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FROM THEEDITOR

Welcome to the Spring 1992 issue of theCostumer's Quarterly. Things are still running a bit late anda bit thin! Both this and the last edition of the quarterlywould have been out earlier if only I had received morequality articles and artwork. Many of the same contributorscontinue to send me articles, while I know that there areHUNDREDS of you out there who have knowledge thatothers could use in their consturning. To a certain degree Ihave been able to use up articles submitted during the lullbetween editors, but that reservior is being used up quickly.

Some of you may be concerned that you have theknowledge but lack the writing skills. Don't let thatproblem deter you! One of the jobs of an editor is to help toconvert your articles to an appropriate form. Send us thebest you can do and let us do the rest for you.

Another area where I am beginning to haveproblems is in artwork. I need much more, high qualityartwork. In particular I need; line art, cartoons appiOjJI iateto costuming, original designs, cover work etc. Here is yourchance to see your artwork published. For best resultsmake your artwork no more than 4" wide for scanningpurposes. Dark ink or pencil show up best for scanning.

As always it is helpful if you can do your articleson a computer - this saves me lots of time. But this is NOTrequired, any format is acceptable; handwritten, typed etc.

Please help!James J. Kovalcin - Editor

P.S. Please note that this is the Spring, 1992 edition of theCQ. (There was no Winter, 1992 Edition) In future the CQshould be published during the same season as listed on thecover. (Assuming that You keep articles and artworkcoming in!)

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Published in association with:

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EditorJames J. Kovalcin

Associate EditorDiane Kovalcin

Volume 5, Issue 2, Spring 1992

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The Costumer's Quarterly is copyr!ght ©1992 by James J. Kovalcm. All nghts revertto the authors and artists upon publication.This magazine is distn1luted to all membersof the International Costumer's Guild. Separate subscription rate is $8.00 a year. [Allchecks payable to the "International Costumer's Guild") Unsolicited manuscripts areencouraged. No submissions returned without a self addressed stamped envelope. Sendall correspondence to:

The Costumer's Quarterly15 Stockton Road

Kendall Park, New Jersey 08824.

Advertising space is available st the following rates:

Full page - S25, Half page - SI5,Quarter page - SIO, Business card - S5.

Copyright and trademark names, symbols ordesigns used herein are provided solely forthe furtherment of costuming interests andare not meant to infringe on the copyright ortrademarkofthepe=n,pe~orwm~

ny that owns them.

The Costumer's Quarterly - Sp"", 1992

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~Iuatz-tE tz-[yVolume 5 Number 2 Spring 1992

Edited by James Kovalcin

Cover fromThe Ladies Standard Magazine April, 1894

With great thanks to the following people for submitting articles:Rodd Matsui Susan Stringer Sue KuliyniDeb Salisbury Pierre Pettinger Eleanor FarrellToni Lay Tina Connell Jay HartloveByron Connell Marji Ellers Animal X

Table of contentsRubber Latex in Costuming - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3Sewing with Lame' - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5

Before There Were Costume Cons - - - - - - - - - - - - 6Before You Go on Stage - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 10

There was an Old Woman - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 11Come to Costume Con 10 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 13Book Reviews & Cosmic Royalty - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 15

Masks and Helmets with Fabric Stiffener - - - - - - - - 16Costumes to Go - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 18IJust Do It, I Can't Teach It - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 19President's Message - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 20

Messages from CC II/Tax Exempt Status - - - - - - - 21Guild Chapters- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -22

The Costumer's Quarterly -Spring 1992 2

Rubber Latex in Costuming>4

by Rodd Matsui

Rubber Use in Early FilmsOf course, Natural rubber comes· from

trees, as a sticky sap that is quite elastic when itdries to a pale amber clarity. Latex has been usedfor makeup effects as early as the early 1900's;Lon Chaney used liquid latex extensively in thecreation of his full body suit for the Hunchbackof Notre Dame (1923). Details are sketchy as tohow this suit was actually constructed, but it islikely that it wasn't cast from a mold, as Chaneyseldom (if ever) used molds of any kind. My guessis that it was sewed or glued together from sheetsof dried latex, painted, and laid with hair. Thehump was a solid piece of rubber weighing fortypounds! The suit was complemented by a wig anda face sculpted in cotton, collodion, latex and noseputty.

