Just Call Me "Tink"

Last week I was helping with a kids' drama camp.  After a few days the children noticed that I always wore something with Tinker Bell and it became a game to them to "find Tink" on me.  It was easy not to disappoint them as I am a teeny-tiny bit obsessed with a certain Disney pixie.

Did you ever wonder why I call this blog "Creatively Tink"?  All of my friends (and even acquaintances) know that I love Tinker Bell.  Over the years I've even taken on the nickname "Tink" and will answer to it as readily as my own name.  Even so, very few people know the sheer depth of my love of Tinker Bell.  Sure, they see me with clothes, purses and such, as well as see me use her as an online avatar and screen name.  But you don't really understand until you set foot in my house.

And since you can't do that, let me share it with you.  This is actually the first time I've posted a large part of my Tink collection online.  Let's start with some wall pictures.

But that's only the start!  There are very few places in my home that you can go without running into Tink.

You can even find her "hanging around" in a few places.

Warmed up now?  Let me show you some of the shelves and true gatherings of my collection.

This shelf?  All of those are journals and notebooks, every single one with Tinker Bell.

It doesn't end there!  How about the kitchen...

And the bathroom...my husband painted it in a Tinker Bell theme, including glitter in the paint!

Okay, so that's the inside of the house.  But the Tink experience actually begins before you ever walk inside.

And then there's what my husband has called the "Tink-mobile"....

So that's what you'll see around my home.  What about me?  Yep, I have some personal Tink items.

Pretty impressive collection, right?  Well, this is only part of it!  I have about 10 more bags and purses, numerous pairs of underwear and socks, dozens of shirts, and a couple of bins in storage containing items that I don't have room for.  We've tried counting everything a few times but always gave up.  Our best estimate is that I own somewhere around 700 individual items related to Tinker Bell.  Yes, 700!  I think that I've gone just a bit beyond "really liking" Tink.  In fact, I am sometimes bemused when someone sees me wearing something with Tinker Bell and they say "Oh, I love her also!"  Somehow I doubt that their "love" quite reaches the point of my obsession.  Yes, obsession is probably the best description for my little problem.

Hi, my name is Stacey.  And I'm a Tink-a-holic.  Better yet, just call me "Tink".

Costumes Don't Just Happen

In our town there is a science museum that has hosted a "Night At The Museum" event for the last several years.  I've helped out and last year was in charge of coordinating costumes.  This year I'm casting the actors as well as handling costume duties.  The premise is that people dress up as various historical figures and characters from science-fiction then spend several hours complete in-character, interacting with the guests as that particular person.  It's a lot of fun, but for me a lot of work since I have to arrange costumes for 28 characters.

Unfortunately some of the actors don't seem to realize that it takes time to make costumes.  I've had to really prod some of these people to confirm whether or not they were getting their costume pieces together.  The event is in about six weeks and we can't wait until the last minute to arrange these things.  While I might be able to throw together a simple outfit in a few hours, it still takes time to get all of the material together and then do the work.

My costuming business has been taking off and I've been getting both local and long-distance commissions.  In fact, I'm completely booked up between now and the beginning of September and have had to turn down a couple of requests that I just don't have time for.  Even so I just had a friend ask if I could squeeze in a couple of more things for her.  I had to say no.  And I'm expecting to get more last-minute requests before Dragon*Con.

I'm one woman with a sewing machine (and some help from my mother), as well as being a mother, wife, home schooling my children, and trying to catch a few hours of sleep here and there.  When making a costume I have to plan it out, but the material and supplies, make sure I have the right patterns, cut out the cloth, sew it together, and add finishing touches.  Depending on the outfit and complexity it can take me anywhere from a few hours to several days to finish a costume.  There is a lot of work involved, especially when I have to juggle that around my other responsibilities.

Major theaters don't start working on their costumes a week or so before the performance.  By the time a Hollywood film starts shooting they've already spent months planning, designing, testing, and making the clothing and outfits.  While I'm not in those categories (yet) it still takes time for any costumer to work.  The theater groups I work with have learned that I'm going to be bugging them to get me measurements and other details weeks before I need them.  And customers need to know that they need to make their orders months in advance so I can get them on the list.

