I received quotes from 3 or 4 alterations places and as soon as I walked into Grace's home business and met her, I knew she would be the one to work on my dress. Just glancing around the room at all the dresses she was currently working on told me that people trusted her. In addition to basic alterations, Grace also creates her own dresses from scratch! (If I had known this ahead of time, I probably would have had her just make me a dress vs buying one!) I was lucky enough to be able to see some of her work first hand and it is absolutely breathtaking. The alteration appointments were very quick and to the point. Each time I went in, the dress fit and looked better and better. Grace was easy to talk to and a pleasure to work with. She is extremely knowledgeable and has MANY years of experience. There were a couple of times I had to reschedule my appointments last minute due to my work schedule or I was running a bit late, but it was no issue for her. I received so many compliments on my dress the night of my wedding and I cannot wait to get our professional photos back. I would hands-down recommend Grace to do your wedding dress (or homecoming/prom, Marine ball, whatever!) alterations as she did a fantastic job on mine. Thanks! read more

My wedding dress experience started off as a nightmare. I purchased my wedding dress from Reddington Bridal in park ridge, IL with the promise that sleeves could be added and that they would order the fabric needed (including the beading) from the designer. I had my dress and the fabric sent to Grace and she had noticed that only the tulle not the beading that matches the bodice was sent to her. With only two months before my wedding we had to scramble to call the dress store and the designer to see if we could get the beading we needed. Come to find out the designer would not release the beading (this was news to me). Grace then made me an entirely custom gown from the waist up. Her and I together picked out an entirely new fabric and she redesigned the entire dress. My dress was done just on time and looked stunning. Without Grace I would have been left without the dress I had originally been envisioning. Grace not only made me a beautiful custom dress, but also helped to put my mind at ease. Her hard work and her expertise is truly extraordinary! I cannot thank Grace enough for everything she has done for me! Any dress that I ever need altering will go to no one other than her! She is the best in the business! read more

Grace was a pleasure to work with! She worked with me every step of the way on my custom wedding gown, custom veil, and custom bridesmaids dresses. I had a general idea of what I wanted in mind, but with her artistic talent and helpful suggestions, we were able to come up with the perfect designs which were beautifully executed by her. I had originally wanted one style of wedding gown, but had completely changed my mind after it was already basically designed. Grace was extremely accommodating and was able to make my dress in the new design with zero noticable time setbacks. The bridesmaids' dresses she created were absolutely stunning, too! The girls standing up at my wedding all wore different sizes, and she made the same dress look beautiful and flattering on every single one of them! I highly recommend Grace for all your alterations and custom design needs. She is a passionate and highly skilled seamstress! read more

Grace is my go to for dress alterations. I have gone to her a couple times in the past few years for bridesmaid dress alterations. She had been professional, high quality, and even flexible with a last minute alteration. Naturally, I went to her this year for my wedding dress and referred her to several of my bridesmaids. Again, she was professional, talented, and flexible. She communicated pricing at the first consultation, helped me to customize my wedding dress to what I wanted, and helped out a few of my bridesmaids with their last minute alterations. I really appreciate and trust Grace and her business which she runs out of her home. Would definitely recommend Grace to anyone in need of a trustworthy and talented professional. read more

I used Grace Designs for alterations on my wedding dress. Grace has an adorable small studio out of her home, and she has been doing this work for more than 40 years. I went to her because I bought my dress at Reddington Bridal in Park Ridge, and they usually send people to Grace Designs for alterations. Grace did a ton of work on my dress, and I am SO grateful for her creative solutions to a few problems we encountered along the way. She was also extremely flexible with her schedule and accommodated me every time I needed to come in. I probably went to see her 8-10 times. Each time was for a minor change. She is a perfectionist, and I am so grateful for her amazing work and attention to detail! Thank you, Grace! read more

I got married at the end of October, and I couldn't have been happier with how my dress looked. Grace did a fabulous job! My dress was very fitted and I am curvy so had to order for the biggest part of my body (my hips of course!) so there was a lot of work to be done. I am also only 5 feet tall, and my dress had a textured bottom, beading through the bodice and top, and illusion on the back. Grace worked until the dress fit perfectly. It was also strapless and she had me lift my arms up, move around, dance and jump up and down to ensure that the dress wasn't going anywhere. I still get compliments about how great my dress was. I would recommend Grace to everyone I know! read more

Grace was recommended to me by the bridal store that I purchased my dress from. My dress was a sample size and had to be let out and shortened. There was much more work than I thought because the alterations included taking off the lace of my dress and sewing it back in place. She also had to shorten the dress without taking away any of the embroidery at the bottom. I had to meet with Grace weekly and she was very flexible with my schedule. Grace did an outstanding job and my dress turned out absolutely beautiful! I got endless comments on the night of my wedding on how perfectly the dress fit me! I highly recommend Grace! read more

I wasn't sure what to expect walking into a wedding dress alteration studio, but I was EXTREMELY pleased. Grace, for lack of a better word, is a machine! She knows exactly what she is doing - it is second nature to her. I was never there longer than a few minutes (it took longer getting in and out of my dress). She took a piece of my mom's wedding dress and sewed it into the inside of my dress and also sewed a brooch on the middle. She bustled it perfectly. She responded immediately to emails and phone calls, and - most importantly - was so warm and welcoming. I couldn't have asked for a better place to alter my dress. read more

