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Mindset Monday: Haute Couture
by Dee Dee Anderson | April 15, 2024 | Bridal Alterations, Day in the life of a Bridal Alteration Seamstress, Mindset Monday | 0 Comments
I recently read an article in the University of Fashion newsletter that I received. It is written by Antonia Sardone. It’s titled Haute Couture Renaissance: Spring 2024 Collections Of particular interest to me was a paragraph that really summed up my feelings about...
Dee Dee in Paris; part 2
by Dee Dee Anderson | April 8, 2024 | Bridal Alterations, Day in the life of a Bridal Alteration Seamstress, Events, Uncategorized | 0 Comments
What a journey my trip to Paris was. I was able to be completely absorbed into the haute couture world of fashion. First was the Julien Fournie’ fashion show. It was held in the gorgeous Mogador Theater. Our seats were in the front row next to the stairs that the...
Dee Dee goes to Paris; Part 1
by Dee Dee Anderson | March 22, 2024 | Bridal Alterations, Day in the life of a Bridal Alteration Seamstress | 0 Comments
Months ago, I had pulled off a rush sewing miracle for a bridal designer friend of mine. She was so grateful, and mentioned that she hoped to be able to return the favor to me sometime in the future. I promptly told her that I would love to go to Paris with her...
Mindset Monday: Stoic
by Dee Dee Anderson | March 4, 2024 | Bridal Alterations, Day in the life of a Bridal Alteration Seamstress, Mindset Monday | 0 Comments
I have just returned from my 2 week trip to Paris. This is my first time in Paris, or really anywhere overseas. As I ponder to describe the basic demeanor of the French people, well, basically the people in Paris, city dwellers, many words come to mind. Kind,...
Mindset Monday: Making Connections Locally
by Dee Dee Anderson | February 5, 2024 | Mindset Monday | 0 Comments
This topic, connecting with other local seamstresses, is a subject that I really want to cover on a Mindset Monday. I know for me, and some others, it feels a bit awkward when we think about getting to know our fellow seamstresses. I personally need to...
2024 Annual Symposium: Making Connections
by Dee Dee Anderson | January 12, 2024 | Symposiums | 0 Comments
2024 symposium blog Making connections on steroids! Whew! That was an amazing symposium. I feel like I have spent the last few months connecting with some of the most amazing people as I put this symposium together. What an honor to rub shoulders with these women. ...
It was all worth it!
by Dee Dee Anderson | November 29, 2023 | Bridal Alterations | 0 Comments
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. This is one of my favorite holidays because it's all about getting together and enjoying family with no gift expectations. We all just sit down, eat, and talk in the kitchen. It’s all about love. My family is my greatest...
The Haunted Dress
by Dee Dee Anderson | October 30, 2023 | Day in the life of a Bridal Alteration Seamstress | 0 Comments
One of my favorite memories concerning Halloween is of the haunted dress. There was a certain dress at the shop I worked at. The dress looked innocent enough. And it was quite popular with the brides. It was on the low end of pricing. But…. the fit was a bit funky....
Dyeing a Wedding Gown Black
by Dee Dee Anderson | October 29, 2023 | Bridal Alterations, Day in the life of a Bridal Alteration Seamstress | 0 Comments
Dyeing the particular wedding dress was a wonderful journey. The couple contacted me early to ask if I could do this. I was honest about the risks, and pricing, and they seemed willing to take on the chance of things going bad. I absolutely fell in love with the dress...
Adding color to wedding dress: check your fabric type!
by Dee Dee Anderson | October 10, 2023 | Mindset Monday, Symposiums | 0 Comments
I am showcasing my 2022 Annual Symposium. The focus was on dyeing wedding dresses. You can link to the symposium here. Understanding what your fabric is made of is important when choosing the right dye. Here is a reference chart: If your fabric has cellulose...
Adding color to wedding dresses
by Dee Dee Anderson | October 2, 2023 | Mindset Monday | 0 Comments
I am showcasing my 2022 Annual Symposium! The focus was on dyeing wedding dresses. You can link to the symposium here The goal of this symposium is to educate our guests to the many techniques using dyes to add color to wedding dresses. Ombre and colored bridal gowns...
Hunker Down; Part 3
by Dee Dee Anderson | September 12, 2023 | Bridal Alterations, Mindset Monday | 0 Comments
This is the third and final in a 3 part series from my ebook, “The most important dress a woman will ever wear”. You can buy the book here: theandersonacademy.com/ebook Ok, at this point you should be starting your morning early with a good deep sleep the night...
