Thread: Odd Question Regarding Altering Costumes

I have a question that I've been wondering about for a while now.

How many times have you purchased a second or third or more hand costume and had to alter it? If you must alter it, how long on average does it take you to complete it, if you do it on your own? I'm forever underestimating how long it will take me to alter costumes that I've purchased from other dancers.

Currently, I'm working on moving straps, moving hooks replacing decorations, etc. I though it would take me a few hours, but it's taking me four weeks! This happens to me ALL the time.

I'm interested in hearing what others have to say.

YIKES and thanks!

Azeeza

It takes me quite a while, sometimes, especially if it involves a two piece belt. I always add extra snaps and hooks, too. And then I always have to tighten the arm bands, and add a modesty panel to the skirt. Then I decide that I don't want the waist strap, and so on, and so on. sometimes I wonder if I am ever finished with them!

Sandra:

Thank you for your input.

I thought I was the only one who had problems like this. I'm pretty good with sewing and I'm always off with the amount of time it takes to make things the way I want, plus, I guess I don't short change a costume either. I give it the attention and quality it deserves.

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER have I ever used a stapler to shorten a hem or use glue in place of sewing. I suppose that is what takes extra time that I don't account for in altering/maintaining a costume.

Azeeza

When you get discouraged, just tell yourself that it will take less time than making one from scratch!

I remember altering my first bedlah and thinking it took a lot longer than I anticipated. You're not alone.

I would say, if by some miracle the costume fits great right out of the box, I would still spend a minimum of 45 minutes moving the hooks. I am slow with a needle and thread.

More often, I need to add/remove padding, reposition cups, convert straps to halter, add elastic, etc. I would guess the average costume gets about 2-3 hours of alterations to make them wearable.

It really all depends on what you are doing to the costume. I have had some that it was really just making basic adjustments - hooks, eyes, tightening straps. Usually about an hour. Also depends on if I have help.

On the other hand, I have had to competently rebuild bras because they were too small, not well finished or just plain didn't match well. This can take a while.

{{{HUGS}}}

Originally Posted by Azeeza

I have a question that I've been wondering about for a while now.

How many times have you purchased a second or third or more hand costume and had to alter it? If you must alter it, how long on average does it take you to complete it, if you do it on your own? I'm forever underestimating how long it will take me to alter costumes that I've purchased from other dancers.

Currently, I'm working on moving straps, moving hooks replacing decorations, etc. I though it would take me a few hours, but it's taking me four weeks! This happens to me ALL the time.

I'm interested in hearing what others have to say.

YIKES and thanks!

Azeeza

Yep. Sounds about right. Even moving hooks can be an ordeal if you have to sew through heavy beadwork.

Yikes is right. You NEVER can predict how a costume is really put together and what will be required to modify it until you open the little can of worms up and... it's usually worse than you thought. I remember the night it took me NINE HOURS to move the straps on a bra... the construction underneath was that random and awful...

Originally Posted by Karnak

When you get discouraged, just tell yourself that it will take less time than making one from scratch!

I remember altering my first bedlah and thinking it took a lot longer than I anticipated. You're not alone.

MOST of the time I can tell myself that, but then I get a costume too gorgeous to pass up, but essentially have to rebead the whole thing as I reinforce loose items. Grrr.

If it's just a matter of adjusting straps and belts, it takes me half an hour with mum for a proper fitting (holding everything in place on my own just doesn't work!) and half an hour to restitch all the hooks. Most costumes have half an hour to an hour of rebeading even in good condition.

I've become adept at taking in skirts in various ways, but it can take anywhere from 1/2 an hour for ones that don't need much work, to 3 hours if a circle skirt needs serious work.

If there are large patches that need work, I tend to get lazy and put on an appliqué instead. bra cuffs usually take half an hour to an hour to get positioned perfectly.

(can you tell I'm skinny, short & busty from my common alterations?)

And then there is the fact that I have this compulsion to make arm bands and hair pieces for every new costume- and the costumes that need a whole new skirt, etc. Oy. Starting to be a lot more careful about what I am buying- it's not just a financial commitment, it is definitely a time commitment too!

