I've hired a dressmaker and stupidly didn't get a contract. I bought all of the material as she had instructed. In the early process she had used a cotton for the body of the dress and a blue lace which goes down the underside of the sleeve (not my fabric) which I thought was a part of I guess you'd call it the template dress, she made three such dresses. There was a sheer fabric for the top of the dress and top of the sleeve which was stiff scratchy with pink-blue hue not sure if you call it chiffon or not. Down the sleeve she had sewn a 1/2" strip of lace something like what is on the bottom of slips. Talking to her on the phone she said to my horror that it was the finished sleeve. I told her that my lace wasn't blue, it was white. She said that she didn't know what I was talking about and argued that the sleeve wasn't blue. I went in the next day, and she had corrected the sleeve with my fabric, but argued that it had never been blue. She had also changed the pink-blue chiffon to a soft white sheer fabric. Although she wouldn't admit her mistake, I was content that she had corrected it. She has now cut and sewn my fabric, the dress is far from what I had envisioned. From the bodice down she's done a wonderful job. But from just above the breast to the collar front, back, and long sleeves it is of a sheer fabric, but not the soft sheer, no she switched it back to the pink-blue hued fabric--there is no pink anywhere in my dress. Everywhere on the sheer fabric you can see a 1/2" fabric seam through the fabric. There is a zipper from the collar down to just below the waist. Where it is sewn to sheer fabric, you can see the whole zipper as though it were sewn on the outside. She said that there's nothing that can be done about it. It is horrible looking. The dress itself is of a soft blue satin with a white lace overlay. Appliques are to cover the shoulders, bodice and across the back. The appliques, she ordered and still have not arrived. I'm getting married April 9th of this year. There are some that are saying that I should pay her a 1/4 of the fee that she is charging, be kind and say that the dress is not coming out to what I had envisioned. But I can't afford to pay her and go out and buy a dress as well. I've already spent $300 on the fabric. Please help. I need advise. I thought the purchase of a wedding dress was suppose to be a memorable time.
First of all I am sorry to hear about the trouble you have been having with you dress. And you are right, the dress shopping is suppose to be memorable, in a good way, and fun. It might not be too late to save your dress. Perhaps you could contact a local seamstress to ask for help.
As for paying your designer, it is up to you how much you give her. There isn't a contract, remember that, so maybe you can work out a percentage of the total instead of the whole amount. Or maybe she could start over, she pays for the material, you just pay the original cost. Obviously she didn't do the right thing, and you might have to purchase another gown; just explain that to her.
wedding dress designer dilemma --please help
