Miranda Antoinette Designs

Thank you for expressing interest in my one-of-a-kind garments!  I welcome the opportunity to make anything and everything out of a variety of materials. I love making a treasured gown or garment that is uniquely you through enriching collaboration.

 

If you are interested in having something made (a design that we collaborate on, something that I design for you, or one of my previous designs that can be tailored to you), please see the Contact Me page. Email will primarily be used to send photos we each may have of concepts, styles, etc. and for photos of your garment’s progress. To begin our collaboration, I would love to meet with you personally to discuss the project. I am based in Capitol Hill and am glad to travel the greater Seattle area. Seattle is a treasure trove of lovely coffee shops and cafes, and they make wonderful first meeting places. If we are very far apart, we can arrange a different form of communication such as Skype. At our first meeting, we will discuss design ideas, my estimate of what my process for the project will involve, and any other details or questions that need addressing. Depending on the complexity of the piece, the location of our meeting, and our own preparedness, we may be able to do initial measurements and designing. In subsequent meeting(s) or correspondence(s), I will show you several designs which we can discuss, tweak and redesign until we come to the final design of your piece. At the finalization of a design I will be able to provide an estimate of cost and would like 1/2 of this estimate paid up front by the time materials are delivered to me. I expect full payment when the finished garment is taken from my workspace (the final price paid at this time is already partly covered by the up front payment).

 

Once we have a design, I will make a pattern (we must have done measurements at this point). After a pattern is made comes the prototype, a “rough draft” of your piece, out of scrap fabric. We will need to meet again (this meeting is optimally at my workspace) so that we can see how the prototype looks on you and make any necessary changes to the pattern or design. Once the prototype looks the way you want and is fitted, I am ready to finalize the pattern and begin creating the actual garment.

 

Now we need fabric, thread, fasteners, and any other necessary materials; this can include embellishments such as beads or lace, but depending on the design, these may be gotten later. In a perfect world we would sally forth into the land of fabric and supply stores together, but we are often thwarted by scheduling conflicts. In such a case, I can easily tell you how much of what fabric(s) or materials we need and advise you on suitable sources of our materials. We will arrange a convenient time and place for the materials to be put in my possession so that I can begin creating the garment. If necessary, we can make arrangements for me to purchase materials on your behalf with your budget, but there is an additional fee for my time (please see below).

 

Depending on the project, we may need to schedule more fittings, but most projects can be done with two or just a final fitting (optimally at my workspace). Throughout the project we will be in contact about process and price estimate updates. Once the garment is all done, I will calculate final price. I expect payment when the garment is ready to venture out into the world with you, but we can discuss holding the garment if necessary at no cost.

 

Congratulations! You are now the owner of a unique Miranda Antoinette Designs garment! Feel free to contact me if the garment is ever in need of repairs or small alterations. If you love your garment, please recommend me to friends and family. I also appreciate any photos of you in your garment, especially photos from a special event or adventure such as a wedding, convention/faire, or travel. If you are comfortable, please give me permission to use such photos in my portfolio, website, Facebook page, and other media. Photos can be shared directly to my Facebook or via email.

 

                                                                                 Cost/Payment

 

As a customer, you will be paying for materials and my time/work. Our first meeting is free. If we decide to move on to the next steps of creating a garment -designs- I charge $10 an hour for time spent in subsequent meetings/fittings. If we buy materials together, you are only responsible for paying for the materials themselves. If we have worked out your budget and you have given me money to use for materials, I charge $10 an hour to cover my time and travel. My regular rate for work is $22-25 an hour depending on complexity. I charge $25-27 per hour spent on strenuous work such as hand beading or embroidery. Simple repair work and minimal alterations are more in the $15-35 range and will be estimated individually; I often simply determine a flat-rate in that range. If I have a very heavy work load or a rush order is requested, prices will increase, but that will be noted by our first meeting if not before. If finances are a concern, I am willing to tailor a budget individually.