We used Alterations by Emma for dress alterations for myself (the bride), my daughter (jr. bridesmaid), and my Grandma. The prices were very reasonable and they got the work done quickly. Our dresses came back clean, pressed, and appeared to be handled with care. All the alterations were done well and fit as expected. We only had one issue: We had the straps on my daughter's dress shortened and near the end of the reception, the stitching gave out. We had to safety pin it for the last hour. That being said, she was dancing like crazy and running wild for the whole night in a formal dress, so she def wasn't going easy on it :) Overall, better value than going to the big dress shops. Maybe not as fun of an "experience" as going to the bridal shop, but when the wedding budget is stretched to the max, saving money here can be a lifesaver! read more

I wasn't thrilled with this alteration shop. The service is very friendly, but when I picked up my dress it had a stain on it. It didn't have that stain when I dropped it off. read more

Needed some jeans hemmed and we were very impressed. They were able to use the factory hem line and the alteration was nearly invisible. $25 and worth every penny. On time and done right. We will definitely be coming here from now on. read more

Stopped in to see if alterations could be made to a new jacket that I bought. I have used Emma's on a few occasions. I needed accommodations for timing and they stepped up to the plate. Picked up the jacket today and it fits great. The bonus was that they were able to get it done a few days earlier than promised. Most clothes I buy don't fit nicely and Alterations by Emma always fixes that for me. Highly recommend and will repeat. read more

Alterations By Emma - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Joliet, Illinois

I bought two suits in to have a quote to shorten the sleeves. They quoted me a price of $45 per suit. I contacted them on Yelp and they gave me a price of $30-$35 and then lied about it and said yes $45 is the price we gave you on yelp. Thanks but no thanks. read more

I brought my dress in, staff was friendly and welcoming! Seamstress assessed the dress, and came up with a reasonable estimate very fast. I said yes, so she pinned everything up and now I wait two weeks. I'll add more in two weeks when I see the dress! read more

I bought a long formal dress online that I needed for a family wedding. Since I am 5'3", I needed a significant amount of the dress hemmed. I was also on a time crunch so this was a major concern of mine. I met with the seamstress and told her what I needed plus the date of the wedding and they were able to make it happen. The dress was beautifully hemmed and steamed at my request. This was a huge relief for me. I felt confident and looked absolutely beautiful in this dress. I received so many compliments on the dress and this wouldn't have happened without the team at Alterations By Emma. Thank you!! read more

Wonderful business and people! Brides please go them for your dress!!! We had a timeline of 5 weeks and Alterations by Emma saved my wedding dress! I am so happy with the prompt and professional work they did! Definitely a gem for alterations! read more

Alterations By Emma - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Joliet, Illinois

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After looking around for someone to tailor my daughters dress I came across this Gem! From the moment you walk in you are greeted by friendly faces. They did a wonderful job on my daughters dress and best of all it was finished before my daughters event. I highly recommend this place! My daughters dress fit perfectly. read more

AMAZING!!! I had to get my wedding dress altered in the bust area and they were quick and affordable and did an immaculate job!!

Great experience! Friendly staff and reasonable prices. I had to replace a zipper on a jacket and it was done in one day as promised. Thank you! read more

I needed a dress altered and the girls were very good about getting me a same day appointment for measurements. I asked for rush order and my dress was ready within the promised time and looked wonderful! They are very timely and easy t work with and met my expectations for the final result. I would come here again. read more

It's very difficult to find a place that can do a good blind hem. Got 2 pairs of pants done by this shop and the hem is not only visible the stitching is crooked in some places. The search continues. read more

Alterations By Emma - Invisible hem - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Joliet, Illinois

They do very nice work! The ladies were very friendly and professional. The only reason I did not give 5 stars is because the work was not completed by the time they stated it would be. I did receive a courtesy call stating as much. Overall great experience. read more

We used to go to this place when it was Alterations by Pat, and apparently she retired and sold to the current owners. My wife and I have gone there for both alterations and repairs. The current owners are very friendly and polite. Their prices are very fair, and most of all their work is good and completed usually well before quoted. I don't know what else I'd look for in an alteration shop. This is a great local business that we will continue to patronize! read more

Brought some items in at the beginning of the week, simple hem on pants and a zipper in a skirt. Said all that I needed right away was the hem. As of Friday it hadn't even been started yet. Went to pick up both and just do the work myself. No one there speaks fluent English, be careful as I don't think anyone understood what I was asking when I dropped the items off. read more