Hunker Down; Part 2
by Dee Dee Anderson | September 5, 2023 | Bridal Alterations, Mindset Monday | 0 Comments
This is the second in a 3 part series from my ebook, (read part 1 here) “The most important dress a woman will ever wear”. You can buy the book here. Now to the nitty gritty. Hunker down. What exactly does that mean? To settle yourself down and work in a completely...
Hunker Down; Part 1
by Dee Dee Anderson | August 28, 2023 | Bridal Alterations, Mindset Monday | 0 Comments
This is the first in a 3 part series from my ebook, “The most important dress a woman will ever wear”. You can buy the book here This is a tough love kind of topic. I try to be a compassionate person, but sometimes the consequences of giving up and dropping the...
What do I mean when I say “Black hole dress”?
by Dee Dee Anderson | August 24, 2023 | Bridal Alterations | 0 Comments
I often write about black hole dresses. Let me explain exactly what I mean: A black hole dress is a wedding dress that takes far more time to complete the work on it than anticipated. It takes you by surprise. You had no idea when you accepted the dress, that it...
The psychology of brides Part 5 ( the finale )
by Dee Dee Anderson | August 21, 2023 | Bridal Alterations, Mindset Monday | 0 Comments
(Please note, this series on brides comes from my book. You can buy the book here.) “Body Fluctuation” Our last common bridal drama comes from the bride that keeps expanding or shrinking. It happens often. Busty brides tend to fluctuate in size more than brides with...
Wedding Season Burnout
by Dee Dee Anderson | August 15, 2023 | Bridal Alterations, Day in the life of a Bridal Alteration Seamstress | 0 Comments
Burnout is a real thing. First and foremost, if you are getting calls for more bridal work than you can possibly do it is time to raise your prices. The goal is to only accept those clients that are the ones who can afford you. You want to be working for a price...
The psychology of bride; Part 4
by Dee Dee Anderson | July 18, 2023 | Bridal Alterations | 0 Comments
(Please note, this series on brides comes from my book. You can buy the book here.) The “Unrealistic Expectations” Bride Ok, here we go. Sometimes a bride is clueless about clothing construction and has some very unrealistic expectations for how her dress should...
The psychology of brides; Part 3
by Dee Dee Anderson | July 10, 2023 | Bridal Alterations, Mindset Monday | 0 Comments
(Please note, this series on brides comes from my book. You can buy the book here.) The psychology of brides Part 3 This next type of bride makes my heart sad. The bride has many insecurities, and is very aware that the attention will be on her for the whole...
How a Bridal Alterations Career Can Liberate You
by Dee Dee Anderson | July 3, 2023 | Bridal Alterations | 0 Comments
One of the biggest and most important ways that we spend our time is work. Earning a living, paying the bills and then hoping for a little extra money for non essentials takes a significant amount of time out of our day. If you have good sewing skills, you may have...
Financial Freedom with a Bridal Alterations Career
by Dee Dee Anderson | July 1, 2023 | Bridal Alterations, Mindset Monday | 0 Comments
Bridal alterations is one of the highest paying jobs in the sewing industry. Higher income than you imagined with less hours of work may be the freedom you are seeking. Your job can’t be outsourced to another state, district or country. Your equipment won’t become...
Bridezillas! How to keep your bride happy; Part 2
by Dee Dee Anderson | June 26, 2023 | Bridal Alterations, Mindset Monday | 0 Comments
Here are a few more ways to avoid creating a bridezilla. Don’t make Assumptions! Every bride is different and has her own special vision of what she thinks beauty is. You can avoid so many mistakes and misunderstandings just by asking questions and not assuming...
The psychology of brides Part 2
by Dee Dee Anderson | June 19, 2023 | Bridal Alterations, Mindset Monday | 0 Comments
(Please note, this series on brides comes from my book. You can buy the book here.) The majority of brides are happy, sweet, in love with their dress, and appreciative of the BAS (bridal alterations specialist) work. There are a few brides that can give you stress,...
Bridezillas! How to keep your bride happy; Part 1
by Dee Dee Anderson | June 12, 2023 | Bridal Alterations | 0 Comments
It’s very important that a seamstress presents herself as calm and confident as she meets with a bride during the alterations process. This can be one of the most stressful steps a bride goes through in preparing for her wedding. For the most part, brides are very...
The psychology of brides; Part 1
by Dee Dee Anderson | June 5, 2023 | Bridal Alterations, Mindset Monday | 0 Comments
(Please note, this series on brides comes from my book. You can buy the book here.) The majority of brides are happy, sweet, in love with their dress, and appreciative of the BAS (bridal alterations specialist) work. There are a few brides that can give you stress,...