Grace did an amazing job with my wedding dress. I had a very detailed lace dress that was 2 layers and she did a perfect job at the alterations. She was very flexible to work with my schedule and really listened to me when I described the look I was going for. I would recommend all of my family and friends to her. I even brought in additional items that I had for my honeymoon that she completed at the same time. A very SEAMLESS process. Her goal is to make sure that you are perfectly happy with how you look and she does not consider the job finished until you do! I will bring all of my future business to her! read more

Grace is wonderful! She can work miracles! I had my Indian wedding gown made in India and it did not fit me well at all! I had to bring it with me to Chicago and I asked several other tailors to help me to get it to fit well and they all declined my because the glen was so ornate and backless. A few even said it would have to be done from scratch and it would take months! My wedding was in 4 weeks! I found Grace on google and she was took one look and fixed it in 2 weeks! She knew exactly what to do and was so punctual and helpful and friendly! Would highly recommend her to anyone and any type of dress! read more

My dream dress was perfectly made from scratch! I showed Grace pictures of my dream dress and she was able to replicate it exactly how I wanted it and add some personal touches that I requested. I could not be happier with how my dress turned out. It's so special to have your wedding dress made exactly for your body. We started with one piece of fabric that would become the top of my dress and added more material and details during each fitting. Grace is so flexible with scheduling making sure to accommodate her clients. I drove to see her from Michigan and she made the process so easy and enjoyable. read more

Grace was amazing! She took my dress down several sizes and made it fit like a glove. Grace came as a recommendation from Reddington Bridal where I purchased my dress and I am so glad I listened to them when choosing a seamstress. She was very friendly and pleasant to work with. She also fit in my mom and another bridesmaid to fittings that I had scheduled. I loved that she did a little bit each time to make sure that everything was going as planned. I had quite a few appointments with her and each one was quick and easy. i will go to her from now on for all formal fittings and highly recommend her. read more

Grace was recommended to me by Bella Bridesmaids, where I'd purchased a bridesmaid dress for a wedding in October 2021. Despite having been measured at the dress shop, the dress was rather large on me, so Grace had quite a bit of work to do. In fact, the dress was so large that the waist was sitting at my hips, which was very unflattering - but Grace was able to cut the dress in two and lift up the waist so that it sat where it was supposed to sit. The finished product was beautiful, and I felt confident wearing it. I will certainly be going to her again for any future alteration work. read more

Grace is incredible. I had such a wonderful experience working with her on the alterations for my wedding dress. She works out of her house, but it is basically her own workspace/shop with a separate entrance so you forget you are in her home. She is a very talented seamstress, but also very welcoming and puts you at ease and makes you comfortable from day one. I would recommend her to anyone - brides, bridesmaids, or any other special occasion. (I've attached a photo so you can see her gorgeous work - we had to have a lot done: taken in, sewed in belt, added bra cups, etc.) read more

Shortly after getting engaged I went on the traditional dress hunt. I found my dress and shortly after getting it I realized it needed a jacket. I found Grace online and her reviews were what made me give her a call. Grace custom made my jacket and I was elated with the outcome. It was the finishing touch to my overall look. Grace's work is top notch. My bridesmaids also used her and she did an amazing job. Overall, I highly recommend her and I'm extremely grateful for her gentle professionalism. She made the whole experience truly wonderful. Thanks Grace! read more

I bought my wedding dress at a specialty bridal store in Indianapolis, but needed to find someone for alterations closer to home. I am so glad I found Grace! She was wonderful to work with, very professional and prices were reasonable. I went for fittings 7 or 8 times, and was happy to see that things were changed a little at a time (including my delicate lace sleeves) to make sure they fit perfectly. I had to get my dress taken in, sleeves shortened, train shortened, and cups added. My dress fit like a dream and looked beautiful! read more

I heard about Grace through a friend of mine that had her wedding dress made by her (it was absolutely stunning). I then decided to contact her to create my daughter's baptism dress. The dress was made out of my wedding dress. It was exactly what I wanted and the baby looked beautiful. I will treasure it as a family heirloom and use it for my future daughters. If you are looking for a seamstress who is dependable and good at what they do contact Grace! Thank you Grace and I will be using your services again in the future. read more

Grace was amazing! I needed a lot of work on my dress, as it had a huge train and lots of lace. Grace had me come in for many fittings (which I loved, so it would be perfect) and was so thorough every time! She had to take in lace and shorten the train, as well as add a bodice. You could not tell that the dress was altered in any way. It fit like a glove. I would recommend her to anyone! She was so kind and patient throughout the entire process. Totally go to Grace for your dress - definitely won't regret it at all!! read more

Grace Designs did phenomenal work on my dress! I couldn't be happier. She was recommended to me by the store I bought my dress from. I needed a bustle to be added, the dress to be taken in (and later on let out), a new belt sewn on, fixing some of the zipper, shorten the dress, and more. The price was extremely reasonable, I prepared to pay a lot more as I had heard horror stories of friends of mine paying $1K+ on alterations alone! She always fit me in her schedule and was extremely flexible. Highly recommend Grace! read more