As a sidetrack, latex was also used byMarcel Delgado when he built the animationmodels for Willis O'Brien's dinosaur footage forThe Lost World (1923), and later for King Kong(1933). Both of these ftlms utilized animationmodels made with wooden skeletons covered withlatex, sponge, paper toweling and cotton. Themuscles and detail were all built up separately,rather than cast from the outer surface of asculpture. At the time of King Kong , foam latexwas not yet around, and animation models couldnot be cast with liquid latex.

Evolution ofLatex FoamThe development of foam latex in 1939, by

George Bau and others, affected the makeup worldand the animation world profoundly; Ultra flexiblesolid objects could now be cast using this soft

3

medium, and each piece, having come from amold, was identical to the last! This allowed foraccurate duplicates of animation models, and forrepeatable makeup that looked the same day afterday.

Foam latex made things much easier forthe actor as well. The liquid latex that has beenused to make appliances for The Island of LostSouls, being solid and airtight in its dried state,often caused actors to faint because it blocked airaway from large portions of their skin! Foam latexallowed the skin to breathe much more freely, wasmuch more flexible and thus more comfortable,and allowed the performer a greater range ofexpression. The first major use of foam latex wasThe Wizard of Oz (1939), which featurednumerous good appliance make-ups, includingthat of the witch, lion, scarecrow and tinmancharacters, not to mention the hordes of flyingmonkeys.

Though Marcel Delgado continuedbuilding up his animation models rather thancasting them, many other model-builders beganmaking animation models from this versatilecompound.

As the fifties neared, a great many makeupartists began using various formulations of foamlatex, among them the Westmore family, DickSmith, and Jack Kevan. It soon became thestandard technical plateau, and remains, at leastfor the moment, the most often used material forform-fitting appliances.

Latex Rubber TodayEven today, of course, liquid latex is still

The Costumer's Quarterly - Spring 1992

afforded many applications. It can be used tomake masks, flexible molds and gloves; it alsofinds its way into adhesive formulas like Duo andother eyelash adhesives, due to its flexibility andfairly low cost.

Raw latex gum, that is, latex without anyadditives, will stretch quite readily but distorts alot. Rubber is vulcanized to minimize itsdistortion. To make a vulcanized rubber form, youmust begin with a latex containing a small amountof sulfur. Virtually all commercial preparations,except those clearly described as "pure gum",contain sulfur. Anyway, after your latex formulahas dried, process it in an oven at 2()()OC for anhour. Your rubber in now vulcanized, and willacquire very little distortion if stretched.

It might be noted that liquid latex is nottypically used for stretching purposes. Stretchheads, for example, are seldom made with it.Latex tends to be used for flexibility purposes-i.e., a flexible mask that you can open up in theback to facilitate sliding your head into it; or, aflexible latex mold that you can pour plaster intoso that, later, you can peel the latex mold off thedried plaster positive. Neither of theseapplications involves any great amount ofstretching.

It should be noted that, for all its stiffnessand its inferiority as an appliance materialcompared to foam latex, liquid latex reflects lightmore like skin than foam does. I have made manyfalse arms and heads using a liquid latex skinspecifically because I knew it would be easy topaint the surface to look like skin. Liquid latex hasa slight sheen to it, as opposed to foam latex'sflatness; it's also slightly translucent, whereasfoam is opaque.

Latex in Modern CostumesFor Dark Romances I made an arm out of

liquid latex with an inside reinforcing shell offiberglass. I painted layers of latex into a plastermold of the character's arm, and then laid infiberglass to hold the shape. When dry, the

The Costumer's Quarterly - Spnng 1992

fiberglass was lifted out, and the latex skin wasthen pulled away from the mold, realigned withthe fiberglass, attached and painted. Because thefalse arm was to receive a hypodermic needle, ahole was drilled in the fiberglass at a certain pointso that the real needle would poke through therubber skin, which was held firmly in place by thefiberglass except for that one little area where thehole was drilled.

It looked so real that many people thoughtthat it was real - - and that's why I suggesteddoing the effect in the first place (the insertion ofthe needle was originally to happen off.screen, butI felt it would be unnerving for the audience toactually see it happen, since movies very seldomdwell on details like this). It had a strong effect onpeople not only because the liquid latex gave us arealistic arm, but because everyone in theaudience had had needles stuck in their armsbefore. Obviously, eye-gougings anddecapitations are not real in these films, butbecause a hypodermic needle is so familiar andcauses slight pain with only minimal damage,audiences were tricked into thinking we'd actuallystuck a needle into the arm of, for instance, adiabetic. Foam latex would not have given thesame effect. I would have been too spongy andwould have "given" too much when the needlewas inserted; and the slush-molded skin snappedback a little when the needle was removed. Foamwouldn't have done that.