Career Options for a Bridal Alterations Specialist; Part 2
by Dee Dee Anderson | May 22, 2023 | Bridal Alterations, Bridal Shops, Mindset Monday | 0 Comments
Work at home for a Bridal Shop This can be done either exclusively for one store or taking outside work from several shops and private clients also. I recommend not signing an exclusivity agreement with a bridal shop. I love the shops I work with, don’t get me wrong,...
Career Situations for a Bridal Alterations Seamstress; Part 1
by Dee Dee Anderson | May 8, 2023 | Bridal Alterations, Bridal Shops, Mindset Monday | 0 Comments
Oh my. Where do I start? I am amazed at the variety of different work situations that BAS (Bridal Alterations Specialists) have available to them. For this Mindset Monday I want to introduce you to the most common career for bridal seamstress. Bridal Shops This is the...
Mindset Monday: My Favorite Tools!
by Dee Dee Anderson | April 17, 2023 | Mindset Monday | 0 Comments
So let me tell you about some of my favorite bridal alterations tools. They may surprise you. These are all tools that get used often. Olfa cutter. I don’t use razors. They are not child friendly. I don’t have children in my sewing studio, but I still remember...
Mindset Monday: Sewing room essentials!
by Dee Dee Anderson | April 10, 2023 | Mindset Monday | 0 Comments
The basic sewing room essentials for a Bridal Alterations Specialist are: Very dependable sewing machine. I would recommend an industrial sewing machine. Bridal alterations have serious deadlines. Breakdowns with machinery can cause you so much stress. On this same...
Mindset Monday: Yoga
by Dee Dee Anderson | March 12, 2023 | Mindset Monday | 0 Comments
We will soon be in the middle of the busy season for bridal alterations. This is the perfect time to incorporate some yoga into your daily routine. The wear and tear on our bodies as we work on these heavy dresses is real. Doing a yoga warm up before we start...
Mindset Monday: Prepare for March Madness
by Dee Dee Anderson | February 27, 2023 | Mindset Monday | 0 Comments
Ok people, March Madness is on its way! You should all know what I’m talking about. It’s not the basketball game madness. No. It’s way more intense than that. It’s the busy season for bridal alterations. You need to prepare now for the upcoming heavy work season. Here...
Bridal Shop Owners! Are you prepared for wedding season?
by Dee Dee Anderson | February 9, 2023 | Bridal Shops | 0 Comments
Bridal Shops are feeling the shortage of bridal alterations specialists. The time is now to get your shop prepared for the influx of brides. Will you be ready to service their alterations? A big part of selling a bridal gown is knowing that it can be fit to the...
Mindset Monday: Pricing, part 2
by Dee Dee Anderson | February 6, 2023 | Mindset Monday | 0 Comments
I do my pricing quite differently than most bridal alterations specialists. So you may or may not want to do your pricing my way, but hear me out. I don’t price according to how many hours it will take me to do the job. I have over thirty years of experience doing...
2023 Back to the Future Symposium
by Dee Dee Anderson | January 27, 2023 | Symposiums | 0 Comments
Well, the January symposium has come and gone. You can still find it on my website under symposiums or use this link: https://theandersonacademy.com/symposium-23/ I had such a great time doing this year’s symposium. I especially enjoyed getting to know the expert...
Mindset Monday: Pricing, Part 1
by Dee Dee Anderson | January 23, 2023 | Mindset Monday | 0 Comments
At the beginning of the year before our schedules get too crazy, we Bridal Alterations Specialists should ponder and refine our pricing for the year. Pricing is hard when you are starting out. I am still refining my pricing and I’ve been doing this for well over 30...
Mindset Monday: Financial Balance
by Dee Dee Anderson | January 16, 2023 | Mindset Monday | 0 Comments
The new year has begun. We are sorting through our finances, getting ready for tax returns. This is a great time of year to consider finding balance with our sewing income. If you are like me, there is definitely a busy season ahead and then a slow season during...
Mindset Monday: New Years Goal Memory
by Dee Dee Anderson | December 26, 2022 | Mindset Monday | 0 Comments
Happy New Years to everyone. I want to share with you a fun memory I have of a past New Year’s goal of mine. Many years ago, my New Year's goal was to use up all my random bottles of perfume and figure out a “signature” perfume and when I had used up all my stuff, I...
Mindset Monday: Work Ethics; Part 2
by Dee Dee Anderson | October 24, 2022 | Mindset Monday | 0 Comments
I try to work hard, but I am not perfect and have some regrets on how I have used my time sometimes in the past. Here are some things I have learned about work ethics over the years: When you are working, go full out. Be concentrated and careful. Don’t dilly dally...
