I'm posting on behalf of my friend, Fay, who has commissioned a suit by this maker. He doesn't have a livejournal account.

Name of Artist: Sparky Can Do

Website: http://www.furaffinity.net/user/sparkycando

Character/species commissioned (link to photo/concept art): http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7185956/

Links to picture(s) of your commissioned item: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6904602/

Is the item old or new: New

--Grade each below aspect on a scale of 1 (worst) to 5 (best)--

Visual Aspect (does it match the concept art? Is it consistent with other items the maker has produced? Is it visually pleasing overall?): 4

Service Aspect (Deadlines. Communication. Little extras.): 5

Workmanship Aspect (Is the sewing neat? Are things that should be sewn glued or vise versa? Does it fit? Has anything fallen off yet that shouldn’t have): 3

Describe your Experience. Pros, Cons, Comments: Though the body was made exceptionally well, everything else landed quite short, First off the shoes used for the feetpaws are work books, which are extremely uncomfortable over an extended period of time. Second is the head. For me, though it could have just been the muzzle shape, ventilation is very limited. Heat has no where to travel but through the eyes. Lastly, for being her second fullsuit commissioner, I asked for a moveable jaw feature, which did everything but move. Though she quickly apologized and gave me a refund for how much I paid to add the moveable jaw, which I'm extremely grateful for.

Final Grade (out of 5): 3.5 (Again, I got the suit when she first started out. I don't know if she's improved or not)

Name of Artist: Stormfire Studios


Website:http://www.stormfirestudios.ca/


Character/species commissioned (link to photo/concept art) Links to picture(s) of your commissioned item:
Concept art by Stormfire Studios:
http://www.furaffinity.net/full/5881953/

Pic of suit taken by Stormfire Studios:
http://www.furaffinity.net/full/5881946/

Pics of me in suit taken by Abrahm:
http://www.furaffinity.net/full/6386468/
http://www.furaffinity.net/full/6386449/

Is the item old or new: brand new, commission offered at online auction. Completed 5/29/11, shipped immediately.

--Grade each below aspect on a scale of 1 (worst) to 5 (best)--

Visual Aspect (does it match the concept art? Is it consistent with other items the maker has produced? Is it visually pleasing overall?):

5: Although the auction was for a custom fursuit, the species/coloring was Stormfire Studios choice and they provided the concept art in the auction listing. Having seen photos of Stormfire’s other creations (canine and otherwise), I liked their style very much and my suit is right on par with their regular commissions. It is BEAUTIFUL!!! The 3D Follow Me Eyes are very expressive, the head's look is exactly what I wanted (toony but not overly so). The gray and black fur colors complement one another very well and the white claws stand out against the darker colors of the suit. I wouldn't change anything.


Service Aspect (Deadlines. Communication. Little extras.):

5: The auction listing stated that the suit would be completed by Anthrocon this year. It was finished 2 weeks prior. From the beginning, the communication was excellent. They emailed detailed information on what measurements they needed and were very flexible when I requested a change on the secondary suit color. They also double-checked my choices on details and on a couple of the measurements I’d sent. They were very courteous in regards to my payment schedule and in helping out a 'newbie' suit buyer who had a ton of questions about the process!


Workmanship Aspect (Is the sewing neat? Are things that should be sewn glued or vise versa? Does it fit? Has anything fallen off yet that shouldn’t have):

5: The sewing is great, seams are well-hidden and finished. The front zipper is recessed (I’m not sure what the correct tailoring term is!) and is not visible when the suit is worn. Seams on the head are virtually invisible and airbrushing along the edges of different colors of fur help them blend in as markings.

The head is comfortable to wear and easy for me to put on. The feet paws have zippers at the back to make them easier to get into/out of. The fingers on the handpaws move freely and should work very well. The suit fits perfectly. I am very impressed at this as I didn't want to have to deal with a duct tape dummy and the measurements Stormfire asks for are very detailed.

Upper canine teeth, lower canines & incisors and a felt tongue (with detailing) really add a punch to the look of the head (they even added whiskers!). The lower jaw is moveable and works well.

The handpaws fit great and the gray on the finger tips adds a TON of expression to my gestures. I've worn the suit as a partial in hot July weather, as a full suit at a convention and so far everything is holding together well. Again the seams are very sturdy and the suit is comfortable from head to paws.


