Welcome To
Caught Dead Threads
Your destination for professional bridal sewing, tailoring and alteration services. We alter all types of evening wear, formal gowns, wedding gowns, bridesmaid dresses, flower girls, prom, dancewear, tailoring of suits and everyday wear.
Caught Dead Threads is a female owned business, and a proud LGBTQIA+ ally. We offer a personalized judgement-free service ensuring that every client feels confident and beautiful for every occasion. Whether it's adding a finishing touch or completely transforming a gown, we approach every project with the precision of an artist and the dedication of a professional who understands how important every stitch is. All appointments are conducted in a home-based studio, providing a friendly and relaxing environment for all your sewing needs.
WHAT TO EXPECT AT YOUR BRIDAL FITTINGS
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All appointments are done in my smoke free home (I do have pets)
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I work in a small space and limit the number of people at appointments to 3 total.
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My address is not publicly listed. You will receive that once you have your appointment set.
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Alteration costs vary depending on level of difficulty, typically ranging from $300 TO $800 plus. Custom work costs extra including the cost of extra materials needed.
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Consultations are available at request
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PLEASE ASK QUESTIONS! I give detailed explanations of all work needing to be done and a breakdown of the cost. Its important to fully understand the work needing to be done to eliminate any miscommunications.
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Please bring the dress shoes that you will be wearing with your gown and all undergarments and support garments including bra (if wearing one), Spanx, slip, change of shoe if you are planning on changing at the reception.
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Bridal appointments will consist of 3 to 4 fittings lasting up to an hour each time.
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Payment will be due in full by your last appointment.
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Steaming services are offered at an additional fee.
YOUR FIRST FITTING WILL BE 12 TO 14 WEEKS BEFORE YOUR WEDDING DATE
We will discuss your vision with your gown and any concerns that you have with your dress. You will put your dress and your dress shoes (these are a must) on and I will mark all of the areas that will be altered, these will be completed before your second appointment.
We will discuss the cost of alterations and I will give you a total for the work that is pinned, a 50% deposit will be required at this time.
YOUR SECOND FITTING WILL BE 8 TO 10 WEEKS BEFORE YOUR WEDDING
You will try your dress on and we will check all the areas that were altered to ensure the fit is exactly how you like. At this time I will then pin up a custom bustle design. The bustle is an additional fee that will be added to the overall ticket price.
YOUR THIRD AND FINAL FITTING WILL BE 2 TO 3 WEEKS BEFORE YOUR WEDDING
This will be your final fitting and take home day. You will try your dress on to make sure that you are fully satisfied with the completed work and I will demonstrate how to bustle your gown to whoever you choose to bring to learn. Your final payment will be due at this time and I will have you sign a release form before you leave with your gown!
BRIDAL ALTERATION TIPS
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Talk to other shops to make sure you are comfortable with the business you are choosing, ask for pictures of completed work.
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If needed have a consultation and get a quote to ensure the cost of alterations are within your budget.
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BOOK EARLY, appointments fill up fast!! Wedding gown alterations can take 3 to 4 months to complete. Rush fees apply starting at 6 weeks and increase the closer it is to the event.
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Wedding gowns can feel uncomfortable to wear. We try our best to alleviate any uncomfortable areas so please let your seamstress know if a particular area of the gown is bothering you so it can be addressed.
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If possible, bring a support person with you!
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Bring your exact dress shoes and special undergarments to all of your fittings.
Book an Appointment
Alterations are essential tweaks that make your dress fit to you without changing the overall design.
Customizations are creative design changes that don't alter or change the integrity of the dress, adding straps or a slit etc.
Custom Designs are changes to the gown that alter the foundation of it. Changing the neckline, re-sizing, removing the train, adding a corset, adding custom design sleeves. These types of alterations require extra time and come with additional costs.
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Book ahead to avoid rush fees!
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Plan to start bridal alterations 12 to 14 weeks before your event.
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If you need more information on booking an appointment with a quick turnaround, call us directly.
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Your initial appointment will be booked online, all others will be scheduled after we contact you.
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Brides, please select a package to begin.
