Commission Horror Stories

[Anonymous No.7995185]

Post your commission horror stories, whether it's something you've commissioned that's turned out shit, or a difficult customer you've had to deal with as a commissioner.

[Anonymous No.7995203]

post armor girl

[Anonymous No.7995236]

Agh, I had this one girl who asked me for a "lolita cosplay" for her furry character. I nearly died, but I was really early in building my customer base, so I took it on because I couldn't turn away the huge profit that would come from it. It was supposed a hamplanet sized replica of Sugary Carnival, but in a different color. At the time, I was really reluctant about it, tried to convince her just to go to OOjia and she told me just to photoshop the print a little different. Apparently she didn't want to buy an actual replica because she was afraid of art theft. I was like, "Bitch, I'm a seamstress, not a graphic designer." I didn't actually say that...but I wish I had. I did a horribly shitty shoop that I'm sad I didn't save, sent her an invoice for the first payment, and after six months of her not paying it and not hearing a thing from her, I just gave up. It wasn't even worth chasing her down about it.

[Anonymous No.7995237]

Currently dealing with a dude right now.
He gave me a nice sum for the last costume I made him, and he was fairly okay to deal with.
Now he wants another costume that is even more than his last one. I'm like, sure, this guy was okay to deal with last time, if not a bit strange.
Now he's sending me shit like "how about I work for you to pay it". Then he offered to pay for my room at an upcoming con close to him in exchange for the stuff he wants.
I've told him 3 times that I only take money, and will not trade for good or services.

Not to mention we live on opposite sides of the country [thank god].
If he asks one more time and doesn't feel like he wants to pay me actual money, I'm just going to tell him I will decline any further commissions from him and to find someone else.

Also:
>long time ago
>kid asks for a quote and I give it
>eager to get a commission from me
>ask for his Paypal address for an invoice & he gives it
>tells me he doesn't know how to get money in his account
>tell him he needs to hook up his bank card to transfer money and stuff
>tells me he'll get back to me
>get an angry message from him days later
>tells me money was taken from his account
>accuses me of stealing it [?]
>lets me know that he will put out nasty things about my business for "scamming him".
>Tell him that I could not have taken his money because he gave me no personal info
>tell him to contact Paypal because I didn't do shit
>tell him that I will not work with him because of his threat
>end of contact
>Google my business name days later out of paranoia and find the review
>OH NO
>click link
>thread telling this kid he's a fucking dumbass and I probably didn't take his money
>post taken down/deleted short time later
>thank god!

I have QUITE a few horror stories about commissioners. These are tame compared to what I've previously dealt with.

[Anonymous No.7995244]

I'm dealing with someone right now. The total for 5 costumes he wants done is $700, we agreed on a payment plan. First payment due, get a message saying he hasn't been paid by his company so will pay the first payment next payday.
Is constantly changing his mind regarding cosplays, will ask me for a quote on a cosplay and tell me to "add it to the list", the next day tells me to remove it.
Messages me a fuck tonne a day just to chat and ask what cosplays he would suit. I think he's autistic tbh.

[Anonymous No.7995267]

>>7995244
I feel you, anon.
That's why I avoid Skype now and make it clear that email is for "business only".
I also have it in my TOS that I will charge extra if changes are made to the original commission agreed upon.
Also I don't do conversation with the person unless they have paid or put down a deposit.

[Anonymous No.7995274]

>>7995267
This is over Facebook so it's even worse, he comments on literally everything I post. Yeah I think I may add that to my ToS from now on.
I get the awful feeling he's going to flake on me and he's just in it for the conversation. I always manage to steer the conversation back to cosplay most times, but recently I sent him a photo of a wig I had styled in the past and my yoga mat was in the background, cue a lot of semi-inappropriate questions about what I wear for yoga etc.

[Anonymous No.7995281]

>>7995244
I think he just wants a friend or is romantically interested. Uses the costumes as a way to talk to you but will never actually pay.

[Anonymous No.7995286]

>pic related

My best friend back in middle/high school was a total yaoi weeb. Always super cocky and arrogant. Turned fucking bitch on me near Junior year. Lost track of her and just looked her up. Apparently she tried to do cosplay commissions. She is shit at sewing. Was late with the commissions and they looked like an elementary school kid's art project. I feel so sorry for the people who commissioned from her.

[Anonymous No.7995289]

>>7995281
I've managed to mention my boyfriend at every given opportunity, but I think you may be right sadly.

[Anonymous No.7995291]

>>7995286
Wtf is that even made from

[Anonymous No.7995295]

>>7995291
Here is the photo album from the poor soul who commissioned from her:

http://s921.photobucket.com/user/cloud935/library/?sort=3&page=1

[Anonymous No.7995325]

>>7995295
http://strawberrytouchdown.tumblr.com/post/68330531390/update-3-cosplay-commission
This came up when I searched for it, in case you haven't seen it already

[Anonymous No.7995352]

>gives money
>never heard news from back.
To my surprise, this isn't the first time it happened with the client.

[Anonymous No.7995384]

>>7995286
Oh god this person, I followed on tumblr for a while since she posted stuff from one of my fandoms, but was always a bit sceptical about her cosplay stuff though. Wow.

I would feel so embarrassed if I made this, I would also die of shame if I was expecting to get payed for that kind of work.

[Anonymous No.7995400]

You want me to show the pictures of the coscom cosplay I had commission again?

[Anonymous No.7995407]

>>7995400
do it.

[Anonymous No.7995410]

>>7995203
Did her thing ever get resolved? Last I saw were the pictures of how awful it was.

[Anonymous No.7995413]

>>7995384
Look at what anon above linked to on tumblr. Apparently she's a scammy cunt too.

[Anonymous No.7995447]

>Wardrobe is mostly brand but with a few pieces I made myself
>Take great pride in the fact quality is far superior to brand due to painful attention to elaborate details and nicer materials
>Fatass in comm loves latest dress I made myself and asks if she can commission one from me
>Tell her yes and price it at $400
>She says there's no way she would pay brand prices for handmade
>Friend with me wearing AP shows her a side by side comparison of her dress with mine to illustrate that mine was better made so that wasn't valid reasoning
>She says brand is a ripoff anyway and offers me $175
>Explain the pricing; roughly $150 for materials and 15-20 hours of labor
>Whale goes off about how I should be grateful that someone wants to buy my creation and if I really loved sewing I would be happy to make her a dress for just the cost of materials
>Friend tells her if she truly appreciates art then she would be more than happy to pay the artist for their hard work and labor instead of act like they somehow owe it to her
>Whale gets all huffy and says only someone really fully of themselves charges that much for their art and storms off

[Anonymous No.7995450]

>>7995447
Would love to see pics anon. I love quality handmade Lolita

[Anonymous No.7995469]

>>7995407

[Anonymous No.7995470]

>>7995469

[Anonymous No.7995471]

>>7995325
Oh man, I remember seeing this on tumblr when it first was going around. Still can't believe someone made this and wanted $500 for it. If I made something like that I would embarrassed to ask money for it. When commissioners make shit quality shit like this sometimes I'm not sure if they literally can't tell how bad it is, or if they just don't give a fuck and think their client is an idiot.

[Anonymous No.7995472]

>>7995185
Not really a horror story, just general annoyance.
>a little over a year ago
>looking for a bolero that matched the lavender hue of Day Dream Carnival
>couldn't really find one to buy at the time
>everyone tells me Lady Sloth for commissions
>heard things about construction being off, etc.
>"How bad could it be?"
>find a chiffon bolero pattern from her gallery that looks decent
>notice that the bolero colors are all kind of muted
>start the email about the commission
>send her digital color swatches of the specific shade of lavender I want
>she says she can do it
>doesn't send me a picture before she ships it out

>bolero arrives
>color is nothing like the swatches I sent her
>it's a muted dark lavender
>doesn't even look like she attempted to find new fabric, just used what she had already for making the boleros
>the bolero itself is a tad frumpy

I didn't ask for a refund because she did protect herself by replying with something along the lines of "the colors may be different on my monitor" or some weird bullshit that doesn't really happen anymore, but something I can't prove against. I just think it's so lazy because I told her I was willing to pay extra if it so required for her to find better fabric colors.

I can sell it I guess, I just haven't gotten around to it.

>>7995447
>$400
Yeah I think you're priced a bit high. But if it's as good as you say I'd pay you a brand price of $300-350 if it was a standard jsk and not a fancy OP.

[Anonymous No.7995473]

>>7995450
I would, but unfortunately in my comm going on /cgl/ means you're a minion of the dark lord. If I posted pics, someone from my comm would recognize it and tell everyone I go on here, which would lead to me being blamed anytime someone in our group was posted in an ita thread or something.

[Anonymous No.7995477]

>>7995447
>15-20 hours of labor
Come on now. Next time work faster but claim more per hour.

[Anonymous No.7995481]

>>7995471
She's arrogant and delusional.
have you met her? I met her at a con once.

[Anonymous No.7995486]

>>7995470

>Can't sew worth a can of beans
>Decides to get a commission instead of Devil survivor 2
>I'm thinking this is going to be easier, not really stressful than me doing it myself and failing
>Person says they can do this for around $125 with shipping
>I go ok and give them half now and half when it's done
>No pictures but they said that they could provide them at the end/on the website after it's shipped out
>That should of been a warning bell but this is my second cosplay commission (first was from ebay lol) so I go along with it
>Gives out exact measurements, goes over measurements in emails and gives them a lot of pictures from all angles
>Can't go to the con for said cosplay due to illness so tell the commissioner that to give them more time
>Ask do they need anything and they say no
>They mention in an email that they messed up the shoes and gave me back $25 because of bad work
>I go "Ok no problem," thinking to buy the shoes later then or make myself but the rest of the outfit should be good right?
>Few months later a box comes
>Opens it up and the shoes are literally stuck to the cosplay and everything in the box
>Cosplay looks nothing like the character
>Stripes are painted only on the top of the sweater and sleeves. Whole sweater is just blue and hanging
>Everything is painted on and inaccurately, including the hoodie to the point that it's dripping on the side
>Shoes are unwearable and a hot sticky mess
>Pants don't even fit

I would rather try taobao than get a cosplay from coscom again.

[Anonymous No.7995488]

>>7995472
$150 goes to materials, meaning I only profit $250. The most I would be making is less than $17 an hour, so yeah, it's really not priced that high. Also, keep in mind that most of the major brands use cheap fabric like cotton and polyester and still charge that much. The fabric I use is extremely nice, hence why it takes up almost half the cost of dress.

[Anonymous No.7995490]

None of you are real cosplayers.

[Anonymous No.7995497]

>>7995473
I never understood this, you could just turn right back around and say, "Well obviously X goes on /cgl/ too if she saw me there."

Like... how do these people think? "I'm going to give away the fact that I go on this website by telling everyone that she goes on it too!

