Simple calico sundress

The dress: princess seams, fitted bodice, slight sweetheart neckline, shoulder straps, knee-length skirt, and princess-seam button opening



The hat: white embroidered cotton with pale green lining, brim, and red bead accent

Custom pillow covers

The project: two green velvet covers for 18" x 18" pillows, with brown piping and invisible zippers. One beige-and-red woven cover for a 14" x 36" pillow, with green piping and invisible zipper. All inside seams are bound with satin ribbon for extra durability.

These pillows add the finishing touch to this cozy Lincoln Center apartment.

Copying a beloved dress

This flowered 70s-style dress was a Boulder, CO thrift store find, and so well-loved that its owner wanted to have it made over in another fabric.


She chose a blue-patterned material and navy blue chiffon for the flutter sleeves.



Pictures are coming soon of Sarah wearing the new dress on her St. Thomas vacation!

Sarah's reaction: "The dress is ah-mazing Hannah! Just perfect in every way. Fits just like the red dress. Thank you so very much! And I'm glad to know of you too for any future seamstress needs down the road. Thanks again! YOU DID AN AMAZING JOB!"

Beauty pageant evening gown

Design challenge: to transform this ho-hum dress into a gown worthy of the Miss New York USA Beauty Pageant! As the bodice fit this former Miss Teen New York perfectly, we kept it intact and focused mainly on creating an entirely new skirt according to her specifications.



The fabric: crepe-back satin with lightweight tulle for the godet/train

Restyling: slender floor-length skirt with thigh-high slit and decorative pleating, godet insert with tulle-covered train, new beaded "belt," French piping finishing for hem and slit, bead-sequin trimming for train





Marley's reaction: "My gown was perfect. You did a fabulous job! Evening gown was what moved people from top twenty to top ten and I made the top ten with my beautiful dress!"

Velvet drapes

Floor-length curtains made of embossed gold velvet lined with irridescent taffeta create a luxurious look for these Northern-facing bedroom windows.


Midnight-blue velvet drapes lined with gold and black silk lend elegance to this Brooklyn living room.

Creating an inviting play corner

Design challenge: to create a comfortable cushion for a new bench area in a corner of the client's home -- one that would be durable enough to withstand the demanding use of a toddler, but also attractive enough to make the corner an inviting space. The client purchased a foam cushion and needed a great cover that would meet his requirements.


The fabric: a chocolate dotted chenille from Mood Fabrics.


The project: one 80"x27" fully removable cover for a foam cushion, with heavy duty zipper along the back side, and all French seams for added strength and durability.



Eric's reaction: "[The cushion] came out great---I'm already thinking about my next project. Thanks again! It really looks great."

Fall wedding-New York, 2009

Design challenge: to make this Vera Wang gown look like it was made for a petite bride rather than a 5'10" fit model. The many layers and off proportions presented the biggest challenge. The bride wanted a lot less fuss and a lot less fabric to have to worry about.



Restyling: all 7 layers of the dress were hemmed and shortened appropriately, from the several inner layers of stiff tulle and silky lining fabrics, to the 3 outer layers of delicate light tulle. The places where the outer tulle was pulled up romantically and stitched were changed to create the correct proportions for Marie. The neckline was also lowered to give just a hint of cleavage and allow for more freedom of movement.

The result? See for yourself!

Fall wedding-New York City, 2009

Design challenge: This vintage (late 40s?) gown was a bit bedraggled and rough around the edges, but after a thorough cleaning and pressing it was clear that it had excellent potential. Aside from a ragged, unfinished hem and ugly side snap closure, the neckline was demure to the point of being unflattering. We decided to lower the neckline across the chest, remove the bows, and create a whole new collar and decolletage section from a closely-matched chiffon.

Restyling: hand-stitched hem, pearl buttons with elastic bridal loops, neckline lowered and top bodice section removed and replaced with matching chiffon piece (to create the front decolletage area and collar).

The result? A dress almost as gorgeous as the very happy bride!

Winter wedding-New York, 2004

Design challenge: What's a girl to do when she's picked out her dream dress for a beautiful winter wedding -- only to realize the implications of going strapless in January? Rather than freeze, this bride decided to have a custom satin jacket created just for her, which served not only to keep her cozy but also to lend the ensemble even more sophistication and elegance.

Inspiration: Victorian period

The jacket: silk satin with China silk lining. Shawl collar. Princess seaming. Three buttons at center front. Extended length in back.

Summer wedding-Florida, 2003

Design challenge: This Southern bride wanted to feel sexy and elegant, with complete freedom of movement and absolutely no tight seams or restrictions. (The tightest thing she wanted to wear was the garter belt!)

Inspiration: 1930s silk evening-wear

The gown: Ivory silk crepe-back satin. China silk lining (a fabric "so fine it can slip through a wedding ring") with matching bodice inlay. Bugle-beaded straps with bead detailing on bodice. Godet-train skirt. Low back with fabric-covered buttons at center back. Bias drape. Contour seaming over hips.