Suggested readingCraig Reardon's article Makeup Magic in

Cinemagic #12; should you read this article, notethe extreme precision employed in the creation ofthe slush-molded facial appliance and ears, andthe great economy of the sculpturing: Reardoneschews audacity and "crazy wild sculpture",choosing instead to create an understated subtledesign incorporating both human and goatfeatures. The makeup succeeds unnervingly atcreating an animal-like visage ... all without foamlatex.

.4

The Most Flash for the Cashor

Sewing with Lame'

by Susan Stringer

Tissue Lame' (pronounced la-may) iswonderful stuff for costuming. For the impact perdollar spent it has no equal. Tissue lame' sells forabout $3.97 per yard and often goes on salearound the Christmas and Prom seasons. It comesin a wide range of metallic and jewel tones tomatch or complement any outfit. When used as asingle layer, unlined, it is soft, light and airy.When lined, even tissue lame' can be strong andgive its beauty to the weight of a heavy lining forrich embellishment.

The best effect, without the puckered runsoften associated with tissue lame', each patternpiece must be sewn to its matching piece of lining.Cut the lining of a strong, soft cotton. The colormay match or contrast the lame' as desired foreffect. Be sure to transfer any sewing marks to thecotton, pin the lining to the uncut lame' and use asa pattern. [This works better than using the paperpattern twice when sewing any garment with alining.] Pin the lame' pieces on top of thecorresponding cotton lining piece. Zig-zag aroundall edges and then sew together as one. If thegarment is to be worn in close contact with theskin, you may want to fInish the seams to keep thefraying edges of lame' from irritating. Fold theedges of the seam allowance under the top stitchthrough all layers.

Another really good look to experimentwith is Lace overlays. A inexpensive lace with alarge or coarse motif added as a top layer of theaforementioned lame' and combination, looks likea very expensive metallic brocade. Naturally,lame' at $4.00, lace at $2.50 and a $2.00broadcloth lining adds up to $8.50 per yard, butbrocades can cost twice that much. Furthermore,what costumer doesn't have scrap lace laying

5

around? Even if the lace is not sewn down to thelame', it looks great floating over lames' for a softflowing look in skirts or capes.

Lames are a lot tougher than they look, butdo unravel a great deal. Whenever they are used,extra care must be given to the edges. With the useof transfer webbing [This material is first heattransferred to the back of the fabric, and is then cutinto the desired shape before being ironed on thethe garment or base fabric.], applique with lame'is both beautiful and easy. Use the transferwebbing [Wonder Under] as recommended by themanufacturer to hold the applique in place, thenzig-zag around the edges for a classic appliqueappearance. If the garment is to be launderedfrequently, use Fray Check over the stitching tokeep the motif from unraveling in the wash.

The final drawback to using lame' is thefact that they do melt. Never use an iron on highheat directly on lame" Medium heat or the loweststeam temperature is usually high enough to usetransfer webbing, but low enough not to melt thelame'. With just a minimum of care, you can learnto use tissue lame' to add that special sparkle toyour costumes.

$$ Money saver $$If you have a large project made of fabric

such as lame' that unravels easily, and you cantafford a gallon of Fray Check, try white glue andwater. Mix 1 part glue with 3 to 4 parts water.Pour the mixture into a cheap envelope and stampmoistening tube from a stationery/office supplystore. Use the sponge applicator to quickly treat allthe edges. Be sure to test on scrap material first asthe glue does change or dull colors slightly. Layall pieces on plastic bags or waxed paper to dry.


Before There Were Costume Cons ...

by Allison Woodfield-Kondo

BUTTERFLY

European "society" had been enjoyingmasked balls since the late 1400's. These ballsseemed to have originated in Italy as civic or Courtcelebrations and were brought to England at HenryVill's court in 1512. [Ashelford, "Female MasqueDress in Sixteenth CenturyEngland", p. 44 & 47]