[Anonymous No.7995501]

>>7995473
If your work is anything like the girl that made this dress, I think $400 is plenty reasonable

[Anonymous No.7995504]

>Sees someone offering props
>Really wants a prop from them
>Emails them
>They say it cost around $350
>Tell them that's too much/out of my price range and thanks
>They ask for offer and I ask them it doesn't matter/not sure/don't want to lowball them so make another offer please
>They offer $250 which I can work with but I need to get half down before someone else asks for a commission
>Tell them that I will try to give them half or more around December/January and if someone offers/puts down a deposit before me it's no problem if it's cancelled/delayed
>Ready to get half and a random!bill problem appears
>Won't have the money until January maybe

Am I being a good customer? I'm paranoid because I don't want to be an ass

[Anonymous No.7995505]

>>7995490

[Anonymous No.7995508]

>>7995490

[Anonymous No.7995509]

>>7995488
>I only profit $250
>The most I would be making is less than $17 an hour
How is this by any means underpay? Sorry but I need to see pictures. If you can't provide them then I'll agree to disagree.

[Anonymous No.7995511]

>>7995470
What the hell is this even? It looks like swaddling cloth for a potato.

[Anonymous No.7995514]

>>7995504
You have understandable reasons, and you are being polite, but I think it would be more polite to put it on hold entirely so that the commissioner isn't just waiting around on you. When you have the full amount saved up and set aside, then ask for the commission. Both of you will feel better being able to pay up front.

[Anonymous No.7995516]

>>7995508
>privilidge

[Anonymous No.7995517]

>>7995509
No the anon you're replying to, but a fellow seamstress. 17 an hour for about fifteen hours of work isn't the greatest pay in the world if you think about all the time and money they've put into building their skill previously. Most nurses with a 2-year degree make more than this.

[Anonymous No.7995519]

>>7995509
That's pretty low for skilled labor, assuming she is actually skilled.

[Anonymous No.7995521]

>>7995509
Because no one who's smart sets their own pay rate for their business at/near minimum wage, especially for a specialized skill.

[Anonymous No.7995523]

>>7995521
Seriously. I've never had a handyman or electrician or plumber out to my house for less than $60/hour. $100+ for some specialities. Even after overhead, they are definitely making more than $17/hour.

[Anonymous No.7995527]

>MFW I hear these things:
>"hey Im poor can you make it for less than 100$? lol thanks"
>"your prices are too expensive!"
>"can you teach me how to make this myself?"

[Anonymous No.7995532]

>>7995523
And if it's a business, don't forget taxes and shit. Self-employment tax where I'm at is 20% your total gross income, I believe.

Seriously, if your boss was like "Hey, you can choose your own pay!", what would you choose?
Now pretend you ARE your own boss and you get to choose.
>9$ an hour??? golly gee!!

[Anonymous No.7995534]

>>7995523
But, $60/hr he'll only be there for an hour or two.

It does not take 20 hours to sew a dress. It doesn't. Unless you've got so many meticulous details on it that you want to kill yourself by the time it's done.

[Anonymous No.7995537]

>>7995447
If your handmade items are as good as you claim I'd be willing to spend $400 on it, especially if I was able to see it irl and can make an even better picture of the quality/materials used.
High quality indie seamstresses like 4 o'clock are even more expensive and I would get one of her dresses if I had the money.

But what do you expect, people often react to handmade items like the landwhale in your story. I remember quite a few stories I read here and on btb about how eveyone expects seamstresses to work for minimum wage or even nothing, and how everyone is surprised how much sewing actually costs, how long it takes and what skills it requires.

[Anonymous No.7995538]

>>7995509
You must work minimum wage.
Let's talk about skilled labor.

[Anonymous No.7995539]

>>7995514
I was going to pay them this month around $150 (because it's $250 in total) but I didn't have the money because of bills (I have to pay around $350 in food and $750 in rent no light/gas/heat included and they just raised both the gas and light bill here to around $13-$15 per something WITHOUT notice.) So it's hard to just save a full $250 for me so them telling me to do half and half is what had me interested.

The commissioner isn't really waiting since they seem to be really popular. It's GSprops on facebook. They didn't want the whole thing up front either.
My issue is wasting their time if someone else comes around and commissions before I pay that $150 thus taking my slot. I always hate asking people for anything unless I'm going to do it.


>>7995521
>tfw minimum wage here is $8.75 and you make around $11+ which is considered minimum wage in other places.

[Anonymous No.7995540]

>>7995534
Kek
Except it does, if you actually care about quality. When you're charging more than $100 for something, meticulous details fucking matter. Especially in lolita. One individual is not a factory that churns out garments every hour.

[Anonymous No.7995541]

>>7995534

[Anonymous No.7995542]

>>7995534
I'd believe this >>7995501 dress could take 20 hours and who is to say that Anon doesn't make similar dresses? Making a dress for someone else involves making pattern adjustments which could take some time, plus time spent buying the material should be counted in billable hours, then ironing, pinning, cutting, sewing, pressing, attaching details, etcetera.

[Anonymous No.7995543]

>>7995517
>>7995519
>>7995521
But if she's not selling dresses as often and only sells maybe 4-5 of them a year then it's not a marginally good profit either way. And pic related, btw. Seamstressing has never been a super profitable skillset because many people can do it. You'd be making more than the average seamstress at "less than" 17/hr

[Anonymous No.7995545]

>>7995539
>tfw minimum wage here is $7.25 and you make $7.50 which is considered poverty level in most places.

Thanks, USA.

[Anonymous No.7995546]

ITT Butthurt seamstresses who overcharge getting really fucking mad that anons are pointing it out.

[Anonymous No.7995547]

>>7995504
In general it's kind of a dick move to email a commissioner when you have no means of paying, UNLESS you mention up front in your first email when the commission is for. There's nothing worse than wasting your time replying to half a dozen emails going over the details of your project, only to find that the buyer "can't pay yet." 85% of the time this means they won't pay at all, and the other 15% this means that I'm going to suddenly get slammed with more work at an unexpected time because your deadline is probably hasn't moved.

>Be me
>Go through almost the exact same scenario
>Usually don't do commissions but I have some free time now and the price is right
>Spend three weeks discussing details with buyer, fabric choices, pricing, deadlines, measurements. Go out to the store to make sure the right kind of fabric is available.
>Time for half payment. "I'll get it to you soon!"
>Six weeks go by. No payment despite gentle reminders.
>About to cancel order because of impending holidays, cons, etc. Payment finally comes in. Decide to truck forward anyway rather than disappoint the buyer.
>Go to store to buy fabric. Sold out and discontinued. Well fuck.

I managed to find a similar fabric, but don't be That Commissioner.

[Anonymous No.7995548]

>>7995511
That's my shitty commissioner's attempt at making shoes. I would give out the person's name on coscom but it's not worth it and I don't have a vendetta. Just posted that to warn people to well never get a cosplay there and for lulz.

[Anonymous No.7995550]

>>7995516
I couldn't help but post that. I have a ton of these. Should of used this one though.

[Anonymous No.7995551]

>>7995539
>>7995545
Let's not get a debate going on min wage, guys. Any educated person knows both sides and knows we're between a rock and a hard place when it comes to that. Back to commissions horror stories.

[Anonymous No.7995552]

>>7995509
If they're telling the truth and their quality really is better than brand and has better materials, why wouldn't they charge slightly more? Also, 17 p/hr is not a lot at all for that. You're hiring a seamstress, not a dishwasher or fast food cashier.

[Anonymous No.7995553]

>>7995546

[Anonymous No.7995554]

>>7995546
go be an ill-informed faggot somewhere else.

[Anonymous No.7995556]

For those of you concerned about the quality of clothing, the social implications of the cheapo, throw-away clothing industry, paying more for good clothes, etc, there is a really interesting discussion going on on Rufflechat right now.

[Anonymous No.7995560]

DON'T USE YOUR FACEBOOK PAGE TO DO BUSINESS!!!!
Seriously, I used to, and I had people attempting to get personal details and using info to come give me a "surprise visit to see how the commission was going", but they couldn't pinpoint my address! But they know my city and even figured out what street I lived on. I'm not exactly sure how, either.
This person lived several states away and it was NOT the only case of this happening to me!

After updating shit, I removed and deleted my FB to do business on other site.
Now I don't even tell people what state I'm located in.

I also don't post photos of myself on sites anymore. I used to post nice photos of my showing off my work, but people often times contacted me about commissions, only to reveal that they had no intention of paying, but just wanting to talk to me and get to know me.
So now no one knows my gender, either.

It's so hard to be personal and approachable when shit like I mentioned continues to happen.

[Anonymous No.7995567]

>>7995552
>Why wouldn't they charge slightly more?
But we can't say, because the original poster is too chicken shit to post their work.
>17/hr is not a lot
Yes it is. There's a very good seamstress down the street from me and her average is about $15/hr. She does that because she knows that gets her more business, and her skill is so refined that it doesn't take her 15-20 hours to draft a pattern and complete a simple dress piece. NOW, if she were doing something more eloquent like >>7995501, then $400 might make more sense. But imo, that's costuming, not even basic seamstressing anymore since it appears to have historical accents.
>not a dishwasher or fast food cashier
Oh please, spare me the melodrama. I know college graduates who would eat their shoe to be making $15/hr from their first job. Cashiers and dishwashers make state minimum wage which usually amount to $8/hr.

[Anonymous No.7995568]

>>7995545
Where you live in the USA? It's around $8.75 here in Chicago. They are trying to raise it to $11 and business owners/CEOs are throwing a riot.

>mfw

>>7995547
I never said I had no means of paying though. I don't need this until late May 2015 and I emailed them several times in November/December. I mentioned up front in the first email when and what the commission for. It's a spear prop. They needed extra pictures because the whole thing was based on a character that's obscure/not that popular so at the least I gave them five or less emails about this. They also said up front that they are popular so my slot might be taken if someone offers a commission before I can pay.

Also I'm not sure what you've been through but I always pay if I say I'm going to pay. I can't pay yet because I can't really pay yet. I had $150 but like I said they raised the light and gas without notice and I had to pay that NOW. That's how the gas/light company are here. They raise the rates so instead of me paying like $80 in gas and light I now have to pay close to $200+. And that's not illegal either. I was going to see if I can at least hell pay like around $50 at least then borrow/hustle up $100 but I can't even do that yet.

[Anonymous No.7995570]

>>7995469
>that mass of thread at the top

W-what?

[Anonymous No.7995574]

>>7995471
>>7995481
Okay thinking about it more it may have just been coscom that I originally saw it on, not totally sure, I just remember seeing these pictures and this person's complaints before. Anyways, no, I have not. Would love to hear stories though, if it's too ot perhaps you could post them in the cringe thread.

