A new year!

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Starting a fresh new year, with more time to take on clients, I have added a new video to my personal website, and updated the membership of www.Findadressmaker.com. So, whether you are looking for someone like me or a local dressmaker in your area, feel free to visit either www.mimijackson.com or the www.findadressmaker.com site to find your professional.

Using a Dressmaker to SAVE money?

If you are like most people, at some point in your life, you've imagined yourself in some outrageous red-carpet worthy custom-made confection. I'm sure it comes as no surprise - custom clothing is NOT inexpensive. It takes time, skill, patience, and quality materials to achieve. You will, no doubt, spend less at your local retailer, where you will likely find something... acceptable or adequate, if not great.

Or, if you are creative, you'll find something beautiful at an auction, a vintage store, or anywhere else. Then you'll find a dressmaker willing to refashion it into something perfect for you...



I redesigned this 1890's dress, bought at an auction, to fit my client for her wedding this fall. This garment would have been outrageously expensive, had I created it from scratch. All told, it was still less expensive than buying a new designer gown in a boutique.

When a look is otherwise unattainable, it could be due to size, shape, color, materials, support requirements, commissioning a dressmaker can be well worth your while. But, beyond your most important occasions, there are plenty of other situations to consider.

Have you gained or lost weight?


Give you a more professional or neater appearance, by making your clothing fit. The bride pictured above, needed her gown altered following a weight reduction surgery.

Do you love something that is out of style, wrong for your body, or too memorable to wear again?
Have a dressmaker "redesign" it to make a fresh statement.

Do you a garment that is damaged, torn or stained, and needs a creative solution?
Many dressmakers have really seen it all, and have solutions you have never dreamed of!





Are you having an informal, unique, or unconventional wedding?
Bridal shops do not offer enough variety to please every category of bride. You might want to add more embellishment to a simple gown, or wear something that appeals to your taste specifically. The bride pictured above, wanted a bold pearl trim on a halter-style gown. In her case, as in many others, this was less expensive than the bridal shop alternative for which she would have had to settle. (I know that's formal, but I just can't end my sentence with a preposition!!!!)



How do you know what's possible? You go to www.findadressmaker.com and ask a professional.



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Atonement dress

This post was orinally published in December of 2007.



Saw a lovely article in The New York Post (which I don't normally read) about this dress (above), made for Keira Knightley's character in "Atonement". Make sure you read on to page two of the article, where the costume designer's (Jacqueline Durran) inspiration is explained.

I adore this article, because, unlike so many others, they don't make it seem that anyone just "whipped up" a little number for her. The article really lets you know that specificity, specialness and art take a considerable amount of time, expense, and experimentation.

At this summer's visit to the Cameron Art Museum in North Carolina, I learned that this simple looking dress, made by William Ivey Long for the show "Contact"...



took EIGHT tries to make.

EIGHT tries!




This means seven dresses, wadded up and tossed aside before getting to this one, which moved with the dancer like absolute magic.

So when you have to trash something on your way to achieving your vision, think of the effort involved in really creating something special.

Encouraging, isn't it?

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What the dressmaker and her client need to know...

You may already know that I am the owner of the www.findadressmaker.com site, a labor of love, which is very fulfilling to run.

My bird’s eye view of the custom sewing and dressmaking industry (mostly in the US) has taught me so much about the potential of this profession, and the type of women (we are mostly women, after all) who choose it.

Word of mouth is powerful. Negative or positive, word of mouth will bring attention to your business. While word of mouth is a great way to get new business, even the best dressmaker can find herself with less (or more!) business than she wants at any given moment. Scheduling a proper workload is difficult for dressmakers. The flow of clients can be unpredictable, and the variables are many…

