Costume Con 26 - Historical Masquerade and Panel
I am now home from Costume Con 26. It was brilliant, despite the initial hiccup of my managing to lose my mobile/cell phone!
Detailed chat about what I did is behind the cut - I knew that you all knew what to do!
Wednesday and Thursday:
I flew into San Francisco International Airport and was collected by the lovely Cynthia (howlgirl) who had offered to let me stay in her lovely house with her, her little boy Alex and with Zee (nowhere_man) on Wednesday and Thursday night. So much nicer than being on my lonesome in a hotel room! Thankyou SO much Cynthia.
I spent Thursday itself working on my Historical Masquerade documentation - this had to be completed and handed in by 8.00pm on Friday so I wanted to make sure it WAS done so I wasn't needing to do it on Friday.
Friday:
Cynthia and I travelled down to San Jose in the morning and there I met up with sarahbellem and sweetladykt who I was rooming with. On the way up to my room I met hharris and later on that evening her husband Aaron.
First thing we did was the frockflicks recording where I was volunteered as a contestant answering questions on Star Trek costumes! Hmmm - talk about outside my comfort zone! But it was fun! :-)
Teddy (clothsprogs) kindly helped me with the tiny last minute fitting I needed on my Masquerade/Kentwell 1588 gown. THANKYOU Teddy for that help!! Photos were taken of the gown so I could print off that last page of the documentation and hand it in before the deadline of 8.00pm!
In the evening, there was the Victorian Undies Social Party. I was a bit late getting there but that was because I was having a fight with my hair! Eventually I got it up Gibson Girl style and was complimented on it - I didn't think it was that good so glad others did think so. My undies included an original 1910s chemise; original 1850s petticoat which has been altered to be shorter so was perfect as a small petticoat. And an original 1908 corset. I think demode_kvc managed to get a couple of photos of me in that ensemble.
There was a Pretty Pretty Princess Party in Kendra's demode_kvc room where I was able to have a longer chat with hharris and Aaron. I didn't stay long - jet lag was catching up fast with me so about 11pm-ish (may have been later) I wandered off to bed - looks like I missed the bouncing up and down on the bed at the party!!
Saturday:
I spent most of Saturday finishing off my Elizabethan Supermodel Panel presentation that I was giving with Teddy in the afternoon.
Elizabethan Supermodel Panel
By the time the presentation was due, I was very nervous. More so when a room with a capacity of approx 50 was packed full and had more people sitting on the floor! Was so nervous that I hissed at Teddy to introduce because my voice refused to work!
Happily, I was able to come in where I should and then the panel just flowed. I only needed to look at my notes twice and one of those was to quote something exactly! I did surprise myself by that.
Have to say that it would not have been possible without my darling edmndclotworthy who pulled my dreadful notes together into a polished presentation. I had lots of costumes with me - my 1569 red gown; my 1584 blue gown with black doublet; Edmund's Orange "Earl of Leicester" Doublet, my drawn threadwork partlet and jewellery from my sister.
The reaction from the audience seemed to be good - very positive and lots of questions and people coming up to me individually over the course of the weekend to say how much they enjoyed it and found it useful.
Many thanks to Teddy for helping with the panel and to sarahbellem for providing the initial outline and abstract.
Saturday Night:
I had dinner with sbuchler and her mother Shirley and we had a nice time chatting about the panel and costuming in general. All lots of fun.
I decided to forego the Science Fiction and Fantasy Masquerade as again, Jet lag was hitting me, I also needed to get my ruffs restarched again (they had the first starching on Friday night) and I needed to finish off my dress before 3.45pm on Sunday - why? Because that would mean pre-judging!!
Problem is, my eyes refused to focus together on one place and instead did a good impression of marbles rattling round in my head! I eventually gave it all up as a bad job after stabbing my fingers a couple of times and went to bed early.
Sunday:
6.00am on Sunday, I was wide awake and sitting in the bathroom sewing away quietly so as not to disturb Sarah and Katie who were still sleeping. We had breakfast at 9.00am and then double quick spin round the dealers room and then it was back to my room to sew!
Around 12.00pm I was getting very worried that I wouldn't get finished in time but had help from jenlemus who came in to say hello and noticed I was frantic. She finished off the irritating shoulder straps on the kirtle which freed me up to sew in the lining and buttons on the doublet. Lining is ENTIRELY hand sewn into place! I am proud of that!
