Cooooooon!

Balticon 2008!

This weekend was crazy. Most cons are 3-days longs, Balticon is four days of awesome - and a sorely needed vacation and relaxation time for Seth. For me though, it was a little more stressful. This was the first masquerade I've competed in, and I was wearing my 40K Adepta Sororitas costume. But starting off at the beginning so I can make you suffer through everything that happened in order to get to the good part...

We left Alexandria around 1:30 on Friday and immediately hit rush hour traffic on the beltway. At 1:30! *facepalms* Five hours later, we made it to the hotel just up north of Baltimore. I immediately started pulling out my costume to double check it arrived in one piece and to let the wrinkles fall out, and realized that my left glove wasn't there. Seth had done a bit of touch up on the paint of the St. Celestine icon for me, and when I'd packed up the rest of my accessories it was still drying. Neither of us very happy about it, we headed back to get it. *sighs* Fortunately the drive only took an hour and 15 minutes each way. But still. Not fun. Seth deserves major props for how well he took it.

Saturday was a lot more fun. Great panels to attend, got myself signed up for the masquerade, and then began the agony of waiting. I was so rediuclously nervous. Around 5 I got changed for dress rehersal, and then hung out in the green room. The GCFCG, my chapter of the International Costuming Guild, was amazing. All of them, but Ann especially really took care of me. She came with me for the workmanship judging to help me out and keep me calm. Never having done it before, it was nice to have someone there who knew exactly what the judges wanted to hear about and who could give me some cues. Then she took me and raided a couple of the other guild member's make up bags for me. I usually never wear make-up. It just makes me break out, and I really don't need it. However, when you're on stage make-up keeps the lights from washing you out to an indistinct, pale, blob. Ann did an amazing job with it too. When the competition was over Seth came back and the first thing he said was how good the make up had made me look up on stage. "Intimidating," apparently. It was perfect. My only minor disaster was when my necklace broke and the beads went everywhere- including down the front of my shirt to get stuck in my corset (now that was interesting to try and get out.) fortunately it happened well before I went on stage, and I had four or five people scrambling to help me get it fixed in time. I love costuming geeks, they're the nicest people. Even when you're competing against them they still want your costume to be the best it can and everthing to go perfectly for you because if it didn't and they won, it would take away from the quality of their victory.

My presentation was really simple. (I'm hoping it'll get up on youtube eventually so I can post the video of it.) Just a simple walk with the MC introducing me majordomo style, and walk off. I'd ripped some music for the background from an old 40K video game too. I was in the Novice category, obviously, this being my first masquerade, and in the line-up I was lucky/un-lucky enough to be placed between two really amazing costumers. Ricky Dick is a Super-Master, and his First of November costume was awesome. (Pictures to come when they get up) He ended up taking the Master Craftsmanship award home for it, actually. He helped keep me sane right before going on stage though, playing the 'what if' game. You know, what to do if something goes drastically wrong with my presentation. His suggestion for what to do if I fell on my face was the best though. Jump up, point an accusing finger at the floor where I fell, and scream "heretic!" (my costume being of someone who's a member of the Inquisition in case you missed that...) The lady behind me was similarly impressive, though her costume was just for exhibition rather than for competition since it'd already won elsewhere, I believe. But her dress was a gorgeous peacock dress, all feathers and gemstones and beautiful detail work. I was just glad she didn't go on before me. That would have been intimidating to follow up on.

I really don't remember much past my initial cue to go on stage. I was just trying to stay 'in character' and not fall on my face - which was close a couple of times. I nearly tripped over the front of my hem a few times, but I made it and everyone tells me it was good. phwew! I figure it had to be decent or I would have remembered more of it.

But once it was finished I was able to calm down a bit, got a few photos taken, and went to play the waiting game again in the green room. I was hoping to win a workmanship award of some sort, but when they finally got through the half-time auction and started announcing awards, I took the Best Workmanship in the Novice Division. I was so excited. Ecstatic, really. I wasn't really paying attention when they announced the presentation awards. After all, my presentation wasn't exactly thrilling here! People were coming over to congratulate me and get a closer look at all the detail work on my dress. Then Seth pushed me forward again and told me to get up on stage against since they'd called my name. Well dang. I took Best in Class! Both major awards for the Novice Division! At a regional competition too! Balticon isn't a little tiny local con. Either award would have been enough to make me a Journeyman level, but both? wow. When I went up to accept the Best in Class for the Novice Division I had people in the crowd calling "Not a Novice anymore!" *laughs* How awesome is that? Journeyman.

I've still got a heck of a lot to learn, but I had Masters impressed that this costume was my first attempt at beading and embroidery. :) And now that I've shown everyone what I'm capable of, I feel like a real member of my guild chapter. I was even told to make sure to save my costume as-is so it can go up on display at future cons as an example of a Novice Best-in-Show.