Describe your Experience. Pros, Cons, Comments:

5: I cannot speak too highly of the Stormfire team! They had multiple suits in progress when my suit’s auction was offered and they handled everything with professionalism and courtesy. I would not hesitate to work with them again and I would recommend them to anyone. FirestormSix and LavShep are pros in every sense of the term and anyone who commissions them will get the most value and artistry for their money.

Although I have not had questions for them yet, I feel that from the excellent communication I received during the building process, they would be more than willing to assist with follow up inquiries.


Final Grade (out of 5):

A Very Well Deserved 5: At the risk of being trite, my transaction, from initial bid to trying on & moving in the suit, has been positive all the way around.

Name of Artist: Tunny Says IDK
Website: http://www.tunnysaysidk.com/ though I found and commissioned her through her Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/TunnySaysIDK

Character/species commissioned (link to photo/concept art): Poppy Pandacoon again, I linked her
to my reference art, and gave specifics. I told her for it not to be ground dragging, possibly just knee height
and just a nice curl to it! http://www.furaffinity.net/view/5892777/


Links to picture(s) of your commissioned item:
http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/1990/dscf6306l.jpg

Is the item old or new (if old, how long have you had it/when was it made?) New. Got it today! <3

--Grade each below aspect on a scale of 1 (worst) to 5 (best)--
Visual Aspect (does it match the concept art? Is it consistent with other
items the maker has produced? Is it visually pleasing overall?): 5/5

It matches what I was after perfectly! It goes to my knees, it has a lovely curl to it and the correct amount
of stripes! <3 It was not the correct white fur I was after, but I was happy she let me know before just
going ahead and using it!

Service Aspect (Deadlines. Communication. Little extras.):  5/5

The initial deadline was 7-10 DEC due to wanting it for my birthday! Though she blew that out of the
water and had it done in 4-5 days from ordering! She always replied to my notes/messages within the
day, and was very professional and kind!

Workmanship Aspect (Is the sewing neat? Are things
that should be sewn glued or vise versa? Does it fit? Has anything
fallen off yet that shouldn’t have): 5/5

It could use a little more stuffing, but that would be me nitpicking! I've had a tug and pull on it and the
stitching is tight, the belt loops are on their for good, strong elastic was used, everything!

Describe your Experience. Pros, Cons, Comments:
Final Grade (out of 5): 5/5

Perfect communication, perfect visual looks and perfect communication. She completed this well
before my deadline and notified me of every little happening. Overall I am incredibly happy with her
and very glad I chose to commission her!

Name of Artist: Razzylee
Website: http://www.furaffinity.net/user/razzylee/
http://rlworks.bravesites.com/

Character/species commissioned (link to photo/concept art): Gina the Hyenasaurus
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6500279


Links to picture(s) of your commissioned item:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6485194/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6485228/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6488576/


Is the item old or new (if old, how long have you had it/when was it made?) New. September 2011.

--Grade each below aspect on a scale of 1 (worst) to 5 (best)--
Visual Aspect (does it match the concept art? Is it consistent with other items the maker has produced? Is it visually pleasing overall?): 5/5

The bodysuit looks amazing, even down to the placement and size of the spots on the shoulders and thighs as well as the number and shape/size of the stripes running down the back to the tail. My only gripe is the white on the belly isn't really the right shape (I wanted more of an hourglass shape that extended all the way down the crotch to the underside of the tail, and instead the white belly pattern ends a couple inches above the crotch and doesn't connect to the underside of the tail).

The tail itself is my favorite thing-it's huge and fluffy and I can hit people with it, just like I wanted. The only downside is I'm short and it's pretty long and heavy, so the tip does drag on the ground. I am planning on building a plastic armature so that it doesn't drag as I walk.

Service Aspect (Deadlines. Communication. Little extras.): 4.5/5

Communication with Razzylee was prompt and concise. If ever I had a question she would always have a response within a day if not several hours, and she was a dear to work with!
The only minor problem was when she'd gotten to the point of finishing the bodysuit and tail, she suddenly messaged me asking if I had wanted feetpaws and handpaws along with it, which i had specified in one of my initial notes that I had. Thankfully this was all before she'd gotten ready to send it out, and so she was able to get my feetpaws and handpaws done in time. I'm glad she didn't overlook that!

