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Stitches Dressmaking & Alterations

Name: Stitches Dressmaking & Alterations
Address: 23 Elizabeth Street, Mayfield NSW 2304, Newcastle, New South Wales, 2304, AU
Telephone: 0407 180 372

Newcastle, New South Wales

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About

Overview & Vibe

Stitches Dressmaking is Gail Purcell's workroom on Elizabeth Street in Mayfield, Newcastle. She has 21 years in the fashion industry — patternmaking, pattern grading, garment design and fitting — and started Stitches about fifteen years ago because, in her words, she “knew I could give my clients a quality service experience that was lacking in the industry on a local level.” The brief is simple: “come with an idea, picture or sketch” and the gown is designed and hand-crafted from there.

Dress Styles & Designers

No labels are stocked — every gown is her own design, made to the bride's measurements over a series of private fittings, with the client choosing her own fabrics and colours and getting progress updates as the dress is built. Her portfolio runs from bias-cut satin columns and beaded lace to full bridal-party sets.

Ideal For

Three brides. The one who cannot find the dress she has in mind, or one that suits her frame. The one dressing an entire bridal party — Gail names those as the projects she likes most. And, most usefully, the bride who bought her gown online.

The Need-to-Knows

By appointment only, at the Mayfield workroom. Custom work runs as a series of private fittings rather than a single consultation, so it needs lead time. No prices are published — every piece is quoted to the design, so a conversation is the only route to a figure. Contact is direct to Gail by phone or email.

Standout Feature

The Rescue Service — and the reason it exists is the honest bit. Gail created it because the industry changed: “most recently with the introduction of online stores where you can buy dresses at a wholesale price… Often when Wedding Gowns, Bridesmaid's and Formal Dresses are purchased online, they need tweaking to create the perfect fit.” Re-fitting and re-designing an online or pre-loved gown is a distinct skill she has deliberately developed, and her line on it is “Trust me — I have seen it all.” For a bride holding a dress that arrived in a satchel and does not fit, that is the most useful sentence in this directory.

Contact

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Website

stitchesdressmaking.com.au

Phone

0407 180 372

Address

23 Elizabeth Street, Mayfield NSW 2304

Appointment Policy

The workroom is by appointment only.
Appointments are made directly with Gail Purcell on 0407 180 372 or by email to gail@stitchesdressmaking.com.au.
Clients are invited to bring an idea, a picture or a sketch to the first meeting.
Custom work proceeds as a series of private fittings rather than a single consultation.
Clients choose their own fabrics and colours during the process and are given regular updates as the dress progresses.
Gowns bought online or pre-loved can be brought in for re-fitting under the Rescue Service; get in touch to discuss what is needed.

Dress Designers

Stitches Dressmaking. Description: Gail Purcell's own label. Every wedding gown, bridesmaid dress and formal dress is personally designed and hand crafted to the client's measurements from an idea, picture or sketch, over a series of private fittings. No external labels are stocked.

Dress Experience

Stitches Dressmaking & Alterations is a custom dressmaking workroom at 23 Elizabeth Street, Mayfield, in Newcastle, run by Gail Purcell. She has spent 21 years in the fashion industry, where she developed skills in patternmaking, pattern grading, garment design and fittings, and created Stitches around fifteen years ago because she believed she could offer a quality of service that was lacking locally. Clients are invited to come with an idea, a picture or a sketch, and their wedding gown, bridesmaid dress or formal dress is personally designed and hand crafted, coming to life over a series of private fittings during which the client chooses fabrics and colours and receives regular updates on progress. She works on individual gowns and on entire bridal party garments. Alongside custom design she runs a Rescue Service, created in response to the growth of online dress buying: gowns bought online or pre-loved are re-fitted and re-designed to fit properly, work she describes as a skill developed specifically for that buying trend. The workroom operates by appointment only and publishes no prices.

Dress Styles

bespoke
made to measure
a-line
sheath
fit and flare
satin
lace
beaded
chiffon
long sleeve
backless
corset back
classic
romantic
vintage

Dresses

No details available.

Nearby Landmarks

Mayfield – An inner-western Newcastle suburb, about five minutes from the city centre
Newcastle Interchange – A short drive east, the terminus of the Newcastle rail line
Islington – The neighbouring cafe and antiques strip

Price Notes

No prices are published anywhere on the workroom's own site; custom work and alterations are quoted to the individual piece.
The Rescue Service was created specifically in response to brides buying gowns online at wholesale prices and needing them re-fitted, and is described by the workroom as amazing value for money.
Gail Purcell has 21 years of experience in the fashion industry, covering patternmaking, pattern grading, garment design and fitting, and founded Stitches around fifteen years ago.
The workroom takes on entire bridal party garment projects as well as individual gowns.
The store's published details date from a few years back, so confirm them by phone before relying on them.