I wanna dress made to measure copy from original- ebay?

Nenen

I have a summer dress I absolutely love but it's now been worn and washed so many times it's threadbare and I may well get arrested for indecent exposure if I wear it anymore as it's so thin it's translucent! :eek:

I'd really love a replica made using the old dress as a pattern. I've rung around some local dressmakers but none of them are interested/available as they are all up to their eyes in wedding dresses and ballgowns for Cambridge University!

Does anyone know where else I might try? I'm hoping that it won't cost more than £50 including the material... but not sure how realistic that is!

Has anyone used any of the tailors or dressmakers in China, Thailand etc who advertise on ebay (or elsewhere)?
Any constructive advice will be very gratefully received. :beer:

eira

Have you tried the local FE college ? It's a bit late in the year but they may have fashion students looking for a project or a job to do. Community groups might be another source , and there are tailors in local 'ethnic' communities that do work.

Or you might be able to sign on to an Adult ed group and do it yourself under tutor guidance

Nenen

I'll certainly look into FE college and hadn't thought of that. However, I was also hoping to get some feedback about people offering made to measure or dressmaking services through ebay. Does anyone have any experience of this please?

hardpressed

To be honest expecting to get one made including material for £50 is a bit of a tall order, you would expect to pay a minimum of £4 a metre for the material, that's if you get it from a market, depending on the style, 2.5 mtrs if it is a sleeveless shift style more if it full. So that's at least £10 for the material another £1 or so for a zip, £1 for thread, that leave £38 for labour, unless it's very plain and thrown together I would take 7-8 hrs minimum to make a dress, and if the old one has got to be unpicked to make a pattern that could take half as long again. So that's possible 10 hrs work for £38. I wouldn't want to do it for anyone, it's a different matter if you're doing it for yourself. Sorry to be so negative.

Nenen

Oh wow... Hardpressed thank you for your reply, I certainly had no idea it took so long to make a dress... shows how clueless I am. I suppose because I thought I wouldn't pay more than about £40 to buy a dress from a shop then £50 sounded about right. Shows how much I know! I didn't really think about pounds per hour labour costs in the UK compared to cheap imports (with ridiculously low labour costs).

The dress I want to copy doesn't have any zips as it goes straight over the head... so there's a pound saving there! However, it is quite full and I'm large so I'd need a lot more fabric! In style it's a bit similar to this one here:
http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/4404,29613_Orvis-Tie-Back-Linen-Dress-Short-Sleeve-For-Women-.html
although it is fuller under the bust and doesn't have a seam under the bust, instead it it made in ten panels... if that makes sense, although, as you can probably tell, I'm no expert!

I do actually have a piece of fabric I could use but assumed if I was having it made abroad then it would be cheaper and easier to have a piece from over there.

How much do you think would be reasonable for me to pay to have a dress made her (excluding cost of fabric and assuming no zip)?
Thanks in advance for your help.

hardpressed

Well it's a long time since I charged for making a dress but I would expect it would be £7 an hour at least. If your dress has ten panels that's quite a bit of sewing involved so I would still think your talking about a days work. Unless you find somebody who does sewing for a bit of pin money, I think you'll find it quite expensive.

ailuro2

You could try going back to the shop where you bought it and see if they've any in the back room? You never know, they'd happily sell you another for less than you'd pay to have it made.