CC25
I arrived in St Louis last night for Costume-Con 25, and it's been great so far. Didn't do much last night except pick up my registration early. Too tired to do anything fun.
Today, though, the panels started. But first I had to make an emergency run to Walgreen's for mini DV tapes. I forgot to pack any for the masquerades. D'oh! Oh, and I picked up the DVD of Curse of the Golden Flower, which made me a few minutes late for the first panel. It was about costuming on the web. Took me a moment to see that
auroraceleste was sitting in the front row. Was that something for the Rose Dress I saw being worked on? I can't wait to see how that turned out! Anyway, the panel was partly the resources available, and partly advice on how to make your own website, whether it's info or picture intensive. Or if you're going to start a costuming-related business. Some good basics.
Next I went to the panel on basic decorative embroidery. My experience with counted cross stitch over the years definitely helped me out. I'd never done some of the stitches used, but they were easy to catch on to, except for the last one. We ran out of time before I had a chance to understand what the instructor was showing us. I have the handout, though, so I can practice.
After that was items needed for a sewing room. The two panelists definitely had differing opinions on a couple of items, like rotary cutters. And there wasn't time enough to get to everything. However, some things came up that I wouldn't have thought about, but definitely makes sense. For example, using medical tools for seam rippers or sewing etc. Curved needles. There were other things suggested that I didn't get a chance to write it all down. Like I don't have enough stuff to organize already....
Had to take a break after that, and hit the exhibit room. Had a nice variety of costumes from previous cons that I got to see up close. Wow! Interesting to see how up close things look simple, and yet in the pictures provided (or from the audience) things look very different. A good example of things I've heard said before at some of the panels at Archon.
I also hit the dealers room. One booth had yards and yards of about 40 different trims. I couldn't resist. And I also had to acquire a few Folkwear patterns that I either hadn't seen before on their website, or just hadn't gotten around to getting. Ouch! But the patterns look so cool.
The last panel of the day for me was about dyeing techniques. Spent a lot of time warning about safety issues. From what little bit I've heard in the past, I'm glad the safety issues were not glossed over. Got to see some nice techniques by example, but not a lot of time actually spent on technique itself. And they ran out of time before they could get to silk painting, which was something I had hoped to hear about. Something I want to do for a future costume would require painting on silk, I think, to get the right effect. I need to find out more about resists, and so forth, and how to do it all. I have plenty of time to research, though.
Anyway, I should be spending this time getting ready for the Rock 'n' Roll party tonight, but I think I just might crash instead. For some reason, I'm really dragging butt tonight. Very, very sad.