Question 1

What do you mean, your costumes are sustainable?

Accepted Answer

We are fully conversant with the Theatre Green Book (https://theatregreenbook.com/)practices and recommendations, and follow them as closely as our clients allow.

StitchCraft Studio Costumes a(https://www.stitchcraftstudio.co.uk/wardrobe)re designed to be durable, long-lasting, and infinitely and easily customisable.  Our long-established practice of designing, creating and hiring out costumes that fit multiple body shapes and sizes also means that our costumes are reusable for far longer than they would be if we made them to fit an exact set of measurements (although we are fully capable of doing this if the client requests it).  The oldest costume currently available in our Wardrobe department was first seen in Channel 4's Gods & Monsters (2011), last seen during Dialogues of the Carmelites (2023), and is officially old enough to vote in the UK!

Sourcing Scores
Where possible, material for our costumes is sourced directly from our extensive stash of fabrics, notions and trimmings, collated over the past twenty years. Our preferred method of sourcing new materials is from deadstock suppliers and estate sales.  Where this is not possible, we source either from local or low-carbon sustainable suppliers.
This means that our Green Book source score for new costume usually ranges between 1-3 and only on rare occasions do we hit the dreaded 4 or 5.
Destination Scores
Obviously, it's more difficult for us to control the Destination Score for our costumes.  Therefore we have a "Buy Back" policy, where if a client is considering disposing of a costume that we have made for them, we will perform a free evaluation to determine if it is in a hireable condition, or can be repaired to that quality.  If we can salvage your used and unwanted costumes to extend their shelf-life, we will buy them back from you!
We also have a "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" Studio policy that means we generate a minimal amount of material waste.  This is disposed of through recycling programs and banks, which means that when we create a new design, the Green Book destination score should fall between 1-3, rather than spiking as high as 4 or 5.

Aftercare: 
Our costumes are usually designed to be machine-washable, (except for exceptional commissions) and care instructions are provided whether you're hiring or buying!  We do ask that our clients follow our example and use an ecologically-friendly detergent when washing their costumes, and that they do not use Fabric Softener, which coats fibres with a thin layer of plastic.
Repairs & Alterations:
As historical costumiers, we are able to effect repairs and alterations to most garments, and this is billed at an hourly rate.  If you send one of our costumes back to us for repairs, and we determine that the design or make is at fault for the damage, we will repair it free of charge!

Question 2

Can you make me something new?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely!  Contact us (https://www.stitchcraftstudio.co.uk/contact)either by calling 07886 307910 or via emailing contact@stitchcraftstudio.co.uk, and book a free 15 minute consultation to discuss the design you have in mind.

At the end of the consultation we will be able to provide a quote based on your requirements, and it's up to you if you want hire us or not.  If you decide to go ahead and commission something new from us, you will be asked to pay a non-refundable deposit to cover the material costs and shipping to you.

Only when your project has been completed prior to your deadline will you be billed for the full cost of your commission, which covers the labour and construction costs involved.  This must be paid prior to us shipping it to you.

What if I don't like it when it arrives?
No problem!  Simply send it back to us to receive a full refund of the construction costs and we'll add it to our Wardrobe Department.(https://www.stitchcraftstudio.co.uk/wardrobe)

Additional Services:
In-Person Fittings are billed at £75.00 +50p per mile travelled.  We endeavour to travel via public transport as much as possible to reduce our carbon impact.
Research Services are billed at our half-day (£80.00) or full day (£150.00) rates, depending on time spent on your project.  If travel is involved, this will be billed at 50p per mile travelled as in In-Person Fittings.
Fabric Sourcing on your behalf is billed at our hourly rate of £20.00 per hour.
Pattern Drafting is billed as per your quotation.

Question 3

I wanna hire one of your costumes!

Accepted Answer

Fab!  Contact us (https://www.stitchcraftstudio.co.uk/contact)either by calling 07886 307910 or via emailing contact@stitchcraftstudio.co.uk, and let us know which of our costumes you want to hire.

If it's available for the time period in which you need it, you will be billed the Materials Cost of the item in question + Postage & Packing + £5.00 Restock Fee to cover laundry and minor repairs.  This must be paid prior to shipping to you.

You are responsible for paying to ship and insure its safe return.

If the item is not returned you will be billed the remainder of the full purchase price to cover the labour costs of replacing it.

If the item is returned with elements missing, you will be billed the full purchase price of those elements to cover the labour costs of replacing those elements.

If the item is returned with significant damage, you will be billed for the material and labour costs involved in repairing it.

Question 4

I wanna hire you!

Accepted Answer

Great!  Contact us (https://www.stitchcraftstudio.co.uk/contact)either by calling 07886 307910 or via emailing contact@stitchcraftstudio.co.uk, and lets see if we can sync our schedules!

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FAQ