The Official Video DVDs of the Costume-Con 26 Stage Competitions are now available for order!

There are two DVDs available:

• CC26-SIFI - Contains the Science Fiction Masquerade Event.
• CC26-HIST - Contains the Historical Masquerade and the Dimensions In Design Event.

Each DVD is $14.00 Dollars (includes shipping). Order requests should be sent to

Eric Cannon,
6446 Abbeydale Court
Orlando, Florida, 32818.
Checks should be made payable to "Eric Cannon".

If you prefer, you may contact him at RRVORLANDO (at) MSN.COM, if you would prefer to pay via PAYPAL.

• 5/23/2008 14:30 Hall Costumes - How To


• 5/23/2008 17:30 Masquerade 101


• 5/24/2008 13:00 EZ Costuming Kids


• 5/25/2008 14:30 Wardrobe Malfunctions

It's going to make prepping the final LoEG party tight, but we're going for fewer decorations (since we don't know the hotel) plus the posters.
The EZ Costuming for Kids is a hands-on-make-silly-things class.

I worked a lot on the Costume-Con 26 online scheduling tools this weekend, and the result is now available online.

Select "Program and Exhibits" from the top menu and you'll find "Prelimnary Program Schedule" offered near the top of the left menu.

If you want to refer someone there, you can use this link: http://www.cc26.info/show_prelim_schedule.php which actually redirects to the correct page.*

The schedule is still subject to massive changes, of course, but the online view is generated directly from the latest input to the program db, so it's always fresh.

*(Geekery: the redirect gets around the issues the secure server has with drilling down directly into the secure part of the site)

The rough cut of the Costume-Con 26 educational program is now available for viewing at this online program listing page

It's got some gaps and a duplicate or two, but all the data is now in the online database, so you'll see it maturing quickly as we continue to update it with participant responses.

After about 5 abortive attempts to write the Letter from the Chair for the Costume-Con 26 program book, I finally ended up with something I'm not embarrassed to have my byline on For All Eternity, and it has been duly forwarded to trystbat. And then re-sent, as I realized there was a sentence missing. Such sturm and drang over less than 500 words!
(And, yes, jaylake, I'm fully aware how much harder short writing actually can be ;-) )

The accompanying photo is more difficult, since my good head shots are 4 years and 3.5 hairstyles ago.

didjiman, did you get anything at IRLM Coronation that would be useful?

Reliable sources* high up in the CC26 programming department have leaked some details about confirmed program items for the conference.

First, it is with great pleasure that I can announce that the retrospectives at Costume-Con 26 will be presented by

Pierre and Sandy Pettinger
&
Bruce and Dana MacDermott

You can visit http://www.cc26.info/main.php?section=program for lots more information about our classes, workshops and retrospectives.

Also, we're well past 500 registered members now, and are expanding the educational program as a result. IIf you'd like to suggest an item, we now have a great web-based tool that avoids email disasters! Make your suggestions at https://www.cc26.info/interactive/program_item_form.php. (You do not need to be a registered member to make suggestions, but if you are,
please log in before doing so; it makes it easier for us to contact you about them!)

Kevin Roche
Chair, Costume-Con 26

*Reliable as in the department head.

If you are a SF Bay Area resident, perhaps you can join the CC26 crew at Bill and Carole's home this weekend.
It should be a relaxing chance to meet, socialize, and help folks interested in volunteering find compatible departments.
There is no big business agenda for this event -- it is mostly social/networking!
ETA: Event is in Sunnyvale.
( More details of the invitation behind the cut )

Here, as promised, is a photo of the ICG LAA plaque I was presented at Costume-Con 25. ( Shiny behind the cut )

These are sort of random thoughts and notes (not to be confused with Random's thoughts, which... oh, never mind :-)

bovil and I had a really good time. Minor bad travel-fu on the way east; our Seattle flight was delayed while they repaired the first class lavatory.

We picked up our car and made it to the hotel despite the error in the published directions. Said hi, got dinner at Ruby Tuesdays (which I saw the inside of *too many times* during the weekend).