Workmanship Aspect (Is the sewing neat? Are things that should be sewn glued or vise versa? Does it fit? Has anything fallen off yet that shouldn’t have): 2/5

The suit is quite form fitting to my expectations (I asked for it to be in the style of certain other freakhound-styled suits I've seen, hence quite form fitting). The foam padding for the digitigrade legs stays in place well enough, though I am considering adding some fabric pockets for the foam to slide into, as I noticed after doing some walking or dancing that the thighs especially shift around a bit, and I have to keep readjusting them so they don't slide down my actual legs.

Another issue are the armsleeves are a bit too short, thus sometimes my wrists poke out from between my handpaws and the ends of the sleeves. I am considering purchasing snaps or sewing in some flaps to attach the paws to the insides of the sleeves so that the fabric covers the entire area.

I really don't like giving a bad score on anything for these dedicated artists, however, there have been quite a few glaring issues with the sewing and seams.

First off, the very first day the suit arrived in the box I took it out, tried it on, and found a one-inch hole in the tail between the two different colors of fabric. I patched this up myself. The tail has since split at the seam where the belt loop is (presumably due to the hefty weight of the tail), I have had this double reinforced and re-sewn by the co-worker.

The next thing I knew, walking down the hallway to try the suit out one of the cast resin claws fell off the middle toe of my right footpaw! Examining the feet more closely, it seems the claws were sewn in and not adhered to anything inside the feet (i.e. the space between the fur fabric and the carved foam of the toe), so I ended up taking and hot gluing it. I have since done the same with all the other toe claws, simply so they don't fall out, and I haven't had issues with them since.

Two of the digits on the handpaws had half-inch holes in them where the two pieces of fabric met (again, sewed these up). The paws themselves were quite loose in the ends of the digits, but I got some craft foam and have since fitted this into each of the digits, so they are no longer loose.

I've worn this suit to two furmeets thus far (one at a coffee shop, taken it walking a bit outside the shop and danced in it a little) and once to a corn maze (didn't actually bring the bodysuit into the corn maze, instead wore it as a partial because it was too hot out and i didn't want the suit getting dirty).
Since the very first meet I have noticed there are several spots between the toes of both feet that have large un-sewn gaps in them-we're talking two inches of space between the middle toes where they contact the other two toes and there's not even thread here. Now, I'm not sure if Razzylee meant to do this or if maybe at some point they were just hot glued, but that's another thing I've since had some help from a seamstress co-worker in stitching up.

Finally, in the past week or so I've noticed quite a few areas where the sewn in spots are coming undone. Upon closer examination my seamstress friend noted (on turning my bodysuit inside out) that all the seams were done with a running stitch. The problem with this is, if just one area of that thread should get pulled on hard enough to come undone, the entire length of that stitch comes undone. This happened once with the inside seam of my left thigh on the bodysuit at the last meet I was at, thankfully I had the chance to take the suit off and just wear it as a partial and not further damage the opened seam.

Long story short, my seamstress co-worker has basically re-sewn the entire suit with a better tension stitch. I am paying her for this, as it is quite the time consuming job and one she doesn't have much free time for to begin with. I do wish the construction of the suit had been better so I could've avoided having to have it repaired so soon!

I also plan on dancing in this suit but am now concerned doing so could seriously damage it...this isn't to say I'm overly-rough with my suit, I just worry particularly about the crotch and leg areas tearing from the tension. I have found that the repairs my seamstress co-worker have done seem to be quite durable, so that's easing my fear a bit.


Describe your Experience. Pros, Cons, Comments: 3/5

Razzylee is a fun and accommodating person to work with, she was concise and incredibly fast getting my commission done in time and with time to spare. The suit looks just like the concept art save for the white belly fur pattern, but it still looks awesome regardless. My only issue is the suit construction, particularly how many of the seams have split with only light wear to the suit.

Otherwise, the cost for the entire bodysuit was quite the bargain, her digitigrade legs look amazing, and the suit looks identical to what I asked for in most every regard! I would recommend Razzylee if you're looking for a good-looking affordable suit, however, I would double check with what sewing techniques she's currently using...

