When you have lived in a community for awhile, this kind of question often comes up among friends and family: “Hey, do you know of a good ___?” There’s power in the referral. It feels great when you find someone who is great at what he or she does, and it feels even better when you refer friends and family to that person and they also have a great experience.
Whether it’s writing about a children’s hair stylist or piercer, I’ve always been happy to help promote a really great person/service. That’s why I need to write about Kelly Wheaton of Fantastic Alterations in Haslett!
I first discovered Kelly Wheaton in the Lansing area’s Not Your Mother’s Networking Group on Facebook, which is often a treasure trove of recommendations for anything you might be looking for. It’s where I found Princesses by Bianca for Margot’s party, after all! When Zack needed the elbow repaired in a favorite blazer, I searched in the group for a local tailor. Kelly’s business, Fantastic Alterations, was always mentioned with glowing recommendations.
I called her number and she was very friendly on the phone. I described what we were hoping could be done with the blazer and she said to come on by that day. Kelly runs her tailor shop in her home, with an area dedicated to work stations and a little dressing room for clients.
The cost to add leather elbow patches was very reasonable, and the turnaround time was less than a week. Zack and I were both happy with the results.
Other than my wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses, I’ve never taken clothes to a tailor before. It always seems like I either just accept how things fit straight from the store, or don’t buy them. But this week, a perfect dress with an imperfect fit became the perfect opportunity to have Kelly help me out.
Grace Boutique of Old Town is one of my favorite shops in the Lansing area, and a must-visit for anyone looking for something special to wear. Not too long ago, the shop shared a photo of the most beautiful dress on Facebook and I fell in love with it:
That being said, I never thought it would work for me because it would force me to go braless, thanks to that beautiful back detail. After two kids, well, no bueno.
Still, when I needed to run up to Old Town to buy a gift this week, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I should stop into Grace and check it out in person. Not only was it just as pretty in person and a very comfortable linen fabric, but the $68 price tag was so reasonable. A similar dress from Anthropologie could easily be closer to $150.
I tried on the dress, and while I loved it, the straps were way too long (here I am pulling up the straps):
When I stepped out, Jenea of Curvaceous Lingerie, who was helping out at Grace that day, said that it would be an easy fix with the help of a tailor. When I figured that the cost of alterations and the dress combined would still be less than what I thought this dress would be in the first place, I decided to buy it.
As I paid, I asked Jenea if she herself had a recommendation for a tailor. She had already written down a name and number, and it was Kelly of Fantastic Alterations! Jenea told me they always refer customers to her over at Curvaceous, so that along with my previous experience were enough to let me know I would be in good hands.
We are getting family photos taken this weekend, so the thought struck me that this would be a beautiful dress to wear for the photos if it could get altered in time. I called Kelly’s number as we left Old Town that day and explained what I needed to have done. She said to swing by on our way home, which was so great of her.
At her shop, she had “Paw Patrol” on, which really helped matters as I had been dragging the girls around town that morning. She pinned the dress in a few spots and said it would be $20 of work, which I thought was very reasonable once again.
All pinned into place:
When I asked if the dress could be done by Friday (this was on Tuesday afternoon), she said it wouldn’t be a problem. Luckily I was getting everything done before the 4th of July holiday and after the prom rush.
I picked up the dress today and it fit great with the shortened straps. The little stitch in the front to keep it from gaping wasn’t sitting correctly on me, so she quickly cut it out and restitched it while I waited only a few moments.
Kelly clearly loves what she does and is really good at it. I’m thankful she lives and works close to where we live and that she now has me listed in her phone, as I discovered when I called her this morning! I will definitely be visiting her again with any of my own clothing needs and encouraging others to do the same.
If you’re looking for a great tailor, be sure to check out Fantastic Alterations by Kelly Wheaton in Haslett!
