Monday, November 4, 2013

Excerpts from Conversation with the seamstress that made my latest bunny-suit blanket sleeper


Do you do custom orders? If I were to send you the fabric and design,and all you'd have to do is the sewing and cutting?
Yes, I do custom orders. Is there something particular you are interested in?
Yes,which prompts me to ask you this: do you do footed pajamas in the form of animals,like a cross between a mascot costume,or fursuit,and a pair of footsie pajamas? The reason I ask is if you can make me a bunny suit similar to the one from the famous holiday movie "A Christmas Story"
With only a few minor adjustments.If u could do this,how much would it cost if I supply the materials (vinyl,the faux-fur,or pile material for the main body and tail,etc...........)?
It would partly depend on the size but for this type of item if you're supplying the material it would most likely be in the $60-70 range.
Oh,okay,well,this might not be for another month,or two,depending if I need this for Halloween this year,being that it's August now,so Halloween's just a couple more months away,but when you say size,do you mean,like the size of my chest,my waist,measurements like that,or as far as Small, Medium, Large, and Extra Large? Here's just some measurements that I can give u off the top of my head,to give you an idea of the size I'd need:



Waist: 45 inches
Hips: 46 inches
Height: 72 inches (6 feet tall)
Shoe Size: 12 (though in some instances a 13 fits better)
Inseam: 34 inches
Arms (wrist to shoulder-blade,if not up to neck): 26 inches



If you need any more than what I've listed here,please feel free. Also,if I may ask,for I'd need this at least to send payment: Where do you live,and where would I be sending payment to you?
Oh,that prompts to ask you: Do you work out of a studio,or store, or out of your own home?
Yes, those are good measurements. It would be $70. I work from my home. I prefer doing credit card payments through etsy or paypal (I can create a listing just for you on here) but if that wont work for you payment can be me sent to my address in Rochester, NY. Just in case your still thinking about this or considering other options, I would prefer to send my address info as soon as you're ready to continue.
Okay,that's fine.I've gone through the payment process on here before (yeah,it would probably be a good idea if you were to create a listing for me on here for this),but I would need your snail-mail address anyway,to send the fabrics to you for this.Now,also,there's a couple of features I want for this bunny-suit that you may or may not be aware of,so let me give you the specifics of what I want:



Full-body bunny onesie/footsie pajamas with attached hood with bunny-ears attached to the top,a cotton-tail attached to the butt (I'll send you a yard of the fabric I want u 2 make the tail out of), a neck-to-ankle zipper,attached mittens, a zipper-tab (a tab of fabric placed at the top to prevent the zipper from getting in contact with the chin when zipper's zipped up to the top,and what's called bumper-toecaps,where the vinyl material for the soles comes over the top of the feet, over the toes.Is all of this doable so far? If I think of anything further,I'll send it along.
Yes, this all sounds do-able. I'd like to make up a sketch of what I'm seeing just to be sure we're on the same page.
Just to clarify, do you want the mittens fully attached or partially so you can have your hands free (I would think having mittens attached to only one side of the sleeve with a slit opening might do the trick for that, perhaps with some Velcro to keep it closed).
I'll send you a sketch by tomorrow and if it all looks good we'll get everything squared away!
Oh,okay,cool,well,no need to rush things.I'll probably order the fabrics I want not until the end of this month at the earliest,and most likely right around this time next month,in September,but I'll need your address to send the fabrics to you by then,so I can put your address in the "Sent to", or "ship to" section of checkout,so the fabric can be sent directly to you.As far as the attached mittens,sew them to the sleeves all the way around just like the feet.I've had a few similar bunny-suits before and was able to grasp things through the mittens easily without needing the slit to allow me to remove my hands,so that shouldn't be a problem.
Here's what I drew up. I tried to put in as many of the details as I could. The box on the side is the tail. Let me know of any other details or if anything doesn't look right.
