MsJellicle's Creative Cats

I'm a stay-at-home mom of a toddler boy. Thus, I am unable to take on too many commissions at once, and time is needed in order to make the costumes. Please take that into consideration when purchasing a CATS costume consignment from me. Due to people backing out of agreements, I now must require that a 50% deposit on the costume is paid before I even start on it. Half of the deposit is non-refundable (to pay for the time I put into the costume). All prices are listed in US Dollars. Payment methods I accept are: Paypal, money orders, and checks (won't ship until the check clears). If it is your only option I will accept cash, but I highly recommend you not send cash through the mail. I could not be held responsible if it got lost in the mail.

Shipping depends on the final weight, size of the box, and where I ship from. Generally, it costs less to ship from the states than it does to ship from Canada. However, I go down to the states only once every 3-4 weeks or so. You can guesstimate the shipping if you want from both www.canadapost.com (originating postal code is V5W 1N2) and www.usps.com (originating zip code is 98230).

Here is the information on my commission prices and options:

• Wigs: If I use hot glue to make the wig, then the cost is: $85 for basic wigs (Most chorus characters) and $100 for specialty wigs (i.e.~Misto's song wig with glitter in it; Tuggers main wig; Macavity; etc). If I hand tie the wigs, then the cost is $100 for basic wigs and $115 for specialty wigs.
• Leg and Arm Warmers: $0.75 per inch (per warmer) for plain yarn; add $0.25 per inch for mohair blend and other specialty yarns; There is a $12.00 minimum cost for warmers.
• Tail: $.75 per inch: There is a $12.00 minimum cost for tails
• Gloves: (For the characters of Bombalurina, Demeter, Jemima and for some productions Cassandra) Medium length $25.00; Long length $28.00; add $5.00 to have furred edges (Prices include the cost of the gloves as well as the painting)
• Unitard painting and fluffies added:
  • Victoria, Mistoffelees (noncross-hatched, chorus version): $50.00
  • Cassandra, Tugger (chorus version), $75.00
  • Alonzo (Black and white London version), Etcetera, Jellylorum, Jennyanydots (chorus version), Munkustrap, Pouncival, Rumpelteazer (chorus version), Tumblebrutus: $95.00
  • Alonzo (Brown and gold Broadway version), Bombalurina, Coricopat, Demeter, Electra, Grizabella (chorus costume), Mungojerrie, Plato, Skimbleshanks (chorus version), Tantomile: $100.00
  • Gus (chorus version), Jemima/Sillabub, Mistoffelees (cross-hatched, chorus version, aka~Quaxo); $110.00
• Shoes painting: $10.00 per pair

My wigs are made out of dyed, frayed jute twine with occasional use of floral spray to help with highlighting colors. I use a nylon swim cap as a base, thus giving the wig stretchability to fit various sized heads. I will either hand-tie the twine into the wig base or hot-glue. If I hand-tie the twine, then I will have to make my own wig base. While the wigs will not be exact replications of characters, I will try to make them as similar to the originals as I can possibly get them. While sturdy enough to wear for show, I have not tested to see how well these wigs will hold up when using them to dance during a performance. Please keep that in mind when ordering.

The warmers look more authentic with the mohair blend yarn (and/or other specialty yarns) mixed in. But they do add to the total cost of the warmers.
To find the length you want for the warmers, measure from the foot to where you want the top of the warmer to be. There are three basic sizes for the characters; short, medium, and long. A diagram to use as a reference is to the right:

So, I would need to know the length you want the warmers to be. Add about 7" if you want the 'scrunchy' look (i.e.~Etcetera has a scrunchy look to her warmers). I would also need the diameter measurements of the ankle, the large part of the calf and the bottom part of the thigh (if you want the warmer to be that long). Again, see diagram. For arm warmers I would need measurements from the middle of the hand to where you want the warmer to end up. See the diagram on the left.

I would also need diameter measurements for the wrist and forearm.
I could either put snaps in (which hold up better than elastic when performing and is what the Broadway production used), or I could put in elastic in the top of the leg warmers to hold them up. If I put snaps in and if you have time, I would recommend sewing the part that belongs on the unitard legs yourself after finding where it falls when you are wearing the unitard. Otherwise, I could only take my best guess and sew it in myself. I also sew in an elastic 'stirrup' in the bottom of the warmer. This also helps to hold the warmer in place.

Shoes and unitards are all bought separately. I highly recommend buying them yourself and sending them to me after you check to make sure they fit correctly. Shoes do not have to necessarily be painted. They are usually half covered up with the warmers anyhow. It's up to you if you want painted shoes or not. The official productions usually use split sole jazz shoes.

The unitard that most characters use is a long-sleeve mock turtle-neck made of a nylon/lycra blend. There is also a cotton/lycra blend and a pure nylon available that costs less, however, it soaks up the paint and is fairly dull in appearance. If a cotton/lycra blend is bought I'd have to charge a little more because of the amount of paint it soaks up. Most of the characters use a mock turtle-neck unitard. The exceptions are Electra, Pouncival, Coricopat, and Tantomile (Skimble might be in this catagory, but I'll have to get some closer looks of the costume)

For some examples of my work, please see the "Costume's I've Made" section.

If you are interested in consigning a costume or parts of a costume from me, or if you just have a question, please copy the below section and paste it into an email to me at MsJellicle (at) hotmail (dot) com and fill in the information (or send me a private message via my message board).

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Character:
From Which Production: (Some characters look different, such as Broadway Alonzo and London Alonzo)
Due Date: (absolute latest date you need to have the costume in your hands)
Wig: (hot-glued or hand tied?)
Unitard: (you want shoulder fluffies or not?)
Tail: (How long do you want it?)
Gloves: (with furred edges or without?)
Arm Warmers: (measurements needed)
Leg Warmers: (measurements needed)
Shoes:
Other: (any special parts to the costumes needed? i.e.~Tugger's mane, Gus' coat)
Any Special Instructions?

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As stated before, I'm a full time mom and work on costumes part time only. I plan my time accordingly and if the due date is moved up, it means I might have to work more full time on the costume, thus having to get babysitting for my son in order to complete the order on time. Therefore, I reserve the right to either stop work on the commission or charge more if the due date is moved up for any reason.

I will need approximately the amount of time as follows to complete each item:

Wigs: Hot-glued wigs~ 10-12 days; Hand-tied wigs~ 15-20 days
Unitard: 8-12 days for painting; 1-2 days for shoulder fluffies
Tail: 2-3 days
Gloves: 1-2 days per glove
Warmers: 3-4 days per warmer
Shoes: 1-2 days
Delivery time: 5-7 days approximately

Example: If someone ordered a hot-glued wig, unitard, tail, and a pair of arm and leg warmers, I would need nearly a month and a half to complete....after I receive the deposit, that is. So if I get the order on January 1st and receive the deposit on January 14th, don't expect it to be done earlier than March 1st.