Final Grade (out of 5): 3/5

Name of Artist: Sapphire/MangoIslandCreations


Website:http://www.furaffinity.net/user/mangoislandcreations


Character/species commissioned (link to photo/concept art):
I only had one specification, a Dragoat. She designed it, and this is her original concept: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/5174711

Links to picture(s) of your commissioned item:
http://www.furaffinity.net/user/tiki - FA Gallery


Is the item old or new (if old, how long have you had it/when was it made?)New, I’ve had it since the end of May


--Grade each below aspect on a scale of 1 (worst) to 5 (best)--
Visual Aspect (does it match the concept art? Is it consistent with other items the maker has produced? Is it visually pleasing overall?):
5, the only thing that she didn’t do is the piercings, but I can understand why not to do it! I’m actually glad, because I can now plan some different styles of faux piercings for her. >:) It’s hard to see in the pictures, but in her ears are even Sapphire’s distinct swirl pattern. :) When I got to see her in person, I was blown away how perfect she was!


Service Aspect (Deadlines. Communication. Little extras.):
4.5
When I ordered this, I asked for an FWA deadline, so that me and my friend could suit together in our MIC suits, but she had a lot of IRL ordeals that she was going through, and missed the deadline by a couple months, but she was able to get it to me for my next event, ESG. I was also okay with this because I ordered the bodysuit for it after ordering the initial partial (and I’m so glad I did too!) However she was only able to warn me a couple days before FWA that I wasn’t getting my suit then.

That said, Sapphire is hard to contact outside of Twitter. Before I even commissioned her for this suit, I knew this. I have commissioned her several times in the past though, and have always gotten my work and been blown out of the water with it’s quality. She is constantly away from her email, and unfortunately sometimes does not get back without some pestering. I understand this can be frustrating to other people. However, we were in contact on her twitter, so I was able to communicate with her a lot through that. She knows this issue, but has been so backed up it’s still an issue, but I believe she is working hard to fix this. But when it came time for my suit, I was able to get a hold of her quite easy and she posted fun WIPs for me to see. :) This was something that I was personally willing to deal with because of the fact that I knew in the end what I got was going to be just what I wanted!


Workmanship Aspect (Is the sewing neat? Are things that should be sewn glued or vise versa? Does it fit? Has anything fallen off yet that shouldn’t have):
5
All the sewing a great and strong! The face is made of fleece, and looks flawless! My only TINY LITTLE gripe is that she left some seems where the fur ended on the eyebrows and feet unfinished, but it isn’t even noticeable, I just notice it because those are the seems I had to hide when I worked with fur at my old job. :P I was a little afraid of padding at first, and I thought I would never be able to get this costume on by myself, but I learned pretty quickly how to get the padding on and off easy by myself. I love that I can toss it in the wash after a con too! :D One important thing would be how easily washable the suit is to me (since I really like having a clean smelling and feeling suit) and in the body suit the seems were done by a serger, so they were really tightly together and super durable. It was very easy to put the body suit, and hands into the wash and clean and dry it. :) I didn’t have to worry about a seam popping just from that. I was also pretty happy with how the tail sat on my body, because I’m able to sit down pretty easy in this suit, considering how giant the tail is! The tail also fits seamlessly to the body thanks to the zipper that she had installed around the tail. :D The head was a little tight at first, but I was able to get it to loosen up pretty quickly to my head size, and I love how comfortable it is! I can’t use my glasses inside the head though (not really a big deal to me though)Besides that, the vision in the suit is fantastic! The feet are so nice and comfortable! Super happy with the outdoor matting for the bottom of the feet, I am able to go outside without fear of messing the hooves up, and I don’t fear slipping, since I am talented and can slip and trip all the time. ;)


Describe your Experience. Pros, Cons, Comments:
I think my experiences are pretty much described above. I think it’s a general consensus that her communication skills are still top notch, but if you are willing to deal with that, I think she’s an amazing maker who I would commission again in a heartbeat if I could. :) I love that I can bounce around a little bit without worrying of something on this costume breaking. I love how huge the tail is, but it can be a problem on a crowded elevator. Though I have started to learn to use the tail to push people aside when I’m coming through! I don’t think there isn’t a single thing I don’t love about this costume! The over all look is stunning, and I have a blast playing around in it!

