See the Fangrrl Squee

For the few of you who haven't heard already, Gallifrey One has been rescheduled to Feb 26 - 28, 2010, because the Marriott double-booked the space.

Peter Davison has confirmed that he can manage the date, phew!

(pause for fannish tangent: honestly, he's the only guest I'm notably excited about at the mo', cos I haven't seen him since a tiny little Creation event in Boston in '86 or so. Not that I'm not looking forward to everyone else, of course, but I've a soft spot for Peter...)

According to the mass email issued by con staff, they've managed to wring some concessions from the hotel - locked in the room rate through 2014 (which means they're planning to stay there, yes!), got some additional programming space, etc. So, really, when's all said and done, the only inconvenience is that it's not on a holiday weekend so one can't count on having Monday off for travelling home/recovering. Fortunately, my boss is cool with letting folks work on a holiday and then taking the day some other time. And, heck, airfares will probably be cheaper, it not being a holiday weekend...

Have been talking with Shaun, laying down the groundwork for next year's masquerade at Gallifrey while this year is still fresh in our minds.

Larger theater, deeper stage, adequate time for tech to set up and a promise to open the doors early enough so that the show will actually start at 8PM.

Cosplay hall will be coming back, although it'll be comandeered for masque green-room, once again.

Instead of a "Young Fans" category, the kids will have their own "Junior Masquerade" - run just like YF, mind you (they get on the stage first, before the grownups) but with separate judging, prizes to be given at half time. It seems that there are enough competetive parents out there grumbling about wanting some "proper" judging, so... ask and ye shall receive. BTW, if anyone wants to volunteer as the judge for that category, drop me a line explaining why you're particularly suited to judge kiddies in costumes (self made and/or made by their parents) and I'll be in touch.

Mandatory meeting for all masque entrants on Saturday morning, to collect entry forms, music, answer questions, etc.

Tech and performance guidelines will be settled by Thanksgiving and published in various venues - OG, dw_cosplay, the G1 website, etc - at that time or shortly thereafter.

Let's see how that all plays out in actuality, shall we?

***

Meanwhile, I'm giving more thought to entering the masque at Chicago TARDIS, although I've no bloody idea with what - Mercy will probably be too expensive. But as the last masque I entered was BayCon '07, I feel the need to keep my hand in...

I am unsurprised to learn that the ribbons Chaz sent to me at Chicago have finally found their way back to him - dollars to donuts they were at the hotel when I was there, simply unfound. I'm just glad they sent them back!

Chaz, bless him, has allowed me to shift the dosh already paid to him for another batch of the lost-and-found ribbons to allow a run of the Summerfield U. Alumni Association, at the very last minute. I wish I could be getting the Welsh ribbon re-done but, oh well. Maybe I'll retool it as a sticker. I've got some sticker blanks lying around...

What's Welsh for sticker? Or is it one of those words that no-one's bothered to translate?

The Kaldor City fanwriting idea isn't giving up without a fight, bless its little cotton socks. It's still fanwanky crap, but it's not as bad as it was. I'm still not writing it down until the "And then something occurs!" bit in the middle of the first act resolves itself.

This hobby can be a bit of a bloody millstone about the neck, can't it?

***

In the meantime, I've added another costume on to the someday list, although I will admit that if I happen to find ideal fabric for it, it might be moved up the schedule, as I know of at least two events at Gally for which it would be suitable. Sybilline Sister.

What's driving me bonkers - more so than usual, I mean - is that I'm ready to swear that I had some fabric that would be a great match for the original in my hot little hands at *some* point. Unfortunately, that covers everything from "It's buried in my sewing room" to "I saw it in the fabric store three years ago."

*headdesk*

***

On a related note, I'm waiting to hear back from the organizer of the Gally masquerade. God knows what I'm letting myself in for...

More costume-wonkery, I'm afraid...

In between working on the *mumblemumble* late comission for a friend, I'm hoping to finally finish the Lucy!Master shirt this weekend. I had to fudge a fix with the shoulder width, but I think it looks alright, in that it looks like a princess seam unless you follow the line of the dart all the way and realize that it doesn't re-emerge from under the "lapel" of the "vest". I'm going to fiddle with the paper pattern as I think I can adjust it so that the de-facto dart is, indeed, moved so that it's 'hidden' in a seam. Now, if I can just figure out how to alter for the bust, I'd be golden... Anything else, I'd just cut a bust dart in at the side, but that really doesn't work for this pattern, so - given my lack of expertise - I think I'm going to have to cut the bust dart into the paper pattern and then figure out how to 'rotate' it out to a seam, the side seam, for preference.

I wish I never had to drop out of that pattern drafting class, dammit. *mutter*

The trousers, even I should be able to whip out in an afternoon between now and Feb 15.

I've got an idea for cufflinks - something very simple involving paint and stickers, really. I'm trying to rein in my tendency to, oh, completely overdo things. But I must have my Ouroboros cufflinks, oh yes.

***

But, speaking of overdoing things, the number of folks popping up and saying that they'll be in costume at Gallifrey One has me thinking that whatever I decide to make as a hall-favor this year, I'll need to make a lot of.