"Fancy Dress", byJarvis & Raine, continuesthe history of Masqueing inEngland. It was introducedas a public entertainment inthe early 18th century andcontinued popular until itsclose. The increasingly"moral" society of the 19thcentury led to the closure ofthe public masques as being"too licentious". TheVictorians were, however,very fond of privatemasqued balls. These rangedfrom the Royal and Societyballs given by QueenVictoria and the Duchess ofDevonshire to the lessexclusive civic celebrations.Jarvis [Costume #16, p. 37]states that "In the 1870's,1880's and 1890's Societyfirmly established the ideathat the Fancy Dress Ballwas THE way to celebrate special events, and thePAR EXCELLENCE for ambitious hostesses tomake their mark in the social world". The socialpages gushingly described the attendees costumes,some of them made by famous couturiers like


Worth & Paquin. "A Century of Fashion" by JeanPhillipe Worth gives detailed descriptions of theincredible (and incredibly expensive) Fancy Dresscostumes this fashion house created for the topSociety events. Fancy dress balls continued to be

popular through the JazzAge with an interruption forWorld War!.

Fancy Dress alsoplayed a role mphilanthropic activIties(Gordon, "Dress", v.12,1986). Fund raising fairs,based on different themes,were held with the workersin Fancy Dress. The exoticthemes made the event moreentertaining and encouragedboth attendance andspending.

Valerie Steel, in"Paris Fashion - A CulturalHistory" (p. 143) and AntheaJarvis, in "Costume", #16 (p.45) discuss some possiblesocial reasons for thepopularity of Fancy Dressevents. The fantasyatmosphere of the FancyDress Ball allowed the richto dress as picturesquepeasants (without ever being

mistaken for real ones), and the middle classes todress as royalty. It was the one social occasion atwhich women could wear trousers or shortswithout ridicule or censure. Dlustrations in thesesources show women in skirted costumes ending

6

just below the knee. Middle Eastern costumes werepopular for women, possibly because of the noveltyof their trousered style. The Fancy Dress Ball wasan environment that allowed Victorian women todress and behave differently than in their somewhatrestricted everyday lives. The balls also providedthe opportunity to attract the opposite sex. Ms.Ardern Holt, a Fancy Dress authority of the lateVictorian era, states that "These are few occasionswhen a woman has a better opportunity of showingher charms to advantage than at a Fancy Ball".Jarvis' theory for the eventual disappearance ofFancy Dress parties in the 20th century is that associetal rules loosened, there was less and less needfor the escapist environment of the Fancy DressBalls.

The major sources (Jarvis, Jarvis & Raine,Finkel, Worth, Holt, Aria, and Steel) of informationon the history of Fancy Dress agree that historicaland foreign dress were the most consistentlypopular themes for Fancy Dress costumes.According to Jarvis, the sources for inspiration forthese costumes were engravings of historical andforeign dress, costume books, authentic ethnic garbbrought back by travellers, and special advice bookson Fancy Dress.

Two English Fancy Dress authorities of theperiod, Ardern Holt (Fancy Dresses Described, orWhat to Wear at Fancy Balls, 1896) and Mrs. Aria(Costume: Fanciful, Historical and Theatrical,1906) expressed different philosophies of FancyDress costuming. Ms. Holt placed little importanceon the authenticity of the costume or hairstyle, aslong as the costume flattered the wearer. Theintroduction to her book states that "It does notpurport to be an authority in the matter of costume,for, as a rule, the historical dresses worn on suchoccasions are lamentably incorrect." and "No onewould probably view the national costumes withmore curiosity than the peasantry they are intendedto portray, although certain broad characteristics ofthe several countries are maintained be FancyBall-goers". She was an early supporter of suiting acostume to the wearer's body type, saying "Itbehoves those who really to look well to study whatis individually becoming to themselves, and then to

7

bring to bear some little care in the carrying out ofthe dresses they select, if they wish their costumesto be really a success". Mrs. Aria's book showsconsiderably more historical and ethnic costumeresearch. She advocates wearing an accurate butbecoming costume with great emphasis placed onthe headdress and hairstyle, and to a lesser extent,

WASTEPAPER BASKET

the sleeve style. She was acquainted with most ofthe famous actors and actresses of the time andseems to have adopted the theatrical convention thata "historical" headdress & sleeve added to afashionable bodice and skirt was enough torepresent a specific period, although greaterauthenticity was encouraged. Both books showmost historical styles adapted to the current fashionsilhouette of the period. Most of the Middle Easternand Oriental costumes shown have been left in theiroriginal forms, probably because enough authenticpieces of ethnic clothing had been brought to


England to appear frequently at Fancy Dress Balls.Both books seemed to indicate that certain colourcombinations and/or motifs were accepted asrepresenting abstract costume concepts such asNight, Winter, Flame, or Water.