MEET YOUR SEAMSTRESS
I'm Angie Comerio, your dedicated seamstress and owner of Caught Dead Threads. I am committed to providing you with the highest quality of service with a passion for creating the perfect fit, I am here to bring your bridal vision to life.
I know, I know.....Caught Dead Threads is an unusual name for a sewing business right?? Especially one that specializes in bridal sewing. So let me explain a little bit about how this all came together.
The year was 2006, I was a busy Momma bird with 2 young children under the age of 6. I thought it would be a fantastic idea to return to college and finish my degree (I started this journey back in 1994), and so my journey continued.
I was now in my senior year, working on my BFA in Fashion Design.
As part of a senior research project, I was required to come up with a business idea. I have a love for all things creepy cute, skulls, bats, Halloween etc. Being a now adult former goth girl from the 90's, I was wanting to somehow incorporate my spooky vibe into my business idea combined with my love of thrifting, recycling, reusing my resources.
So for my project I decided to focus on ways to reduce post consumer clothing waste by repurposing thrift store clothing. I would purchase garments to rip apart and reconstruct and called it "Thrift Store Couture" My idea was to take unloved, discarded clothing that no one would be caught dead wearing and give them a new life, a chance to become something beautiful again. Thus my business idea was born,
CAUGHT DEAD THREADS, bringing dead fashion to life!
I was well on my way when life threw another curve ball at me. In 2008 school was put on hold, my family was uprooted and we would call Madison, WI home for the next 7 years.
During that time I had two more children and made the decision to be a stay at home Momma so I could focus on raising my 4 littles. Eventually I took a position working as a bridal seamstress at David's Bridal in Madison WI. Here I learned the ins and outs of THE WORLD OF BRIDAL SEWING and fell in love with it.
Flash forward to 2014, my family returned to MI. It took us a minute to regroup but in 2018 once again I returned to school to finish my now 20 year long journey to complete my bachelor degree. I graduated in December of 2019 from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI and I was now the proud owner of a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree majoring Fashion Design and graduated with honors.
ALTERATIONS OFFERED
Wedding Gowns
Mother Dresses
Bridesmaid's
Flower Girls
All Evening Wear
Prom Dresses
Light Tailoring of Suits
Garment Re-designs
Everyday Wear Alterations
Memory Bears and Bunnies
From simple hemming to intricate alterations, we got you covered!
Standard Gown Alterations $300 to $500 Wedding gowns that fit well and need minimal alterations or basic adjustments. Simple hems, basic straps and few bustle points.
Full Wedding Gown Alterations $500 to $900 Wedding gowns that need size adjustments in multiple areas, bust, waist, hips, straps, hems and bustles. This includes gowns with embellishments like beading, lace and appliques, adding corsets, horsehair braid hems, bagged hems, adding additional support to the bodice and other areas, minor design changes, adding pre-made sleeves.
Custom Bridal Gown Additions and Re- Designs $900+ When booking appointments that require custom designs, please allow for extra time to complete these alterations. Custom work requires extra fittings and the turn around time is longer. Depending of the level of work that needs to be done, appointments need to begin 6 to 8 months prior the event. Rush fees will apply to quick turn around requests. Price is fully dependent upon what alterations need to be completed in addition to the customizations you would like to have done, materials needed, anticipated completion time etc.
Bridesmaids, Mothers, Evening Gowns $60 to $300 The price depends on what needs to de done and how the garment is constructed. These gowns have a broad range of alterations that can be done. Sometimes a few tweaks are all that is needed and other times we will need to resize the entire dress. Estimates will be given at the time of the first fitting.
Understanding the scope of the work that needs to be done is how we calculate the cost of the alterations that are needed.
In order to get an accurate price for your alterations, I will need to see you in person with your gown on, this is what happens during your first fitting. Estimates are not given without this step. Consultations are available by appointment if you are still deciding on where to have your gown altered.
It's important that you trust who will be working on your gown and feel like you have a good connection with your seamstress/tailor.
