G.B.
Etsy protects their shop owners privacy and they do not publish where a shop is.
The best thing I think you could do would be to run an add in the paper asking for seamstresses to contact you through a P O Box or some other neutral setting. That way you could contact them and find someone you fit with.
It's pretty easy for someone who is experienced to make something they see. They see the different parts, not just the whole outfit, so they can make each piece and put them together to make an outfit.
For instance, I love this one shop on etsy and the owner has tons of dresses but they are basically the same base dress pattern, well, she has about 3 different sleeve options, whether to add a ruffle to the bottom of the dress, and what style of collar one would choose. Then she puts one of her pinafores over the base dress.
If the base dress is a dark green then the pinafores that could be made to go with that might be a white one with shamrocks on it, a red one with holly or some other Christmas fabric, or a fall colored leaf fabric, see how it can be made to look like a totally different dress but is just a bunch of parts put together.
I would run the add and if I had no luck with that I would call the local universities and ask to speak with someone in the drama department costume shop. They usually make the costumes and some of the sets in there and might have some grad students looking for some extra income.
There is also the people who do mending and stuff for dry cleaners. They often do that to make a little extra money and are good seamstresses.
You can also call the local quilters guild or groups. They all sew and one of them might be able to take on your project. Call the local fabric stores, they often have sewing classes for quilters and crafters. They could post an add for you on their bulletin board.
Check you local county extension to see who won the sewing competitions at the county fair. I have won those awards several times. They might be able to direct you to the local paper that ran the names of the winners, then you could check the phone book for someone with that name....kind of stalker like...lol. But seriously, if they sew well enough to win awards they might be able to make time to sew for you.
I hope you can find some one to help you. If you really like what you're finding on Etsy you might consider getting an inexpensive machine and taking some sewing lessons too.
Sewing is fun and makes one feel so creative. I love making clothes for myself and for the grand kids. It's not very hard once you get past the point of learning all the little stuff like what a straight stitch or zig zag stitch is. Learning how to read a pattern is daunting at first but if you just follow directions you should be able to make a simple garment straight out.