The main market for dressmakers (like it or not!), is bridal. Dressmaking is very specific, careful, skilled work… and to navigate the bridal market, a dressmaker has to be able to deal with the emotional roller coaster that comes along with doing this type of work. I’m not just talking about the bride. There is the mother of the bride, mother of the groom, flower girls, bridesmaids, and the coordination of all of those people in their various locations, challenges (and temperaments) to handle. Some people are just lovely. Some people know exactly what they want. Some people have a positive body image. Some people are completely reasonable, puctual, and friendly. Some are none of these things. A dressmaker has to be prepared for any combination of problems, including her own variables. If one wants to do this type of work, she has to be sure to keep an ample supply Tums, Pepto and Advil…

Having said that, the general rule of thumb regarding what a bride should be spending, is 10% of her wedding budget on the gown. Anyone may choose to spend considerably more or less, but it would be best to know what she is really expecting, since, if she wants her gown custom-made, she is buying an invisible product. The woman who wants a knock-off of the $6000 gown she loves for $1000 is almost guaranteed to be disappointed. The dressmaker has to make sure she knows that it will likely require a significant downgrade in materials and labor to fit her budget.

Lastly, make sure she knows her options. The web is full of sites which will help her plan and budget her event. It can be hard to distinguish good ones from poor quality ones...there is such an information overload these days.

It has been a long time since I have updated this blog. No longer feeling the need to document my every move, and feeling much more in the flow of life since both of my children started school again last week, I can now focus on my business again. It has been a long,hard summer, fraught with all sorts of challenges and complete exhaustion, but I am coming out of it now. (Thank God!)

So, I will now be pulling in information from old posts, writing new ones, and updating the blog to reflect where I am now. For a little while, I will be cleaning up some projects, resolving unfinished business, and generally resuming my professional life. Deep breath... full steam ahead!



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I've been underground for a bit...

I'm revamping the www.findadressmaker.com site. Making some improvements, learning some new code, and generally making things work better. It is tedious, but worth every bit of the effort. Some of my dressmaker friends get almost ALL of their business from the site now. How cool is that?

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Design your own dress

This is probably the best example of a design your own dress website I have ever seen. If it works, and you get what you envision in the timeframe they promise, these guys win!

Visit www.styleshake.com and feel free to comment.

No affiliation, of course.

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"Atonement dress" (Part II)

Strangely enough, my "Atonement dress" post continues to attract quite a few visitors to the blog. I really don't know why. I can only assume that people are drawn to this dress, and want to capture a bit of that magic in their own lives. They want to know who made it, if anyone has knocked it off, where can they buy it, perhaps?

I wrote the earlier post because of a lovely article in The New York Post (which I don't normally read) about this dress (above), made for Keira Knightley's character in "Atonement". Make sure you read on to page two of the article, where the costume designer's (Jacqueline Durran) inspiration is explained.

I adored this article, because, unlike so many others, they don't make it seem that anyone just "whipped up" a little number for her. The article really lets you know that specificity, specialness and art take a considerable amount of time, expense, and experimentation.

But what really puzzles me, is the incredible interest in this dress, considering how obviously specific it is to Keira Knightley's body, lighting and set design of the film. Most women of any age are... well, three dimensional, and wouldn't carry off such a design too well. I mean, imagine trying to disguise a tummy bulge, rounded shoulders, a droopy bosom, hips, anything at all, in that gown.

What I see in this dress, is a Vionnet inspiration (the book I'm referring to is on my Amazon slideshow at the right). This lovely work contains patterns for a variety of Vionnet's designs, and one is evocative of the Atonement gown. The main difference, though, is that this dress would work on a more ample and/or rounded figure. Basically, this dress is more doable. And it can always be made in green...





What do you think?

A dress for Diana

Last week, my husband gave me the gift of a "day off", which included a wonderful massage. Since I was early for my appointment, I stopped in a Barnes and Noble and perused A Dress for Diana.

I really liked this book, and not for the reasons you would think. I abhor the style of this dress (just my opinion, though), because it represents everything I loathe about the prevailing attitude about modern weddings. The beauty of the dress isn't really the point of this book, though. This over-the-top confection is a suffocating example of what Diana's life would become, yet it was the perfect symbol of the woman she wanted to portray on that day. A truly satisfied client is always the dressmaker's goal. The design process and communication with her dressmaker was a beautifully successful collaboration.