I was originally planning to do some cabochon pins/brooches with resin and watch parts (thanks, in no small part, to a timely - ahem - gift from my roomie) but I'm now thinking that I'm going to need at least two-dozen prizes and I don't have the materials for that. I could get convention ribbons, I suppose - Unofficial Hall Costume Award - but, I dunno... I like making something for the hall costumers, as it matches the spirit of what they've done in making/putting together a costume.

It's a shame the Drinks Coaster of Rassilon project proved far too labor intensive for the final result, as that one coaster I turned out does look rather nifty, even with a bit of a fubar regarding the coloring of the leather...

*thinks*

Proof that I am a complete and utter fangirl. Even more so than you might have anticipated.

Like proof was needed. ;)

For what it's worth, I really enjoyed the brunch and, damn, I wish I'd made the line for 2009. Oh well, maybe 2010. (I'll quit going to Gallifrey two years after the convention is over.)

I'm cheerfully full of gin and wine at the moment and, following a conversation with my dad regarding what's going right with New Who and why he should be watching it (he merely dipped his toes in during bits of S1, and managed to see Dalek, thank Whomever) I got into a big long discourse about why the fandom and the writers/crew are a big part of why I remain in the fandom and it was... well, it fun and cheerful and passionate - several things I've not been, recently... So passionate, in fact, that the waiter wondered what the hell I was going on about when he passed by the table. Granted, this was after the second martini and I can be passionate about a whole range of subjects at that point in an evening...

But, er, yes, more thoughts on that when cheerfully sober - whenever that happens to be.

As usual, I collected autographs in my journal - when I didn't have books/CDs to be signed.

The writers, bless 'em, left some lovely sentiments, but my favorite has to be from Andy Lane who, upon hearing that amongst other things scrawled in the journal, there's not a little Torchwood fanfic, wrote:

Captain Jack stood on the edge of the building and... (continued on page 98)

As the journal has only 100 pages in it, I'd better make it a drabble...

I've placed my order for con ribbons for Gally.

( Sneak Peek )

Gallifrey One is a little over a month away. How'd that happen?

I've not done any costuming or crafting for the convention, because of a combination of poverty, holiday-craziness, failure of certain ideas in terms of practicality and what-have-you. Oh well, the sky won't fall, right? I'm bummed about not having the dosh to do convention ribbons but that's about all. It's all gravy, really. I'm sure if I say that enough times, I'll believe it.

I'm looking at the tentative event schedule, and thinking "Wait a minute, the GOH brunch clashes with the Liars' Panel? Damn." I laughed so bloody hard at the Liars' Panel at Chicago TARDIS that I'm half inclined to cut out of the brunch an hour early in order to attend. Yes, really. A good laugh is worth more than a plate full of steam-table food and being within 200 feet of the con's GOHs. I bought the brunch ticket in a moment of madness, you see...

I'm also just a tiny bit narked to find out - at this late date - that there's going to be a Masquerade, after all. It's not clear if it's going to be on Friday or Saturday night, because of some "special event" that the staff are supposedly working on, which would bump the masq from Saturday to Friday. No details as to what the special event might be. kproche, if you receive an email from A Certain Convention Chair saying "So, what do you need for Springtime...? I'm going to laugh up my goddamn lungs, shortly before going after said Convention Chair with a rusty spoon. Just so you know... As it is, I don't have a costume/stunningly witty skit idea, nor do I have the money or brainjuice to create same so... I'll pack a good camera and enjoy everyone else's efforts, instead!

I'm excited about the convention - despite the minor bummers listed above - and, I must admit, hoping for a last minute inspiration for some easy costuming. I could finish the Harriet Jones rig, but that's not a costume that can stand alone - ditto Suzie Costello and, oh damn, I still haven't finished the Risen Mitten prop. Gah! Ah, well, it won't really matter unless I find a Torchwood cosplay group in need of a Suzie. Given how costuming-light G1 was last year... Granted, most of the costuming I saw was Torchwood-related, but it was mostly one cadre of folks who seem to have all they need...

I've never seen Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred at a convention, so that should be a hoot. As usual, I'm glad that Jason Haigh Ellery will be carrying the banner for Big Finish. By the time the con rolls around, The Girl Who Never Was should be in the hot little hands of BFA subscribers, and that will generate some interesting chat, I hope! I've made a point of chewing through half a dozen of Paul Cornell's DW titles in the past year (I wanted to read more, honestly I did, but, er, I get distracted easily) so I'll have a much better idea of what he's talking about, this time around. I'll be making a point of attending Andrew Sewell's panel, as I'm hoping for some juicy hints about what's next for the B7 audio series and, yeah, lots of fannish fun, all the way around, it seems. Basically, I'm planning to spend more time at the panels, and less time in the bar and/or clutching my head and wondering why the hell I did that to myself, last night. I think this is a good plan. :)

And, might I add, I'm so bloody glad I booked my air ticket back when I had the dosh for it. Paying for the hotel room might be a challenge (Hello, credit card!) unless my tax refund comes through but, I'll make it down there, even if I have to live on granola bars and string cheese the whole time. God knows, I'm not paying the hotel's prices for food again, hell no.

Which of you lovely folks will I be seeing there?

Presenting the St. George's Spirits Tactical Alcohol Consumption Team at the 18th Amendment of Gallifrey One.

Unofficial motto: We take our drinking so seriously, we have a uniform for it!

However, I had forgotten that trying to keep up drink-for-drink with a bunch of British folk - especially a gang of actors and writers - is pretty much deadly. Ow...