Where are you located?
419 Queen Anne Ave. N.
My work space is in Lower Queen Anne near the Climate Pledge Arena, SIFF Cinema and Dick’s. It’s in a small, brick residential building with commercial spaces on the first floor. It can be hard to find because there’s no signage out front but the address is on the side of the building.
When you arrive, you can dial #28 on the callbox and I will buzz you into the building.
Do you have a store?
I don’t have a retail storefront. I briefly had a retail pop-up in Belltown but I moved out in March 2026. I currently sew, meet clients, and teach private lessons at my studio space.
Can I drop in if I’m in the neighborhood?
At this time, I don’t have drop-in hours. You can schedule an appointment with me if you want to come by.
Do you have parking?
I don’t have a customer parking lot but there is paid street parking in front of the building.
It’s fairly easy to find parking out front during the day. If there is a game or concert going on at the Climate Pledge Arena, it can be a little more challenging.
There are some paid lots close by for $5-10. I don’t recommend parking in the lot next door to my building, it costs too much.
Can I take public transportation?
The nearest bus stops within a block away are:
-Queen Anne Ave N and W Mercer St. - 1, 2, 8, 13, 32, and the D line
-1st Ave N and Republican St. - 1, 2, 8, 13 and the D line
The closest light rail station is Westlake Station but you can get a lift from there to Seattle Center on the Monorail.
Can I bring my dog?
I love dogs but I prefer to keep the space pet-free. I’m so sorry for the inconvenience.
There are too many pins on the floor, it’s not safe for them.
And I don’t want to have to clean pet hair off of my custom sewing projects.
How can I contact you?
If you don’t have my email address you can respond to your email appointment confirmation and I will get that. Or you can send an email through the contact page on my website.
I’m running late.
Your appointment time starts at the scheduled time and if you arrive late, your appointment will still end at the scheduled time. Please reach out directly if you are running late so I know you’re still coming.
I can’t it to make my appointment today. Can I reschedule?
Appointments can be cancelled or rescheduled up to 24 hours before your appointment time. Late cancellations within 24 hours or no-shows will be charged for the full appointment. If you are sick or have an emergency that comes up please reach out directly and let me know.
How do I reschedule my appointment?
Appointments can be rescheduled online up to 24 hours before your appointment time for no additional cost.
You should have received an email confirmation when you booked and paid for your appointment. There is a large gray button in that email that says Change/Cancel Appointment. Click on that, and it will take you to the online schedule where you can update the date and time.
If you cancel your appointment, the payment processor will not automatically issue a refund. I will go in and manually issue it.
Can we keep working past the end of our appointment time?
If I have flexibility in my schedule, we can keep working past the end time of your appointment. I’ll charge you the balance for the extra time at the end and you can pay through Venmo or with a card through Square app.
Can I schedule a private group lesson with more than three people?
Absolutely. Please get in touch with me directly for rates and scheduling. Please note that my current studio space is not set up to accommodate groups larger than three for projects where we have to cut clothing patterns, so we might have to meet at another location for the lesson.
I think I live more than a 20-minute drive from Seattle Center. How much extra will you charge to come to my house for a sewing lesson?
Get in touch with me with your address and I’ll look it up and let you know. If you want to meet at time of day when there is heavy traffic, the driving time might be longer. You can add the extra driving fee as an add-on when you book your appointment or send me the additional balance through Venmo or Square app.
Do you have a sewing machine I can borrow?
I have 4 Singer Heavy Duty sewing machines for the classroom space. and you are welcome to borrow one. They are non-computerized and pretty easy to use.
I also have a Brother 4-thread coverstitch machine for students to use.
I don’t have a serger for the classroom space yet.
Can I bring my own machine to your studio?
Sure! Most people want to learn and practice on their own machine. Make sure you remember to bring the power cord and foot pedal, any accessories you’ll need like presser feet and bobbins, and the operator’s manual could also be helpful.
What other supplies should I bring?
Bring any project you would like to work on or talk about, thread in the color you want, and any other notions specific to your project like a zipper, elastic, or a pattern you want to use. Also feel free to bring any supplies you like using.
I have scissors, scrap fabric, a selection of thread, sewing machine needles, pins, rulers, marking tools, and most other things you might need.
Can I buy fabric from you?