Since you are paying for the materials would you prefer to pay for your item when it is finished or do you want to pay right away? Either way works for me, just let me know and I can make a listing for when you're ready.
Here's the address things can be sent to.
Lil Minda's ARTicles
229 Dartmouth St.
Rochester NY 14607
Yeah,that's pretty much what I described.I may send the first of the fabrics,like the one yard of vinyl, and/or the fabric for the tail first,around the end of this month, before I send the pink fabric for the rest of the suit,a few weeks later,but I'll let u know exactly when everything goes out.As far as when I'll pay for the $60 or $70 labor fee,it'll depend,I mean,I may pay for the vinyl and white for the tail first,and then make the payment for the project,or I may pay for the project after I send all the fabrics, but I hope to have all this done by mid-October at the latest, if not by the end of September,in any event,but I'll let u know what the deal is once I either send payment,or send the first of the fabrics.One question though,if I send you the fabrics first will u b waiting until the payment comes before u start working on it? That will help me determine when I'll be sending payment.
I would start the project as soon as I have materials. I would just need you to pay for labor before I send the finished item to you. I will also send you pictures of the item when it's done.
Cool,well,first off,I'm still interesting in you doing this project,it's just going to take a few more weeks before I'm ready to send payment,or at least send those materials to you.Also,if you can also take a few pictures of the project while it's in progress,that would be great.Well,I'll let u know when I order the fabrics,it just won't be for another 3 or 4 weeks,by early October.
Just writing to let u know that I ordered the fabrics just now,and so you should be getting them by next Wednesday (October 16), and then I'll send payment around October 25,in a couple of weeks,so if you want to write me up a listing for payment,please send it as soon as possible so I can make arrangements to send the $60 or $70 to you for this,thanks
Thanks for the heads up on that. It will be $70 for the labor. I'll get a listing set up soon. You can either pay with credit card/paypal or if you want to send payment in the mail then choose the 'other' option for payment.
I forgot to mention shipping. I'm going to reduce the cost of usual shipping for this item since you covered the cost of materials. I'm only going to charge $4 to ship it to you, as opposed to the usual $10
Okay,then,I'll ship the money to you by next Friday,October 25.Right now,I'm thinking of sending it via etsy.com or paypal,but it will really depend on when you get the fabrics and when you get finished with the project.If you r finished by October 25,I'll send it via etsy,but if it won't be ready until October 28 or 29,then I'll send it via money order/snail mail,and also it depends on if I end up going to a costume party for Halloween,or will need it by then.If I use the Internet,aka paypal or etsy,and therefore you'll get my payment right away,on October 25,will u b sending the bunny-suit then,or the next day (October 26),assuming that u r done with the bunny-suit by then? Well,you should get the fabric within the next couple of days,by Wednesday (October 16),so let me know when it arrives and again,feel free to post some pictures of the bunny sleeper as it's being made,as well as when it's finished.I can't wait to see this thing and get a sample of your work via pics.
Oh,just a head's up,I sent all three fabrics,the pink for the body,the white for the tail,and the vinyl for the soles and toecaps all together.I know I hinted that I might send all three separately,so I'm letting u know that all the needed fabrics got shipped together.I also included brief instructions,just letting u know which fabric is to be used for which.
I should be able to have this finished by then. I'll know better once I get started, but it shouldn't be a problem to have it finished by the 25th. And yes if you pay by credit or paypal I will ship it out immediately.
If you are able to send me approximately how tall you are from your shoulders to floor, that would be extremely helpful.
Okay,well,I'm about 6 feet tall, so I guess take about 4-6 inches off that for the shoulder-to-floor measurement,so I guess I'm about 65,66 inches tall from shoulder to floor.So,did you get the fabrics I ordered? The web-site (distinctivefabrics.com),posted the delivery date as today (October 16,2013), and if so,when do you plan to get started on this,if you haven't already? Well,feel free,when you get the chance,to send pictures of the project as it progresses,and eventually once you're done.