[Anonymous No.7995577]

>>7995567
The only problem with your argument regarding the seamstress down the street is that when it comes to cosplay and lolita, which is what this discussion is about, we are working with stuff like >>7995501 almost all the time. Obviously if it's a much simpler cosplay, it's cheaper, but you aren't going to find cheaper than 150 in lolita if you want quality.

[Anonymous No.7995580]

>>7995543
That's lumping apples and oranges. People who do alterations or work in factories are counted in that stat.

[Anonymous No.7995582]

>>7995568
Pennsylvania. We're still at federal level. I should mention that I'm also almost up for promotion to manager, at which point I'll be making a whopping $8.

I'd be happy with like $9. Just enough to pay the bills without needing three god damn jobs. I guess I'm lucky though, I work as close to 40 hours as I can every week.

Owners and CEOs are just cheap greedy shits. Everyone I know who works for small businesses are already paid $9+, and big businesses can afford it easily. Economies across the country have improved (with the exception of NJ, but let's be real, NJ is just a fucking shithole) with the increase of wages.
description
Obama, pls, before you leave office, raise the wage. Make it work. Just a little.

[Anonymous No.7995583]

> be in 7th grade
> Really want to cosplay as Sailor Moon for Halloween and later at upcoming con
> Mom tells me she'll order me a costume for my birthday/ christmas gift
> So excited when she shows me the ebay listing
>Mom tells me she thinks it'll be too short so she's going to ask the seller to lengthen the skirt
> mfw costume comes in, shiny costume satin , gloves not made for human hands, bows all need to be pinned on , and the skirt goes to my ankles
> My mom's solution is to hem the pleated skirt without any cutting or re-pleating, resulting in a nice ugly bubble hem.
> still wear it for halloween and to babby's first con because my poor mom tried and still get some pity/ child in costume photos taken.


I have other minor horror stories but none of them are particularly drama filled. I learned a lot about the process through the years of getting shit made for me but I'm so happy I can make my own stuff now and never have to panic about what the finished product will look like.

[Anonymous No.7995587]

>>7995534
>It does not take 20 hours to sew a dress. It doesn't

Your naivety is showing.

[Anonymous No.7995588]

>>7995543
taliors and factory workers do not equal a seamstress or designer.

[Anonymous No.7995591]

>>7995543
Those numbers don't really mean much, though. There's tons of different jobs that involve sewing that are all on very different levels, "seamstress" is a very broad term. Most tailoring jobs don't involve sewing extremely elaborate dresses in a niche fashion.

Either way, they're not pricing their shit that crazy if it's as great as they say. So what if they make slightly over the average in their field? God forbid.

>>7995546
>ITT Butthurt lolitas getting really fucking mad that people aren't working for minimum wage

[Anonymous No.7995592]

Speaking of all these commissions, is anyone here taking commissions?

I need a pair of black opera-length spandex gloves made, because I'm useless and can't make them myself, and my fingers are too long to just buy them online.

[Anonymous No.7995597]

>>7995582
Yeah I work gigs/hustle as well as a part time job and they are constantly changing the rates here. But I get paid like $11 or so per hour which is more than the average in my state. My job isn't bad but my boss is sort of odd.

But I don't want to get into a wage topic here though lol. I hope things work better for you anon.

[Anonymous No.7995609]

>>7995577
We don't know if the poster we're talking about makes pieces that are up to par with >>7995501
and that's my only issue.
There's a huge difference in the amount of work and detail put into that piece as compared to a standard (albeit well-made) jsk.
>>7995588
Seamstress=/=designer
A seamstress also doesn't get to charge over $20/hr just because they feel they have quality work and put in a lot of effort. Indie brands can't even get away with that without at least building a rapport for their work first, seamstressing is no different.

How many dresses does this poster realistically sell? There's no mention of other customers being okay with the pricing and being so busy with commissions that she has to charge that much, only that her one friend says it's good in comparison to her store brand. What does that tell you people?

[Anonymous No.7995610]

>>7995567
>comparing apples to oranges
>HDU SAY 17 IS NOT A LOT TO CHARGE WHEN I KNOW COLLEGE GRADS WHO WOULD DO ANYTHING TO MAKE 15
Just shut up already.

[Anonymous No.7995613]

>>7995609
Dude, you are reading way too much into this.

[Anonymous No.7995615]

>do proper leather-working
>no customer has ever understood the amount of work that goes into a braid when asking for something involving one
>lose a customer a year trying to explain just how much it would bloat the price
I fear the day there's a customer willing to pay a reasonable price for something involving a braid cause I'm still gonna feel underpaid at the end.

Whip makers are crazy.

[Anonymous No.7995617]

>>7995613
"Dude," I simply said I thought $400 was a tad overpriced and that $300-350 would probably be more reasonable, and that $250 profit per dress wasn't underpay. People jumped down my throat, why don't you take a chill pill?

[Anonymous No.7995618]

>>7995568
My point was that a LOT of people email a commissioner, suck their time with many emails detailing the project, and then never pay. Imagine how much time this ends up being when you have ten people - most of whom will never pay - all asking you for costume info, pricing, and nitty gritty details. It's fine that you intend on ultimately paying, but if your slot gets filled because it took you too long, that's still time and effort that the commissioner will never get back.

Again, what you did wasn't terrible but I'd still really suggest also mentioning in your first email when you can send that down payment. That way your commissioner can know how much time they should spend diving into your details if you may ultimately be bumped out of a slot.

[Anonymous No.7995621]

>>7995609
The bottom line is if it sells, people can charge whatever the fuck they want for it. You can go on about the average wage of a seamstress as if no one should charge past that all you want, but if it sells, it sells.

[Anonymous No.7995623]

>>7995618
On a similar note, though, I posted to a FB group asking about a costume, specifically saying that I don't want to commission anything until after the holidays, I'm just looking for a quite RN. Two people message me, giving me their estimates. One messaged me again a week later, got all snippy, asking if I actually wanted to commission her or not.

[Anonymous No.7995625]

>>7995621
>The bottom line is if it sells
Too bad the poster hasn't said how many dresses they actually sell in a year, nor are they going to post any pictures of their pieces now.
It's moot, you might as well drop it and go back to commission stories since this will go nowhere.

[Anonymous No.7995628]

>>7995617
>People jumped down my throat
You mean explained to you why it wasn't overcharging
>why don't you take a chill pill?
Really? "no u" is your response to being told to calm down?

[Anonymous No.7995630]

>>7995609
>A seamstress also doesn't get to charge over $20/hr just because they feel they have quality work and put in a lot of effort.

Obviously she can. OP decided that it's not worth her time and effort to work for less than $17/hr, so who cares? It's not your "right" to commission her for less - if she'd rather not commission instead of sew for less money, good for her. If someone wants to pay that much for her work, they'll pay, if not, then she won't sew the dress. A lot of us have real jobs on top of sewing on the side - why is it worth it financially to me to sew for less than a fifth of what I make at my full time job?

Your attitude smacks of someone who's butthurt because they think cosplayers "owe it to you" to make you shit for less.

[Anonymous No.7995632]

>>7995609
>seamstress or designer
>or

there's a key word there buddy. I work as a techpack monkey, I know the difference.

[Anonymous No.7995633]

>>7995543
You're confusing profit and gross income for some reason. Few people pursue commissions as a full-time job, and it makes no sense whatsoever to charge very low rates just to sell more. If someone is selling 4-5 dresses per year at a fair rate, that's obviously a hobby or side source of income, and she'd much rather spend the rest of her time on other paying work or personal sewing than drop her rates to minimum wage just so she can sew commissions non-stop. If someone doesn't want to pay my rates, that's totally fine. I'll spend that time sewing for myself or hanging with friends or doing anything other than sell my time and skill for minimum wage.

[Anonymous No.7995635]

>>7995625
I have a friend who charges anywhere from $300-$450 for a dress at around the skill level the other girl was claiming. She does one or two a week. She has enough demand to do more if she wanted to.

[Anonymous No.7995645]

>>7995618

>I'd still really suggest also mentioning in your first email when you can send that down payment.

I mentioned that I did that in my posts though anon! Lol. Here I'll go over the details just in case you are confused because my English is horrible:

>First email to GSprops was asking them how much a Spear prop would cost. Give them character name, Wiki page with character, Youtube video of the character in action and spirites of the prop I want in question. This is my first time asking for a prop commission.

>Give them exact details and that I don't need this until mid May 2015. Mention how I need this a certain size, my height, etc.

>They give me a quote estimate. It's around $350. That's out of my price range because I'm considering other things I need with this cosplay.

>I reply back and they said to make an offer. I reply back and said that I'm not sure what to offer because I don't want to lowball them so please make an offer that is still a decent range for your time and effort.

>They give me $250. I say ok I will try to give them this money in December/January. Gives me a leadway just in case something happens.

>They mention in the reply back ok but to try to do it as soon as possible because they are a popular group (they are because their work is good,) and they have limited slots so if someone comes along with a commission my slot might be taken.

>I wanted to give them this early December but something happened so I can't give them the money until January.

Things happened anon. You never had to deal with having money for something you wanted and a random accident or death happens and you have to spend that money? That's what happened here sadly except that I had to pay $200+ more on a bill that I didn't have to pay originally and there was no other solution.

>but if your slot gets filled because it took you too long, that's still time and effort that the commissioner will never get back.

That's what I'm afraid of anon.

[Anonymous No.7995648]

>>7995630
This.

I'm pretty impressed by how rustled anon's jimmies are over the fact OP is charging $2 an hour more than her neighborhood seamstress.

[Anonymous No.7995666]

>>7995574
I'm not the OP that brought her up, I just met her once. She reeks of arrogant legbeard. The usual type of yaoi obsessed girl that makes other people who like yaoi ashamed to admit it.

[Anonymous No.7995670]

>>7995615
My ex loves whips (not in the kinky way). He has one from the same guy who made Indiana Jones's whips. Yeah, people don't get that it is crazy hard to do.

[Anonymous No.7995677]

>>7995645
Thank you, that is more clear. From your earlier reply it sounded like from day 1 you knew you were going to need 1-2 months to pay because of financial problems. IMO if you can't immediately pay, it's your responsibility to let the commissioner know in your first email.

[Anonymous No.7995684]

>>7995630
>It's not your "right" to commission her for less
I didn't say that.

Maybe you guys should get your jimmies unrustled and face the fact that until I see a dress I can judge, I'm going to assume that $400 is overpriced for an indie seamstress to charge. Sorry you're confusing me for the fattie who didn't want to pay up for your dress.

[Anonymous No.7995688]

>>7995677
Yeah I normally do that. I don't know who you went through or the problems you did but I wanted to point out that not everyone is a scum bag who has money problems. Usually I have shit luck so I know in advance to give myself time just in case things happen like this.

