When I wasn't busy with alterations, my friend Mary taught me how to press wedding gowns. I loved taking the vintage gowns that were all wrinkled and pressing them; it was like a butterfly coming out of a cocoon. My next sewing experience was a very personal one. I became a mom of two of the most wonderful kids that ever walked the face of the earth. I made everything for them; from a dress designed by my then 9 year old daughter to a bag for blocks for my son. There were window treatments for their rooms and always quilts to be made. In the early 1990s I had the chance to design and manufacture, in my home, the first paintball outfits made in the USA for a paintball company that was starting out. These paintball outfits were then shipped all over the world. Finally, with both my kids in school, I was able to take my first job doing bridal alterations. I not only did the alterations but sold wedding gowns and bridesmaids dresses too. From the first store that I worked at, I learned what gowns looked good on different shaped customers. I also learned why a bride shorter than her fiancé should never wear a gown with straps that go off the shoulder. After recovering from an accident at the bridal shop where I was working, I began working at a different bridal shop. Here I met a wonderful lady named Wanda that took me under her wing and taught me all about bustles and even more about altering a bridal gown. My most recent experience was when I met a person named Rebecca who showed me all about Etsy and what a wonderful site it was. When things started to get busy, I made most of the gowns and dresses on the site. As a young college mom, Rebecca's life got too hectic to handle everything so she handed over Annabel and Ruby to me.Through all my experience I have learned what fabrics worked well together and how to construct a wedding gown using the most professional ways possible. Most of all, through all my experiences I learned how to treat a customer with the respect and honesty they deserve. I learned that the sale of a gown, no matter the type of gown, isn't complete until the customer is satisfied. All the experiences I have had throughout my life contributed to my knowledge. In this business, experience speaks volumes.
