FASHIONS BY LISA

FASHIONS BY LISA Fashion design/pattern making; industrial sewing techniques; Mt St Vincent University Home Economics and George Brown College graduate. Opened shop in 1992.

Fashion industry work experience in Toronto; instructor at Holland College fashion design program.

Heads up....It's still pretty busy here at the shop with wedding attire. I will be off from Friday August 14th to August...
08/07/2026

Heads up....

It's still pretty busy here at the shop with wedding attire. I will be off from Friday August 14th to August 18th; reopening on Wednesday August 19th.

With all of that said, items are now being booked for the end of the month.

The answer to the question from the other day ...."how much was cut off for the faux euro-hem"?4".....1/2" seam allowanc...
08/04/2026

The answer to the question from the other day ...."how much was cut off for the faux euro-hem"?

4".....1/2" seam allowance x2 = 5" total shorter

Client wanted the original hem back on (euro-hem). I decided on the faux method. The jeans needed 5" off the length. H...
07/31/2026

Client wanted the original hem back on (euro-hem). I decided on the faux method. The jeans needed 5" off the length. How many inches do you think was cut off before they were put back together?

Some projects can be nerve wrecking even after all these years 🤦‍♀️This lovely bridesmaid needed a hem but also requeste...
07/30/2026

Some projects can be nerve wrecking even after all these years 🤦‍♀️

This lovely bridesmaid needed a hem but also requested a side front slit. This is very tricky because the outer chiffon skirt is much fuller than the inner liner which there were two of. I very carefully pinned, hung, re-hung, re-adjusted then carefully cut. I did not attach the second lining to the slit. It was cut back several inches and tacked so no pulling should occur.

Sometimes you have to really be creative. "Moms" bridesmaid gown needed hemming. Jr bridesmaid straps were way too short...
07/23/2026

Sometimes you have to really be creative. "Moms" bridesmaid gown needed hemming. Jr bridesmaid straps were way too short. Straps are cut on the bias (stretchy grain) but that wasn't possible. Large loops saved the day.

A re-designed vintage lace gown that is near ready for the "big day", had these weights in the train (we cut it off). I ...
07/20/2026

A re-designed vintage lace gown that is near ready for the "big day", had these weights in the train (we cut it off). I completely forgot that I myself used these when making gowns from scratch back in the day. They give weight in helping keep the train "out".

What seemed like a pretty basic hem on another wedding gown took several days just to lift the horsehair from the front ...
07/20/2026

What seemed like a pretty basic hem on another wedding gown took several days just to lift the horsehair from the front hem!

It is usually stitched into the hemline, flipped then topstitched along the upper edge. This one also had an edgestitch (three rows of stitching total). Plus, from side seam to side seam was almost 7 meters in length. Once that was completed, there were nine layers underneath (tuille x2, organza x1, lining x3 and crinoline x3).

A three point bustle ruffled down the back.

This was a nerve wrecking gown!I had previously taken it in. Luckily, I don't cut off excess fabric unless it's absolut...
07/16/2026

This was a nerve wrecking gown!

I had previously taken it in. Luckily, I don't cut off excess fabric unless it's absolutely necessary on a "take in". We needed 3" which had me using every single bit of fabric available. It had to have an exposed zipper, but looks great, and fits! 🎉🎉

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It's turning out to be a very busy wedding season! The rack is very full of gowns, which means "regular alterations" wil...
07/14/2026

It's turning out to be a very busy wedding season! The rack is very full of gowns, which means "regular alterations" will not have a quick a turn around, but will try to meet your needs.

This gown needed quite a bit taken in at the zipper (and hemmed). The gathering on the skirt fell back nicely into place once completed 🙂

The wedding took place this weekend, so now I can post this stunning gown. Hemming (with many rows of horsehair in the h...
07/12/2026

The wedding took place this weekend, so now I can post this stunning gown.

Hemming (with many rows of horsehair in the hems of all layers), an extra liner placed from waist to knees, and a three point bustle were done. The buttons were very easy to hide under the heavy lace. Such an elegant gown (and heavy).

Address

483-A East River Road
New Glasgow, NS
B2H3R3

Opening Hours

Tuesday 12pm - 5pm
Wednesday 12pm - 5pm
Thursday 12pm - 5pm
Friday 12pm - 5pm

Telephone

+19029280007

Website

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