Actually,I double-checked my measurements and you'd actually have to take off 7 or 8 inches off the measurement,so it's really about 63 inches from shoulder-to-floor.
Thank you. I haven't received the material yet. I'll keep an eye out today, but if I don't receive it by today we may want to see if there's a tracking number to see if we can figure out if it's on it's way.
Has the order arrived yet? I tried to look for a tracking # from distinctivefabrics.com and yet they didn't give me a tracking # in the email,so I emailed distinctivefabrics.com and asked them to send me a tracking #,so I'll let u know what they say.
That date,for October 16 is an estimate,so I would say to give it another day or two before we think that something wrong happen, or is of error.They did email me when the order was shipped and that was on Monday,October 14,and they are out in California,after-all.
Upon further review,I think they might not have given me a tracking # because maybe they only offer tracking #'s when you are using UPS or Fed-Ex as the shipping method,that distinctivefabric.com doesn't bother emailing a tracking # if you are using the USPS for the shipping method,I mean,but once I get a reply from them,I'll let you know what they said.
The company (distinctivefabric.com) has replied and forwarded me the tracking # (they used UPS as the carrier),and so I checked it out on the web-site and it says that the delivery date is set for this upcoming Monday (October 21),afternoon,so it's still in-transit right now.That'll probably push back your targeted finishing date,I assume,but so be it.I'm still thinking of sending payment via etsy.com (credit/debit card),next Friday,or sometime during next weekend (October 25-27,2013) .Just let me know when the fabric arrives (hopefully by Monday),and/or when you've started making my bunny-suit feet pajamas/onesie (even if u just send some pics of you putting the first pieces together),and of course, when u r ready 2 ship it 2 me.
Just a head's up,I got notice that the fabrics are on the way to you.They're "out for delivery",so you should get them later this morning or this afternoon,so let me know when they arrive and when you'll be getting started on this project,and feel free to take some pictures during the process of making my bunny hooded onesie.As far as the pictures,I'm not expecting you to take hundreds of them as you "thread the needle",and sew each part on,I just want a few of them to see the progression of the onesie being made,that's all,so if you just send 3 or 4 of them and then one or two of it when it's finished,that's fine.Well,I look forward to seeing the process play out and especially the finished product,and if you can still get it done where you can get this to me by Halloween,that would be great (not that I have plans to go to a costume party on October 31,at the moment,but in case I do,I'd like to have this for that by then).Well, expect payment by the end of this week or by the upcoming weekend (of October 26-27),and thank you for making this for me,I really appreciate it.
Just received the material. I'll be starting later tonight and could probably have a couple pics for you tomorrow.
Do you have a preference of which leg the zipper goes down?
I'd prefer it (the zipper),go down the left leg,down to the ankle.So,how far along are you with the onesie? I know u said that you started it last night,so I'm just wondering how far along you are.Well,feel free to post those pics when u get the chance.I also think that having u post pics would help me critique how it's coming along and give u a head's up if I see something wrong,even if it's something is out of place,or the tail is placed too low,or too high, stuff like that.
Ok. I was going to take some pictures but lighting isn't too good at night, so I'll try to take some tomorrow. So far I've blocked out what needs to be cut and where. This is the hardest part because I want to be absolutely sure that everything is measured correctly before I cut it (measure twice, cut once). Also because the fuzzy material is a bit delicate and can shed easily if not cut correctly, so I have to be absolutely certain. Once that's done the rest is the easy part. By the way, you sent me the perfect amount of material, I don't know if I told you how much to get but you got it right.
A few questions/things to run by you:
I don't think a pompom tail (like the one in the sketch I originally sent you) will work out so well due the material and how it can shed easily. I was thinking making a small ball shape and stuffing it so it looks poofy would work better. Want to know if that sounds all right to you.
Bunny ears: Pink, but I thought they would look good with some of the white in the middle. Want to know your thoughts on that.
Footies: Would you like me to line the bottom of the footies (inside) with another material, or do you just want the bottoms to be the vinyl? (I have material I could use for that so it's no extra).
