San's Tailored Designs
Distinctive Costumes
Tailored for You
Are you in search of a truly distinctive costume that reflects your individuality for your upcoming competition or performance? I specialize in crafting costumes meticulously tailored to your precise measurements for a perfect fit. Each creation is a unique blend of artistry and functionality, designed to amplify your personal style and elevate your performance. With care and attention to detail, I will handcraft your costume to bring your vision to life with captivating effects, showcasing your unique artistic expression. Unleash the extraordinary with a costume as unique as you.
Lily
Competitive Skater
I am very happy with Lily's dress. She looks lovely in it. Sandra took a lot of care with designing and fitting Lily with her competition dress. Thank you Sandra.
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... Helen
Testimonials
Jane Brown
I highly recommend Sandra Ball as a seamstress. Sandra gladly took on the challenge of making an Edwardian costume for me, a type of costume that she’d never made before. She did a lot of research looking for photos and patterns for this era of clothing.
Sandra paid close attention to the details. She had a lot of great ideas of how best to sew it and design it and was very open to hearing about my own design ideas. We worked well together.
The completed project looked like an authentic Edwardian costume very diligently and professionally sewn!
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... Jane
Avery
Competitive Skater
Thank you! You did an amazing job and, Avery absolutely loves the dress!
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... Cally
Highlights
Timeline:
Crafting a custom costume typically takes 4 to 6 weeks from the date of your confirmation to proceed.
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Cost:
The cost will vary based on the intricacy of the design and the time required for the creation. The cost for the base costume covers materials and the time invested in designing and handcrafting your unique costume. An additional cost is applicable for embellishments.
I will prepare an estimate for you following a free consultation, or I can send you a google form to complete. The cost will be confirmed after the design is completed and fabric is purchased.
Payment:
To proceed with making a custom costume, I request a down payment together with a signed Custom Costume Services contract. A progress payment will be requested at the first fitting with final payment upon delivery.
Custom Costume Making Process
The following details the steps involved in creating your custom costume.
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1 - Consultation & Measurement:
​When you book a free no obligation consultation, we will discuss your program and your ideas for your costume.
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I will take your athlete’s measurements in person at my studio. Measurements will be re-taken at the first fitting and adjustments will be made if needed.
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Costumes are custom made to be fitted and conform to the athlete’s body for a competitive and professional look. Therefore, custom costumes may only fit for one season, depending on the athlete’s age and how much their body is changing.
2 - Design:
The design integrates input from you, the athlete, and their coach/teacher. I will prepare up to three sketches of the design, with the third serving as the final version. This final sketch will include design notes to clearly outline the scope of work for your approval. Any subsequent changes to the approved design will need to be evaluated for impact on time, cost and the scheduled delivery date.
3 - Patterning, Fabric Selection, Construction:
Once the design is approved, fabrics are chosen from Canadian and US suppliers that specialize in providing quality stretch fabrics. Construction begins with translating the design into a sewing pattern, then carefully cut and sewn. At this stage, the base of the costume design is made to measure and prepared for the fitting.
4 - Fittings & Embellishment Planning:
The first fitting plays an integral role in confirming the costume design and fit. Final measurements will be taken and the costume design will be assessed for movement and comfort. Any necessary alterations will be discussed and agreed upon, and we will finalize both the embellishment plan and its budget. At this time, I will also provide an invoice for the progress installment payment.
5 - Final Touch Ups & Embellishments:
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After the fitting, construction of the final costume and embellishments will be completed to transform the costume into a work of art.
6 - Final Fitting & Pickup:
When your costume is complete, I will contact you to schedule a final fitting. If you are satisfied with the fit, the costume is yours to take away with you, and final payment will be due. I will make any minor adjustments free of charge within 1 week after pick-up.
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Prior to the scheduled final fitting date, I will provide you with an invoice specifying the final cost and the balance due at the time of pick-up.