I don’t have a large selection of yardage to sell but I do have some bolts of quilting cotton in different colors and prints, and I have some simple t-shirt weight knit fabric in black and white. I could sell you either of those options for $7/yard.
What supplies should I buy for my new sewing practice?
I can show you my favorite tools and supplies at your lesson.
I have also created a Supply Recommendation guide on my website with suggestions of what I think are the most important things to have around.
Can you give me advice on buying a sewing machine?
Can you teach hand sewing?
Yes! I love hand sewing. Mending, sewing on buttons, embroidery, sashiko mending, it’s so useful.
Can you teach me to use my sewing machine?
Sure! There are small variations between different machines but they all pretty much work the same way. Have your manual handy if you have one and we can use that to figure out anything confusing that comes up like how to make a buttonhole or what that strange looking foot is for.
I learned how to thread my machine and sew a straight line. What’s next?
That’s up to you but I can definitely make some suggestions. You could learn basics like hemming and seam finishing. We could work through a simple project with a pattern, like a tote bag, a pillow, or pajama pants. You could bring in some clothing you want to alter and we can work through taking it apart and putting it back together. You could start learning patchwork quilting, sashiko visible mending, hat making, sewing with stretch fabrics, or up cycling. I’m sure you have a million ideas so throw a few at me and we can make a plan to get you from here to there.
Can you teach me how to hem my pants?
Sure! That’s a great beginner skill to learn once you can thread your machine and sew a straight line.
Can you teach me how to alter my own clothes?
Yes! Alterations can be a little more tricky and time consuming then we expect them to be, but I’m happy to walk through some projects with you. Learning to fit your own clothes is such a rewarding skill to learn.
My thread keeps jumbling up. Can you help?
Yes. I can go through the thread monster troubleshooting guide with you. I’ll show you all the things to check when that happens and then we can make you a list to refer to in the future when it happens again.
How many lessons will it take until I can design and make my own clothes from scratch?
Every project is different and people all learn at their own pace, but I will say that there’s a lot of things to learn and equipment to buy to get to a point where you can design and sew clothing from scratch.
My suggestion is to take it one project at a time. Like any new skill or hobby, sewing takes time, patience, and practice to get good at. It’s important to start on simple projects, and finish them, to build the basic skills you need to make more ambitious ones. You might even make some bad things at first, and that’s okay because you’re learning.
People study at four-year fashion programs and still leave school with a lot to learn, so hopefully knowing that helps set your expectations to a realistic level. The good news is, with so much to learn your sewing practice will never get boring!
If I have a question after the lesson, can I email and ask?
Sure, within reason! And I’ll try to answer within a reasonable amount of time, as I am the only person on my customer service team. If you have a lot of questions, you could schedule a 30-minute zoom consultation or save them for your next lesson.
Can I rent your work space and sewing machines to work on my project?
I don’t currently have a setup where I can rent out my space by the hour. When I’m not meeting clients for lessons I use the space to work on custom orders and I frequently take over all of the work surfaces. But that being said, I’m open to the idea so please reach out and ask. I might be able to suggest a space that will work for you.
Contacting
Appointments/Consultations
Turnaround Time
My wedding is next week. Can you alter my wedding dress?
Can you hem my pants for same-day pickup?
Why do you charge a rush fee for last minute projects?
When I agree to do a rush job, your problem becomes my problem. So you can go relax, have your weekend, and focus on other things while I prioritize your deadline. I add a rush fee because I know it might take some extra maneuvering to make sure this project gets done on time and meets my standards.
Alterations/Repairs
Design Work
Don’t you already have a pattern?
Can you print my digital pattern?
Can I buy fabric from you?
You’re a professional. Shouldn’t you know how the pattern will fit without sewing a mockup?
Can we skip the mockup step?
Custom sewing is a luxury service- how is it different from buying a pre-made production item in process and in cost.
My work is not minimum wage work.
What forms of payment do you accept?
When is payment due?
Estimates
Invoices
How much will it cost for you to make me a dress? (or shirt, pair of pants, costume, etc)?
Every project is completely different. I need to spend some time talking with you and collecting information about the design and construction of the garment before I can give you an idea of a price range.