>tfw cancelled a con room because Aunt died of lung cancer the same month of the con and actually went out the way to find roommates of the room another person to put their name on the room and gave them extra money.

[Anonymous No.7995701]

>>7995567
>mfw $12 an hour plus tips washing dishes

[Anonymous No.7995718]

>>7995684
Except you did. Bitching that she shouldn't be charging so much means that people should be able to commission her for less. The market will decide what she can and can't make money from.

[Anonymous No.7995720]

>>7995684
I love it when people with rustled jimmies say everyone pointing out said rustled jimmies are the ones with rustled jimmies.

[Anonymous No.7995727]

>>7995718
>Bitching that she shouldn't be charging so much
Except I didn't. I don't think pointing out that a different price that seems more reasonable and saying that I'd change my mind if I saw some of the work counts as "bitching."
>>7995720
I love it when people with rustled jimmies try to act like they're not rustled and keep responding in the argument that they're totes not rustled by.

[Anonymous No.7995732]

>>7995701
Sounds like a sweet gig, congrats.

[Anonymous No.7995753]

>>7995727
>I love it when people with rustled jimmies try to act like they're not rustled and keep responding in the argument that they're totes not rustled by.
Do I really have to point out the irony in this statement?

[Anonymous No.7995760]

>>7995753
>Do I really have to point out the irony in this statement?
Not before I point out the irony in yours.
>you're still here

[Anonymous No.7995777]

>>7995760
Again, irony.

Anyway, enough of our dear friend Jimmy Rustle. I had a friend in high school who tried to use a costume he had made for him in a contest. He had absolutely zero experience sewing, so he couldn't answer any of the judges questions, which was how they found out. He tried again a few years later, but this time he asked the person making it for a detailed list of everything they did. He got away with it and I always wanted to out him, but they need solid evidence of cheating to do anything.

[Anonymous No.7995784]

>>7995777
Oh man, I'm starting out in making my own cosplay and I'm not familiar with a lot of the terminology or "correct"/best ways to do things, I'm so scared that if I enter a contest and get asked specific questions about things I did but don't know the correct terminology for, that the judges would somehow think I'm trying to cheat. How do I avoid this?

[Anonymous No.7995788]

>>7995777
Did you tell your friend he was being a shithead?

[Anonymous No.7995792]

>>7995777
You seem like a petty person. If he paid for the costume then it doesn't matter unless there was a stipulation in the contest that said it had to be made by the person wearing it.

[Anonymous No.7995793]

>>7995784
Tell them upfront that you don't know the names for everything, if you are at a begginner level they will understand. Just explain how you did it and quote the tutorials/patterns/tips you used.

[Anonymous No.7995794]

>>7995784
As long as you can just tell them what you did, it doesn't matter if you know the correct terms. They don't expect everyone to be a master seamstress, especially at the beginner level. They'll know that you just don't know the terms if you can tell them what you did.

[Anonymous No.7995801]

>>7995777
>commission a costume from a friend
>friend gives me permission to enter a contest with it
>tells me what materials/techniques just in case
>no rule in the contest saying that the costume had to be made by me
>judges ask questions about how the costume was made anyway
>couldn't explain it very well, probably used the wrong terms
>one bitchy judge kept giving me the side eye
>I got second place anyway

Feels good man. I love it when people feel cheated over something stupid like that.

[Anonymous No.7995808]

>>7995793
>>7995794
Thanks! That's comforting to know. I was kinda worried

[Anonymous No.7995810]

>>7995792
That's the point, he's doing it at craftsmanship competitions where you are required to make your costume unless you are modeling it for someone else, in which case you have to tell them. Even if there weren't, he's taking credit for someone else's work, it's not petty to out him for doing so.
>>7995784
They don't care about terminology, they just want you to be able to walk them through it enough so that they know you made it. You don't have to know every correct phrase or memorize every little step. You can always brings progress pictures if you're worried, though.

[Anonymous No.7995812]

>>7995792
>Craftsmanship contest that doesn't require that the crafter be present/sign a waiver

You must be new here

[Anonymous No.7995824]

>>7995810
>it's not petty to out him for doing so
Then why didn't you? How do you not have evidence of your own costume making? Even written emails or transactions? That's unbelievable.

[Anonymous No.7995836]

>friend needs money
>I commission
>he has poor time management
>leaves making it to a few weeks before the con
>costume unfinished
>most bits that are finished look decent but
>left random bits out
>doesn't seem very intent on finishing the bits he missed another day, told me they wouldn't work out
>bits of the costume fall apart on the day
>did finish his own costume (side eyed a bit)
>he tells me about how much stress he is under and going through
>know he has a difficult home situation
>he has pretty bad anxiety and insecurity and know he would take things very personally
>don't want to worsen shit for him or lower his self esteem regarding costuming
>quietly peeved I got an unfinished costume

I could make all the missing and the broken parts myself, but it amount to about 20% to 30% of it and I did pay him for it.

I'm too much of a pushover to complain to him though since I don't want to send him into spiraling anxiety and self blame.

One day I'll fix it up.

[Anonymous No.7995849]

>>7995836
As someone who has horrible time management and anxiety, push him into finishing it. He might get overwhelmed, but he needs to learn to deal with it and know that not finishing something that you paid for is unacceptable. Be there for him if he needs it, but don't coddle him and let him off the hook, that's the absolute worse thing you can do for anxiety.

[Anonymous No.7995881]

>see you all talking about handmade pricing
>in my country good handmade lolita costs 30-60 dollars, sometimes less
> it's actually really good
>It takes me 4 or less hours to make myself a dress
>fabric here is good and cheap

We have a black sheep who can't sew shit and overprices all of her stuff, but no one buys from her anyway

[Anonymous No.7995949]

>Month out from a con
>Friend wants to get her first cosplay and asks me what websites are good to buy from
>Tell her I've never bought a cosplay and so I have no idea. Offer to make it for her for whatever price she was going to pay
>She says something like "Nooo you already have so much to do I don't want to stress you"
>She orders off some website.
>two days out from con she comes over crying because it doesn't fit and she doesn't know what to do
>She offers to pay me the money from returning it if I make her the entire outfit
>Use my own stock of fabric to make her the entire costume two days before con while still working on my own outfits
>Don't sleep for those two days before con
>She never pays me for costume or even reimburses me for fabric but I'm too pathetic to ask her
>A year has passed and it's way too late to mention it

Teach me how to not be a pushover?

[Anonymous No.7995956]

>>7995881
>fabric here is good and cheap
There you go, kiddo.

[Anonymous No.7995964]

>>7995881
30-60 bucks wouldn't even cover the cost of materials here.

[Anonymous No.7995981]

>>7995274
Anon get a business facebook/email and a personal one, trust me it will make your life a lot easier.

[Anonymous No.7995983]

Should I ask about good commissioners or go to the help thread for that?

[Anonymous No.7996032]

>>7995810
Most contests in my area require you to submit a cosplay scrapbook either digital or physical with your entry so you have evidence that you made it yourself, you can enter the masquerade if your costume is bought but you can't place

[Anonymous No.7996259]

Classics:
>"can you make me a ball dress for $70?"
>"sure, if you don't mind me using garbage bags?"

>"Can't you lower the price for me?"
>"Mates rates are called that for a reason. I don't know you and I'be lowered my rates to minimum wage in other countries because I do it on the cheap already."
>"But I can't afford that!"

Then don't commission me.

[Anonymous No.7996416]

>>7995527
fucking this. Dear god. I constantly get asked if i can lower my prices and i have to sit there and explain how much materials cost.

[Anonymous No.7996474]

>>7995949
You got scrubbed, son. No doubt she knew you had no spine and she used you to get free shit. It is far too late to mention it, but you should probably grow a fucking pair and not let that happen again.

[Anonymous No.7996505]

>average tier sewing skills
>taking commissions casually on the side
>stuff not the BEST quality, but definitely wearable
>don't charge alot for my work
>friend asks for a quote on a ridiculously complex cosplay
>"no can do, outta my skill range"
>puts pressure on to accept
>"i know you can do this, anon"
>stupidly accept thinking it would be a good challenge
>priced fabric cause she wanted expensive stuff, along with notions and such
>total comes to about 400$, including my fee
>person pays instantly even though i stressed only half was due
>ask for measurements three separate times
>radio silence for six months
>buys some fabric with commish money cause on sale
>client gets back to me eight months later asking for full refund
>no.jpg
>explain that the balance is paid so she either gets the dress or she doesn't.
>"okay that's fine let's do it."
>"can...can...i get your mesurements tho?"
>"okay sure"
>never hears back

It's been two and a half years this month since I've heard from her regarding this commission, despite a handful of unanswered emails and some FB messages. I'll openly admit I caved and used her money to pay off a few loans because it's been so long at this point, I'm not even sure how to approach it. I think it's really strange and I still feel kinda shitty I spend the money, but...I mean it's been YEARS. Has this kind of situation happened to anyone else?

[Anonymous No.7996513]

>>7996505
I don't get people that do this. Are they insecure about their measurements? Don't know how to take them and don't want to look stupid?

[Anonymous No.7996536]

>>7996513
The thing is, this has happened to me three times now. I legitimately cannot wrap my head around the idea of just throwing away 400$ cause you're too chicken shit to take your own measurements. My mind refuses to believe people would actually do this.
I even offered to do it for her if she came to my house, but every time I tried to set something up I'd never hear shit back. I still feel really fucking guilty about spending that cash, but at the same time, I feel as though too much time has passed with no replies that I just said "fuck it" and paid bills. I don't really know what to say if they finally do get back in touch with me and try to demand a refund again.

[Anonymous No.7996656]

>>7996536
Maybe they just lost interest in either the costume or cosplay in general.

[Anonymous No.7996937]

How to sew a dress - designer/you are your own seamstress: all time reverences are estimate due to personal experience

1.Design making (1-2h)
2. Measurements taking (<1h)
3. Pattern making (2-3h)
4. fabric cutting, lining cutting, interlining cutting (1-2h)
5. Iron interlining on the fabric, overlook/neaten the fabric and lining (1h)
6. sew the parts together (2h-7h)
7. in-between ironing and cutting off fabric (1-2h)
8. last finish ironing
9. attached accessories like bows
10. in between there are always fittings to see how it fits (1h)

in a factory:
There work around 50-100 people for each style
-
1 Person close the side seams in about 45 sec. per seam- they pay them 0,003 cent till 0.4 cent per closed seam.
In Asia they get between 2-6$ per hour depends on skill level, but the always do the same thing the hole day. So You can produce a lot more dresses and they get discounts on fabrics and trimmings due to the huge consumption.

That is what it is.

[Anonymous No.7996944]

>>7996937
As u can see: in a factory you just need to know only your task.
As a seamstress (alone) you need to know all the things around making a dress not just sewing.

[Anonymous No.7997053]

>>7995615
Out of curiosity, what makes it so hard? I totally believe you, I just really want to know. How much do they usually cost?

>>7995881
What country are you from, if I might ask? I remember stopping at a fabric store while in Mexico and getting gorgeous eyelet laces at less than a dollar per meter, and seeing all sorts of cheap fabric that I couldn't fit in my suitcase and couldn't buy. However, you must be very skilled or you're making super simple dresses to be cranking them out in 4 hours.

>>7995983
I don't see why we can't discuss them here. Are you looking for lolita or cosplay?

>>7996505
This is the dumbest shit I have ever heard. Maybe the person is trying to lose weight for the cosplay and doesn't want to get you started until they reach their goal measurements? Still stupid, why not just say so?

>>7996937
Poor English aside, you make a point.

[Anonymous No.7997057]

>>7996416
I actually have a saved Word document with long replies to questions I've answered a million times.

I use one to explain why my prices are "so high" and shit so I don't have to waste time typing it up multiple times to people.
I have one "nice version" which politely answers the question "why does the price seem so expensive?" to people who aren't really familiar with the pricing in the scene.
I then have a more subtly snarky one for people who say "why are your prices so high?? you should lower them!".

[Anonymous No.7997061]

>>7997057
That sounds like a fantastic thing to have! Would you mind sharing?

[Anonymous No.7997063]

>>7996505
I cannot stress enough why it is super important to have a TOS and statements that cover weird shit like this in your TOS.

I have in mine a couple things that save my ass:
>communication MUST be continued after payment for the gathering of further information regarding the commission
>items paid for will be held for up to 6 months if non-communication occurs before they will be sold/auctioned off at my digression

I put these in because I had someone do the same with the body measurements. Paid in full, then disappeared a month or so later.
I waited a full year before I added the statements to my TOS and auctioned off the finished item.
It's been 2 years and the person still has yet to contact me again.

Maybe they ded.

[Anonymous No.7997079]

>>7997063
>digression
Discretion?

[Anonymous No.7997080]

>>7995286
>>7995384
Holy shit, Galiko. I have not personally been scammed by her but I have seen so much of her because one of my friends was a fan during the Tiger and Bunny days. Her constant asking for money plus the whole making people pay for her shitty OOC fanfiction made me dislike her at once. Sadly it seems she deleted every trace of her past fandom drama, when her being a scammer came out and previous members of her doujin circle ostracized her, so I could never get the full story.

If anyone has deets, please share. >>7995286
hs tales would be appreciated as well.

[Anonymous No.7997082]

>>7997053
I'm from Brazil anon, recently I got 3 meters of tick patterned winter fabric for less than 10 dolars.

I actually sew since I was 13 so I guess I'm more skilled than other people.

[Anonymous No.7997093]

>>7997082
>I'm from Brazil anon, recently I got 3 meters of thick patterned winter fabric for less than 10 dollars.

God Damn I wish fabric was that cheap here in aus, thick winter fabrics can set you back around $10 to $15 ($8.21 to $12.31 USD) per metre for cheap stuff!

[Anonymous No.7997095]

>>7997093
>reasons why I have never learned to sew
ausfag represent

[Anonymous No.7997097]

>>7997079
It's early in the morn.
Shhhh.

[Anonymous No.7997110]

>>7997095
I do a lot of Love Live costumes that taobao sellers don't manufacture, so I've basically had to learn to sew to keep my collection growing

My Mums an ex-seamstress though so I can go around to hers for help if I ever need it which is a nice perk

[Anonymous No.7997119]

>>7997093
I'm in the US and that's pretty normal pricing for fabrics. For fleece you're looking at $10-14USD for not on sale/online stuff. I think I paid about $15 for my poly/wool coating, but was looking at $20+ for low end stuff.

[Anonymous No.7997138]

>>7997119
That's if you don't use coupons, though. Granted, Joann's isn't always the best place to get fabric, but when you're looking for solid colored basic sateen, organza, chiffon, and lining, as well as notions, you can coupon the shit outta that place.

[Anonymous No.7997140]

>>7997082
I've been sewing seriously for roughly six or seven years and it still takes me about ten hours work to make a basic OP with minimal trims. Teach me your skills, sensei.

[Anonymous No.7997157]

>>7997138
Yeah, coupons are great. :) I'm bad though because I'm a visual/touchy fabric shopper and Joann's is the only fabric store in the immediate area. I could go to NYC...but man I would spend an arm and a leg.

[Anonymous No.7997159]

all of the people on these boards are practically almost always cunts to each other and I don't fucking understand why.

[Anonymous No.7997163]

>>7997159
If you contribute nothing you're going to get nothing, and thus know nothing.

Sensitive babby.

[Anonymous No.7997169]

>>7997159

[Anonymous No.7997172]

>>7997163
So edgy.

[Anonymous No.7997183]

>>7997172
Desu.

[Anonymous No.7997269]

>>7997157
I had to find teal wool coating in a really specific shade to go with other fabrics, and I caved and went to NYC for it. The person at the cutting counter was so nice and gave it to me for 20$/yard instead of 25$. Still killed my wallet.

Whenever I commissioned any cosplay I always did the fabric shopping, it kind of surprises me that that's not the norm. I wouldn't trust anyone to match colors accurately, at least this way I can only blame myself if the colors are off.

[Anonymous No.7997321]

>>7997269
People who don't sew tend to know absolutely nothing about textiles. I would not let a client supply fabric unless they cleared each piece by me first.

[Anonymous No.7997389]

>>7997080
Really, she was ostracized? I know she's working for a girl now selling doujins at cons probably like 50 percent of the time. That's really sketch I wonder how she made her way back in or if her new 'boss' doesnt know about this shit.

[Anonymous No.7997517]

>>7997321
I'm talking about the seamstress giving fabric suggestions (telling someone to get poplin, wool, etc) and the customer bringing them swatches. That way the customer gets the colors they want, and the seamstress get the right fabrics.
That's how I did it with the last two pieces I commissioned. It only really works if the person is local unfortunately.

[Anonymous No.7997566]

>>7995949
simple, send her an itemized invoice. i'll do it for you if you want, no charge. i work in collections (no lie).

[Anonymous No.7997682]

>>7997389
i've hate-stalked her for her atrocious behavior in the T&B fandom for a while. she seems to have moved onto the big new fujoshi fandoms, and never blogs about or even mentions T&B anymore. I wouldn't be surprised if she's buried that stuff, or got some of her insanely dedicated fans to vouch her.

[Anonymous No.7997745]

>>7997080
I don't have too many good stories offhand, because back then she was very much to herself. This was before cons and her doujin stuff. We were basically glued at the hip for years, it was when she suddenly decided she was lesbian and got more heavily into anime stuff that she also decided I wasn't awesome enough for her. Basically she was your normal pretentious yaoi weeb who decided she was going to be gods gift to yaoi and didn't realize that she was all around a fairly average person. The kind of super smart girl who peaked in middle school and never let go of the praise and A+ she got there.

[Anonymous No.7997788]

>>7997053

I'm looking for cosplay. Price is at the most $300. Do I need to describe what series I'm looking for?

[Anonymous No.7997942]

>>7997140

well anon I guess it all comes down to knowing your body well, being pratical and having a steady hand.
When I trace my patterns I know already how it fits in my body just by looking at it, so I take mostly 30mins max doing it. Making a dress easily adjustable also helps.
The way I keep my fabric stored it doesn't get many wrinkles so I don't lose a lot of time ironing it.
I have a book full of drawings I made of designs I'd like to try, already marked with how the pattern should look and how much fabric and details I'll need, so I'm also saving time on that.

I also have a very steady hand, most times I don't pin down the fabric ( I only do it when I feel that I'll need it). I had a comissioner come and watch me sew him a costume and be impressed about how paralel and straight the seams were to the border

[Anonymous No.7998018]

>>7997159
I think you're exaggerating just a lil, anon. We're cunts about 50% of the time, because it's anonymous here and we can be as damn honest as we please without ridiculous social constructs to guilt us about it. It's a hell of a lot more productive, if you ask me.

[Anonymous No.7998025]

>>7997269
I thought it WAS the standard to fabric shop yourself. I don't let my customers shop. They can suggest materials, but I will be the one to buy them, even if I have to order swatches first.

The last time I let a customer suggest fabrics, though, I was facepalming so hard the entire time. She went to Joanns, which was fine because she was looking to get a solid colored dress done, so I told her to go ahead and pick out a few fabrics she thought looked nice together. She sent me pictures of the organza that has the sparkled scrollwork, performance mesh, that cheap black satin you find in the shittier formal wear section that has the multicolored glitter in it, and all of this, matched with cluny lace, which is fine on its own, but not with such formal fucking fabrics! They have venice for fucks sake! My boyfriend gave me a very confused look as I groaned long and hard in horror at the computer screen.

[Anonymous No.7998037]

>>7997788
It would probably help. Depending on what character you want, $300 can be very reasonable or really lowballing it. I'm a lolita though, and though I do cosplay, I don't think I'm skilled enough to make people pay for my work, nor am I knowledgeable enough about commissioners, so I'll let others do the recommending.

[Anonymous No.7998073]

>>7995983
>>7997788
>>7998037

>Masayoshi Hazama from Samurai flamenco (his first outfit.)
>Dizzy from GGxrd/Vastedge
>Dva from World Conquest Zvezda Plot

Picture related. I just need the outfit. I'm making the helmet myself.

[Anonymous No.7998075]

>>7998073
>Don't need the wings, boots, or the wig/bows. Just the basic outfit.

[Anonymous No.7998086]

>>7998075
I'm hoping to find someone to do the Masayoshi cosplay the most because I'm working on his third suit right now but really wanted to do his character.

[Anonymous No.7998133]

>>7998073
>Dva from World Conquest Zvezda Plot
d-do you have a group for this cosplay

[Anonymous No.7998141]

>>7998133
Nope. I just like doing really obscure or rare cosplays.

I was going to do stuff from well know series but decided at the last minute to drop them so thus I need commissioners. The problem is God Save the Queen is too expensive and I tried Fanplusfriend but they wanted $350 for just a P4U2 cosplay so I know they would charge around $500+ just for Dva.

[Anonymous No.7998147]

>>7998141
when are you planning to wear him?

[Anonymous No.7998174]

I commissioned a Sol Badguy costume years ago. The person who was making it had a website with a ton of pictures. Most of the costumes looked pretty good. I spent probably $300, gave her my exact measurements.

When I got the costume, it was way too big, made from fucking bright red nasty pleather, and completely lacked any sort of detail. I was so pissed off.

Ended up throwing it away a few years later after not wearing it.

Unfortunately I don't even remember who I commissioned it from.

[Anonymous No.7998179]

>>7998147
2015. I'm not sure what cons but maybe Acen or Midwest. I want to try to go to Otakon but it depends on what happens.

