anotheranon | Essay: Why I Don't Costume For Money

Recently I was again presented with the opportunity to create some costumes for profit. This happens occasionally, usually when someone sees some of my personal creations and wants something similar for themselves, or refers me to a friend.

I find this interest extremely flattering, especially as I am still learning and have an infinite way to go! But I cannot bring myself to make things to order, and here are a few of the reasons why:

Good, Fast, or Cheap - Pick Two: I am a perfectionist when I'm working on a new project. Often that means multiple fittings and muslins, and careful tweaking and trimming on the final version. I don't think many people realize how much time it can take to do something well, especially as I have a full time job already!

I've also become acutely aware that non-home sewers (or at least, non-hardcore sewers) do not realize just how labor intensive those really posh details (like welt pockets or cut-to-measure) are or how expensive materials can be. Explaining it can be like telling a non-web developer that, no, I can't just "scan it" - there's more to it than that! Unless of course, you want something that will drape poorly and fall to pieces on the first wearing - then I can accomodate them :P
Requirements Creep: Related to the above, it describes the phenomena of adding an infinite number of tweaks to the original request. This can turn into a Never Ending Project, with lots of work and zero payoff (either monetary or psychologically).
Fear of Burnout: I worked retail and got utterly sick of the interior of shopping malls and the mere act of shopping for clothes, to the point that I prefer to shop online whenever possible. I love sewing so much I'd hate to never want to step into G Street Fabrics again, or get cranky at the sight of the L.A. fashion district. No amount of cash is worth that!
Lack of Time: As mentioned earlier, I have a full-time job, confining my sewing to nights and weekend when I'm not too braindead to sew a straight seam :P If I started making to order, I'd never get to make anything for myself, or experiment with new techniques.
Distance: Unless something is quite simple or made from a store bought pattern (preferably both), multiple fittings are needed to make even moderately tailored garments hang right and look good. Making a tailored jacket can take me up to 3 months, and I'm right here for fittings at any time.

If I tried to tailor for someone only 10 miles away, it could take forever given conflicting schedules and traffic. I can't even go into the logistics of mailing something back and forth over longer distances - the final product could take years!
Murphy's Law: I've experienced this multiple times on my own projects (the bra cups that wouldn't fit, the lapel collar that never lay just right, the corset that had to be remade because I cut, rather than punched, the lacing holes), and would hate to inflict the cost of my own errors on someone else - somehow I think they'd be a tad less forgiving :P
Lack of Follow Through: The one and only time I tried to make anything for anybody, they lost interest because I couldn't make it happen in a weekend. Granted, this was high school and she was a bit of a flake, but it left me stuck with a pile of black net and poly satin (see? Didn't want to spring for good materials either :P).

Short of delving into the murky world of written contracts and legalese, I cannot think of any means of assuring I'd get paid or that the customer wouldn't lose interest, with the "instant gratification" attitude that is everywhere these days.

For these reasons and others (that I might add on later, if I can think of them), I do not make things for outside parties unless they are 1) obnoxiously simple, or 2) I know where you live, and can get there easily ;)

However, I will cheerfully help brainstorm projects, show how to read a pattern, raid thrift stores/fabric stores looking for raw materials, find full time seamstresses, or help with layout/cutting/trimming/etc., or help someone dress. I just don't have what it takes to do it all!