Sorry, duplicate post.

Kalei, if you are in the competitive circuit it is like that, less fun more work. Some can balance between the two and others can't. I have a few friends that work the east coast circuit, she said that some judges do care about fully lined finished seams and others don't. Being judged by people like Yaya Han you want finished seams and visuals. Others don't care about them. She did a burlesque Nyan Cat, and the week before she was all but breathing fire trying to get it finished and went to con with her sewing machine.

You've got a good point there, Tiva. Any competition is stressful, but especially when the judges are hard. I'm only speaking from my experience where everyone I know who cosplays does it for fun, and doesn't enter any competitions. I guess in that way, the show is accurate in showing the stressful side of making cosplay.