Hello
My name is Holly Forbes-Batch. I am a wife, mom of two (12-year-old son Sawyer and 18-month-old daughter Lincoln Olivia), former bridal store owner, gown designer, and professional seamstress based in Midland, TX. I have been sewing professionally for the past 15 years (since 2010). I was first introduced to sewing at the age of four when my beloved Gammie started teaching me the basics of hand stitching in order to keep me entertained while she made everything from pillows and curtains to purses and clothing. Inspired by her creative gift, the next year I asked for a little pink and purple sewing machine for Christmas. Santa delivered and I've been obsessed ever since. In college, I enjoyed making dresses for a few sorority formal events in my spare time, and dreamed of one day turning my love for sewing into a career. In 2010, I graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree in business marketing. Shortly afterward, I decided to take the leap and began designing and sewing professionally in the pageant world. During that time, my work focused mainly on pageant gowns and costumes for children and teens. Imagine Toddlers & Tiaras... yep, those vibrant, adorable, rhinestone-studded dresses with the fluffy curled-hem skirts and the larger-than-life tiny costumes). While in the pageant world, I would let my creativity run absolutely wild. If you have a little time, go check out my Portfolio where you can view some photos from those “Toddler and Tiaras” days. Fast forward to 2015, I took another leap and purchased a local Bridal Store that had been in business for 42 years in Odessa, TX (University Bridals & Formals). That's when my sewing and designing transitioned from the pageant world to the bridal world. I have always been a problem-solver at my core and somewhat of a perfectionist- tending to obsess over the smallest details and thoroughly enjoying tedious work, like hand beading and hand stitching. All that to say the bridal world has been a perfect fit for me. In 2023, I would take the latest leap that has brought me to you. My husband and I would soon welcome our daughter, Lincoln Olivia, into this world. Much like how I would sit with my Gammie, my daughter now sits with me while Mommy works. She likes to play in the dresses on occasion and always seems to find the tiniest of beads that fall onto the floor. Being a mother and having a career are both important to me and I did not want to have to sacrifice one for the other. As such, I decided to close my store, and relocate everything to my home. Though I had to evict my husband from his man cave (he was actually gracious enough to offer it up) I now have 800 sq. ft of playground where I can help make all your dreams come true. My home studio is every seamstresses dream with it's own changing room, restroom, fitting area, retail racks and plenty of workspace for my many machines (including my new commercial grade 12-needle embroidery machine!). Getting to do what I love most while being home with my kiddos has been such a blessing. Over the past 10 years in the bridal industry, I have designed and made 40+ custom bridal gowns (completely custom and made from scratch), have done 150+ custom changes to ready-made gowns (custom neckline changes, adding custom sleeves, complete skirt/bodice redesigns, build ups & more) and have altered well over 500+ bridal and formal gowns. Making custom changes to ready-made gowns is what I love doing most and is what I am probably most known for in bridal. Not every bride has the budget or time for a completely custom made dress from scratch, but many brides can find a dress that they really love but just wish it had sleeves or wish it had a different skirt, a different bodice or neckline style or a more open back with more detail at the hemline, etc. and that's what I enjoy doing most... Turning a dress from "almost THE ONE" to the perfect dress of their dreams that no one else will ever have. All without the high price tag and long production time that comes with a completely custom dress. I just love the transformation! A bridal gown is undoubtedly the most important dress a woman will ever wear, and it has been an absolute pleasure to be a part of that all-important process for so many brides. I want to give a big thank you to all my wonderful clients over the past 15 years whose business and referrals have made it possible for me to do what I love most!
- Holly K.