Thank goodness for KATHY! I bought a wedding dress on Etsy, but it was not what I was expecting- way too big, and lacking details that I was hoping for. Kathy took one look at my oversized Etsy dress, and she instantly knew what she needed to do to match my hopes, and more. She took the waist in, added boning, reconstructed the zipper, and removed extra fabric that didn't work for my needs. Kathy knows her stuff! She's affordable and excellent! read more

Alterations By Kathy - Wedding Day - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

She's good, very good at tailoring, reparing, adjusting, altering and designing. BUt she is not good with her tongue. She could hold back the comments on "xx has gotten larger, xx has gotten smaller etc" She is an amazing costume designer, but commenting on minors bodies, let alone anyones body, is downright disrespectful. Otherwise, shes a quick and handy sewer & costume designer. read more

I love Kathy! She made my custom mini wedding dress! She alters all my clothes to fit right. She works with me on my original designs and guides me towards shapes that flatter me so I look thinner. I look forward to many more projects together. read more

Good price and quick, competent work. Very friendly. I'll be going back again. Could use a sign, though. Drove by it twice before finding it with the sign of the previous business still up. read more

Kathy and her associates were very kind and efficient throughout the entire process. I brought my bridesmaids dress in and it needed to be shortened, as well as tightened around the back and chest area. She did an amazing job and it only took her a little over a week. The dress is absolutely stunning now. I can't wait to wear it to my friends wedding in a few days. Kathy, even spent time educating me on how I could use the dress for other events once the wedding is over, or bring it into her to have it shortened for less formal events. Absolutely loved my experience with her and her associates. Thank you, Kathy! read more

I've been coming to Kathy for about 16 years and we have become rather close over the years. She truly is the best in Albuquerque. When I lived in ABQ, she would handle all my tailoring of clothes as well as my pageant dresses. She can make a item fit like a glove. I currently live in Las Vegas, NV and when I was getting married, there was no doubt in my mind that she would be only one who touches my wedding dresses especially because of how expensive they were. These dresses were not only complex but very fragile. But I know she could handle it since she had previously handled my difficult pageant dresses (plus her speciality is wedding dresses). So I flew out to ABQ Four times to be sure they were perfect before the big day. We had a crisis the last day of fittings for my wedding dresses since I had gained weight and both didn't fit. Within one day she was able to savage both dresses and they looked epic. I want you know she is worth EVERY PENNY and then some. I'm Vegas they charge an arm and leg and the quality is horrible. It's worth me flying to her to get my clothes done. I really can't say enough amazing things about her, and she will forever be my Tailor and friend. read more

Alterations By Kathy - Wedding dress #1 - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Great customer sevice and fairly priced! I don't sew at all, so I have had her sew buttons on a coat and alter pants for my mom, as well as make a pillow for me! (I bought the pillow fill, fabric, and zipper at Joann's.) read more

So I found Kathy because I'm a big shopper at JCrew & when Covid hit they no longer were able to send out alterations. I was given her name and she has yet to disappoint! Price is more than fair in the turnaround is quick. Safety protocols are in effect as well. read more

Kathy has 1 very happy customer!! I was traveling thru the ABQ......when the main zipper came off my Olympia 22" 8 pocket duffle (luggage) bag.....Dropped it off @ 9:15AM on a Friday no less.....repairs completed and picked up at 2:15PM. I'm Really Happy cuz I like this Olympia 8 pocket bag. It's just the right size for me. in Addition the $ Pice $ was great TOO!! Happy + Grateful Customer from Long Beach California.... Thank You Kathy!! read more

I had Kathy do a custom job for an art project on a tight schedule and a tight budget. She is wonderful. She didn't bat an eye at sewing something that's not the standard deal. In fact, she's done some amazing costume and other work that is worth checking out. Kathy exceeded my expectations and for a very reasonable price. I haven't had her do alterations yet but would go to her in a heartbeat. I highly recommend her. You will enjoy meeting her. read more

Rude. Called to ask about an alteration and was treated so rudely. Got off the phone and went somewhere else. Couldn't have been more condescending and rude. Take your money somewhere else. read more

I've worked in very-very high end fashion in NYC and San Francisco for many years, but grew up in Albuquerque so return from time to time. Whenever I'm in town and need something taken care of, Kathy is the only person I trust to do a good job. She's done simple things like hems, waist/seat adjustments, among others. She's done complicated things like cutting down suits entire sizes, and she's done some repair work on things I thought were goners. She will do whatever you want her to do, she'll do it right and she'll do it fast. Don't mind the clothes hanging everywhere: it just tells me that she's got a lot of customers that trust her. read more

The first time I walked into the shop I was a little taken aback, but the staff at several stores in at Uptown had recommended Kathy and her shop. Yes, there is clutter and clothing, but the quality of work done by Kathy and her staff makes it worthwhile. She has completely altered dresses to fit me perfectly, hemmed pretty much every pair of pants I own, and fixed numerous tears, buttons, etc. You know that shirt you love, but hate how the sleeves look or some other issue? Kathy will fix it and make it perfect. Another thing that's really important is that the prices AND quality are excellent. I've never had a repair or alteration come apart, and I can bring a bag of pieces 6+ pieces and leave paying under $50. A good seamstress/alterations person will allow you to buy the clothing you like and want, rather than only buying what fits. This has saved me money but also let me expand my style and wardrobe! Thanks Kathy! read more

Kathy is amazing. She was able to complete a rush request on a suit and a dress. I highly recommend Alterations By Kathy.

