Ad Astra ! It's that time again

[kaijugal]

I know, I know, so I've dropped off the face of the planet, and then suddenly here I am all in your face with a reminder that Ad Astra is coming.

I've been very preoccupied with LIFE, (you know what I mean); some good stuff has been going on in my life and some crappy stuff has been going on in my life. (Promises to give the general details

Comments

[darthmarysue]

I'd like to do a panel on 'intermediate' sewing and finishing techniques. Seam finishing, stay stitching, understitching, top stitching, hemming techniques, and anything that might be useful to the self-taught costumer. I don't know if that's too specific for Astra, but it's something we haven't had before.

A non-wonderflex propmaking panel would be good, too. Paper mache, cardboard and hot glue, insulation foam, resin casting, paper clay, etc. I'm not the expert in most of them, but I could present a few parts.

Not my field, but a jewelrymaking panel might be cool and I can think of a few people with expertise there.

I really want to see Kate's SFX makeup panel again, and maybe one regular/stage makeup, too. I also really want to see Erica's proposed kimono panel.

Sorry I'm flooding you with suggestions; it's my sneaky way of running the ideas past others who have the costuming skills to run the panels I don't. ^_^

[baensidhe]

I could probably be of assistance on the paper mache, cardboard and hot glue aspect of props. ;)

[kaijugal]

I think that the finishing techniques is an awsome suggestion. Could you include a brief tutorial on the types of stitches and finishes often mentioned in patterns like "blind stitch", "french seam", etc?

I wish we could run this panel twice and get more cosplayers to attend. I often hear frustration from that quarter since they've stopped teaching sewing in most schools in any major way these days.

I to REALLY wanted to attend Kate's makeup demo. I missed last years because I was overprogrammed. The only demo I did make it to was the leather working one and only half of it.

As for flooding with suggestions. Flood away!! :D

[eleryth]

Oh, Louise, I'd love to attend that one on finishing stitches and stuff. Sounds handy!

[darthmarysue]

Those sort of stitches and seams (and more, many more!) were exatly the kind of thing I was planning to cover. I can't do it as a demo though, which is to say I can't bring a sewing machine. I can make and bring sample swatches of each stitch done with contrasting thread, and hand them around as I explain. I'm not sure about a detailed hand-out, since I can't shell out the cash for photocopies (like my 20 pages last year). Sorry Ad Astra, I'm broke too!

Just so long as you don't expect me to show up with a sewing machine, 'cause I ain't gonna! ^_^