Loved the concourse, banners, and kiosk, and have notes and photos for reference. The DoubleTree function areas are split into several areas, so we're definitely going to be installing some onsite navigational aids in that spirit.

The original location for the CC26 table was a bit problematic, because it was on the end of the Concourse opposite from reg, and there were a) the Now and Then display and b) the giant lattice partition hiding us from traffic. When we moved into the front half of the concourse things were much easier.

In general, I was impressed by the organization of everything, with one complaint -- the one-hour-on-the-hour program slots. Inevitably, the panel before mine would run up to if not over the hour and we'd get a late start. This was especially bad for the cross-dressing panel, as the ironing demonstration ran over, their equipment had to be broken down and our AV set up. Fortunately, ours was the last panel of the day and our audience was willing to stay a little late so we could cover the points we wanted to.

The Friday social was, well, nicely social. It was also nice of the hotel to make sure later on that CC26 guests could get into "Generations" (the main hotel bar) without paying a cover if we wanted to buy a drink and bring it back to the con suite. The hotel location was also great when I had to do my shopping run for the Evil Genius party.

I spent most of my non-panel time at the CC26 table for obvious reasons, but I always seemed to have good company there; we sold a number of memberships.

It was great fun being in the "hunk of the month" chair for Match Game CC. Sidebar: if you didn't watch the original, each of the six panel positions on "Match Game" acquired certain personalities. As I've come to know it, Seat 1 was for the current male hot TV property, Seat 4 the equivalent female star (and both of them tended to be bimbos). Seat 2 was Brett Somers (Jack Klugman's wife and one of the sharpest wits on the series), Seat 3 was Charles Nelson Riley, Seat 5 was Richard Dawson and Seat 6 was Betty White or Fanny Flagg.
I usually get cast in the Seat 3 position, so it was fun mental gymnastics being in Seat 1. Hope y'all enjoyed it, too.

I used to dread being an auctioneer; it's fun, however, when it's an occasional gig and I was happy to help out Betsy and the Archives. Thanks for playing along.

I was pleasantly gobsmacked to receive the LAA; there isn't much I can say about it that I didn't say on the spot!

There is apparently voodoo about hosting an Evil Genius party at Holiday Inns. Every time we do it, we get a noise complaint. Must be doing something right. Glad everybodyl liked the wine, and happy to share it with CC27 for the Sunday party, too.

Sunday morning came wayyyy too early, but judging the Fashion Show was not a hardship. Back to the table for the rest of the day.

Monday, after two nights of going to bed at 4AM, Andy and I opted to sleep in and skip the field trips. Dinner out at Las Margaritas was lovely, as was the dead dog and the Mousekerade.

One note on that, however -- I remember when it was all spur-of-the-moment and all the critters received an award (and most of them read "Most Humorous"). Bearemy was a bit let down to be one of he
only entries to receive no award at all. It was sweet of one of the mice to present him with their medal as a Miss Congeniality-type thank you backstage afterwards.

So, there you have it -- less a con report and more an assortment of impressions. I had a great time, and I'm still tired and loopy.

Kevin
(see you in April 2008!)

Last night after the Costume-Con 25 Science Fiction and Fantasy Masquerade the International Costumers Guild presented me with the ICG Lifetime Achievement Award.



What can I can say? I'm thrilled and honored.

Oh, and the plaque is very shiny*. :-)


*Both literally and in the Firefly sense.

I have a package of Costume-Con fliers and brochures that I need delivered to someone at DunDraCon 31 in San Ramon this Friday.

Anyone in LJ-land who could pick them up from our porch in Willow Glen (San Jose) and get them to San Ramon?

The Costume-Con 26 meet and greet last night was wonderful.

Enormous thanks to Carole and Bill for opening their home.

We filled in a few lines and boxes on the orgchart, introduced some people so they can figure out if they can work together for the long haul, ate great food, drank good wine, and generally had a smashing good time. At 8 we raised a glass to Aunt Sallie.

We'll be doing a couple more of these in the course of the next year; our gracious hosts have already said they are willing to host another one.