Bridal Alterations
Timelines- Packages -Payments
TIMELINES:
Basic wedding gown alterations usually require 3 fittings beginning 12 to 14 weeks prior to the wedding. This will allow adequate time to fully complete alterations and minor customizations. This time frame also gives us wiggle room in the event any appointments need to be changed.
For gown re-designs and more complicated customizations, your fittings should start 6 months before your wedding.
Mother gowns and bridesmaid dresses typically take 2 to 3 appointments starting 8 weeks prior the event.
RUSH APPOINTMENTS:
Wedding gown alterations needing to be completed within a 6 week turn around will receive an additional $150 priority fitting fee added to the balance, alterations within 3 to 4 weeks prior is $250 and alterations needed 1 to 2 weeks prior the event is $350 in addition to the total cost of alterations. In some cases quick turn around appointments will not allow proper time for certain customizations or re-sizing of gowns so please keep that in mind when requesting these appointments.
Mother gowns and bridesmaid dresses needing completion within 3 weeks or less will receive a priority fee of $50 added to the total cost of the alterations.
PAYMENTS:
The cost of your alterations will be communicated at your initial fitting. A 50% non-refundable deposit is required before any alterations can begin, the balance must be paid in full at your final fitting. If your gown requires a bustle, the cost of your bustle will be determined at your second fitting and will be added onto your total cost of your alteration ticket.
PACKAGES:
Our bridal fitting packages offer personalized experiences tailored to the individual needs of each client. Please choose the package option that best fits your needs and let us help you create unforgettable memories.
PACKAGE I
BASIC PACKAGE
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Initial Consultation
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Gown Fittings, three 60 minute fitting sessions
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$90 plus the cost of alterations
PACKAGE II
MOST POPULAR
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Initial Consultation,
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Gown Fittings, three 60 minute fitting sessions
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Gown and Veil Steaming Service
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$150 plus the cost of alterations
PACKAGE III
COMPLETE GOWN CARE
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Initial Consultation
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Gown Fittings, three 60 minute fitting sessions
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Gown and Veil Steaming Service
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Wedding Gown Preservation Services
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Emergency Dress Repair Kit
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$475 plus the cost of alterations
Additional Services
Emergency Repair Kit
$60
Wedding Gown Preservation
$250 -$350
Day OF Full Service Dress Stylist Service $900
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Needles and Thread
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Scissors
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Stain Remover Wipes
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Lint Roller
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Safety Pins
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Double Sided Body Tape
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Body Tape
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Mints
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Advil or Tylenol
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Face Blotting Papers
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Tissues
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Maxi Pad
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Band Aids
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Blister Pads
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Mirror
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Facial Make Up Remover Wipes
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Collagen Eye Mask
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Lip Moisturizer blam
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scissors
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Items may vary depending on what's available when the kits are put together
Wedding Gown Preservation involves having your gown professionally cleaned and preserved after your event. The cleaning methods used have been proven and recognized by the International Fabric Institute as the best methods in gown the preservation industry, resulting in a
100-year Guarantee
against future yellowing and staining of your dress.
On your wedding day, I will be on-site to help and assist you and your bridal party with dressing services and help you prepare for your big day.
I will provide:
On-site bridal gown and veil steaming services
On-site steaming services for the bridal party
On-Site minor repairs and emergency fixes
Dressing assistance and pre-ceremony styling for photos and reception entrance
Bustling of your gown
Additional travel expenses apply to events more than 30 miles from Farmington Hills.
Spots for this service are very limited so book early!!
A LA CARTE SERVICES
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Wedding Gown Storage $10 a week
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Day of Emergency Kit $60
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Gown Steaming $80 +
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Veil Steaming $40 +
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Gown Cleaning and Preservation $350
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Custom made Memory Bear or Bunny, customer provides fabrics $125
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Additional beading on gowns $45 per hour
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Repair work to sample or used gowns, price depends on extent of work needed
GET IN TOUCH
LOCATION
Visit us at our home studio located in Farmington Hills MI 48336. Full address will be given when you book your appointment.
STUDIO HOURS
Monday 5pm - 8pm
Tuesday 10am-1pm & 5pm-7pm
Wednesday, Thursday 5pm-8pm
Fridays, special requests only
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed
