Frequently Asked Questions

General

01.What type of costumes do you make?

02.How long does it take to make a costume?

03.How far in advance should I place an order?

04.Where are your prices listed?

05.How do you do your pricing?

06.What sort of shipping do you use?

07.Can you do a rush order?

08.What sort of payment types do you accept?

09.Can I place my order and pay when it's completed?

10.Will you accept payments?

Costumes

11.Do you make armour?

12.Do you make wigs?

13.Do you make accessories?

14.Do you make shoes?

15.Can you make [character's name]'s outfit?

16.Can you send me in-progress pictures?

17.I have all the materials, but can't make my costume due to [reason]. Could you finish it for me?

Materials

18.What type of materials do you use?

19.I want [insert material here] to be used. Can you do that?

20.I want to order a costume, but I have certain allergies. How do you handle allergies in general?

Answers

01.What type of costumes do you make?
I specialize in anime costumes, but I have done Renaissance and Shaker style outfits, and hope to soon be expanding into J-Rock/J-Pop as well.

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02.How long does it take to make a costume?
The amount of time it takes is different for each, and depends on the complexity of the piece. For instance, it might take 5 hours to make Edward Elric's red coat while Naruto's orange and blue jacket could take 8. It's purely dependant on what the item is.

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03.How far in advance should I place an order?
Please give me at LEAST 3-4 MONTHS notice to ensure enough time to make your costume, and allow ample time for shipping, so that it's not arriving on your doorstep the day of or the day after! If you're outside the United States, please remember that it can take up to 6 WEEKS if not longer for shipping, due to Customs.

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04.Where are your prices listed?
You can scour the site, but you won't find prices listed here. The reason for this is that I prefer you contact me directly for a quote. Due to the availability/cost of materials, personal preference on the part of the customer, and complexity of the piece, the costs can vary.

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05.How do you do your pricing?
Pricing is determined on a costume by costume basis, and is laid out as such: Materials + Construction + Shipping/Tracking (Insurance optional)

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06.What sort of shipping do you use?
I prefer to go with 2-3 day USPS Priority with Delivery Confirmation (Insurance optional) for costumes, simply because I've never had a problem with the postal service before, and it's cheaper on the one commissioning the costume. If you would prefer I send your costume via FedEX or UPS, please let me know so I can figure that cost into the price.

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07.Can you do a rush order?
Simply put, NO.

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08.What sort of payment types do you accept?
I accept money orders, cashier's checks, and personal checks (allow 7-10 business days for check to clear). I can also accept Paypal, if you'd prefer to do it that way, BUT because Paypal takes a small percentage of every transaction, there WILL be an additional charge to you to cover that percentage, based on the total amount of the costume.

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09.Can I place my order and pay when it's completed?
NO. The reason for this is that the cost of materials would have to come out of my pocket, and should someone decide they don't want it after all and doesn't pay, then I'm out the money for materials and I'm stuck with something I don't need.

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10.Will you accept payments?
Because a costume is a big investment for some, I can break the cost down into smaller payments to make it easier on the person... however, I require 1/2 the total costs upfront before beginning to cover the materials and initial labour costs. Smaller payments towards the balance can be made afterward, but the balance must be paid in full before the order will be shipped.

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11.Do you make armour?
While I'd love to be able to make armour, I'd have to say no to this. Simply put, it's quite time consuming and costly, and I'm a one-woman operation. It's also expensive to ship. What I CAN do though, is point you to some good armour tutorials or someone more experienced in that department.

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12.Do you make wigs?
Wigs are a tough call. I'm quite new to wigcrafting, so if it's something that wouldn't require a lot of work or a custom dye job, I might be able to make it for you. In the event that I can't, I do know of a few wigcrafters who may.

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13.Do you make accessories?
Accessories are purely dependant on what they are. For the most part, I prefer to stick to costumes themselves and let those more capable handle the wigs. If it's something that's within my capabilities, I don't have a problem with doing it, otherwise, I'd be more than happy to point you to someone who can make it for you!

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14.Do you make shoes?
I've never made shoes before, so I'm afraid I have to say no on that. There are others out there who can though, and I'd be more than willing to help you locate them.

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15.Can you make [character's name]'s outfit?
I'd love to say "I can do anything!", but the best I can say is "I can see if it's possible". It's not that I don't want to the costume, but there are some things that aren't within my abilities as a seamstress. At the very worst, I can say "No, I'm sorry, but that's not something I can do". There are certain costumes I can't or won't make, though. These include catsuits/bodysuits, Elegant Gothic Lolitas (EGLs), and mascots among others.

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16.Can you send me in-progress pictures?
Of course I can! Just let me know in your email that you'd like them.

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17.I have all the materials, but can't make my costume due to [reason]. Could you finish it for me?
If you already have the materials needed, but can't complete your costume, I'd be happy to do that for you. What I would need is the materials, your measurements, and the date you need the costume. As long as there are no additional materials required, the only cost to you would be labour and shipping.

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18. How do you choose the types of materials you use in creating a costume?
I try to look at each material from the standpoint of the time period, the overall style, the way it hangs, the reflective quality, and the atmosphere. As a general rule, I'm very picky when it comes to selecting fabrics, and will do what I can to make the commissioned piece to the same standards that I would if creating a costume for myself, to give you the best value for your money.

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19.I want [insert material here] to be used. Can you do that?
If you have a particular material you'd like the costume to be made from, please let me know. If I use one thing, and you wanted something else but failed to mention it, I have no way of knowing. This also includes things like zipper vs. velcro, button vs. snap, etc.

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20.I want to order a costume, but I have certain allergies. How do you handle allergies in general?
IMPORTANT: Some people are allergic to things such as Spandex or Lycra, but unless I'm told, I won't know, and they could run the risk of having something they can't wear. Also, if you have an allergy to metal, it's important that I know so I can see to it that if there are metallic pieces, such as snaps, buttons, rivets, studs, etc. they can be covered on the backside to keep them from irritating your skin. I DO have two cats, both of which have free roam in the house. I keep all costumes/materials in a closet and out of reach of kitties. If you are very allergic, PLEASE let me know, and please take that into consideration when ordering.

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