And I don't foresee me having a problem completing this by Friday. If I feel it might take longer, I'll let you know for sure.
On second thought, it's probably best to send the first pics when I have things pieced together before I sew. There's not much to see yet, at least that way you'll have a good idea of what's happening and can critique anything before it's completed.
Okay,first off,that's fine about the pictures.Second,about the tail,that sounds fine with me.Third,about your idea for the bunny ears,that's fine,about adding white to the inside,or if you can get red instead,that's fine,too,otherwise white it is.As far as the vinyl,could u put it on the outside,you know,the side which will be touching the floor as I walk,but if both sides are vinyl,then yeah,line the inside,where my feet will be touching.How long do you think before you'll be starting to piece the parts together before you sew? Also,when u say you should be able to complete this by Friday,do you mean this Friday,the 25th,2 days from now? I should be able to send payment 2 u by then,via etsy.com (the listing u pasted to an earlier message on here), most likely.
As far as the fabric I ordered being just right,I've had a couple other people,including one through etsy.com that made me an animal onesie/sleeper before,so I had an idea,in advance,how much was needed for this.I assume that that amount would be needed for any animal onesie/sleeper, no matter how elaborate (so long as no extra-long tail or appendage is needed),for someone of my size/measurements?
Great. I should be ready to start piecing parts together tomorrow. I wanted to be extra sure about all the measurements before pushing ahead, better safe then sorry. And I do mean this coming Friday the 25th, but just to be safe let's say for certain Sunday the 27th is the latest (just in case I have any difficulties I'd rather be thorough and not rush). I wouldn't want to rush and miss something.
Okay I'm trying to send you 2 photos before it's too dark. One with the body next to the sleeve and the other with the tail over it ( so you can see the size). The only color zipper i could get long enough and strong enough for this project is white but I made the front so that it will overlay and you won't see it. I played it on my measuring mat rather than pinning and hanging because I don't want to damage the material. I'll have pics of other pieces tomorrow.
See attached photo.
Here's one of the back(inside of the fabric) with the tail approximately where I would sew it.
Cool,everything's looks fine.Well,I'll b sending the money for this either tomorrow or over the weekend.Thanks for the pictures so far,and I look forward to the other pictures,too,and as far as the zipper,that's fine.As long as the zipper works it doesn't matter to me if it's visible or not.
Okay,I sent the money to you via the listing you created.So,how far along r u with this? Have u finished yet? Have any more pictures for me? If so,please send them along,otherwise let me know when u finish and ship the bunny onesie to me,thanks!
Hey. Sorry I didn't send anything sooner, I had to help babysit my niece so I switched my work times around. Here's a pic of the pieces of the hood. 2 rounded pieces and a long strip that runs down the middle where the ears will be attached. And there's one of the ears with white in the middle. if you like that ear I'll finish the other one. I also cut out the bottoms of the feet and toe bumpers. Do you want elastic around the ankles or the wrists? Some people like that to keep the footies in place. Just let me know.
Cool,could u make the ears a bit longer,or did already use up the rest of the pink fabric? If you don;t have any more fabric left, then that's fine,but if you do,or you can,and you have the time,make the ears an inch or two longer than what's in your latest picture.Also,the cotton-tail was a bit small and scrawny for my tastes,so if you have more of the white fabric,add a bit more to the tail,as well.Lastly,yeah,put elastic around the wrists and ankles,that's fine.Well,let me know when payment arrives and when u r done with the project,and keep me informed on the process and send some more pics if you got them,and/or have the time to take them,thanks.
Ok. Ears are no problem. Are you sure about the tail? It's almost 7 inches in diameter. I could make it bigger but I think it might make it heavy and pull on the suit. Here's a pic of it on a measuring board so you can see the size better. I'll have more pics soon.
Also, for the zip tab I was thinking a heavy duty hook and eye is the best way to go. The material is a little too thick for a snap, and I'm afraid Velcro will just get stuck to the fur. Is that alright?