Final Grade (out of 5):
5

Name of Artist:  Foxfairy

Website: http://www.furaffinity.net/user/foxfairy OR http://www.foxfairy-art.deviantart.com

Character / species Commissioned (Link to photo / concept art):
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/5351796
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/5944809
http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/201/6/0/Kohaku_Ref_by_Viterai_by_iNSOMNiAC013.png

Links to Pictures of Commissioned Item:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6190522
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6190482
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6190463
http://foxfairy-art.deviantart.com/art/Feet-for-Kohaku-215249884?q=gallery%3Afoxfairy-art%2F27698083&qo=12
http://foxfairy-art.deviantart.com/art/Kohaku-Leopard-Tail-215752659?q=gallery%3Afoxfairy-art%2F27698083&qo=8

Is the item new or old: New, just got her today!

--Grade each below aspect on a scale pf 1 (worst) to 5 (best)-- 

Visual Aspect (Does it match the concept art? Is it consistent with other items the maker has produced? Is it visually pleasing overall?):  5/5

I know, I know. "Hold up!" you say. "The colors are all off!!"
I realize this, and I have no problem with it! Me and Foxfairy both searched and searched and searched for the different shades of red-brown needed for Kohaku, and neither of us could find any. We did find one fur that might have worked, but I realized I didn't want to deal with upkeeping all the airbrushed spots. She worked with me to find some similar but not-quite-same furs to use, and I honestly like the final result a lot!

The suit is definitely on-par with her work and, although I may be a little biased, I think it's one of her best yet! The shape is consistent and sturdy, and the expression is friendly without reaching the uncanny valley.

Overall, the suit is exactly how I expected it to look in her style…Even better, really.



Service Aspect (Deadlines. Communication. Little Extras.): 9001/5

Foxfairy was an absolute JOY to work with. She is an incredibly sweet person overall, and kept me updated nearly every day of building process. She constantly came to me for feedback--"I had an idea to do such and such what do you think?" etc--and I could tell she was dead-set on making sure I loved my suit.

We did hit a few hiccups along the way. Little things here-and-there that she couldn't prevent that pushed the deadline back a bit, but through the power of express shipping and her working late into the night, I now have my suit in time for the con I wanted her for. [Megaplex!]

Little extras out the wazoo. I opened the box to find my suit, of course…But also two bandannas, a yellow leopard-spotted one and bright blue zebra-striped one, an ACEO of Kohaku, a separate set of ears, enough candy to last me the con, fur swatches, and even a printed fursuit care guide.

Mind-blowingly enough...I collect bandannas!  And I have no recollection of mentioning this to her.  I also had planned on commissioning a set of ears later on.  Buyer beware -- She may be psychic.  :B



Workmanship Aspect (Is the sewing neat? Are things that should be sewn glued or vice versa? Does it fit? Has anything fallen off yet that shouldn't have?) 4.75/5

Overall the suit is really nice! There's a tiny bit of glue showing here-and-there, like on the rim of the eyes, but it's only noticeable if you are serious all up in my grill. Her right fang is angled back a bit farther than her left, but it's hardly a problem.

Like I said, the head fits me fine--even with my glasses!--and is really comfortable. There's even a bit of fleece lining the neck so the fur backing doesn't rub my skin. Vision is good, too! I can easily remove the head by shoving my hands down Haku's mouth and taking my glasses off first, as well. Speaking of the mouth, however, I can't seem to get the moving jaw to work. It might just be that it's not sized right or I'm doing something wrong, though.

The paws are well-shaped and have really cute little pads. None of the claws will be going anywhere, as they are glued on super-tight.

The tail is fat, huggable, and the exact length I wanted without being too heavy or bulky. It has a verrrry slight twist to it, but again, I'm just being nitpicky.

All of the spots are super detailed, hand-sewn, two-color pieces. She even airbrushed on a few freckles on the arms.  The suit is very obviously a leopard, even at a distance. The main fur itself is a little coarse, but for all their sleekness, leopards aren't the softest beasties, anyways! The neck/belly/undertail fur is a really lovely seal fur, though, so something tells me I'll be getting a lot of chin scritches. :P

My only real issue is the feet. I couldn't seem them too well in the picture I was given, but I was under the impression that they would have some foam shaping similar to these other feet she made -- http://foxfairy-art.deviantart.com/art/Feet-for-Silverwolf1996-215249495?q=gallery%3Afoxfairy-art%2F27698083&qo=13