Sadly, I ran out of silk thread for the thread wrapped wooden buttons - only two which should have been the two just after the collar so it didn't matter too much as a reprod of one of Cheap Side Hoard necklaces was worn and sat exactly where those buttons would have been. The necklace I SHOULD have been wearing (my sister's Signature Piece but I left it on my kitchen table!
Sunday Evening - Historical Masquerade
sweetladykt kindly acted as tiring woman to Sarah and me and got us both dressed in a stress free way! As the masquerade contestants had to dress in their rooms, we had the interesting problem of getting from our room to the Green Room/Stage without anyone seeing our frocks. Sarah and Katie had the ingenious idea of stripping a sheet from our beds and wrapping us up in them! So thats what we did! I think Katie has a photo of me wrapped up in a white shroud! Only my ruff and headwear can be seen!!
I made my way to the green room and Katie then took my and Sarah's sheets and took them back to the room. And then, all I had to do was wait.
I was number 2 on the program - which actually is a nice place to be! Meant I could then go into the audience and watch the rest of the contestants come down.
So, I suppose you all want to see what I wore? OK then, see here:
Front
Back
Side
And what do you know??? I was "Honored for Excellence in Handwork and Detail" in Journeyman class!! Go me!
We LJ Costumers did very well in the Masquerade. There is my award, lindseyerin37 was honored for Excellence for her Venetian Noblewoman's Gown.
The piece de resistance was of course The Empress Eugenie and her Ladies in Waiting recreation which won BEST IN SHOW! This was a huge joint effort with demode_kvc; sarahbellem; bbscaife; trystbat; koshka_the-cat, and others - Lynne; Lana; Meagan and one other I can't remember (sorry!).
You were all absolutely amazing and all Pretty Pretty Princesses!!
All in all, it was an amazing weekend. I've met up with loads of online friends I hadn't met in person before and made friends with others. And I want to go again.
And to top it all off? edmndclotworthy was invited to dinner last Saturday at Kentwell Hall to talk about the Hallowe'en event Patrick put on last October and to discuss this years one. Edmund mentioned where I was (because I was invited too) and what I was doing. Patrick was very interested in what I was doing e.g. the Elizabethan Supermodel Talk and the Masquerade itself.
Edmund emailed Patrick about how the panel went and that I had won an award for the costume. Patrick's response??
"Great!!! Well done Bess".
SQUEEEEEEEE!!!!!!
Oh - and I was reunited with my phone!
Detailed chat about what I did is behind the cut - I knew that you all knew what to do!
Wednesday and Thursday:
I flew into San Francisco International Airport and was collected by the lovely Cynthia (howlgirl) who had offered to let me stay in her lovely house with her, her little boy Alex and with Zee (nowhere_man) on Wednesday and Thursday night. So much nicer than being on my lonesome in a hotel room! Thankyou SO much Cynthia.
I spent Thursday itself working on my Historical Masquerade documentation - this had to be completed and handed in by 8.00pm on Friday so I wanted to make sure it WAS done so I wasn't needing to do it on Friday.
Friday:
Cynthia and I travelled down to San Jose in the morning and there I met up with sarahbellem and sweetladykt who I was rooming with. On the way up to my room I met hharris and later on that evening her husband Aaron.
First thing we did was the frockflicks recording where I was volunteered as a contestant answering questions on Star Trek costumes! Hmmm - talk about outside my comfort zone! But it was fun! :-)
Teddy (clothsprogs) kindly helped me with the tiny last minute fitting I needed on my Masquerade/Kentwell 1588 gown. THANKYOU Teddy for that help!! Photos were taken of the gown so I could print off that last page of the documentation and hand it in before the deadline of 8.00pm!
In the evening, there was the Victorian Undies Social Party. I was a bit late getting there but that was because I was having a fight with my hair! Eventually I got it up Gibson Girl style and was complimented on it - I didn't think it was that good so glad others did think so. My undies included an original 1910s chemise; original 1850s petticoat which has been altered to be shorter so was perfect as a small petticoat. And an original 1908 corset. I think demode_kvc managed to get a couple of photos of me in that ensemble.
There was a Pretty Pretty Princess Party in Kendra's demode_kvc room where I was able to have a longer chat with hharris and Aaron. I didn't stay long - jet lag was catching up fast with me so about 11pm-ish (may have been later) I wandered off to bed - looks like I missed the bouncing up and down on the bed at the party!!
Saturday:
I spent most of Saturday finishing off my Elizabethan Supermodel Panel presentation that I was giving with Teddy in the afternoon.