Costumes don't make themselves!

A Costume's Influence

As an actress (Drama minor in college and actively involved in community theater) I have always known how important a costume can be to a role.  You can rehearse and rehearse but you just can't seem to really get the part down until the first time you put on your costume.  Then the character really seems to leap out of you and it's easier to find the inspiration you need to carry the part.

Over the years I expanded into cosplay at conventions like Dragon*Con and ConNooga.  My family and I dress in costumes inspired by or copied from our favorite movies, books, and comic books, such as Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Firefly.  We have learned that a good costume results in many photos being taken of you, and a good pose really makes the picture better.  Being in costume lets you "feel" the character, and the poses come very naturally.

Now that I make costumes for other people, this principle is coming full-circle.  Since I know how much influence a costume can have for good or bad, I want to provide people with the best one possible.  Let's look at a couple of examples. 

Do you think this guy really felt like Iron Man?  Was he able to fully channel Tony Stark?

Now, take a look at this one (from our own personal photos at Dragon*Con in 2008).  Do you think he felt particularly heroic?

I certainly understand that some people make certain costumes for humorous purposes, deliberately making it look silly or bad.  But you know that those people feel that humor as they wear it and aren't fully portraying the character.  The man in the first photo is going to act differently than the one in the second simply because of the nature of the costume and how it makes him feel.

And don't ask for commission on Iron Man!  I do NOT work in vaccuform!

In 2010 I wore a Snow White costume I had made to Dragon*Con.  I have always dreamed of being a Disney princess, and my moment came true.  One little girl came up, excited to see me.  She said, "Do you remember seeing me at Disney World?"  My heart melted and I ate that up, of course replying that I did indeed remember her.  I know that I could make that costume better now, but it was convincing enough that a girl thought I actually worked at Disney.  I walked on a cloud the rest of the day and truly felt like Snow herself.

  Me and my daughter (also in a dress I made).

How do you think that little girl would have responded if I had been in a costume like this one?

Now please don't misunderstand my intentions.  I am certainly not a "costume snob" and really do appreciate the attempt that many people make.  I love seeing people do their best job at creating a character and realize that not everyone has the money to invest in complicated clothing or the skills to be a professional seamstress.  My point is that a the quality and type of costume you choose significantly influences your portrayal of that character.  If you're going for humor, it's great to have a cheap, silly costume.  But if you really, really want to recreate a specific character, it takes more than acting ability.  Your choice in costumes will make or break the role, no matter where you are doing it.

Adding It All Up

In my short time (so far) doing professional costuming I have come to realize that many people don't understand the true costs of doing this.  I have had people balk at a quote I've given them and try to argue me down.  So I thought I'd give a quick lesson in what it takes to make a costume.

Obviously fabric is the most important and noticeable piece of a costume.  In a job like mine where everything is custom-made, I don't have the luxury of buying cloth in bulk and getting a wholesale discount.  I never know from costume to costume what kind or color of fabric I'll need, so I buy things based on the costume, paying retail price.  Unless you're very lucky fabric will typically cost at least $6 per yard, and can easily go to $15 or higher per yard.  Want something higher quality like velvet?  Expect to pay at least $25 per yard.  Depending on the size of the costume I typically buy anywhere from three to eight yards of fabric, so this averages around $30 for a short coat to $80 for a large dress.

Okay, not too bad so far.  But fabric isn't all that goes into a costume.

Thread normally runs $3 or more per spool and a single costume will typically use one to two of these.  Zippers cost $3 to $7 depending on length and style.  Buttons are a whole 'nother beast!  You can spend $3-4 for just two buttons!  It's not uncommon to have up to 10 buttons on a costume for an average cost of around $35.  Interfacing (used for stiffening collars, the front of coats, and anything else that needs thickness or stability) averages $2 per yard and you may have to buy as much of this as fabric.  Do you want something fancy or stylish on the costume?  Trim runs a large gamut depending on material and complexity, from $2 per roll to $5 per roll.  If you're paying per yard for trim it can easily be $6-7 a yard.  If a garment has to be lined (common in coats, vests, and dresses) you'll spend $6 per yard.