They are, in reality, quite flat! It's less noticeable when I'm actually wearing them, but that's another thing. While the feet themselves fit me fine, it's really tough to get them on and off. The anklepiece I have to slip through is too tight, and I'm scared I'm going to tear something! ;3;
They're outdoor feet, so they have these tough, foamboard bottoms…With metal-diamond print. Most people wouldn't like this, but considering Kohaku's anatomy and backstory…I find it a hilarious and appropriate touch. xD



Describe Your Experience. Pros. Cons. Comments: 5/5
Wow! Is there anything else I can say? I really did love working with her, and will likely come back for more. As a first suit Haku is perfect! And for the price? More than worth it. A $280 partial isn't easy to come by, especially one of this quality.


Final Grade (out of 5): 5/5
Love the suit, loved working with Foxfairy. Can't wait to debut Haku at Megaplex this weekend! <3

As a note, now that this is posted -- I wore her all weekend for Megaplex with very few problems.  I'm likely going to send her back to get the pupils darkened to improve vision and have a few things touched up. But overall she held up well and I had a blast.  :>

Name of Artist: DefiantFox (The DTWA)

Website: www.thedtwa.com

Character / species Commissioned (Link to photo / concept art): Stripped hyena http://imageshack.us/f/98/vibadge.png/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/860/viviref.png/
http://www.furaffinity.net/full/4278012/

Links to Pictures of Commissioned Item: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6141322/ http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6162968

Is the item new or old: Brand-new. c:

--Grade each below aspect on a scale pf 1 (worst) to 5 (best)--

Visual Aspect (Does it match the concept art? Is it consistent with other items the maker has produced? Is it visually pleasing overall?):

5 - I really love the work Janko put into my head! Its defiantly consistent with her other work as well as the paws. The suit looks like the references I had given her. She even sent me some WIP photos of the taping with the markings drawn on it, checking to make sure it was what I wanted before she went ahead and did the furring because of some slight differences in the references.


Service Aspect (Deadlines. Communication. Little Extras.):

5 - The deadline set was July/August. I got my suit finished and shipped out mid-July. :D Communication with her was great. I got replies back from her in a quick and timely fashion. Janko would sent WIPs photos with each step it took to make my head/paws and made sure I was pleased with what I saw.

I had the pleasure of meeting her at Califur before she started on my stuff. I saw one of her other suits with acrylic eyes and thought she did a great job on it. After talking to her, I asked if she could add acrylic eyes to mine as well, she said yes and gave me her phone number so I could get a hold of her towards the end of the con to give her the cash.

While making my suit head, she changed the foam work up to make it smaller to make it more proportional on me, as I'm pretty tiny. I really appreciated that she took that into consideration, I wouldn't have thought about it myself

When she was finished with my suit, I wasn't too fond of the nose. Janko gladly switched it out for another style of nose she has done before that I preferred, free of charge. (:


Workmanship Aspect (Is the sewing neat? Are things that should be sewn glued or vice versa? Does it fit? Has anything fallen off yet that shouldn't have?)

5 - The sewing is incredibly well done, I haven't seen any glue hanging off and what not. The markings on my head are clean and crisp. The head paws fit perfectly and both are comfortable to wear. I can't think of anything wrong with my suit.


Describe Your Experience. Pros. Cons. Comments:

I really loved working with Janko. I have nothing but good words regarding her and her work. (: She has gone above and beyond what I expected regarding services and the final product. I more than thrilled with the product I have received. I would recommend commissioning her any day.


Final Grade (out of 5):
5!

Name of Artist:  Monoyasha (DreamVision Creations) 

Website: http://www.monoyasha.com/

Character / species Commissioned (Link to photo / concept art): http://560-tatertot.deviantart.com/#/d3atudu

Links to Pictures of Commissioned Item: http://monoyasha.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d3lmz8n  http://monoyasha.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d3lmyxy  http://monoyasha.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d3lmy8p  http://monoyasha.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d3lmxvr  http://monoyasha.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d3lmxj2

Is the item new or old: Brand-new, had her only for a day as of this review! :)

--Grade each below aspect on a scale pf 1 (worst) to 5 (best)-- 

Visual Aspect (Does it match the concept art? Is it consistent with other items the maker has produced? Is it visually pleasing overall?):  

