BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Alterations deliver the final touches at Sew Unique

Story & Photos by Betsy Iler

hen the perfect wedding dress doesn’t look as fabulous on the bride as it did on the page of a bridal magazine, a few simple and affordable alterations could make a big difference. In most cases, it’s just a matter of a tuck here and there; an adjustment in the sleeve; and altering a hem, said Sonya Powell, the formalwear expert at Wetumpka’s Sew Unique.

“Most people buy a gown that is mass produced – even designer gowns are mass produced. My job is to make sure it looks as good on the bride as it did on the model,” Powell said. Making that happen might take more than one fitting over as much as a month, but the cost is reasonable – usually less than $100 – for what is likely to be the most expensive dress a woman ever wears.

It’s important, Powell said, to bring all of the bridal attire to every fitting: dress; undergarments, including slip or petticoat; shoes; and jewelry. Any adjustments to one part of the gown may affect the way the dress drapes across a different part of the body, she explained.

“Taking up the sides, for example, will affect everything else, so we don’t do the hem until we know what is happening with the sides,” she said. “You have to have an innate under- standing of geometry for this job.”

A necklace that sits perfectly around the neckline of a gown at the first fitting might be too long after the shoulders have been adjusted. Though a dress might be designed to show off the embroidered edge of the slip beneath it, there’s no point in pinning the hem if the bride doesn’t bring the slip to the fitting.

“Just bring everything,” Powell said. Choose an alterations expert that has a good reputation over a long history, as that means she has gained knowledge and W

experience with dress styles, fabrics and body types but also could be creative about problem solving.

Though self-taught, Powell has sewn all her life. She began sewing under her grandmother’s tutelage when she was 4 years old. She went to work at Sew Unique after her children were born.

“The occupation chose me,” she said. “I love doing this.”

Though 50 percent of what she does in the shop is formal or bridal, she also creates theatrical costumes, baby clothes and window treatments. She makes doll and Teddy bear clothes from bridal gowns and alters men’s suits and band and cheer uniforms. At home, she quilts, so she is familiar with a wide variety of sewing styles and skills.

Powell said when she is faced with something she’s never done before, she often pulls out a scrap piece of fabric and experiments with different techniques to achieve the look she wants on a finished project. In fact, these kinds of special treatments are among her favorite projects.

“I love the challenge. I love it when something makes me stop and think about how to achieve the result I want. I can be creative about the process,” she said.

Alterations are especially helpful when a bride chooses to wear her mother’s gown. In addition to adjusting the fit, the design often needs to be updated. Powell said this process is easier if the bride brings photos of features she likes on other dresses. “We don’t always use the same words when we describe something, so pictures make it easier to make sure we are talking about the same thing,” Powell said.

For example, if a bride mentions an undulating hem, a photo could make the difference between a hem that waves gently across the toes and a dress with a high hem in front that drops 12 inches in the back.

An alterations seamstress also might be able to custom make a bride’s gown from photos, but again pictures are key. Bring several examples and take the advice of the seamstress when she suggests fabrics and features, such as ruching or other couture embellishments. As an experienced professional, she has a good working knowledge of how the fabrics will drape; whether particular decorative elements will slim or add weight or make the bride look taller or shorter.

Also, consider the time of year when planning alterations of wedding attire – whether the bride’s gown, bridesmaids’ dresses, mother-of-the-bride/ groom or suits for the groomsmen. If the wedding is planned in the middle of prom season, the seamstress might need to schedule fittings across more than just one month. Mid-to-late fall is the most popular wedding season in the South. Powell said she makes alterations for as many as 30 November weddings every year, so she appreciates it when a bride brings in a dress early in the season.

The cost for alterations depends on the work that needs to be done, the materials needed to do it and the time it takes to complete the work. Handwork, such as when adjusting rows of buttons or sewing beads on a bodice insert, may require more time than machine sewing would.

Sew Unique is owned by Faye Parker and has operated in the shopping center at 7326 U.S. Highway 231 for 25 years. For more information about bridal alterations, call 334-567-4992. Sonya Powell is familiar with a variety of sewing techniques