Individuality, rarity and specialness were all celebrated in this gown, and I love how the photographs illustrate the careful, arduous process and the uncertainty every dressmaker feels when designing for an event of such magnitude.

The challenge of working with a client who is scared, nervous, or lacks confidence is difficult enough, without having a huge worldwide audience looking on. What a job this dressmaking team did!

My wish (and prayer) for all brides, is that you can untangle yourselves from the mess of advertising and wedding trends, look at your wedding as a "family" day, take some of the focus off the dress, and put it into your LOVE, LIFE, and MARRIAGE...

The angels are in the details!

This post was inspired by my clean-up/clean-out for our move next month. It is a brief farewell tribute to an old blouse I made, which I found...in a ball, in a box... in a dark corner... waiting to be discarded.

I love details. The tiny elements that make a garment extra-special, if only to the wearer, can be so powerful.

Like pintucks...



And beaded fagotting...




And interesting buttons (in this case bone beads on a false closure - there are actually snaps underneath)...




I was inspired by a December 1996 Threads article "Heavenly Embellishment" to try the beaded detail, and I was in a vintage-y, batiste-y, pituck-y kind of phase, so I designed and draped this blouse from the ground up. I was so happy to have learned how to drape and draft a pattern for a collar, that I wanted to create a blouse using all of the elements I loved. I wouldn't recommend it.

As I have matured in my sewing, I have found that it is best to isolate these details, not pile them all on one project, as I did with this monstrosity... (below) I am not bothering to iron it, or give it a new life -- I will simply cut off the bone buttons, and save the strips of fagotting for use on another batiste project in the future. I do remember that 12 hours of handwork went into that beading!

Solutions to common sewing problems

Today's post is a bit of a public service announcement.



There are many common problems a dressmaker can solve. Even if you sew, you might not even be aware that such products exist, because your local stores don't sell them. Often, a dressmaker can obtain these products for you, or already has them among his/her supplies.



Problem: Bra straps that show under a tank or thin-strapped garment.


Solutions: You can have a bra built into your dress, attach clear or matching fabric straps to your exisiting bra, or use this very simple product to hold them in place with minimal sewing.





This is a great, easy way to get your bra strap to stay put! Click on the photo to go to the website.




Problem: You're at an event and can't get to a drycleaner for hours. Someone has stained a valuable dry-clean only garment, or you are afraid they will!




Solution: A professional stain kit, with portable, safe, easy-to-use, stain-specific drycleaning solutions and instructions.








Click on the photo to go to the website.




Problem: Your outfit won't stay put, or is a bit more revaling than you planned. You're afraid to dance, for fear of flashing everyone around you!




Solution: Like the movie stars use, double-stick body tape.






Click on the photo to go to the website.




Problem: You want to be a designer, and have no idea what type of professional help you need.




Solution: This book is the answer. It will tell you all you need to know to get started.






Click on the photo to go to the website, and order the book.




You have probably reached this post because you have something in mind,
and are searching for someone who can execute your vision, or you are just a fan of this blog. Thank you for visiting, either way!



If you would like to know more about selecting a dressmaker, visit the frequently asked questions section of the Find a Dressmaker site or the Professional Association of Custom Clothiers website, and you will find more
tips there. Many of those listed on ths site are members of this quality organization, and we encourage any custom sewists to consider the appropriate membership level for your skills as well.



If you are a dressmaker, or any kind of custom sewing professional,click here to learn more about PACC.

The hand that rocks the cradle...

I've been working so much lately, but everything has been really slow-going. I plan, rearrange, rethink, plan... I need a vacation, I think.

I am a mom, and an EXTREMELY busy one at that, but I just can't break down and wear mom-type clothes, and I can never find what I want in stores. When I don't do any personal sewing, my wardrobe shrinks. I bought some fabric that just spoke to me, and have had a hard time deciding what type of garment it should be. The denim-look linen is from Rosen and Chadick, and the printed cotton is from Britex, bought on my PACC trip to San Francisco last year.