I have used them a few times and while their work was fine, it was expensive. I do not have a usual seamstress, so I just stopped in 1 day. I do my best to not use a seamstress because I want to save money for when I absolutely need one. read more

I brought in two items to be mended. On the day that I dropped them off, Jackie was working. She seemed efficient and knowledgeable. And, she spoke fluent English. I went in again to ask a question and Jackie was off and no one spoke fluent English. I recently picked up my items and they were repaired in the manner of my request. Sadly, Jackie was again off, so I could not explain the problem. Now I have go back and it is annoying as they're prices are high, workmanship is average but they cannot communicate with most of their customers. read more

If i could give this place no stars i would! The staff are very friendly and nice, but their pricing is ABSURD! I came in to get a dress hemmed and taken in on the straps. The dress had 3 layers and were lightweight and they tried charging me 140$!!!!! Practically what i paid for my dress! I asked the other bridesmaids how much their alterations were and they said 40$-$60 for the same thing i was getting done. I walked right out of there and found someone to do it for $40$ saved $100!!!!! Maybe their pricing is better for other things but i will not be coming in here ever again nor would i recommend this place! Take your stuff elsewhere I'm sure you'll find wayyyy better pricing and a good job somewhere else read more

had a dress hemmed for prom. They did a decent job however the price was ridiculous. My dress was two layers the under layer being a simple material and the top being a sheer material with sequins. They charged me 70$ when i literally only needed it hemmed. No other alterations. I walked in expecting to pay something like 30-40$ and was shocked when she so nonchalantly said 70$ for a job i know probably took only 30 minutes of the seamstresses time. The only reason I agreed was because I was on a time constraint and needed my dress as soon as possible. read more

I felt funny bringing in a canoe seat for alterations but I explained what I needed and they said they could do the work. When I received a message that the work was done, it was much faster than originally communicated. I'm not sure how the price would compare with other places but it all seemed like a fair deal to me. Nice workmanship. Staff was very friendly. read more

Had my wedding dress altered here, the sides taken in and bra cups added. They truly did an amazing job! A tad bit on the pricey side it seemed like but you get what you pay for. They do high quality work! read more

It's very possible this has been the worst experience I've ever had at any business. We took my fiancé's dress to get alterations in the 20th of May and were told it would be ready on the 27th of May. We called on the 27th only to find out the dress wasn't ready. We were told it wouldn't be ready for another few days. We finally received a call on the 31st informing us the dress was finally ready. We promptly scheduled a final dress fitting for the following day the 1st of June. We arrived at the establishment at 9am only to find out most alterations we requested were done incorrectly. The shoulder straps we requested looked more like spaghetti strap versus the wider strap we requested. The dress was also adjusted to the point that she could barely lower her arms due to the height. We then asked to these mistakes to be corrected and were told the extra material that was removed from the dress had been discarded. Through further inquiries we discovered the material had not been discarded but was actually being used for another project the shop had. At this point the situation got really tense and the seamstress developed an attitude. We then emphasized we really needed to have the revisions done promptly as we are getting married the following weekend the 8th of June. The seamstress then claimed the errors were not their fault but a result of the alterations we requested and if we wanted them fixed we would need to pay and additional $125. We reluctantly paid the fee and were told the dress would be ready no later than today the 4th of June. We received the call this morning informing us the dress was ready, so we immediately scheduled the final fitting for the same day at 5pm. Again we arrived at the establishment for the final fitting. She tried on the dress and could hardly believe what was happening, the revisions were again done incorrectly. The dress was so tight she could barely breathe and the straps were still incorrect but now they were also misplaced also, the bosom area of the dress now lays over the bosom. Again we discussed the errors with the seamstress and were again told the mistakes were our fault since we should have known the alterations we requested at the initial fitting would cause these issues. We might have known this if the head seamstress that was doing the alterations would have bothered to show up to the appointment. At this point we were told there was no more time to fix the dress and we would have to live and deal with the end results. We asked if they could remove the stitching that made the dress to tight, they reluctantly did so and sent us on our way with only a refund for the additional fees charged and a dress we can't use the way it stands. We now have 3 days to find someone else to alter the dress. They have quite possibly ruined our special day, if not ruined they have at least put a huge damper on our spirits. Needless to say we are extremely disappointed in lack of professionalism and customer service we received. If you are looking to pay an exorbitant amount of money and receive what I believe to be the worst customer service in the business then this is the place for you. If not, be warned!!! read more

Completed alterations for a bridesmaids dress without issue. Dress fit perfectly and was completed in a timely manner. I will use this company again. read more