Ms. Holt asserts that" There is much in aname" and that catchy titles "have attractedattention to very mediocre costumes ere this".Some of the costumes shown in these books,Worth, and Vogue magazines of the 1920's were

NEW WOMAN

so abstract that a title was necessary to even beginto guess what the costumes were intended torepresent.

Although most of the references describeEnglish and French Fancy Dress, American culture(especially at the higher social levels) was similarenough that the information would be applicable tothis country.

The following selection of Fancy Dress

The CoSlUmer's Quarterly - Spring 1992

costume descriptions and pictures are from Ms.Holts book "Fancy Dresses Described, or What toWear at Fancy Dress Balls".

Since one of the themes for Costume ConJO is "American Indians", here is Ms. Holts 1896suggestion for a "North American Indian Queen" "A brown satin cuirass bodice and skirt, or blackcloth embroidered with red, yellow, and white,bordered with cut leather fringe; sandals; a diademof colored eagles, and vulture's feathers; birdswings in front, and bead jewellery. It is best toobtain the real fringed leather headdress, from thecountry".

Her description of a mpre generic"American" costume was "Short white satin skirt,with red and blue stripes; blue satin tunic, edgedwith silver fringe, covered with silver stars, ordraped with the American flag; white satinwaistcoat; blue satin jacket, revers at neck, coattailsat back trimmed with red and silver; mousequetairesleeves; all-round collar, muslin tie; blue satin highboots; blue felt cocked hat, with white and redrosette, and bound with blue; of skirt half stars, halfstripes, leather bodice high to throat; feathercoronet, gun in hand."

The 1890's equivalent of the "barbarian"costume was "The Queen of the Amazons", whichconsisted of a "Short scarlet satin petticoat, coveredwith an applique of symbolical animals, in blackvelvet and gold cloth, bordered with gold cord. Thebodice of tiger skin; a helmet and shield. Braceletsabove and below the elbow, high boots andleggings."

The eternally popular "Fairy" costume wasdescribed as a "Short silver wand; tulle diaphanousdress with low full bodice, covered with silverspangles; silver belt at waist; wings of gauze onwire attached to back. These are to be had in threesizes made in gauze, silver, and gold fastened into ametal groove sewn to the back of the dress; hairfloating; a silver circlet on the head."

Another popular theme, the Witch, was a"Short quilted skirt of red satin, with cats andlizards in black velvet; gold satin pannier tuniccaught up with a bat; black velvet bodice withmuslin ruff at shoulders, a bat's head, tabby color,

8

Try it!

Photocopy your design!

It's a quick and easy way to transferdesigns and sew them all at the same time.

by Diane KovalcinQuick Tips

Have you ever had to draw a design ontofabric?

Often in quilting, you have to drawrepetitive designs on a large piece of fabric. Andwhen making large headwork appliques, you needto draw the design on the background fabric tomake sure your beading lines don't go astray.

You could draw those designs over andover again with pencil or pen or carbon paper. Oryou can do what I do.

Make it any size you want and make asmany copies as you need. Pin the photocopies tothe fabric and sew through the paper. Then gentlyrip off the paper and you are left with the designsewn on the fabric just where you want it.

One hint: If you are using the design forquilting, use a small (1/2 mm or 1/16") stitch. Forbeading lines, a larger stitch is fine.

elaborate and expensive costumes, possibly.because its publication was sponsored by theDebenharn and Freebody Department Store which(according to their extensive advertising in theback) would make up any of the desired costumes.

Most of this research started as part of adocumentation project on a Fancy Dress costumein Oregon State University's collection and is farfrom complete, as I concentrated mainly on theVictorian era in England and America. I waspleased to find that costuming, in the form of"Fancy Dress" had been a widespread activity longbefore its current renaissance in re-creationsocieties, science-fiction conventions and theInternational Costumer's Guild.

appliqued in front; small cat on right ann, a broomin the hand, with owl; a tall pointed velvet cap;shoes with buckles".

