Bridal & Formal Wear
Gowns, bridal party dresses, and formalwear built from a first muslin through final fitting, with hand-finished seams and boning where the design calls for it.
Custom Dressmaking Studio
Custom Dressmaking & Alterations in Park Slope, Brooklyn
Twenty-five years of pattern-making, draping, and fine hand-finishing for the people of Brooklyn. Every piece is cut, fitted, and sewn by Melodee herself, from a first muslin to the final hem.
25+Years Sewing
6Garment Specialties
1:1Private Fittings
BKPark Slope Studio
About the Studio
Sew Melodee is the dressmaking and alterations studio of Susanne "Melodee" Smith, built on more than twenty-five years of pattern-making, draping, and construction. There is no shop window and no rack of ready-made stock. Every order starts with a conversation, a measurement, and a plan for how the garment needs to move.
Most clients find Melodee the way Park Slope has always found its best tailors and dressmakers: word of mouth, one finished gown or one perfectly re-hemmed pair of trousers at a time. She also teaches, running private sewing lessons for beginners and advanced students, and has taught a fashion design class to local high school students.
What Gets Made Here
Six kinds of garments, one dressmaker
Each project is cut and fitted individually. Nothing here comes off a rack, and nothing is outsourced.
Indian Regalia
Custom draping and construction for saris, lehengas, and other regalia, fitted to the wearer and finished with the detail the fabric deserves.
Children's Wear & Costume
Recital costumes, holiday outfits, and growing-room garments built to survive an active kid and still look sharp on stage.
Everyday Alterations
Hems, takes-in, let-outs, and zipper repairs for the clothes already in your closet, fitted properly instead of just shortened.
Home Decor Sewing
Curtains, pillow covers, and slipcovers cut and sewn to the exact dimensions of your windows and furniture.
Private Sewing Lessons
One-on-one instruction in pattern-making, draping, and construction for beginners through advanced students.
How a Project Runs
From first measurement to finished seam
Consult
Talk it through
A call or email to discuss the garment, the occasion, and the fabric.
Measure
Fit the pattern
An in-studio fitting to take measurements and build or adjust the pattern.
Construct
Cut and sew
The garment is cut, sewn, and hand-finished at the Park Slope studio.
Fit & Deliver
Final fitting
A last fitting for adjustments before the finished piece goes home with you.
Sewing Lessons
Learn to build a garment, not just follow a pattern
Melodee teaches private lessons out of the same studio where she works, for anyone who wants to actually understand construction, from a first straight seam to draping a bodice.
Who It's For
- Complete beginners who have never touched a machine
- Hobbyists ready to move past patterns and into draping
- Students, including past high school fashion design classes
Get In Touch
Bring your idea, your measurements, or your mending pile
Sew Melodee works by appointment out of a private studio in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Call or email to describe the project and set up a first fitting.
Phone
(347) 683-2904
Email
melodee1227@yahoo.com
Studio
Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY
Booking
By Appointment
Exact studio address is shared once a fitting is scheduled.