Commission Garment

Sewing for a client is where your craft becomes a business, and the shift is bigger than most sewists expect. You're not just making a garment. You're managing expectations, communicating progress, hitting deadlines, and delivering something that fits a body you might never pin on in person. The sewing skills are table stakes. The client management skills are what determine whether you get repeat business or refund requests.

Your deliverable is a finished garment that matches the client's brief, fits their measurements, has passed their approval at key checkpoints, and arrives safely in their hands. The process includes formal approval gates alongside construction milestones because surprises kill commissions. A client who discovers a color mismatch after the garment ships is a client you've lost forever.

The brief is your contract. Nail down every detail before you pick up scissors: exact design specifications, fabric preferences, measurements (with photos of how they measured), timeline, budget, and what's included in revisions. Write it all in a shared document with screenshots and references. If the client says "I want it to look like this" and you have different interpretations of "this," you'll find out too late.

Remote fittings are the biggest challenge in garment commissions. When you can't pin on the actual person, you need to build adjustment room into the garment. Laced closures instead of zippers, adjustable waistbands, and generous seam allowances that can be let out. Ship a muslin for the client to try on and photograph, or build to their measurements with intentional adjustment points.

Client Brief

Collect detailed references, color specifics (Pantone numbers or fabric swatches if possible), and written confirmation of every design detail. Take or receive measurements using a standardized measurement guide with photos showing exactly where to measure. If the client sends measurements, verify them by asking for reference checks (height, weight, a garment they own that fits well with its labeled size).

Planning and Quoting

Draft a detailed plan listing every construction step, materials needed, estimated timeline, and total cost. Break the quote into materials and labor. Include your revision policy: how many rounds of changes, what constitutes a revision versus a redesign, and the cost of additional revisions. Get written approval on the plan and quote before proceeding.

Pattern and Muslin

Draft or adapt a pattern to the client's measurements. Size the pattern, make adjustments based on their measurement notes (they mentioned broad shoulders, FBA needed, etc.), and sew a muslin. Photograph the muslin from front, side, and back. Send these to the client for review. If budget allows and the client is remote, ship the muslin for them to try on and photograph while wearing.

Client Approval on Fit

Wait for explicit written approval on the muslin fit before cutting fashion fabric. If changes are needed, adjust the muslin, photograph or ship again, and get approval. This gate prevents the most expensive mistake in commission sewing: cutting $30-80/yard of fashion fabric to a pattern that doesn't fit.

Fabric Sourcing

Source fabrics per the approved design. Send fabric swatches or photos for client confirmation before cutting. If a specified fabric is unavailable, present alternatives with photos and get approval on the substitution. Never substitute without asking.

Construction

Cut and sew the garment following the approved pattern. Send progress photos at natural milestones: main body assembled, closures installed, embellishments in progress. Include a brief note about what's done, what's next, and timeline status. Weekly photo updates minimum.

Progress Communication

This is the make-or-break habit for commission work. Clients who don't hear from you get nervous. Nervous clients send "just checking in" messages that multiply if unanswered. A 2-minute photo and status update every week prevents 90% of client anxiety. If you're behind schedule, say so immediately with a revised timeline.

Fitting

For local clients, schedule an in-person fitting. For remote clients, this is where your adjustment points pay off. If the garment has adjustable closures, the client can fine-tune the fit themselves. Include fitting instructions with the delivery.

Final Adjustments

Make any adjustments from client feedback. If the requested changes are within the original scope, include them. If they're new requests (additional embellishment, design changes), quote them separately. Be kind but clear about scope boundaries.

Finishing and Delivery

Press the finished garment, photograph it from all angles under good lighting, and send final photos for approval. Once approved, package in tissue paper inside a garment bag, place in a sturdy shipping box, and ship with tracking and insurance. Include care instructions, a thank-you note, and your contact info. A small fabric swatch of the main material helps the client with future repairs.

Common mistakes

• Starting construction before written approval. Verbal agreements lead to disputes. Every approval (design, quote, muslin fit, fabric choice, final product) should be in writing (email, text, or shared doc).
• Underquoting labor hours. Track your time on your first few commissions to calibrate your estimates. Most sewists underestimate by 30-50% because they forget communication time, shopping, and finishing.
• No progress photos. Even if construction is going perfectly, the client doesn't know that. Radio silence plus a looming deadline equals an anxious client.
• Shipping without insurance. A finished garment lost or damaged in shipping is a full financial loss. Insurance costs $5-15 and covers the full value. Always ship insured.
• Absorbing scope creep. If the client changes the design mid-build, that's additional work. Quote it, get approval, then build it. Absorbing unpaid changes leads to resentment and unsustainable pricing.

Commission sewing is a skill multiplier. It turns your craft into income. But the business side (communication, agreements, boundaries) matters as much as the stitching.