There were few "Future" costumesdescribed, but new technology was a populartheme, with costumes representing "Electricity"(electric lights in hair - run by a battery - silvercoils allover the dress to represent electric coils)."Submarine Telegraph" (Sea green dress loopedwith silver chains, cables, grappling irons, with seaweed around the throat), and "Telephone" (withphone cords on the skirt and a mouthpiece on theheaddress). I wonder what the Victorian costumerswould have thought of our Lasers and Tesla coils?. Some Fancy dresses had themes which arerarely done in modem costuming such as "TheIsthmus of Suez", "Postage" (white satin dresscovered with postage rates, postage stamp hairdecorations and jewelry), "Newspapers" (madeentirely of newspaper, with quill pens, ink bottle,and sealing wax stuck in the hair), "WastepaperBasket" (basketweave print, with sleeves, hem, &headdress of wastepaper scraps), and "Influenza"(grey tulle dress with hot water bottle & mustardleaves). All varieties of fruits and flowers were alsopopular themes.

The elements of Fire, Water, Air and Earthwere described in many variations (Fire Brigade,Gem of the Ocean, Wind, etc.) and the themes ofMorning, Evening, and Ice (Dawn, Morning Star,Twilight, Stormy Night, Ice Maiden, Frost, etc)were very popular, including combinations such as"Snowstorm on a Dark Night" (Black dresstrimmed with jet and swansdown).

For those on a tight costuming budget (aproblems all too familiar to most of us) manycostumes could be improvised over a standardevening dress by adding a few accessories. Ascepter and diadem made the wearer a "Queen of"her chosen theme (i.e. a yellow evening dress withpinned on gold paper sunbursts, a gold scepter &crown would be "Queen of the Sun"). A bandolieror sash with theme items such as cards, letters ofthe alphabet, or seashells, with a few morescattered in the headdress could also create acostume. Ms. Holt's book encouraged the more

9 The Costumer's Quarterly - Spring 1992

Before You Go On Stage

by Sue Kuliyni

t

Every costumer, of course, wants to presenthis/her costume in the best possible light. Likewise,every masquerade crew wants to show everycostumer in the best possible light. The question is,how can costumer and masquerade crew worktogether to achieve that goal? The followingquestionnaire is designed to help both costumerand masquerade crew meet that goal!

I) How many people will be on stage?Basically we need to know if it's really

over. Music can give us a clue, but surprise endingsoften involve a sudden addition at the end of a skit.Also platforms have certain limitations. If youintend to filed two full Futuristic football teams,and then scrimmage, we'd like to know. (nosytypes these techs.)

2) Have you ever been in one of these before?This is a legitimate question, often

overlooked. Some novices are old hands atmasquerades while neophytes deserve some extraconsideration in tech areas. Knowing that a personis new to the stage allows us to keep a friendly eyeon someone who may freeze or go to pieces orsuddenly discover they are night blind. It also letsus offer assistance as resources they may beunaware of.

3) How would you categorize your costume?Are you showing off a piece of fabric

you've woven, or a great joke you thought up? Doyou want to leave the audience stunned by yoursewing talent, or the potency of your punning? Thecategory can help us help your presentation bemore effective.


4. Do you have a cassette tape?It helps us to keep track of who does and

doesn't have a tape. Also let us make sure we havethe tape. Sound technicians are under quite a bit ofpressure, even more than lighting technicians,because people have all sorts of horror storiesabout lost, wrong and damaged tapes. Make sureyour tape is properly queued and always have abackup on you!

5. What's on the tape?Identify/describe it. This gives us that little

edge. If you claim your tape is Billy Joel'sStormfront, we'll stop rolling when the spanishlesson begins. The more information we have, thebetter off we all are. Be as complete as necessary.If music-titlefartistfpredominant instrument. Ifnarrative-manfwomanfbothfmusic under?

5) Do you- need, want, desire, require, demand,special lighting?

This, of course, is a very variable factor.First off, if the previous question hasn't scared thenew costumer, this one has the potential oftransforming them into an immediate state of panic.(Sound? Lights? What do they mean? How shouldI know?) I'm hoping someone else will tackle thequestion of how to welcome, calm, and encouragefrrst time costumers. For now, let's assume thatthere will be a translator available for thosefrightened by the questioner.

Most conventions with an organizedmasquerade have the capability of turning thelights on and off. Once they start renting orborrowing theatrical lights things becomeinteresting and, of course, more complicated.

10

L

Some day I'd like to see an organizeddebate about the role of tech in masquerades. Thereare valid arguments on each side of the claimsabout unfair advantage those with tech knowledgemay have over great designers and constructors ofcostumes who aren't tech savvy. The truth liessomewhere in the middle ground.

If you know enough to have planned anylighting as an intrinsic part of your presentation,you hopefully know enough to have an alternateplan. The horror stories are out there; And themiracles, too. If things go smoothly and the techcrew has time and personnel, it's possible to createsomething approaching art. On the other hand,there are the lighting designers who either put"their" performance ahead of the costume or whoare too tired or too blase" to offer anything butdefault lighting.