Thanks to everyone who came out and made last night so wonderful!

A major part of my life right now is working as the chair of Costume-Con 26, to be held in April 2008. If you've never heard of it, here's a bit of information. Feel free to re-post the following if you like:

---

Costume-Con is a premiere venue for professional and hobbyist costumers to meet, compete, share, and socialize.

Costume-Con 26 (www.CC26.info) in San Jose, April 25-28, 2008, welcomes space cadets, living history afficianados, reenactors, textile designers, theater designers, fursuiters, mascots, cosplayers, fantasy costumers, costume professionals and folks who just like to dress up! We look forward to mixing it up with all types of costumers (and those who appreciate costumes, such as photographers and artists).

Our first Progress Report is available! Check out *It Seams To Me* for all the latest info on Costume-Con 26 at http://www.cc26.info/progress_reports/CC26_PR_1.pdf.

Learn what kind of contests, competitions, shows, and socials will be happening at Costume-Con 26 . Check out our plans for classes, workshops and lectures covering the continuum of the art we call Costume. What's in the works for kids' costuming? Costume-Con 26 is planning a special activity track specifically for youngsters and their parents.

Wondering where to eat while you're in town? Or perhaps just how you can register for the first California Costume-Con in years? You'll find it in the pages of *It Seams to Me*.

(You'll need a copy of the free Acrobat Reader to view the Progress Report. You can get the Reader at http://www.adobe.com/products/reader/ if you don't have it already.)

If you'd like more information (or to volunteer!), visit us at www.CC26.info, or write us at: info@cc26.info.
(If you've heard enough and are ready to sign up, just click on the 'Register' link in the menu bar to register!)

Join us for the first Costume-Con to return to California in fourteen years!


Costume-Con 26 is a project of the UnConventional Foundation, Inc., a California non-profit corporation
Costume-Con ® is a registered service mark of Karen Dick, used by permission

Remember the plans to start building a carnosaur head?

Well, I've also been working on bring the online registration system up for Costume-Con 26.

Along the way I broke it.

The ENTIRE website.

We finally found the pesky misplaced double-for-single-quotes culprits (and an equally pesky change in the way PHP handles mixed form variables), but I was, as you might imagine, rather focussed on bringing it back online.

You can preview the form at www.cc26.info/interactive/registration_form.php
But it won't actually take you past the second step at this point. I still have to activate the recording and payment gateways, so IT DOESN'T ACTUALLY WORK yet.

But the rest of the website does.

After the Fantasy and Science Fiction Masquerade (which I judged... great fun. Both difficult and easy... many great things, a cooperative judging panel and the hard part (as usual) was figuring out which winners got which awards.

Champagne was consumed.

Portraits were enthused over (including the 3 new inductees, Cassandra, Adelie Niska and John Lubic), Martinis were shaken and a generally good time was had.

More later!

Pardon me for boasting...

My Egyptian Barrista tied for the Most Accurate Rendition by a Non-Designer award in the Costume-Con 24 Future Fashion Show. This is one of only three awards given at the show (the others being Most Accurate Rendition by Designer and Best Overall Workmanship).

It was wildly popular and I didn't look fat. :-)

Photos and further convention reports later.

Our shuttle for CC24 picks us up at 4AM on Thursday.

We're doing most of our packing tonight.

Again -- urk.

The beading is all done, and the fasteners are even sewn on.

(The collar is all beadwork; the cartouche is clever work with inkjet iron on transfer with some accent beadwork added to it)

It's actually finished a week before the convention!

Photos soon (they are uploading now)

Last night the Costume-Con 26 Facilities Liason informed me that we appear to be a GO for the final weekend of April 2008 at the San Jose Doubletree Hotel.

That would be April 25-27, 2008, plus or minus a day or so once we finish the contract discussions.

Contract negotiations, of course, can go awry, but barring any wildly unforeseen complications we will be announcing rates and opening registration Memorial Day weekend.

Hoorah!

Kevin Roche
Chair, Costume-Con 26