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How does this work?
1. Fill out the Commission Form
2. Nancy will respond within 1 - 2 days.
3. If she accepts your commission, she will send you an email including the total, estimated time, included items, measuring guideline, etc.
4. As soon as you reply with your complete measurements (cosplay only) and a confirmation email that you would like to continue with the commission, Nancy will email you an invoice.
5. As soon as payment is received, your commission will be added to the Sewing Progress page. You are free to check it as often as you like.
6. When your order is complete, Nancy will contact you via email. If there was a partial payment plan, you will be required to pay the rest of the amount before your order is shipped. Your order will be shipped within 4-5 days.

General Qs:
Why commission from akino-atelier.com?
All costumes, clothing, and plushes are made by a single seamstress, Nancy. Everything is made and shipped from Los Angeles, CA, USA. None are mass produced or made in factories; each is individually crafted and pieced together by a single seamstress. Nancy puts much effort into each work, and uses only the highest quality fabrics and materials. Extremely nitpicky, she ensures each piece must be perfect before finalization.

How long will each costume/clothing/hat/plush piece take?
It depends on the simplicity or complexity of the costume/plush. Costumes/plushes can take as little as one week, and as long as 8 weeks (and possibily longer for highly detailed outfits). Nancy does try to send out each item as soon as she can, but prefers quality above all else. If you have a deadline, she recommends placing an order at least 8 weeks in advance, the longer the better, and be sure to let her know if you need it by a certain date.

Why are commissioned cosplay costumes and plushes more expensive?
The prices are set to reflect the time, effort, and materials used to construct each piece. Nancy will only use high quality materials and fabric, and will spend much time to perfect each work. A single yard of fabric can cost anywhere from $5 - $20+. A plush can take up to 10+ hours to make, and a custom cosplay costume can take 50+ hours to construct. All the costs include drafting the pattern, testing the draft, buying the materials, adding the details, sewing it all together, and finalizing the piece. There is a LOT of work involved, and only high quality materials and fabric are used.

Where can I check the status/sewing progress of my commission?
You can check on Nancy's deviantART. You can check the sewing progress, blog, see detailed description of some of the products, or leave a comment.

Cosplay Costume Qs:
When should I commission a costume?
You should send your commission request at least 8 weeks before the due date of your deadline/event. The more time the better. Check the Costume Commission Availablity on the front page to check if there are any open spots. Find the month that your deadline/event is in, then go back at least two months and choose that month. For example, Anime Expo is held in July, so you should place your commission at least in April to beginning May, (but go even further back if you could to make sure you will get it in time). If there are no spots open, just ask anyways; Nancy will take a look at all commission requests, if the costume can be added to the schedule she will make it for you (but no gurantees). =)

What would be the price of cosplay costumes?
Nancy absolutely does NOT like to overcharge! You will pay for fabric, materials/supplies, time spent to sew your costume, and shipping. You can see from her shop that the prices are fairly set. If requested, she can provide a detailed invoice for everything you will be paying for.

The costume I would like is not in the Shop. What can you do?
Nancy can accept most costume/clothing requests.
She can make: Fabric-based costumes, Hats, Clothing Accessories, Plushes, Original/Concept costumes/clothing
She will not make: Mecha, Props, Wigs, Armour, Metal work

Can costumes be remade?
Yes, costumes can be remade/duplicated, provided that the commissioned costume is not based off an original creation by another customer (unless proof of permission is provided).

Do you do payment plans?
Yes, Nancy will work with payment plans (i.e. half now, half later; set deposit; etc). Full payment must be received before shipment of the final costume.

Plush Qs:
What would be the price of a plush?
8" plush starts at $70.00
15" starts at $120.00
36" (3 feet!) starts at $200

When can I commission a plush?
Plush commissions are open to a certain amount, aftewards there is a waiting list. Please check Nancy's blog to follow up with the progress and open spots.

What plushes will you make?
Nancy can only make humanoid plushes (plushes with a human body). If there is a copyright issue, she will oblige by the law and not make it. .
She can make anime, video game, original, movie, and book characters
She can not, and will not, make include but are not limited to: Mecha, Animal, Robot, Prop, rated M, politically incorrect, and obscene/vulgar/grotesque plushes.

What does OOAK mean?
OOAK means One - Of - A -Kind. There is only one of any such plush.

Why can't plushes be remade?
Plushes are OOAK and will not be remade under any circumstance due to copyright reasons and unique quality.

I really like a plush though, is there any way I can commission it?
As long as the commissioned plush looks distinctly different from a premade plush, it can be requested. For example, Cloud Strife from the Final Fantasy Series has a variety of outfits, and each one can be commissioned seperately.