I don't have (note: no) friends into cosplaying so it's kind of hard to go out of state to anime cons for groups.

Also it depends on if I can get it commissioned in the first place. The only person I know that does Dva offhand is Cos look and that's around $400 for the whole outfit. The rest are just bad.

>Picture related. I found it on ebay

Funny story:

>Contact seller because cosplay looks like the exact one from Cos look
>Seller says "Oh the maker works for Cos look."
>Broken english, asks for my email (a big no no on Ebay) to send more images, images sent are just more from cos look.

[Anonymous No.7998184]

>>7998174
>Mfw
That's why I'm asking here about commissions. I'm really paranoid to find a bad seller, especially considering that the cosplays I want are hard to do.

[Anonymous No.7998197]

>>7998179
damn, I'm planning to do kate sometime in 2015, but I'm not going to any of those cons
Maybe you could try to make the outfit yourself? It seems like it could be made with a modified zentai suit and a hood.

[Anonymous No.7998216]

That guy I talked about at the top of the thread keeps changing his mind about his commission.
Yet again offers a room for a con in November and to "work for me".
I have no idea what the fuck he even does....

I sent him an email this morning telling him that I'm declining any commissions from him.
Just when and checked to see that I have over 60 emails from him begging me to take his commission.

Told him that I'm giving him a week to make a deposit or serious payment or I'm dropping him.
I'm probably the only person who's been willing to discuss a commission with this guy without dropping him right from the start.

>control your autism

[Anonymous No.7998225]

>>7998197
I'm not really sure how to do the mask or the gloves though. I'm afraid it might look like >>7998179 because I never did this before.

Sorry. I want to go out of state more but monies. Maybe if I get a better job.

[Anonymous No.7998227]

>>7998216
LOL that guy is still at it? You should just drop him.

[Anonymous No.7998249]

>>7995501
Anyone know who made that dress?

[Anonymous No.7998252]

>>7998225
The gloves are just plain red gloves, not sure what's hard about them
Though the mask does seem kind of difficult; maybe you could just commission that instead of the whole thing?
Hopefully you can find a decent commissioner if you don't feel up to making it, but I feel like it'll be difficult to get a good product since the outfit is skintight.

[Anonymous No.7998265]

>>7998252
Thanks anon. I would just try to do at least one myself but I never done anything skintight before and I have a five month deadline for this (Plus I'm working on another cosplay outside of this one that I want.)

[Anonymous No.7998286]

>>7995881
What country is that and can you recommend any people to commission from?

[Anonymous No.7998289]

>>7995949
Tell the bitch to pay you and if she doesn't report her as a bum among your cosplaying community

[Anonymous No.7998298]

>>7997080
Charging for fanfiction? Was she doing fanfic commissions? Not sure why that's taboo when charging for fanart commissions is not

[Anonymous No.7998310]

>>7998216
Anon its not worth it. Just drop him

Mainly because he isn't showing respect to you as a commissioner. Ask him if he would ever buy groceries by asking to work for the store; Some people man.

[Anonymous No.7998315]

>>7998249
I found this anon, Maybe use the send message to the seller if you want to see more of there stuff

http://www.lacemarket.us/ooak-handmade-rennaissanceelizabethan-lolita-set-including-matching-hat-and-blouse/

[Anonymous No.7998383]

>>7998298
I think anon's problem was that it was shitty OOC fanfiction, not that she was charging for it. She sounds like a hack in general, wouldn't surprise me if her writing skills were shit too tbh.

[Anonymous No.7998491]

>>7998265
Pull a few all-nighters. This >>7998086 looks like it would look much nicer in latex, maybe check with a few people who do custom latex?

[Anonymous No.7998502]

>>7998491
Off hand you know how much that would cost?

I hate asking questions (because I don't want to be spoonfeed) but I don't want to do something stupid either.

[Anonymous No.7998512]

Fuck JadenFox

[Anonymous No.7998532]

>>7998383
>>7998298
I think original anons issue was both.
The situation was she had a shitty Tiger and Bunny AU where she wrote OOC fanfic for then managed to put together a fanbook for it and sold it to people. I think she got a few friends who were artists to do art for it too, which was the only decent part about the whole thing.

[Anonymous No.7998548]

>>7995185
commissioned skirts and matching bows for my dance group. had to hound the girl for updates then when they arrived they wouldnt fit over anyones hips and parts of the skirts werent even finished.. we gave the dumb bitch accurate measurements. and the bows were god awful! my 13 year old sister could have made better bows. i contacted her only to get "not my problem" and was told i couldnt post feedback anywhere.

[Anonymous No.7998601]

>>7997063
>Maybe they ded.

Not in this case, haha. We are friends on FB, and she posts regularly.

[Anonymous No.7998606]

>>7998184
I would suggest trying to find someone who is more local, especially if you're going to be dropping lots of coin and the outfit is more on the complicated side. That way if they dick you over, you can take them to small claims court without it being too much of a hassle than say if you commissioned someone three states away and they just dipped with your money. Naturally it's not totally failsafe, but it's something to consider. Maybe if you're extremely paranoid about it, try learning how to make things yourself? That's honestly what I did after getting scammed hard by someone way back in the day.

[Anonymous No.7998617]

>>7997682
Oh man have I missed Ouropornos wank. I saw her booth at a con last year (or this spring? I forget) and beelined so fast in the other direction.

[Anonymous No.7998645]

>>7995185
Has anyone had any experience dealing with cosplay-shops.com?

[Anonymous No.7998670]

>>7998606
This anon is definitely working on that. The problem is I'm not sure what commissioner is even in the midwest that could do something this complicated.

Tempted to use Taobao for lulz if I can't find anyone since it might be like $60 for a spandex suit but I heard /cgl/ warn so many people to never buy spandex from China.

>>7997063
>Maybe they ded

I'm horrible but I kek'ed.

[Anonymous No.7998674]

>>7998502
Most premade latex catsuits/zentai whatever you wanna call it go for around 150. There are plenty of premade Samus/Plugsuit/Catwoman cosplay suits around that price. I imagine getting one custom, especially one that's fairly simple like the one you want, wouldn't be hard to find for $300.
Also, don't be afraid to contact someone who works with mainly fetish wear. They know their way around latex, without a doubt. They may also be able to make that gas mask for a reasonable price.

Browse through some latex fetish sites for good commissioners to contact, or browse Etsy for suits you think look like quality by sellers with really good feedback, and message them.

[Anonymous No.7998801]

>>7998383
She always bragged that she was an amazing writer since middle school. She was good, really...for a middle schooler. But never improved after that.

[Anonymous No.7999148]

>>7998216
I'm the other anon with an over-friendly and possibly autistic customer. I'm ignoring his messages until Friday, when I'll ask about the payment. If he doesn't pay I'm just gonna block him.

[Anonymous No.7999158]

>>7996536
Maybe she died?

[Anonymous No.7999308]

>>7997080
I used to be pretty good acquaintances with her and one of her old artists, don't follow either of them now since I now know better. Learning this cos wank of hers is glorious. Regarding the fanbook drama, (putting aside its dumb AU OOC shitness) I don't blame her for dropping one of the good artists as she was an autist who was getting pissy at her for starting to move away from T&B. Though I'm sure there was a lot more behind the scenes stuff between the two.
Looking back now, I realize the T&B fandom as a whole was kind of awful. Used to absolutely love the show but certain people I met killed it for me and now I feel nothing for it.

[Anonymous No.7999355]

This one was more of a "potential costumer" but still damn annoying
> do wig commissions
> guy messages me on FB asking about how much it would cost him for me to style a wig for X character that has hair where a lacefront or glued hairline would be needed
> Alright, do you want it to be glued hairline or are you buying a lacefront?
> "what's a lacefront? o3o"
> start explaining to him what a lacefront and glued hairline is
> "I'd like one with a natural hairline"
> yeah that's what I just told you, lacefront
> asks me how much a lacefront costs and I tell him the usual cost but that it's worth it tbh
> Starts saying it's too expensive, starts asking me if I can make it myself
> I tell him it would be much more expensive if I had to make it from scratch
> "well it was just an idea cosplay"
> mfw I spend approximately 1-2 hours in all talking to this guy and then it was just "an idea"

[Anonymous No.7999498]

>>7997517
That still doesn't work when the client has no idea what poplin is, or that satin is a weave, not a fiber, etc, etc. There are a hundred different ways you can buy "wool." Someone who doesn't sew has no idea what weight to buy or whether a blend is suitable or whether the fabric is decent quality. Giving a complete noob a crash course in textiles is not generally expected to be part of the job.

[Anonymous No.7999507]

>>7999498
It's their responsability for picking up shitty fabric. If they want everything to be shiny satin, so be it. You just have to put things together.

[Anonymous No.7999693]

I suppose mine isn't terrible, its pretty short anyway. Wasn't the actual commission that was bad.

>I used to make polymer fantasy critters
>gnomes, fairies, goblins, little weird shit in bug jars basically
>friend commissions me to make her one
>we are both sharing a table at a con, so we agree that I will bring it then and it will be displayed (with a "sold" tag) so I can get more orders
>con comes and everyone fucking loves the little weird jarred critters (was a steampunk con with little by way of cute or kid friendly stuff)
>go to pack up at end of day
>pick up jar
>it rattles
>top is loose
>critter is broken and chipped
>fingerprints on inside of jar, like they opened it and tried to pull critter out
We had a really busy moment so I guess it must have happened then, but still who would even try that? If they were trying to steal it it would have been so much easier to just take the jar.

[Anonymous No.7999715]

>>7997057
Above anon u responded to. Would you be willing to post ?

[Anonymous No.7999726]

>>7995881
>>7997053
>>7997082
I feel like the US is being shafted in terms of crafting supplies. Its nigh on impossible to find good fabric or lace here unless you live near a fashion industry center. I'm lucky enough to have discovered a clothing factory surplus place near me, but I know thats definitely not the norm.

[Anonymous No.7999740]

>>7997517
I actually sew for a lot of my friends. I take on small projects or just parts of outfits. I take them with me to the stores and let them pick out a fabric they like and offer any suggestions if i feel it's necessary.We bring reference photos. They really enjoy picking out what they like and have someone explaining it. If it's for customers where I'm not able to do that, they leave it up to me.

[Anonymous No.7999774]

>>7995552
where the fuck do you live that dishwashers and cashiers make $17 an hour? That is skilled pay where I live. I cashier more minimum wage at $7.25/hour (gross income so more like $7)

[Anonymous No.7999777]

>>7999774
*for

[Anonymous No.7999820]

>>7999726
I'm in the UK and I've never lived further than 10 minutes from a Fabricland. Owner is crazy but it's still a godsend for cheap yet good quality fabric.