Here are the ears. About 2 inches longer.
Here's a footy. I finished then last night but was feeling unsure about the vinyl. It seems to be sensitive to sewing and ripped on the stitches once. The vinyl here is holding up fine but the stitches aren't the prettiest. I can try again if you don't like it.
I have one mitten done, I was going to have my brother who is similar to your size try it to see how it fits before I finish.
So I have just about everything pieced together, I'm just waiting for your approval on those last few things. I will be able to finish tonight after 9 (I'll be out until then). I'll send pics when it's done and if everything looks good, I'll ship tomorrow.
Okay,I saw your pictures and now I see what you mean,okay then, everything's fine.Ears are the right size,and so is the tail and the feet are fine,though with the toecaps,there seems to be some of the pink fabric on either side of the top front,in the toes area,like the toecaps don't cover the whole lip of the top,you know,the toes area,but that may just be something to do with the angle,or the lighting,or something,but otherwise they seem fine,too,so looks like everything's a go.
Also,if you could send a pic of the mittens,then send them along? I think the mittens are the only things u haven't gotten a picture of yet.
Oh,I didn't see the message about the zipper-tab,sorry about that.As far as what u said,that sounds fine,do as you suggested
Here are the mittens. Elastic is near the base of them.
I think I know what you mean about the footies. It could have been that some of the fur got caught near the seams or because the footy is kind of rounded at the toes. I'll send a close up so you can tell if it's a problem or not.
Ok, it's completely done with the exception of the feet and the mitts being attached (I'll do as soon as I get your approval from the last 2 messages) will take me about 20 mins to do that. Here's a few more photos. First one is the hiid propped up so you can see the ears.
Close up on zip tab.
First off,the mittens are fine,but yeah, with the toecaps, it looks like there's some of the fabric on either side of the toecaps,that the toecaps don't go completely over the whole toe-area,from side-to-side,so if you can fix it,do so,but otherwise,that's fine and looks like everything's set to go.As far as the zip-tab,though,that looks like a weird closing mechanism.It doesn't look like a snap,can u put a snap-button on that instead? Otherwise everything looks perfect,thank you!
That's the closure that I explained. I think the material is too thick for a snap but I'll see what I can do.
I get what you're saying about the toe caps. Working on that, won't take long. And I happened to come across these snaps on a strip, I didn't know I had these. They should do the trick since it's already attached to a fabric that I can sew on.
Here's the altered footies.
All I have to do is sew the feet on. Let me know if the fix is correct, it's easier to fix them if they're not attached and it will take more time to take the off if it's not right. I'll wait for your approval, I'd hate to finish and ship it if it's not right.
No,it's right,you corrected it now,so go ahead and sew on the feet and then when u send it out,the only last thing I ask is for you to get a tracking # from USPS (ship this to my PO Box.If you don't have my shipping address, here it is: William J. Smith, PO Box 455, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522),and let me know when you've officially shipped the bunny onesie to me (as long as u send it by tomorrow afternoon,I should get the costume onesie by Halloween, since we're both New Yorkers,just living on the opposite sides of the state),thanks for all you've done making this for me.
Sorry I didn't get back 2 u before tonight,but I got the bunny onesie the other day and tried it on and it fits,but with the thing being so hairy,I had a tough time getting the zipper zipped up but eventually I managed.I heard if you brush down the furry fabric,you can get the hairs out of the way of the zipper,or the hairs will naturally get clamped down after a couple of washings,so I might do either of those so the zipper doesn't get stuck all the time,but otherwise,I love the bunny-suit you made me,thank you and I'll keep u in mind for future projects,thanks!
Oh great, I was going to write if I didn't hear anything soon. Glad to hear it all worked out. Yeah the hairs can be tricky but brushing it to the side does help and when you zip it down I found it helped to use your finger along the zipper to get hairs out if the way.
It was a pleasure to make this. Happy that everything worked out.

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