So let's add all of this together for something simple. Maybe I'm making a Civil War uniform.
Cloth (8 yards) @$8/yard = $64
Buttons (16) @$1.5/button = $24
Zipper (1) = $3
Lining (4 yards) @$6/yard = $24
Decorative Trim (2 yards) @$3/yard = $6
Thread (2 spools) @$3/spool = $6
Interfacing (2 yards) @$2/yard = $4

Total Materials = $131

Now keep in mind that this is what I am paying!  This doesn't cover my time making it (at least 10 hours total time), overhead costs (electricity, wear and tear on sewing machine, etc.), and any profit.  If I only charged what it cost me to buy the supplies there would be no reason or ability for me to stay in business.  If I want to be a successful businesswoman I have to charge appropriately.  Which means that the actual cost to the customer for a full Civil War uniform would be $325-375 depending on the detail or if it was an officer's uniform.

Yes, it adds up quickly!  But keep in mind that all of this is for a custom costume made to a customer's specific measurements.  This is tailored work.  Whenever you're working through a personal costumer it's going to cost more than a mass-made costume that is created overseas where labor costs are low and are sewn with lower quality materials. 

But the results are well worth it! A custom costume is certainly worth the expense as it will fit better, look better, and last longer than anything you buy from a store.

There and back again!

One of the biggest questions I get asked is ,when did I start sewing? This is a simple yet complicated answer and to really answer sufficiently, I have to start at the beginning of the story.

My mom is a wonderful seamstress and has sewn since she was in 6th grade.  Back when she was in school they had that as an elective and the took Home Economics every year she could.  While I was growing up, she really did not sew very much, as she was a mother of four and that seemed to take all of her time.  I remember very clearly though, when I started High school that began to change.  The first thing that changed was the fact that my parents started homeschooling the four of us kids. So mom thought that it would be a perfect time to try and teach her daughters how to sew. NOT!!!! I hated it and really did not learn anything, mostly because I thought "I have my mom, why do I need to learn how to sew?"

I never saw the need to learn how to even though my mom has made many wonderful clothes, including my wedding dress(which she says was the hardest thing she has ever done).  It was never an interest to me, because making clothes seemed so boring.

So fast forward to 2005, Dragon Con.  My first ever "geek" convention.   I remember looking at all of the costumes and thought, "wow, I wish I could do something like that". Now,  I had been to the Renaissance Faire and we bought all of our costumes pieces for that, but never in my wildest dream did I imagine that I would be one of those people.  The following year, we piece together simple costumes that were just modifications of regular clothes(Wash and Zoe from Firefly).  We even went so far as to dress our kids up like mini versions as well.  It was fun and I had found a new love. 

The next year rolled around and I knew that I wanted to do more, so we purchased a few more things online. The third year, we began to get creative with our costume ideas, so I went to my mom and asked her to help me make a couple of dresses for Dragon Con.  She agreed (not really sure why), and she helped me (when I say help, she did the work while I told her what I wanted). I "made" my first two costumes. I did the design work and she did the sewing. Fair enough, so I thought.

That year for Christmas they bought me my own sewing machine and pretty much told me I was on my own from that point.  I jumped in head first and started by making Belle's yellow dress.  A large feat for some one who was scared of her sewing machine. I quickly learned not to be afraid to try anything and my seam ripper is my best friend.

So there you go.  I got my first sewing machine in Dec 2008, made my first(completely by myself) costume in Feb 2009, and here I am today.  I still look back and laugh at myself, wishing that I would have learned earlier, but better late than never.  I still think that sewing clothes is boring, but I dabble a bit with that.  My main passion is costumes.  It is so exciting to create something that you have always wanted to wear and could not find easily.  I love the creativity behind it and how I feel when I stand back and look at a job well done.  So if you have ever thought about sewing, give it a try.  You will find it very rewarding (once you get past the initial messing up part).