[Anonymous No.7999846]

>>7999726
cheap sewing anon here
We don't have huge fabric stores like joann's (I've been in the US before) or anything like that, but we have streets full of stores.
You'll find 20 stores that only sell lace, in different types and colors, by meter or closed pack.
30-60 fabric stores with different prices ( some charge by weight, others by meter) and 2-5 stores that only sell zippers, where you can get any custom color/puller/size.

That and smaller stores that sell buttons or straps or buckles.

I think almost every city has at least one street like this, unless it's a really small one.

[Anonymous No.7999860]

>>7999846

Anyway, an horror story, but a satisfying ending:

>make a comissioned costume
>Sword Art Online character
>Girl took forever to make first payment
>Deadline didn't move
>Paid me 2 weeks before con and wanted it done
>Didn't want to come and try it on before I finish
> I only had the measures she sent me
> I send her the costume, it doesn't fit
> turns out she's a whale and didn't want to send me her real measures
> she gave the costume to a random lady
> lady proceeds to call me and tell me that I can't sew shit
> I offer the girl a refund if she's so unhappy, as long as she returns the costume
> She accepts it, send the costume back ( didn't go to the con)
> I open the package and it's missing the socks, skirt and gloves
> give partial refund since it's missing most of the costume
I don't even know why she kept it, it didn't fit her
> she argues, her mother calls me and screams at me
> well shit, whatever, I don't have to deal with suck a fucked up client
>ignore anything else, I already made my part

fast foward a few months

>see her at con, same character's costume
>made by the lady who called me
> ugly as sin, badly fitted and made entirely with satin
>socks were tall football socks

[Anonymous No.8000151]

>>7999507
You don't "just put things together." That's not how garment construction works. You really cannot use just any fabric for any article of clothing. The differences are not just aesthetic.

[Anonymous No.8000331]

>>7999846
Nah. In the US, sewing is a dying craft and no one really makes their own shit anymore. Mention you can sew and suddenly everyone thinks you're a theater kid.

[Anonymous No.8000471]

>>7999846
Here in the US, if you don't live near a large city (like NYC, LA, etc) you pretty much have just three choices. Chain stores like Joanns or Hobby Lobby with pretty basic selections, tiny stores with expensive quilting cotton of varying themes, or Walmart.

[Anonymous No.8000477]

>>8000331
Man I am a theatre kid, but my sewing skills are mediocre at best. I take more crochet commissions than anything else - oh well.

[Anonymous No.8000505]

>>8000331
gotta be all "I do garment design"

[Anonymous No.8000616]

>>7998512
amen

[Anonymous No.8000850]

>>7998512
Just checked her profile since i only see her chaos fox costuming one. I'm not actually friends with her. I see that it says "Jaden fox changed his profile picture." I feel like i've missed something here.

[Anonymous No.8000941]

>>7998197
Different anon, you want/need a Itsuka?
I've already started on her but I don't want to walk around alone ya' know?
I'm on the south coast btw

[Anonymous No.8001027]

>>8000331
>>8000471
I feel sorry for crafty anons in the US..
Hey at least you guys are a first world country!

[Anonymous No.8001175]

Speaking of sewing and horrors, has anyone else seen Penny Can't's newest abomination?
You can BIN for $120

[Anonymous No.8001201]

>>7998249
Atelier Angel. She's super super nice.
Tumblr; http://atelierangel.tumblr.com/
Etsy; https://www.etsy.com/shop/atelierangel
Portfolio; http://atelierangel.tumblr.com/tagged/portfolio

[Anonymous No.8001238]

>>8001201
Also this is totally not self-promotion in case you guys thought that.

[Anonymous No.8001270]

>>8001238
Didn't think that, because I know you aren't the one who posted the picture, I am lol

[Anonymous No.8001293]

Story time

>Be me a few weeks ago
>19, too old for some younger cosplays
>Still want to try to make the costumes to see if I can make costumes in other sizes than my own
>If I can't my sewing skills are pretty useless when I get out of cosplay, I figured
>12 y/o girl from my church is excited, wants me to make her a dress
>Let her pick between something like Namine or Rumia, as an easy start
>Decides on Namine, she loves the simple design
>Since it was my idea, I said I'd pay for materials and do it for free
>Project was set for somewhere next spring, but she called me to ask if I could finish it in time for her junior high prom
>Literally 2 weeks in advance, while I had mid-terms
>Being a female betashit and a pushover, I comply and tell her I'll do it
>Her family is really poor, so I'm charging nothing for it
>Go over to her house to take her sizes, have pattern all sketched out
>She tells me she wants the design a bit different
>I draw her new patterns until she's happy
>During mid terms she texts me every day to ask if it is done
>It's not, 3 days to go
>Tell her I'll finish it on time, have materials ready and everything
>It's a hell lot of work but I owe it all to myself
>2 days beforehand she calls me, saying that she'll spend the whole day of prom at a friend's place
>So she'll need it one day in advance because she won't be coming home
>Panic, spend the night sewing
>Can't back out now last minute, so finish it somewhere early morning

cont.

[Anonymous No.8001305]

>>8001293
>junior high prom

where the fuck even has that?

We had shitty dances once a month in middle school, and nobody went to them because they were boring AF

[Anonymous No.8001313]

>>8001293
>Go over to the girl's place, give her the dress
>At this point it looks nothing like Namine's anymore, but oh well
>She tries it on
>She thinks it's too long and wants me to make it a bit sexier
>I told her I wasn't sure if I could make it in time, since the ride to her place takes 2 hours retour and I'm dependent on public transport
>Girl's mother makes migraine-ish motions and tells her daughter to wear her back-up dress if I can't do it
>There was a backup dress
>I didn't do all of this to have the dress not-worn
>Travel home, shorten dress
>Arrive at their place late at night
>Dress is perfect fit, she seems happy
>Runs upstairs with dress, no "thank you's"
>Parents kick me out since it was late

I wasn't even mad since it was all my fault. Pic related. Please make fun of me /cgl/
I didn't hear from the girl until a month after prom or so, she forgot to report back but apparently she had an ok time.

>>8001305
Yurop

[Anonymous No.8001316]

>>8001270
Sorry if anyone might have thought that! I just really admire her work. Shes just one of those inspiration Lolitas that stick out in your mind for me.

[Anonymous No.8001327]

>>8001313
what a bitch

[Anonymous No.8001368]

>>8001175
this is one of the better things she's made and it's still appalling

[Anonymous No.8001421]

>>8001313
I agree what a bitch.

[Anonymous No.8001477]

>>8001316
I'm with you there, her work is so meticulous and beautiful, and I really look up to her and hope to reach her same level of skill!

[Anonymous No.8001479]

>>8001175
Why would anyone want to make it so clear that they bought cheap quilting cotton from Joann's? I hate those all-over mid-size prints in general, but especially in lolita.

[Anonymous No.8001501]

>>8001327
>>8001421
The girl? Or the mother? Personally if I was beta-girl I'd be more upset about the mother. When I was 12 I thought I could wrap the world around my little finger too, but at least I thanked people who did things for me. The mother is and adult though (I hope). Telling her daughter to wear another dress is kinda rude to the anon.

[Anonymous No.8001518]

>>8001501
both of them.
Mother for being a stupid cunt, child for beind a ungrateful bitch

[Anonymous No.8001557]

>>8001501
Both of them.

[Anonymous No.8001935]

lulz
https://archive.rebeccablacktech.com/cgl/thread/7796214

[Anonymous No.8001979]

>>8001935
>7 hours to make pattern
>for literally just a tank and shorts
>needing months to make a tank and shorts and then not even starting on it


wwwwwwwwwow

[Anonymous No.8002113]

>>7995592

dude, get them on ebay for 3$ no one likes making gloves

[Anonymous No.8002117]

>>8002113
>and my fingers are too long to just buy them online

Gr8 reading comprehension, there, pal. Don't you think I would have tried that in the first place?

[Anonymous No.8002262]

>>8002117
I know someone who might do it unless you want to just try taobao commissions.

[Anonymous No.8002350]

>>8001979
retarded commissioner

[Anonymous No.8003420]

>>7997788
>>7998073
Sorry, kinda funny but as a commissioner you totally set off a pet peeve commissioners have of customers.

I do not charge you for research (unless you want me to start charging for quotes to weed out lazy idiots), so SEND ME PHOTOS of your character, (and their name), front and back, full body shots, head to toe, and even detail closeups. NOT for my sewing references, but for quote purposes.

I am not going to do 10-15 minutes free google research for you (and 20 other quotes per day, which leads up to sometimes hours of unpaid labor on my end) to give you a quote when you probably aren't going to order anyway.

Customers that send me a head shot, or worse yet, just the name of the character with no links to references - are a sure-fire signal to me that I am dealing with a child or a complete idiot that I don't want to work with.

[Anonymous No.8003431]

>>7998216
ABORT

Even if he *does* pay you, it will take you longer to answer his constant email diarrhea stream and hourly update requests than to actually sew his costume.

You literally won't have time to sew his costume because the second you hit "send" on his 97483rd "how's it coming along?" email and try to go work on something, he will have asked for another update.

This guy has given you tons of warning signs already, if you take this guys order I don't even pity you because you are dumb

[Anonymous No.8003435]

>>8003431
in addition - every hour that goes by that you don't answer him, he will start looking for outlets to freak out about you, and it won't be in your inbox.

He will come here, he will go on coscom, he will go to every website he can think of and start "OMG I'M BEING SCAMMED GUYS RITE? HELP ME" threads until you shoot yourself in the head

[Anonymous No.8003453]

>>7999726
there was a pretty good AMA on reddit with a girl who worked at a Joanns fabrics. They bloat the prices on everything 40-50% as standard because they expect you to use coupons or wait for things to go on sale.

Makes shopping for costumes tedious, like I have to plan shopping for a costume over a few weeks instead of just one afternoon trip

[Anonymous No.8003483]

>>7999860
> didn't want to send me her real measures

I can't even. Why did she ask you to make that costume if she knew it would be too small? Was she hoping she could squeeze herself into it?

[Anonymous No.8003712]

>>7995527
People are lazy and stupid. There is a metric ass-ton of tutorials about how to do everything online, but you still have to do shit for yourself.

[Anonymous No.8003720]

>>7995534
Good clothing takes time to make. Yes a person can make a dress in less time, but it won't be any better than crap you could buy at Walmart.
If you're going to sew, make something that's worth it.

[Anonymous No.8003734]

>>7995556
The book The surprisingly High Cost of Cheep fashion is basically the long version of what you wrote.

[Anonymous No.8003896]

>>7999355
This shit pisses me off so much. I do wig commissions too and I've gotten a handful of questions regarding lacefronts.
>"Well, can't you do it yourself?"
They don't understand when I tell them that ventilating would be much more expensive due to labor hours.
>"Can you do the hairline without the lace?"
I could, but it's not what you want and will still be expensive.
>"You're charging too much for something I could just buy online."
Then fucking buy online? Why are you asking me?