They always do a fantastic job repairing my shirts as I constantly break buttons off them. Just had two Dress jackets fitted and I am very happy read more

Great services. Had a bridesmaids dress altered with like 2 weeks to spare. It was so large on me that they basically created a new dress. They did a beautiful job in not so much time. Prices were very reasonable. I will be back! read more

My daughter needed her bridesmaid dress altered and I'm new to the area so I googled an alterations place and found this location. So happy and relieved I did. The dress came out perfect and sooner than expected. Very friendly staff and very affordable prices. Will use again. read more

I was looking for an alterations place and I found Alterations by Emma. I have been there three times for various alterations. Each time everything was done beautifully and they are great to work with. I will be back and would recommend them to anyone. read more

A little pricey, but very kind staff and I've been pleased with their services, including some work that was a little outside the box. Also love that they speak Spanish, which is great. Thank you! read more

Excellent Work! I have had many pieces tailored and each time they fit perfect. Chayo the seamstress is great, takes her time with each piece. Definitely recommend. read more

Dropped my bridesmaids dress off to be hemmed, add bra cups, and add some stitching in the front to avoid a wardrobe malfunction. The woman who took my name and phone number had such an issue entering my info, I had to repeat myself multiple times and write it down for her. No one ever called me so I could pick up my dress. When I called them, the day before the wedding, they informed me my dress had been ready, but couldn't get ahold of me. Yep, she typed in my last name AND my phone number wrong. The woman on the phone asked me to describe my dress to her so she could find it. When I came to pick it up and try it on, the dress no longer fit. The bra cups added were two inches higher than my actual boobs, and she took in the front of the dress for the requested stitching on the front so much, that I could barely zipper the dress. To top it all off, they tried to charge me for hemming three layers of dress, when my dress was only two layers, and then wanted to argue with me about it. Their prices are outrageous and customer service is really not that great, either. I will NEVER bring anything here again. read more

Use to be Pat's Sewing. I would not return to the store. Prices were high and not all of the alternations were made to the item. It was hard to understand the gentleman at the counter. He said we could bring the item back but it wasn't worth the drive back to Joliet. I'll just find a different place. read more

Summary: Cons - Does not appear to be experienced in formal/bridal wear as advertised on their site, doesn't take appointments, very public fitting area, questionable customer service Pros - prices posted are reasonable and they didn't seem busy and quoted me a fast turn around time (although ultimately I didn't use their services so I can't say if this is true or not), clean store After reading the other reviews here I picked this place for a formal dress alteration. I was extremely disappointed with my experience. I called to make an appointment and they said they don't schedule appointments, walk ins only. That probably should have warned me off, but they advertise on their website that they do bridal wear so I figured they should be able to handle my dress. I show up the next day and try to explain up front that I have a big problem, the dress won't zip all the way and needs to be let out (in addition to being hemmed). They just urge me to put the dress on, without looking at it first. So I put it on. After I come back out the woman who was helping me starts looking at the dress and saying it can't be let out, it has too many layers and the top layer is chiffon which can't be altered. I explain that the store I bought it from assured me it could be let out. She just shakes her head at me. I'm really surprised, but she seems to know what she's talking about (and I surely know nothing about dress alterations) so I ask her what my other options are. She says she can alter the back into a full scoop back, but she doesn't think that I would be comfortable that way. Not really sure what that means. Then she calls someone over, maybe a manager or owner? He just keeps going on about how I need to call the store I got it from. I won't go into the long story here, but I explain to him that there is a reason the dress was too small and why I wasn't working with the original store. I explain to them that my event is in four weeks, I don't have time to get a new dress and I would just like this one altered. Keep in mind, I'm not upset or anything, at this point I'm just trying to communicate what I want. He says no, we can't do anything for that dress, it is too small for you and it can't be altered. I was totally shocked, I just went back behind the changing curtain and then got out of there. I don't think I said anything. To be clear, this dress was not four sizes too small, it just wouldn't zip up the last few inches. It fit my hips and waist, just not my bust. After leaving I'm feeling kindof panicked so I call the original store (which is an hour and a half away, the reason I wasn't going there for alterations) and they again assure me over the phone that the dress can be taken out. I make a few other calls, one alterations place was so sweet and explained that no matter what, there are always options. Like creating a lace up back or adding a panel with material from the hem. The next day I went to another place (which did take appointments) and she acted like I was crazy to think the dress couldn't be altered. She turned it inside out and showed me how each side had 2 inches of fabric specifically there for alterations, for a total of 4 inches that can be taken out - way more then I actually needed. She also said that creating a lace up back was a simple solution when a dress can't be let out enough, but that "anyone can see" this dress can easily be taken out. I couldn't believe how simple she made it. I haven't picked up the dress yet, but if for any reason it's not beautiful I will come back and update my review. My guess is Emma's does a great job at hemming a pair of jeans, but they don't work with formal wear or bridal wear too much. I gave them two stars, because I do appreciate them sending me away when they weren't capable of doing the work. It could have been worse, they could have taken my dress and ruined it. I have been told that this business was bought within the last year or so, maybe it's just not the same? Regardless, I'm just really disappointed in a business that advertises they specialize in bridal wear but can't handle a simple alteration that other places are treating as business as usual. read more