Elizabethan Supermodel Panel
By the time the presentation was due, I was very nervous. More so when a room with a capacity of approx 50 was packed full and had more people sitting on the floor! Was so nervous that I hissed at Teddy to introduce because my voice refused to work!
Happily, I was able to come in where I should and then the panel just flowed. I only needed to look at my notes twice and one of those was to quote something exactly! I did surprise myself by that.
Have to say that it would not have been possible without my darling edmndclotworthy who pulled my dreadful notes together into a polished presentation. I had lots of costumes with me - my 1569 red gown; my 1584 blue gown with black doublet; Edmund's Orange "Earl of Leicester" Doublet, my drawn threadwork partlet and jewellery from my sister.
The reaction from the audience seemed to be good - very positive and lots of questions and people coming up to me individually over the course of the weekend to say how much they enjoyed it and found it useful.
Many thanks to Teddy for helping with the panel and to sarahbellem for providing the initial outline and abstract.
Saturday Night:
I had dinner with sbuchler and her mother Shirley and we had a nice time chatting about the panel and costuming in general. All lots of fun.
I decided to forego the Science Fiction and Fantasy Masquerade as again, Jet lag was hitting me, I also needed to get my ruffs restarched again (they had the first starching on Friday night) and I needed to finish off my dress before 3.45pm on Sunday - why? Because that would mean pre-judging!!
Problem is, my eyes refused to focus together on one place and instead did a good impression of marbles rattling round in my head! I eventually gave it all up as a bad job after stabbing my fingers a couple of times and went to bed early.
Sunday:
6.00am on Sunday, I was wide awake and sitting in the bathroom sewing away quietly so as not to disturb Sarah and Katie who were still sleeping. We had breakfast at 9.00am and then double quick spin round the dealers room and then it was back to my room to sew!
Around 12.00pm I was getting very worried that I wouldn't get finished in time but had help from jenlemus who came in to say hello and noticed I was frantic. She finished off the irritating shoulder straps on the kirtle which freed me up to sew in the lining and buttons on the doublet. Lining is ENTIRELY hand sewn into place! I am proud of that!
Sadly, I ran out of silk thread for the thread wrapped wooden buttons - only two which should have been the two just after the collar so it didn't matter too much as a reprod of one of Cheap Side Hoard necklaces was worn and sat exactly where those buttons would have been. The necklace I SHOULD have been wearing (my sister's Signature Piece but I left it on my kitchen table!
Sunday Evening - Historical Masquerade
sweetladykt kindly acted as tiring woman to Sarah and me and got us both dressed in a stress free way! As the masquerade contestants had to dress in their rooms, we had the interesting problem of getting from our room to the Green Room/Stage without anyone seeing our frocks. Sarah and Katie had the ingenious idea of stripping a sheet from our beds and wrapping us up in them! So thats what we did! I think Katie has a photo of me wrapped up in a white shroud! Only my ruff and headwear can be seen!!
I made my way to the green room and Katie then took my and Sarah's sheets and took them back to the room. And then, all I had to do was wait.
I was number 2 on the program - which actually is a nice place to be! Meant I could then go into the audience and watch the rest of the contestants come down.
So, I suppose you all want to see what I wore? OK then, see here:
Front
Back
Side
And what do you know??? I was "Honored for Excellence in Handwork and Detail" in Journeyman class!! Go me!
We LJ Costumers did very well in the Masquerade. There is my award, lindseyerin37 was honored for Excellence for her Venetian Noblewoman's Gown.
The piece de resistance was of course The Empress Eugenie and her Ladies in Waiting recreation which won BEST IN SHOW! This was a huge joint effort with demode_kvc; sarahbellem; bbscaife; trystbat; koshka_the-cat, and others - Lynne; Lana; Meagan and one other I can't remember (sorry!).
You were all absolutely amazing and all Pretty Pretty Princesses!!
All in all, it was an amazing weekend. I've met up with loads of online friends I hadn't met in person before and made friends with others. And I want to go again.
And to top it all off? edmndclotworthy was invited to dinner last Saturday at Kentwell Hall to talk about the Hallowe'en event Patrick put on last October and to discuss this years one. Edmund mentioned where I was (because I was invited too) and what I was doing. Patrick was very interested in what I was doing e.g. the Elizabethan Supermodel Talk and the Masquerade itself.
Edmund emailed Patrick about how the panel went and that I had won an award for the costume. Patrick's response??
"Great!!! Well done Bess".
SQUEEEEEEEE!!!!!!
Oh - and I was reunited with my phone!