I took the seat bottom of an office chair whose fabric and a bit of foam was falling apart to get reupholstered. I got an estimate of 1 week. It didn't get completed for 4 WEEKS and me having to call several times with "is it done yet?". And what she did wasn't even to fix the problem, it was to create a band aid. What she said she was going to do is remove the old upholstery, patch up some new foam where it was falling apart and creating and permanently attaching a new fabric cover. What she actually did is just create a slip on fabric cover with a drawstring and did nothing to the original seat bottom at all. So I spent $32 and waited 4 weeks borrowing a friend's office chair for a "duct tape" solution I could have bought on amazon for $12 and received it 3 and a half weeks earlier. I understand jobs sometimes take longer than expected, but 4 times as long? And maybe she works more with clothes than furniture fabric, but if she takes on a job I expect it to be done right and timely or refuse the job. It's acceptable to say, "sorry this isn't my expertise" and I could have taken it elsewhere. To sum it up, making promises she can't deliver on and complete inability to do something in a timely manner. read more

Kathy is talented and she saved the day when a dress for my daughter's wedding arrived and it was too long and was weird fitting in the shoulder straps and my husband's slacks were about 8" too long. Apparently I was in a pre-wedding daze when my daughter asked me about having my dress hemmed and altered so I called Kathy and she had the dress and slacks finished before the wedding. Though she has a lot of clothes and fabric in her shop it was clean and I felt very comfortable going in for fitting. I'm partial handicapped and parking was easy with a ramp that you take to the front door. read more

Alterations By Kathy is located near Central and Louisiana in a little house they converted to an alterations business (think Guava Tree but for alterations). Don't mind all of the clothes and dresses hanging everywhere. I trust she has a system of some sort to determine which ones are to be finished for certain days. Kathy was nice on the phone and helped me with my bridesmaid dress. The wedding was a couple of weeks away, so I didn't have much time. Kathy was very helpful and did a great, fast job. I had to get my dress hemmed and taken out a tad (must be from eating out all the time). The dress fit perfectly once she was done. Would have given this place 4 stars if it were a little more clean and a little less cluttered (i.e. less clothes strewn around or organized more). Also should probably have less sewing needles and pins on the dressing room floor. read more

Kathy is nothing short of phenomenal! I've been going to her for years, whether it be for Halloween costumes, work attire, or to fix clothing I bought online that didn't fit anything like it was supposed to. She goes above and beyond to make sure her work is perfect. Secondly, her prices are fair for what she does. I highly recommend! I've posted my most recent costume which I ordered off Amazon and was horrid at first. I collaborated with Kathy, collaborating ideas which gave us this final product that was a huge hit in public!!! Hope this gives an idea of how great she is :) read more

Alterations By Kathy - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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I can only speak on behalf of her sewing on military stripes- but she's been a life saver when we needed something in a time crunch. She always does a phenomenal job and is always SUPER accommodating. If I could give her more than 5 stars I would. read more

I bought a wedding dress online and the first person I took it to to have it altered told me to send it back as he could do it but it would look terrible. My friend recommend Kathy who said, "Bring it in, I bet I can do it." She had to redo a lot of the bead work, and you could t even tell. She also made some great suggestions for changes to the straps which made it look better than it originally had. She did all of it for an incredibly reasonable price- I was really happy with my experience. I was so grateful she made sure I got to keep the dress I loved. read more

Alterations By Kathy - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

I think Kathy is an excellent seamstress. She made a custom gown and tie for my engagement photos. I knew this process would take time, so I started 6 months before the date. Everything was done on time. I cannot give her establishment 5 stars because the hoarding situation in the shop is extreme. The shop needs to be cleaned. There is no where to sit. I do not find that to be a normal way to maintain a shop with customers. In the future, I will likely seek out other options when making custom clothing. read more

Based on other reviews, I thought I could handle the "clutter" and gave Alterations by Kathy a try. I called ahead to see if I could bring in two dresses for hemming and minor alterations (shortening straps). When I arrived, the "clutter" was more like an episode of "Hoarders" than a working mess. I could barely walk in the door due to piles of clothing and fabric stacked from floor to ceiling in every possible square inch. The floor was dirty and covered with dust, bits of thread, and even pins. I was uncomfortable using the changing room. There were so many other items hanging in it, that I could barely turn around. I was also concerned about my bare feet (pins on the floor!) and getting my dress dirty from touching the floor. When my items were supposed to be ready, I called to see if I could come pick them up. They were not done, but she said they would be ready by the next day. I came by the next day to pick up my items, and (even though she had told me they would be ready) only one of them was ready. I had to come back yet again for the second dress. The work she did was okay and was a reasonable price, but I will not go back. read more