There was an Old Womanby Deb Salisbury

There was an old costumerwho swallowed a pin;

I don't know whenshe swallowed the pin.

Perhaps she'll win.

There was an old costumerwho swallowed a featherthat tickled and prickledand stickled inside her.

She swallowed the featherto dust up the pin;


Perhaps she'll win.

There was an old costumerwho swallowed a needle.Oh how mediaevalto swallow a needle.

She swallowed the needleto sew down the feather

II

that tickled and prickledand stickled inside her.



Perhaps she'll win.

There was an old costumerwho swallowed some thread;somewhere she readhow best to swallow her thread.

She swallowed the threadto capture the needle,





Perhaps she'll win.

There was an old costumerwho swallowed a Viking;

She took quite a likingfor a machine built with lightening.

She swallowed the Vikingto entangle the thread,

She swallowed the threadto capture the needle,





Perhaps she'll win.

There was an old costumerwho swallowed her dreams;

-She'll win, it seems!

The Costumer·s Quarterly -Spring 1992

COMING ATTRACTIONS

A Calendar of Costume related events

Baycon 1992Dates: May 22-25Rate: $50 at the door.Address:

Baycon '92P.O. Box 10367San Jose, CA 95175

Comments:Attendance limited to 3000.38 returning GoH's will be in attendance.

Ad Astra 12Dates: June 5-7,1992 at the Sheraton

Toronto East Hotel and TowersRates: US $21 through May 26,1992

C $32 at the door.Address: AdAstra 12

P.O. Box 7276, Station AToronto, OntarioCanada M5W1X9

Comments: Martin Miller and BarbaraSchofield are running the masquerade!

Costume Con 10Dates: May 22-25, 1992 at the Cornhusker

Hotel, Lincoln, NE.Rates: $45 at the door.Address: c/o Midwest Costumer's Guild

P.O. Box 31396Omaha, NE 68131

Comments: Hall Costume Contest:Native American; Past Present & Future.

Friday night social;The Trans-Mississippi 1898 Exposition.

CanadianDates: Sept 1-5, 1994 at the Winnepeg

Convention CenterRates: US $75/ C $85 through 12131/9Address: Conadian

P.O. Box 7111Fargo, NO 58109


Costume Con 11Dates: February 12-15, 1993 at the

Sheraton Hotel.Rates: $35 through June I, 1992

$40 through September 10, 1992$45 at the door (Rates are higher fornon-1CG members!)

Address: Costume Con 11200 N. Homewood AvenuePittsburgh, PA 15208

Balticon 27Dates: April 9-11, 1993 at the Hunt Valley

InnRates: $25 until December 31, 1992

$35 at the door.Address: Balticon 27

P.O. Box 686Baltimore, MD 21203-0686

Comments: This regional convention hasone of the BEST costumer's tracks

and sports an outstanding masquerade!

MagiCon - 1992Dates: Sept. 3-7, 1992 at the Orange

County Convention and Civic CenterOrlando, FL

Rates: $110 thm 7/15/92Address: Magicon

P.O. Box 621992Orlando, FL 32862-1992

Comment: World Science fiction convention.

ConFrancisco - 1993Dates: Sept 2-6, 1993 at the Moscone

Convention Center, San Francisco, CARates: $95 after 9/30/92Address: ConFrancisco

712 Bancroft Road, Suite 1993Walnut Creek, CA 94598

Comment: World Science fiction convention.

12

COME TO COSTUME CON IO!By Pierre Pettinger

'W ' ·z ::i m

Come to the beautiful Midwest and sail theGreat Nebraska Sea with the Midwest Costumer'sGuild. Celebrate with us the tenth anniversary ofCostume Con, the convention for and aboutcostumes. So reads the opening paragraph of ourinformation flyer for Costume Con 10. Since itsfounding, the Midwest chapter has been workingfor this convention.

What is a Costume Con?I know many of you know, but for those of

you who don't, it is a convention which featuresall aspects of the costuming art. It is not just forpeople who make costumes. Anyone who likes towear, photograph, look at, and, yes, makecostumes is welcome.

All types of costumes are likely to be seenin the halls at Costume Con. A space-suited alienis likely to be seen conversing with an 18thcentury lady. Giant bunnies, Star Trek uniforms,medieval nobility, and everything in between arepart of the Costume Con experience.