In order to design and make a custom garment I will need to draft a pattern or purchase and alter a commercial one. Best practice is to then sew a mockup to see how the pattern fits you and whether we need to make any design or fit changes. You might also potentially need my help sourcing and choosing your fabric. Once we have the pattern and the fabric I can start sewing your project. There could be 2-3 fittings along the way as part of the process of designing and making your custom garment. The time it takes for me to work on your project will be billed at $65/hour.
How much do you charge for the initial consultation?
Free consultations to discuss your initial project, timeline, and pricing will be limited to 15 minutes, either through email exchange or a zoom call.
If your project is more involved and we need a longer in-person consultation to discuss and plan your project, it will be billed at $65 for a 1-hour time window.
Additional time spent planning, designing, brainstorming, shopping for supplies, helping source supplies, taking measurements, etc will be billed at $65/hr.
Can you tell me exactly how much the project will cost before we start?
I can give you an estimate or an idea of a price range on the front end but the initial pricing could change as the project unfolds. After our first conversation, you might decide you want a more complicated design or construction detail that ends up taking more time. As the details change, the time required to make the project changes.
Sometimes it also happens that the process is more time-consuming than initially expected. Every project is so different that it can be hard to nail down precisely how long things will take.
Please let me know on the front end if you are on a tight budget and I will try to make sure all of our design conversations include careful consideration of the potential cost to complete.
I found a dress I like online but it’s too expensive. Can you make me the same look for less?
Unless it is a high-end couture piece, most likely not. Ready-to-wear clothing prices are based on having been designed and manufactured in quantity. The company is making thousands or even hundreds of thousands of that dress. The time it takes for the design and development process: patterning, mockups, fitting, fabric sourcing, etc. gets spread out over the thousands of pieces that are manufactured. The sewing is done in a factory setting and goes quickly because the items are made in batches, assembly-line style, by garment workers in repetition. Modern garment making is generally outsourced to other countries and there are global economic and social systems in place that facilitate the manufacturing of clothing on a large scale to reduce costs. But those systems can’t be utilized to make one custom garment for one person. When I design and develop an item of clothing, and then I sew it one time for you, you are paying for the full design and development process as well as the cost of assembly.
But clothing at the mall is so cheap. I’m confused. Why do you charge so much more?
Are you able to go to the mall and custom order exactly what you want and then have it made to fit your unique body proportions in whatever fabric you want?
No. Clothing at the mall is mass-produced and offered in standardized sizes that are meant to fit the highest percentage of people reasonably well. The fabric is often chosen for its price, rather than for how unique it is, how well it will drape and flow, or how it will hold up over time. And you will generally have to try on a lot of items before you find one that fits your unique measurements and looks the way you want it to.
If you bring me a photograph of what you want I can reverse-engineer a garment that fits your body perfectly, looks like the photo, and is made out of the fabric you choose. This level of customization takes time. It requires a designer with years of professional experience and a work space with specialized equipment. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find someone who can do this work and is willing to work one-on-one with clients in this way. The value of what you are getting isn’t even in the same ballpark as a ready-to-wear production item from the mall.
Custom garment making is a highly skilled service. You’re not buying a pre-made piece of clothing, you’re paying an independent contractor for the skill and craftsmanship it takes to manifest your unique vision.
I bought this dress for $15 at the thrift. Can you alter it to fit me for less than what I paid to buy it?
That’s a great deal for that dress but I’m not in a position to work for less than my hourly rate.
The cost you charge for custom made clothing is considerably higher than what I want to pay. Can you do it for less?
I totally understand being on a budget! However, I have to pay my rent, eat, and pay for all of the costs to run a business like studio space, supplies, and equipment so unfortunately I do have to charge money for my time. If I worked for less, I wouldn’t be able to sustainably run a business.
But what if it’s something simple like a t-shirt? Shouldn’t a t-shirt be cheap?
Custom sewing is a luxury service, even for a t-shirt. If you want a cheap t-shirt, you can find one very easily but I’m guessing that the reason you are contacting me is because you can’t find the exact t-shirt you want, and you need one custom made.
Can you copy my favorite piece of clothing and make a new one?
Can you help me design a sewing pattern?
Can you teach me how to make my own patterns?
Can you make patterns and sew samples for my apparel line?
Do you work with digital patterns?
Do make tech packs?
Do you partner with any local sewing production houses or factories?