I never mind helping anyone build a costume, ever. As long as I have time, I always try to help other costumers out, because I’ve gotten a helping hand myself countless times. Helping each other is one of the biggest positives about the community.
That being said, I have been inundated with commission requests and requests for help on costumes. More-so than any other year before! And it’s not even October.
I simply cannot fulfill every request; I am booked solid for Halloween commission work. Beyond that, I do work a very stressful, tiring full-time job. I just don’t have time in the day to do the footwork for other’s Halloween costumes; if you need more help than a simple “Hi, I used Simplicity #0000” – please be aware that I do charge consulting fees when doing theater work, and that’s something I feel like I’m going to have to start instituting online with the kind of requests I’m getting (requests like wanting me to explain in detail how I made a costume/source materials/write a report on how I styled a wig/etc).
Again, this isn’t meant to dissuade people from asking for help; the majority of emails/messages I get don’t fall into this category. But – if you send me an email requesting help with a costume and get a response with my consulting fee – please don’t be offended. It’s simply that your request is going to take up a good amount of my time, and my time is not free, and is very valuable to me. Thanks for understanding 🙂
(This year the popular choice seems to be Hocus Pocus – I’ve already written a very in-depth construction post here that I’ve been directing people to, so if you’re curious about those costumes, that’s the place to start.)