Believe it or not, I remembered a favorite dress from about 10 years ago, found the pattern (with notes!) in my collection, and View B (long) is what I am creating...



I am also still working on a quilt (yes, a quilt) reinterpretation of a painting created by my sister in 1976. This is a quilt that will belong to my family, that we will actually use for sleeping... Finding the fabrics, colors, and the bits of time I have dedicated to working on it has taken two years so far... what a journey. How far am I from finished? I don't know.

As you can see, I am still in the "fabric collage" stage, organizing and positioning cut pieces, and making sure the colors pop vibrantly next to one another. I have it hanging from the ceiling post so I can see how it works as an image, as it grows and grows. It is about 3'x3' right now, on its way to being 6'x6'. It is meant to be childish and fun, but is far from what it will be when done - this is 25%, maybe? Forgive the picture quality and the drag lines from the way it is hanging - but I can't convey what it looks like in words...




Over the past weeks, I have also made a big, colorful bag, a Barney Rubble costume (yes, its true), and a variety of repairs and redesigns.

Above all, though, I've been enjoying my kids. They're only this small for a short time... Watching them run and play and laugh today made me happier than anything I could ever imagine. They inspire me creatively. The quilt will get finished when it gets finished.

On running a custom sewing business

Running a custom sewing business can be an enormously satisfying way to earn a living, supplement the family income, or simply contribute your skills to the community. Alterations and repairs are fairly straightforward transactions, pretty well understood by most clients. However, selling invisible products and labor (e.g. a custom dress) can be far more complex arrangements. There are some great resources out there to get you started, or help you grow.

Below, are the basics to consider, whether you are or want to be a custom sewing professional.

Join a professional organization. Being a member of a professional organization will help you get the information you need to run your business effectively, and it will give you credibility with your clients, while letting them know that you are committed to the growth and improvement of your business. The Professional Association of Custom Clothiers is a great one to join, especially if you would like the support and guidance of long-established sewing professionals. The Costume Society of America is another, and there are more groups for tailors, researchers, bridal professionals, and other specialties. If you want to work in certain fields (like Broadway costume design in New York City), you may need to join a union to get work.

Continue your education. Take classes taught by quality teachers, and learn the best methods for the types of projects you intend to pursue. Develop your own techniques, and seek to constantly improve your skills.

Develop a web presence. Don’t rely on the yellow pages or the local paper for all of your business. Most people with disposable income (who are more likely to be your clients) have internet access and use the web to find what they are looking for. If you offer something particularly unique, being listed on a website or developing your own website is particularly worthwhile. A professional organization like PACC offers listings for its members, and Find a Dressmaker and A Vintage Wedding are sites that will list the businesses which meet their criteria.

Invest in quality equipment, and keep existing equipment well maintained. Old, temperamental equipment will cost you time and money, and affect the quality of your projects. If you are just beginning, be project-oriented, not income oriented, at first. Establishing your rates will take time, and you will need to keep a time and expense log for a wide variety of projects before you will know how much you need to charge. There are many books that promise “foolproof” methods, but only you know your own pace and work style.

Love what you do, and love your clients. Let’s face it – there are far easier ways to earn a buck. If this isn’t something you are passionate about, you will grow to hate it, and lament the loss of your hobby. Know that things can and will go wrong. Establish a business policy and procedures for when these things happen. Difficult clients, poor time management, and projects gone awry happen to even the best of dressmakers. Whatever the agreement or disagreement, make sure that those policies honor the client, while maintaining your own integrity.

Make things! The best advertising is word-of-mouth, since most custom sewing businesses are local. Make, alter and repair great things for yourself, your friends and your family, and do not hesitate to let people know that you are in business, and how to contact you. Don't fall for the idea that the key to success is that wealthy people will want to overpay for your services, as many of the cheerleading-type start-up information would have you believe. Strive to make what you offer worth the price.