6 - I first found Monoyasha quite unintentionally when I came across a picture of her Kyuubi head on DA. After looking through her gallery and website, I was determined to commission her. The quality of her work is superb and clearly takes every detail into account. Her realistic style was among some of the best of all the suit builders I researched. I was worried about the complexity of the markings and she was kind enough to look at an early draft of the concept art and give her opinion. When it came to the color of the markings themselves, she was able to find the perfect shade of silvery-blue fur, both in the short fur and the much longer mane fur. She did tweak the design in two spots, but she always checked with me before hand and made sure that I was open to the changes and they only improved the overall appearance. There was artistic freedom given for the sleeve stripes, and they turned out lovely. She took the time to pay attention to even the smallest details, like eyelashes and using airbrushing to blend the transitions between the markings and the black base fur. Overally, the final suit matches the concept art perfectly, even better, in my opinion! There is little doubt that this suit falls under Monoyasha's track record of outstanding suits.

Service Aspect (Deadlines. Communication. Little Extras.): 

6 - Monoyasha blew the deadline I provided completely out the water. I wanted to get Talle before Dragon*Con, which is the first weekend of September and she had her finished and delivered by the middle of July! She does an excellent job at posting progress on her website, where one can see where you are on the commission list and how far along your suit is. She is aware of the different deadlines of her commissioners and arranges her work schedule accordingly, in a fair manner. 
Her overall communication was wonderful. Both Monoyasha and her assistant Ciara provide friendly and prompt communications via e-mail and through their lovely ustream / livestream sessions. They are very accesible in terms of being able to ask questions about suits and allowing the commissioner to see their suit being built. It's very exciting to see how things come together into your dream suit. Plus, the streams allow the commissioner and Monoyasha to converse about different details and features of the suit. In fact, it was through a stream that I was able to pick out my furs!

Workmanship Aspect (Is the sewing neat? Are things that should be sewn glued or vice versa? Does it fit? Has anything fallen off yet that shouldn't have?)

6 - I believe this suit can withstand pretty much anything, within reason. There are no glued seams whatsoever, hence I have complete confidence in them. Ciara did a spectacular job with the endless amount of handsewing that was required for all the markings. With the more complicated fur patterns for the feet and head, I believe there was also a good deal of hand-sewing. Eveything else was machine-sewn with some extra stitching done to re-enforce certain seams, mainly on the hand paws I think. The feet paws are made to withstand outdoor activites, as requested. They have sturdy soles and cute, durable silicone paw pads. The claws are glued into the hand and feet paws, so they aren't going to budge.
Everything fits amazingly. The sleeves overlap the handpaws seamlessly and the hand paws themselves are fitted perfectly so there is no danger of them slipping off with normal, or even slightly more enthusiastic tugging. The footpaws are built off of shoes that I provided and simulate a digitgrade look. There is exceptionally comfortable lining in them as well. They have a lovely hidden zipper in the back to make getting them on and off nice and easy. The tail is the exact length I wanted, long but not so long to drag on the ground, with a lovely adjustable curl to it. The sleeves are also great. They are easy to wear and move wonderfully, with no tightness at any point. 
The head is beyond description! Monoyasha obviously takes her time and puts an unmeasurable amount of dedication to detail when doing her heads. It fits my head wonderfully, while still being simple to put on and take off. The moving jaw responds well and the ventilation is spectacular. The tearduct vision is exceptionally awesome. 
Bottom line: A cut above the rest in the area of craftmanship. I have absolutely no worries about things falling apart any time soon. 

Describe Your Experience. Pros. Cons. Comments: 

Well, considering the fact that I gave all the above aspects a number above the stated rating scales, I would venture to say that I had a spectacular experience! :) Monoyasha and Ciara are truly wonderful to work with and I very much intend to commission from DreamVision Creations in the future. Now, this may be my first fursuit and first experience with working with a suit builder, but I couldn't have asked for a better one. I don't think there was one point at which I wasn't excited or happy about how things were progressing. Even with my suit done, they were nice about answering a few questions I had about storing the mask and some shedding I was worried about. Mono and Ciara make it a joy to commission a suit and clearly care about the commissioner and strive to produce a suit that fufills their dream!

Final Grade (out of 5): 6, no doubt about it. (If I could give a perfect 10, I would!)