People who visit my website seem to not have any idea! I hate to be rude so I take time to answer emails about custom sewing– and when you make your living with your hands, time is money. In the time it takes to reply to one such email, I could have sewn the snaps on a dress and finished it. 

Custom sewing involve much time dealing with emails, phone calls and such, besides the extra time it takes to do one dress at a time. When I make dresses for the site, to even come out with minimum wage for my time, I have to sew production line style– cut out several dresses at once, fill the right bobbins, put the right color thread on the machines.

If someone wants to choose ribbon color, it takes more time– plus I have to get that color ribbon in the right size or sizes.  If they want to choose the fabric, it can be difficult fabric to sew, or not the right kind for the era or style, or just something I hate— and I have to deal with recieving it and discussing trims and such.

Anything a customer wants to have “their way” means it is CUSTOM SEWING. This always takes more time!  This means I will make $5 an hour instead of minimum wage! I TRY to earn $15 an hour sewing— and THAT INCLUDES THE COST OF THE MATERIALS, SO NOT REALLY $15 AN HOUR.   I am thankful I can supplement my social security with work I can still do and that I love to do. Not many are so fortunate. But if you want to customize the doll clothes you buy, please find someone who either has enough income so they are just sewing for “fun” or find someone who will do it but will charge you for their time. Most of the people I know who do custom sewing have dress prices ranging from $300 and up. They get paid for their time, but probably not much more than I do, if they spend hours communicating with customers. But if that is what they like to do that is great because the world needs them.

I can’t afford to and do not like to do custom sewing. I want to choose the fabric and trim and use the patterns I have, not modified for what someone else wants. I only sew for old dolls.

I hope if you read this you will understand better that ANY REQUEST TO CHANGE ANYTHING on a dress puts it in the “custom sewing” category, and I simply cannot afford to do any custom sewing. Thank you for understanding!