I brought a bridesmaid's dress in to have altered. MY concern was the shoulder straps not so much the length that they kept focusing on. They took the measurements as far as Hemming the length and taking up the shoulder straps. I was then asked to pay up front when they saw I was paying in cash they gave me a cash discount. I was called to pick up the dress and I asked if I could try it on to make sure everything was right. Thankfully I did, because the shoulder straps we're still way too big. They were apologetic, took the measurements for the straps again and then said they would get the dress done right away. However when I went to pick up the dress a second time I was asked for an additional $40. The alterations that were done to the straps still were not correct. This time they cut too much material out of the straps. So now I can barely raise my arms in the dress and since they already cut the material out they can't put it back in. So Not only am I out the money for the alterations but this dress wasn't cheap either and it's not even how it's supposed to be. I will not be recommending this place for anyone to go. read more

Terrible experience. Took two pants in to be hemmed (w/cuff) and taken in. Picked up pants, and brought home. No cuff on pants and pants still needed to be taken in another 1 3/4". Brought the pants back a couple of weeks later. Owner said they would take the pants in again at no charge, then called me later in the day, and said he would need to charge me another $36 to take them in again. So after already spending $60, on the pants, was expected to pay another $36....nearly $50 per pair! Owner was unwavering that they satisfactorily completed the job. Very disappointing. read more

I have a year old jacket that needed repair. A seam down the middle of the back was coming apart. I brought it to Alterations by Emma and could not be happier with the results. They fixed my jacket to the point that it looks brand new! Could not even tell the seam was coming apart. I will be bringing in all my alterations/repair needs to this establishment! Great work and friendly helpful staff. read more

I went here because it was inexpensive than other places. I asked them to convert my pants to into convertible shorts/pants. I came back to find out that they did not do that. They simply turned them into shorts. I even gave me them an example of what I wanted them to do and they said they could do it. They destroyed them and I basically wasted money on a pair of nice pants that cannot be fixed. When I went to pick them up I said this isn't what I wanted, they told me I was wrong. They do not understand English. If you are bilingual I guess you can go there, but if you only speak English do not go there. They will not understand you. You will be better off going somewhere else. I hope this review is helpful to all who read. read more

That is such a s****y place. It does not deserve great reviews. I went in to get my prom dress altered and the guy at the front desk, before i even opened my dress bag, told me "No". He didn't even look at it!!!!! He was full of shit. All i needed done was the bottom hem and straps done. Once he actually saw my dress, he began to say it was too difficult for them to do. My dress was like one of the most simple prom dresses ever and he couldn't even do it??? That man was ready to say no to me the minute I walked in. He was rude as hell and did not even give me any advice. He didnt apologize either. He just booted out of the place immediately. I was thankful for the Golden Needle down the street though. The ladies were very helpful and were glad to alter my dress. They gave me advice on what they could do to alter it and it was for a good price. I will never go to Alterations by Emma ever again due to the lack of customer care at that place. Just go to the Golden Needle, at least they will give you a chance. read more

I am very disappointed with this shop. This was my favorite place to take my clothes for alterations I thought everyone in the shop was nice. In the past I even took the owner hangers from the cleaners. However, the guy owner was not in a good mood the last time I was there and wanted to charge me 3xs the price to alter a dress for my 8 year old daughter. I once again asked him how much he said $60. I told him I only paid $25 for the dress all you need to do is hem the sides. He was rude that I told him this and removed the pins and put the dress in a bag and gave back to me. No explanations were given. He did not look a price sheet he basically saw me and gave me a price. Seems like he charge me for the times I took him free hangers. The girl that works there is really sweet and she does a great job I wish she moved to another employer because I follow her. The owner is moody and not nice at all. Top it off I had to wait till he arrive to the shop in order to provide me pricing. I won't ever go back he made me feel very uncomfortable. read more