Some people.

[Anonymous No.8003924]

>>8003712

>Everything online about cosplay

Could never find out how to do Kumagawa's screws. There's no tutorial about it either. I did get help from /cgl/ and I'm hoping to form my own tutorial to help out future Medaka box cosplayers if it works.

There's no tutorial about doing Samurai Flamenco's armor (or even his undersuit) so I'm basically guessing and going to use worbla for it. I found one guy who did it before and I'm hoping he can point me in the right direct.

If it's not popular the chances of finding a tutorial or a cosplayer's help based on a certain character is little to zero.

[Anonymous No.8003963]

>>8003924
>based on a certain character
You don't always need that. That's why there's general tutorials. Usually they use a certain character as an example, but part of learning is applying that tutorial to a different character.

There are some cases where you need it for a specific character, but those are surprisingly uncommon and you can still do it with generals.

[Anonymous No.8003977]

>>8003963
In the screw case I haven't figured out how to do the base and there's nothing similar to it either. I'm serious I actually looked and (ugh) coscom kept giving me really bad advice. So I'm experimenting on it and it's pretty fun. There's a general tutorial about how to do the spiral (that you seagulls gave me thank you again,) but nothing on the base so I'm working on a tutorial to help out other people who might do the same cosplay.

A really lazy/noob person would most likely be confused, (because there's no guide/nothing to spoon feed them,) omit such a prop or in >>7995527 bug the hell out of them because "they must know everything111!!!" because they can't afford to buy the prop.

And no I'm not asking for help and this isn't a thinly veiled asking for help either. I'm just pointing out that not everyone is like me and want to experiment or creative.

[Anonymous No.8003984]

>>8003977
Yeah yeah I know, just saying.
You actually tried to find whatever you could, props to you.
I just run into a weird lot of people who expect there to be specific tutorials for every little complicated thing on a character.

[Anonymous No.8004002]

>>8003984
Oh yeah I know that feeling. I learned after so many years that not everyone is motivated or determined as me when it comes to trying. It's mind boggling because if I can't get answers from here I usually look it up or something similar and ask them (one time) then move on. Not over and over and over again.

>Baby's first commission from ebay
>Wore it once but kept it good condition.
>Tried to sell it
>Someone offered cosplays for trade
>Both cosplays were from ebay
>Said no thanks
>Offered $20 on a whole cosplay with shoes that I paid around $50 or so with shipping
>No thanks
>Person kept asking over and over again how to do this or that
>Person kept asking for my FB, etc.

[Anonymous No.8004024]

>>7999308
I know the feel. I really like the show but the fandom is all yaoi and weirdness.

Commission story, although its pretty tame.
>do halloween commissions
>normal lady wants a Dorthy dress for her husband, she's going as the Wicked Witch of the West.
>fine
>Dress is size 3X, this guy was over six foot two
>done a day or so before the deadline
>"can you make a couch pillow and hem the witch dress?"
>I'm not an upholsterer, the pillow looked like a leopard-spotted potato.
>she payed up but I don't do anything I'm unfamiliar with anymore

[Anonymous No.8004734]

> Ask guy for a range of different measurements for a complicated commission.
> Even explain how to take the measurements and send diagrams
> "I'm not comfortable sending you so many measurements, my height is X and I weigh X. That should be enough"
> Well I hope you're comfortable getting a badly fitting cosplay then you dick.

[Anonymous No.8004777]

>>8004734
>I'm not comfortable sending you so many measurements
The fuck does he think you're going to do, stalk him with them?
Why do people act like this.

[Anonymous No.8005001]

>>7996259
i love you.

[Anonymous No.8005088]

>>8003453
Got a link to it? I used to work there 6 years ago, so I'm curious how much worse it's gotten.

I can't stand to shop there anymore. It seems like all of them have cut staff below the bare minimum, so the wait to get anything cut/purchased it too long, and the prices just aren't worth it. I'd buy stuff when I had to be there every day and could plan my purchases around sales (I never bought anything for full price the entire time I worked there), but now I can only make it to one once in a while, and when I do, I just kinda wonder around disappointed and never buy anything.

[Anonymous No.8005094]

>>8003431
He's been dropped because I'm sick of dealing with stupid shit.
I took his commission before, and one 2 separate occasions, 2 months before due sate and 2 weeks before the due date], he emailed me saying that he needed it immediately.
Then he threw a fit and sent me a jibillion emails the week before I sent it out [on time] about how I was late and "scammed" him.
Then all was normal when it got to him and he acted like it didn't happen.
I ignored his emails the last month I worked with him because I was just so sick of his shit.

Literally just got an email now about a quote I gave 2 weeks ago.
"sorry i didnt get back with you because my mom was sick also if youd do a trade it be awsome but if not i can understand".

Not even going to reply to that one.

[Anonymous No.8005125]

>>8005094
Anon leave a note in case you get murder by this guy

[Anonymous No.8005166]

>>8003453
I believe this. There's something wrong when you can find the exact same fabric at Walmart or your local fabric store for literally half the cost. Basic thin stretch knit shouldn't ever cost $14/yd, but when you aren't in the city that's all you have access to.

[Anonymous No.8005172]

>>8003924
Why do cosplayers expect so much handholding nowadays? Just because someone hasn't uploaded a spoonfeeding instruction manual for making your exact costume doesn't mean that there isn't a plethora of tutorials and guides you can use. What ever happened to trial and error or discovering your own methods? I see so many people throw their hands up and message a famous cosplayer for instructions because they can't be bothered to think for themselves.

[Anonymous No.8005191]

>>8005172
This. I honestly find the constant hand-holding kind of disgusting. There are so many tutorials that cover the basics, why can't you use this knowledge and tailor it to your specific needs?

[Anonymous No.8005204]

>>8005172
>>8005191

As I explained in post >>8003977 some people are just lazy or don't want to waste their money. Since cosplay is a critical point and people are critical on details, many (no a lot) of cosplayers want their outfit to be perfectionist perfect. They don't put in consideration of other people when they beg for help over and over again and they are not confident in doing something that gives them the attention and praise they want.

It's an ego trip tbh.

Me personally I don't give a fuck. I love being creative and if it comes out shit well it comes out shit. But I'm an artist so maybe that's just me.

[Anonymous No.8005205]

>>8005172
Seconding this with this anon >>8005191
Cosplay requires at least some thinking on your own part. If your not the type of person can think abstractly and say look at another tutorial and then think about how to adapt it for something else I would just stop and save your money for a commissioner. I have a friend who needed to paint tights for her Homura costume. She bugged me and I googled search a couple tutorials on how to paint tights and she just couldnt figure it out because the shapes werent the same. Bitch please!? It is the same fucking idea. Sorry anons I mad because come con season I have to deal with people who just dont know how to think outside the box.

[Anonymous No.8005246]

>>7995701
How the hell do you get tipped on that?

[Anonymous No.8005248]

>>8002262
How much would they charge / how long would they need? I need them before February for Katsucon, so I don't think I realy have time for Taobao.

[Anonymous No.8005255]

Creative=/=cosplay

If cosplay was about creativity then Commissioners and factory cosplay people wouldn't have jobs. People wouldn't try to cosplay the latest trends or hot cosplay.

Its like saying everyone who cooks should be able to make a roux.

[Anonymous No.8005265]

>>8005248
Not too sure how much they would charge o the quality but here:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/shoshanna2003

There's another one too.

[Anonymous No.8005319]

>>7996505
It's been 2 years, don't feel bad.

[Anonymous No.8005341]

>>8005255
Making a roux is super easy, though. I'd argue that everyone who cooks should be able to make a roux.

[Anonymous No.8005699]

>>8005255
Even if you commission someone, they have to use creativity to make whatever you couldn't make.
You can just buy everything online and only cosplay simple things, that doesn't require creativity.

[Anonymous No.8005721]

>>8005699
>Key word is 'they.'

The person who is asking for the commission to the commissioner either has little to no creativity or time or whatever the situation. I'm assuming that's why getting commissioned cosplays are frown on /cgl/ compared to making the whole thing yourself because it shows creativity rather than buying someone's creativity and being a 'fake' as well as general implied laziness.

I don't honestly know but I'm assuming this is what some seagulls feel.

>'Assuming' mind you!

Some cosplays look simple but are really complicated if the person is a total newbie/new and/or has no creative bone in their body. Like it's hard to pull off a good Cammy, Red from Pokemon, or White without looking like shit. Bad cosplay threads proved this with the horrible Kagome and L cosplays, two really simple cosplays.

I'm actually curious to hear more seagull's opinions about this.

>>8005341
I actually know how to make a roux funny enough.

[Anonymous No.8005724]

>>7995534
with usually a set minimum, and usually doing more than one house a day.

[Anonymous No.8005745]

>>7999693
they tried to set it free

[Anonymous No.8005785]

>>8003977
Just cut off the top of a Styrofoam wig head for the tops of the screws (the top 1/3rd) and carve a pool noodle into the spirals, then find something to cover them with so you aren't left with an ugly texture.

[Anonymous No.8005788]

>>8005785
They also sell styrofoam balls of the appropriate size at craft stores, so he wouldn't have to butcher a wig head. Gesso is the suggested sealant for styrofoam, though I think some people also use bondo.

[Anonymous No.8005790]

>>8005788
Here we're pretty limited, so I wasn't sure about the styrofoam balls (ours are either small, sort of like snowball shaped, or large like a smallish fitness ball) but that would work for sure. And be cheaper.

A good thing to do if the OP does use a pool noodle would be to do more than three coats of a sealant and then sand it down, because they flake really badly.

[Anonymous No.8007127]

>>8004734
tell him you're a professional and professionals require information; it is NOT enough information, and you won't do his commission unless you get the minimum info you need.

If he's going to wear this outfit in public I don't see why he feels embarrassed giving his measurements to a professional

[Anonymous No.8007149]

>>7995509
>acting as if the US is the only country ever

For example, here in Australia $17 is about minimum wage...

[Anonymous No.8007194]

>>7999860
...Why do people do this? What are they expecting when they hide their real measurements? It's a downright waste of money and time for them and the commissioner to do this. I can understand some people are embarrassed, but the reasonable person wouldn't give a fuck to say whether they're stick thin or big as a whale. If you expect the costume to fit on your given body, then give out the right measurements.

I've had this happen to me before with a guy who asked me to make his costume in his waifu's measurements and see if he could fit in them, then complained when they didn't.

[Anonymous No.8007208]

>>8001501
Both of them. It sounded like it became a ploy after a while for them to get a free dress out of it.

The dress is actually had a nice concept imo. I'm kind of stupified why she needed it to be sexier. She's...12...

[Anonymous No.8007224]

>>7997110
>Love Live cosplay
>Australia

Ooh, where are you from anon?