Mindset Monday: Work Ethics; Part 1
by Dee Dee Anderson | October 17, 2022 | Mindset Monday | 0 Comments
I want to tell you a bit about my husband, Doug. He was raised in a family of hard workers. Not just hard workers, they love hard work. They find so much joy and fun doing really messy, dusty hard work. His brother owns a ranch and when the herd is brought down out...
Mindset Monday: Priorities
by Dee Dee Anderson | October 10, 2022 | Mindset Monday | 0 Comments
“The easiest way to discern a person’s priorities is to see how they spend their time. “ This statement is a punch in the gut to many of us. I feel that ache too. So today’s Mindset Monday is definitely do as I say and not as I do. I have much to improve on in this...
Mindset Monday: Yoga Anyone?
by Dee Dee Anderson | August 29, 2022 | Mindset Monday | 0 Comments
Every Wednesday in the morning I go to a beginner Yoga class. One of my girlfriends in the class said “Hey, you should do a blog on Yoga. You love having yoga before your fittings.” I do all my fittings for bridal alterations on Wednesday and yes, yoga is the perfect...
Mindset Monday Indecisive Brides
by Dee Dee Anderson | August 15, 2022 | Mindset Monday | 0 Comments
“Decision Challenged Brides'' These brides are simply overwhelmed by the many decisions that need to be made for a wedding. Psychologists call it decision fatique. They just have so much going on. For most brides, getting married is the first event they have had to...
Mindset Monday: Pricing!
by Dee Dee Anderson | July 25, 2022 | Mindset Monday | 0 Comments
How do you know what to charge? I do my pricing differently than most. And pricing can vary so much from location to location. BAS (Bridal Alterations Specialists) pricing in the UK is significantly less expensive than in the US. Canada is similar to the US and...
Mindset Monday: Hunker Down!
by Dee Dee Anderson | July 10, 2022 | Mindset Monday | 0 Comments
This is a tough love kind of topic. I try to be a compassionate person, but sometimes the consequences of giving up and dropping the ball is a high price to pay. Especially in the bridal alterations business. I would rather push you to the finish on some serious work...
Mindset Monday: Time Management
by Dee Dee Anderson | June 27, 2022 | Mindset Monday | 0 Comments
As the CEO of my own business, I am so aware of time management. It’s just me, myself and I getting the sewing done. Many people struggle with being their own boss because they don’t manage their time wisely. And frankly, I don’t think everyone is cut out for being a...
Mindset Monday: Batching!
by Dee Dee Anderson | June 20, 2022 | Mindset Monday | 0 Comments
As a professional business owner, I am in charge of managing my own work time. Time management can make or break a sole proprietorship business. Today, I want to focus on batching. First, let’s define batching: to arrange (things) in sets or groups. Ok. How does this...
How to overcome burnout as a bridal alterations seamstress
by Dee Dee Anderson | May 19, 2022 | Bridal Alterations | 0 Comments
Wedding Season Burnout Every year at this time, I have the same conversation with my girlfriends at early morning exercise. I’ve been up early sewing before heading over for exercise. I will be working long hours getting my work done. I am turning work away, but...
2022 Colorful Bride Symposium Was A Huge Success!
by Dee Dee Anderson | February 11, 2022 | Symposiums | 0 Comments
Holy cow! That symposium was so fun. I really had a great time filming my classes and felt like Diana Casey and Adrienne Gonzales went above and beyond with their videos. The live webinar was amazing. The guest panelists were so knowledgeable. I felt like I was...
You Are Invited To The Second Annual Bridal Alteration Symposium – Adding Color To Wedding Dresses
by Dee Dee Anderson | December 30, 2021 | Bridal Alterations, Bridal Shops, Events, Uncategorized | 0 Comments
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ASDP Boise Educational Retreat
by Dee Dee Anderson | November 12, 2021 | Day in the life of a Bridal Alteration Seamstress, Events | 0 Comments
I traveled 4 hours to Boise with my husband to attend this wonderful sewing professional training conference. Covid cancelled the large event, but they put together a smaller retreat for those who could come. So much planning and coordination took place to make this...
Bridal Shops need Bridal Alterations Specialists
by Dee Dee Anderson | October 22, 2021 | Bridal Shops | 0 Comments
Bridal Shops are feeling the shortage of bridal alterations specialists. 2022 is forecast to be the biggest year in weddings since the 1980s. The time is now to get your shop prepared for the influx of brides. Will you be ready to service their alterations? A...
