How to PROPERLY Commission Work From a Crafter

I’ve been sewing, crafting and DIY'ing for as long as I can remember.  But it wasn’t until last year that I decided to turn my unique set of skills into a business. In this short amount of time I’ve learned so many things, things bout how to run a business, things about myself, and things about clients. 

I’ve had mostly super amazing clients that came in the form of family, friends and thankfully, strangers (you don’t know how amazing it feels to have someone who doesn’t know you want to buy a piece of your work).  But I’ve also run into a few frustrating situations when dealing with people who don’t understand what goes into crafting a custom piece or simply don’t respect the craft of crafting.

Crafters are people too. And for many of us, crafting is more than a hobby, it’s our livelihood.  So when requesting custom work from a crafter, regardless of if you know them personally or not, there are a few things you should be mindful of.

Do

-Be Clear: Know what you want and be as clear as possible when communicating to the artist. .  Consider sizing, color palettes, materials, etc.  And provide examples where available.

If given enough information, your crafter will be able to let you know if your request is possible and if so, how long it will take. The more information you can provide, the better.

-Order Early: Give your crafter time to create a quality piece for you.  I personally pride myself on being a speed demon who can crank out dopeness in the blink of an eye.  But sometimes the design process, not construction, is what can take a while. Start discussing the project with your crafter as soon as possible.  You can also set up an update schedule so that you’re notified throughout the project of its progress.

-Pay Upfront: (or at least be prepared to) Many of the working crafters that I know, have upfront payment policies, or at the very least, require deposits to begin work. Paying upfront is important for several reasons.

1. Payment helps the crafter prioritize their projects. That is, if you haven’t paid, you’ll go to the bottom of their list.

2. Payment helps procure supplies needed for your request. Supply cost is factored into the overall cost of the commission.  You shouldn’t expect the crafter to come out of pocket for any supplies.

3. Payment shows that you’re serious about the commission and ensures that the crafter won’t be stuck with a product that they cannot use or sell because it was specifically customized for you.

-Be Honest: Never lie, especially when it comes to clothing.  If you’re not able to have an actual fitting and must provide the crafter with your measurements, give your true measurements.  Don’t lie about your waistline or your height because you’ve got some kind of hang up about it.  We don’t care about those things.  The end goal for all involved is to end up with an amazing piece that fits well.  If you lie, then everyone loses.

Don’t

-Haggle Prices: If you don’t want to pay what’s being charged, or feel like you can get the same item cheaper somewhere else, then by all means, go somewhere else.  Creating a custom handmade piece for a client is time consuming and setting pricing for something you put your mind, heart, and soul into is a trying process. 

For example, I design, construct and sell custom kimonos. I use about 6 yards of fabric, give or take, for each one.  I can usually find fabric for $5/yard, on average.  So for supplies we’re already looking at $30.  Then, there’s labor.  I’ve gotten it down to a science and complete a kimono in one work day, or 8 hours.  If I was getting paid minimum wage, which is $10.50 in California where I live and work, labor would be $84. Finally shipping through USPS is on average $12, depending on the weight of the fabric.  So we’re up to $125.  I charge $75-100 for my kimonos.  I’m already shortchanging myself…don’t ask for more money off.  It’s a fucking insult.

-Criticize Their Process: We’re making art here people! Don’t ever start a conversation with your crafter with, “Why don’t you try doing it this way…” Their process is none of your business.  If you could do it better, you wouldn’t be paying someone else to create something for you.

-Expect Miracles: This goes back to being clear.  You be clear about what you want/need and the crafter should be clear about what they can actually produce.  If they tell you that something cannot be done listen to them.  They know their limitations and can best suggest to other options.

-Renege: If you decide you don’t want the product once it’s completed, for reasons other than the crafter completely flubbed up the project, didn’t deliver what you agreed upon, or was unprofessional and stank, expect to pay for it anyway.

-Make Erroneous Changes: If you attempt to change the design drastically after construction has started, expect to pay extra.  Edits are expected and a part of the process.  But making major changes to any piece towards the end of construction is not only annoying to the crafter, but can end up ruining the piece.

In conclusion, keep in mind that I’m an artist, and I’m sensitive about my shit.

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