I was lucky enough to have picked Kathy for my alterations. Kathy is professional and so kind. The work she did for me was difficult and she did it with ease read more

Kathy does a great job and usually for a good price. I've taken just about anything there, including my wedding dress. Her shop is tiny, and a total disaster - I'm not sure how she keeps track of anything but she does. She rarely calls to let you know when something's ready, and sometimes you can go in to pick something up and end up waiting an hour, but at least the job has been done well. She's also quite the character and when it comes to weddings she's full of great advice! read more

I spoke with Kathy last week as to have a dress taken up. I was told to come by Monday morning as she was closed for the holidays and was told her hours were 9-5. I took time off work to get to her office by 9. When I walked through the door I received an unwelcome from a women that was "cleaning up" and was made to feel as if I were a bother. The office looks like the home of a hoarder with only a small pathway to walk with stuff piled everywhere. I hear she does good work but I will not return. read more

Kathy is a life saver. I took my wedding dress to another alternation place ("sew whateva!") before I went to Kathy. I dropped my dress off 3 months before my wedding and they didn't tighten the bottom because they said the dress was too structured to be tightened but later on I found out it was because there was too many layers to go through and that's why they didn't want to do it. I hated how my dress fit me. After paying them $300 and hating my dress my friend recommended Alterations by Kathy and she made my dress EXACTLY how I wanted it to be. She even fixed stuff that the original place I took my dress to messed up on. She's super sweet and does an amazing job. The whole time she made sure I loved my dress and made me feel beautiful. She said if I wanted to change anything else she would make it happen. I'm so thankful for her. And to top it off she did it all in two days because my wedding was that following week. Because of her I was able to feel beautiful in my dress! Kathy is wonderful!! read more

I used Kathy for my wedding dress and she did a fantastic job. It took WAY longer than she anticipated and it seemed more out of disorganization than any difficulty with the job itself. She did give me some great advice on wearing the dress and did a lovely job with the alterations, though! read more

"Kathy" has zero customer service skills! When calling to ask if something was ready to be picked up on a Thursday and Friday, she said "I don't have time to check". REALLY? This bitch doesn't have TIME to check on the status of something for a paying customer? If you don't have time to provide customer service for your customers, then perhaps you should not be in a business that requires you to communicate and follow up with customers! I should have known this is the type of service I would be getting by the piles of disorganized junk in her shop. Not professional, rude and worst of all KATHY DOES NOT HAVE TIME FOR YOU. I recommend going somewhere else-ANYWHERE ELSE! read more

Kathy is wonderful to work with. Caring and sincere, I appreciated all the advice. I will be taking my business to Kathy for my next event.

As always, I usually try places on ratings. When I went here,I was a little surprised at the clutter when I walked in, but being a local business and them having limited space, I didn't let it phase me. I dropped of my work pants to get hemmed and not only were they done perfectly, the turnaround time was super fast!! The owner has been accommodating too. One time I arrived 5 minutes after closing and I still got helped!! My loyalty will remain with them. read more

Kathy has an expert eye and is an excellent seamstress. If some of her employees do the work, items can be crooked or sloppy. Kathy can be bossy about what she will & won't do but she is generally right. She will re-do anything that isn't to your liking. Shop is disorganized & dirty. Her wait times are off the charts. Days, weeks, sometimes months. That is unacceptable. Quality alterations are hard to find in Albuquerque, so the moderate-high price & unpredictable wait times are a trade-off. read more

I met Kathy over ten years ago when I was looking for a wedding dress. I went to David's and Demetrios and they were going to have to cut half the dress off to fit me-I'm very short-and the alterations were going to start at $100 on top of the cost of the dress. I decided to have mine made for me. Kathy was awesome!!! The dress was exactly what I wanted and I spent $300!!!!! From then on Kathy has done everything for me from hems, dorothy costume to fixing by graduation gown for my master's. She made my sister in laws dress. the bridesmaid's dresses and was able to save the flower girl dress that was horribly butchered by David's!! As long as she's around I wont go anywhere else! read more

Kathy saved my favorite windbreaker by putting in a new zipper. It was done by the next day, and she charged me a bit less than what she had quoted (a fair price). It's funny to me when people complain about her really cluttered shop. If you're searching for an ocd roommate skip Kathy. If you want fast, reasonable service, as I received, come on by. read more

I took a shirt in for alterations and discussed what I wanted with the person who was there. Six weeks and four or five calls later, they told me the shirt was ready and they had done something entirely different than what I asked and it didn't work. Then Kathy suggested that we try the original alteration that I had ordered but she had not done. She took no responsibility for the poor communication from the person who accepted my shirt and was totally content to experiment at my risk and expense. The work she did was competently executed, it just wasn't what I asked her to do. I will go back to my usual tailor. read more