Okay, I'm going to suck it up & have a dress made, since the availability/variety of stock ice dance dresses is pathetic!

So, I found someone online whose work I liked, contacted her, & we discussed design, price, etc. I sent her a deposit on 5/6. The last time we had contact was 5/10, when she told me she'd send me a sketch of the design before getting started. She was also going to go shopping & send me either swatches or photos of fabric choices.

So, today's the 18th & I haven't heard from her again. My competition is in exactly 1 month, & I'm a little nervous! (and yes, She knows the competition date.)

So, how does this work--I don't want to hound her--how close does one cut it for getting a dress done by a certain deadline? I would have thought I'd have seen the fabric choices & maybe the sketch by now. Would I be being rude by sending her an email just to check in with her?

Or is this just how long it always takes? Can they throw a dress together really fast, so maybe she's not concerned?

Any stories from anyone who's been through this before will be much appreciated!

I would be contacting her again. Not only does your dress need to be made you will also need to leave time for any alterations and also should skate in it before the comp so that you know that everything fits correctly. You should at least have seen the fabric and sketches by now.

Don't worry about hounding her, it's your money, your competition and your dress.

Good luck x

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The best whisper is a click

Definitely contact the dressmaker.

The lady I use is very good with the follow-up, but then I have the fittings done in person (I drive 3 hours to her house) and by the time the fitting is done, the basic dress (without trim/stones) is complete. Then she finishes the trimming and stoning between the fitting and no later than about a week before my drop-dead date for when the dress is needed.

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American Waltz... Once, Twice, ???? ...

Q: How many coaches does it take to fix Jen's Dance Intro-3 Problems
A: 5 and counting...

My new dress (I only got it today, so you have to forgive me bouncing around like Tigger about it) was semi-stock - they gave you a choice of colour & sleeves and bodice & skirt & stoning-patterns, but I think these were all stock choices, if that makes sense. And they let me know when it had been posted, and it took 2.5 weeks to arrive - I had just e-mailed them to ask if they had a reference number so we could try to trace it when I had a letter from Parcelforce (the branch of our Post Office that delivers parcels) that demanded money with menaces for customs duty, VAT, etc, which would explain the delay.

But it is gorgeous:



I was making a fearful face and looked just like my mother, so I cut my head off on purpose!

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

Annabel, it's beautiful!! And you look great in it. I can't believe how slim you're getting!

Thanks. It is gorgeous. As for slim - well, it's still coming off slowly.... but there's no hurry. Still want to lose another 10-15 lbs, but no rush.

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

Wow Annable it's terrific, and my have you lost weight!! you look fantastic well done you!! Looking forward to seeing you at Bracknell, that is if I recognise you.

Cheers
Grace

Annabel, your new dress is gorgeous. I love the colour and the style is very pretty. You deserve a pretty dress after all the hard work of losing all that weight. You've done so well!

Nicki

Sorry to hijack your thread, Phoenix (but I have answered already ).

Wow! Annabel, you look fantastic You have lost so much weight, well done, you look absolutely stunning.

The dress is lovely, I like that colour and I love that shape of skirt.

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The best whisper is a click

Yeah, I'm sorry, Phoenix - but I'm sure you can imagine how excited I am!

Yes, definitely contact your dressmaker and ask her what is happening.

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

Phoenix, I definitely would contact the dressmaker! A month before the competition is cutting it too close for my comfort.

Annabel, as I already told you before, you're looking GREAT with your new dress and figure!!! It's nice to finally see the finish line, right?



(From a fellow dieter who lost 20 lb so far and could go another 3lbs...)

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Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

Annabel --It's a gorgeous dress! Very pretty color and I like the stones, too.

Back on topic, I am also getting a custom dress for the first time for the Oberstdorf competition. I called my dressmaker (a college student nearby) yesterday because I was getting nervous and hadn't heard from her. She's measuring me tomorrow, so hopefully she is quick! I know I love all the dresses I've seen that she's made, so I think my dress will be nice, too.

Good luck, Phoenix!

Pat

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August 22, back on the ice!

Annabel, that dress is beautiful! The colour is just to die for. And I know your skating will do justice to the dress. (Even if you don't have both the 1'40" and 2' prorams ready and you need them in 2 weeks...)

Annabel,
Is that dress from Six-O? I have a Six-O dress very simliar to yours!

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Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

Annabel,
YOU'RE HOT!!!
Hugs,
Becca

No, it was from people called Images on Ice, based in Wells, Mi, who had a stall at Adult Nationals.

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

I'm always amazed how well dress makers can get when you live soooooooooooo far away - Good luck to you!! And yes.. YOU LOOK GREAT ANNABEL!! (lol I cut off my head ALL the time in pics )

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Latino International Skating Coalition

Don't forget, this dress was semi-stock - and I did try everything on when I was in the US. And the head-cut-off bit was on purpose!

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

That's a lovely dress, Mrs Redboots, and a gorgeous colour.

Don't I remember you saying that you usually make your own dresses?

Was this a special treat? Have you learned anything in particular from the way it's made?

I make my own costumes for my Interpretive programmes, and have made a couple of skirts, including the one I wear for our free dance, but the only dresses I ever made weren't very successful. As in, didn't suit me very well! I'm better at knitting/crocheting than at dressmaking. My "good" dresses were made for me, but are now a touch on the big side.

This dress was a belated Christmas present, and a reward for losing weight.

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

Hey Annabel, you look fantastic in your picture! Lovely dress aswell, I love the colour!

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http://www.yourphotoalbums.co.uk

Phoenix - any news on your dress yet?

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The best whisper is a click

Well.......I emailed her on the 18th, & asked if it was realistic to have the dress by the Monday before my comp. ..........she sent a note back that her computer had been down & she had some swatches to email me.........and I haven't heard from her since. *sigh* I guess this one's going to be a nail biter......I'm so excited to have my very own custom dress & I think it's going to be really beautiful. She does great work, so I guess I just have to trust that she knows what she's doing.

And, judging from the picture on the thread about embellishing dresses, quite a bit! You look great! As soon as I finish losing my extra weight (most of it's in the belly right now) I'm going to buy my first off-the-rack dress. Right now I make most of mine.

I've lost 35 so far, but put 5 back on while I was off ice for the last 2 1/2 months. I'm sure once I get back up to 3x a week it will come right back off....I hope.

Oh, it'll be back off in no time. That's the wonderful thing about skating. When my back flared up 3 years ago, I was off the ice for 6 months. I put on 16 pounds in no time -- before I figured out how to adjust for the lack of activity. I carried that weight for over a year, because it took that long for my back to allow full activity again. But once I got back to skating full out 4 times a week, poof! No extra weight, as long as I didn't eat everything in sight. I just love how skating burns so many calories. And I think that since I skate in the morning before work, my metabolism stays jacked up all day. It's great. You'll lose those 5 punds in NO TIME!!