I have one costume that doesn't look like it was worn much- it just looks like someone piled it under a bunch of junk and squished it and snagged all the crochet. I'm at the point in my life where that is just too daunting (but I would never resell a costume in that condition- I was appalled when I got it!)

I've ruined a set myself and I can't sell it. I paid a lot for it and it smelled awful, so I soaked it several times without removing the raunchy smell and the beads dried dull and the sequins started to peel ..c::.

The set I'm working on currently had been changed in design I don't know how many times. It was advertised as an easy fix and well made, but every time I shake it more decorations have fallen off of it.

So, now I have to reinforce everything on the set, change the straps back over to the way it was originally and I'm forever changing the hook setting. I don't have help, so I've been doing it on my own. I've messed up measurement of the band to fit me several times as well as the straps and I have to keep taking it apart and moving it and re-stitching everything.

I thought this was going to be a small fix judging by eyeballing it, but it's turned into a huge project. I don't think on the surface it looks like I put so much into it, but I have, SIGH.

Azeeza

Originally Posted by Azeeza

How many times have you purchased a second or third or more hand costume and had to alter it?

You mean new costumes are supposed to fit??? ..g.:
If they did, I'd go out of the alteration business!!!!

If it by some miracle the cups and hips and length are the right size, I still have adjustment to get it to stay on properly. Usually it's a LOT more than that, new or second/third hand.

I have a gourgeous dress I bought two years ago that I still haven't worn because I am not done altering it..cr.: I want to wear it soon! Of course I haven't been working on it all the time and it took a while to decide what to do with it, but still...

I think every dancer knows something to tell about this topic.
I do the alterations as soon as possible and they take me between some days up to some weeks, depending on the amount of work. Moving hooks and fixing usually takes only some days. Once i made a matching necklace for one of my Bellas, and of course, it took me some weeks as i couldn´t work on it constantly. I´m always very happy if i have finished and the result was worth the amount of work!!

I've got this gorgeous Noussa a few months ago that I still have not worn. The skirt needed no alterations, but the straps on the bra were cut and are very VERY short. So I STILL have to get around to extending the back strap of the bra so that I can wear the costume. Ugh

Originally Posted by Lesedi

I've got this gorgeous Noussa a few months ago that I still have not worn. The skirt needed no alterations, but the straps on the bra were cut and are very VERY short. So I STILL have to get around to extending the back strap of the bra so that I can wear the costume. Ugh

Oh- I just extended straps for a dress that was a halter- I got some matching mesh & wound it around the straps so that it looked like a design element, and then covered the part in back where I just had a plain red straps. Took about 15 minutes (of course going back later and adding even more gems later took longer, but the basic look was a breeze!)

I have piles of 'need to be altered' costumes all over my work table. Every once in a while I go on a binge and plow through all the hooks & eyes, and big snaps that need to be adjusted. Then, just when I think I have the right, I add or loose weight so that I need to redo them all. Very frustrating. With rhuematoid arthritis in my hands, it's difficult to do but I keep trying. Glad I am not alone in this.

Here is a thread I started two years ago regarding my project box. Others can contribute about how much they have gotten done in theirs, I would say, after 2 years, I am about 1/3 of the way through the list of outstanding projects. And I have added a few in the meantime.

http://www.bhuz.com/showthread.php?1...-more-projects!!!!

{{{HUGS}}}

I only had it happen once that a costume almost fitted perfectly right out of the box. It still took me a couple of hours to add extra hooks and eyes and reinforce fringe/beading, but at least I knew what the costume was going to look like when worn!

I also made alterations to costumes that turned out to not work for my bodytype atfer I put all the work in. I've become a lot more careful in reading the measurements and descriptions to prevent such a thing in the future.

My sewingroom is also bursting with unfinished projects, though I'm very proud of myself for finishing a pink tiered skirt that I started 5 years ago and never finished. I have no clue what to do with it now, because I don't do ATS anymore which was what I originally wanted to use it for. But it's good to mentally clear that project from the back of my head