Bridal Shops need Bridal Alterations Specialists
by Dee Dee Anderson | October 11, 2021 | Bridal Alterations, Bridal Shops | 0 Comments
Bridal Shops are feeling the shortage of bridal alterations specialists. 2022 is forecast to be the biggest year in weddings since the 1980s. The time is now to get your shop prepared for the influx of brides. Will you be ready to service their alterations? A big...
Myth Busting for Bridal Alterations – Things to know before you shop for your wedding gown.
by Dee Dee Anderson | September 6, 2021 | Bridal Shops | 0 Comments
Hello to all the new brides out there. Congratulations to you on your engagement!I hope one of the best parts of preparing for your wedding is shopping for your wedding gown. I would like to educate you a bit before you go shopping for your gown. Finding your...
How Bridal Alterations Gives You The Freedom To Choose
by Dee Dee Anderson | July 7, 2021 | Bridal Alterations | 0 Comments
One of the biggest and most important ways that we spend our time is work. Earning a living, paying the bills and then hoping for a little extra money for non essentials takes a significant amount of time out of our day. If you have good sewing skills, you may have...
How Covid is Affecting the Bridal Industry – and How Bridal Shops Should Prepare!
by Dee Dee Anderson | January 27, 2021 | Bridal Shops | 0 Comments
How Covid Affects Bridal Shops A lot of people postponed their weddings during Covid-19, but plan for significantly more sales during 2021. Those cancelled 2020 weddings will happen in 2021 on top of the usual amount of bridal business. This is great, but if...
Don’t Create Bridezilla!
by Dee Dee Anderson | July 16, 2020 | Bridal Alterations | 0 Comments
How To Keep Your Bride Happy! It’s very important that a seamstress presents herself as calm and confident as she meets with a bride during the alterations process. This can be one of the most stressful steps a bride goes through in preparing for her wedding. ...
Lace Hem With Netting Border
by Dee Dee Anderson | July 14, 2020 | Day in the life of a Bridal Alteration Seamstress | 0 Comments
Day in the life of a Bridal Alterations Seamstress Well, today I am hemming a lace dress. But this lace hem is a bit different, so I thought I would show you how I did it. This hem has a sheer netting border below the lace. It is important to keep that sheer...
7 Months Pregnant
by Dee Dee Anderson | June 21, 2020 | Day in the life of a Bridal Alteration Seamstress | 2 Comments
Pregnant and Getting Married! I received a phone call from a mother of bride. Her daughter was 7 months pregnant and getting married in 2 weeks. They were frustrated with the gown shopping process. The salesgirls were putting this bride in huge dresses that would...
Hemming From The Waist
by Dee Dee Anderson | June 19, 2020 | Day in the life of a Bridal Alteration Seamstress | 2 Comments
This dress has incredible beadwork on chiffon. The hem border would be lost if I hemmed it from the bottom. The best alternative for this dress is to hem from the waist. The bride also needed the torso shortened in the back. I would have needed to remove the bottom...
Extreme High-Low On A Lace Edged Hem
by Dee Dee Anderson | June 18, 2020 | Day in the life of a Bridal Alteration Seamstress | 0 Comments
This dress has an amazing lace. The only issue is the lace edged hem. This lace edged hem has an extreme high-low difference. We are talking about a 4” high low. That means from the bottom of the lace to the top of the scallop there is a 4”...
A Beautiful Bride
by Dee Dee Anderson | May 19, 2020 | Day in the life of a Bridal Alteration Seamstress | 0 Comments
Today I received a sweet text from a former beautiful bride with pictures. Back in January and February I worked on her dress. Long before this Covid 19 stuff was affecting the USA. The bodice needed back and shoulder lining with a back zipper added to the...
Lengthening a Hem
by Dee Dee Anderson | May 19, 2020 | Day in the life of a Bridal Alteration Seamstress | 0 Comments
This heavily beaded dress needed the hem lengthened about 1” to 1 ½”. Usually I take about a week to gradually ease the length down. But this one went down in two days easily. In this first picture you can see the vertical stretch happening to the front of the...
Day In The Life Of A Bridal Alterations Seamstress – Rodeo Queen
by Dee Dee Anderson | April 30, 2020 | Day in the life of a Bridal Alteration Seamstress | 0 Comments
My model for the Level 2 Rodeo Queen section of my Academy is getting married. Hurray! What a treat to work with her again.Last year I had altered a ton of her clothes for a Rodeo competition. I took in a gold leather jacket, suede dress, leather skirt, leather jacket...