What, When and Where?Costume Con 10 will be held at the

Comhusker Hotel. The Comhusker is the mostbeautiful hotel in Lincoln. According to thetestimony of Byron and Tina Connell, theCornhusker is the finest venue for a Costume Conto date. The room rate for the convention is $70,single through quad. This rate may only beguaranteed through May I, so make yourreservations now! The toll-free number for theCornhusker is (800)742-2226. Our official airlineis United, and our official travel agent is LaderaTravel in California. Their toll-free number is(800)624- 6679 (outside California). InsideCalifornia, call (213)772- 1511. Ask for Robin orRick. They are fans, and will be happy to assistyou with your travel plans.

All four days of Costume Con are filledwith panels and workshops on all aspects of the

13

costuming art. A dealer's room features suppliesand materials from many fine merchants. Anexhibit room will feature past masterpieces fromthe country's most talented costumers. Also to befound in the exhibit room will be the nowtraditional Doll Exhibit and Contest. Dolls can bepurchased or hand-made, but the costumes on thedolls must be made by the exhibitor.

Since this is the tenth Costume Con, wewill be featuring a Wall of History. Photographsfrom CCI-CC9 will be available for viewing.Anyone who has any photos or other memorabiliathey would like to lend us for this special exhibitshould write to us at the address at the end of thisarticle.

Friday evening is the social. In the past,themes for these get- togethers have beentraditional, and we won't be the exception. Ourtheme is the Trans-Mississippi Exposition of1898, an event which was held in Omaha, NE.Costumes for this event are optional, butencouraged. In keeping with the tone of thisevent, we will be serving tea and cookies.

In addition to our special theme, the Fridaysocial will feature the $1.98, Make-It-In-An-Hourcostume competition. Selected contestants willconstruct costumes from a stack of miscellaneousmaterials dumped on the floor.

Special hall costume themes have alsobecome popular in recent years. This year we willbe emphasizing Native Americans: Past, Presentand Future. Be sure to come prepared for thisspecial theme. Of course, all types of costumeswill be eligible for hall costume ribbons.

The highlights of every Costume Con arethe stage events. The technical aspects of all threeevents will be handled by the Minnesota Mafia,headed up by Jeff Berry and Janet Moe. Jeff andJanet have been working hard the last severalyears to revolutionize the technical side ofMasquerades. They are dedicated to making eachcontestant look the very best they can look. The


Mafia will have a plethorn of equipment toachieve almost any effect you want. If you needhelp with the technical side of your presentation,they will be delighted to advise you how best toachieve the look you want.

On Saturday night, the Science Fictionand Fantasy Masquerade will take place. This isa full stage competition with the emphasis on thefuture and the fantastic. Lights and sound from aprofessional theatrical team, broadcast qualityvideo and a master of ceremonies will letcostumers present the results of their wildestimaginings on stage before an audience of theirpeers. Everyone from the freshest novice to themost experienced master is welcome to compete.

Late Sunday morning, the Future FashionShow will feature live models to show you whatthe future of fashion might look like for daywear,evening wear, entertainers, uniforms, space wear,and more. These fashions will be made by conattendees and chosen from the Future FashionFolio. The Folio is made up of winning designsfrom the Future Fashion Design Competition heldlate last year. All members, supporting andattending, receive a copy of the Folio.

The Historic Masquerade takes place onSunday evening. This is also a full stagecompetition, but the emphasis here is on the past.All past eras, all past locales are open forcompetitors. Costumes of ancient Egypt to theRoaring Twenties compete against each other foraccurncy of reproduction and research.

Monday, the International Costumer'sGuild will hold their annual meeting. This year,the important question of the Guidelines issue willbe voted upon.

This then is Costume Con. However, theconvention does not take place in a vacuum. Whyshould you want to come to Lincoln, Nebraska,other than to attend the con?

What's to See in Nebraska?Nebrnska is a repository of some

wonderful and beautiful attractions. Lincoln isrnted as one of the most livable cities in the U.S.year after year by various university studies. Wehave several wonderful museums. Morrill Hall,the university museum, features fossil remnantsfrom some of the largest mammals to exist on


earth. Geologic and cultural exhibits are alsofeatured. The Nebraska Historical Society Museumhas great exhibits on the history of the NativeAmericans and the Wild West of the last century.Several Victorian houses within walking distance ofthe hotel welcome visitors.

Lincoln is the capitol of Nebraska. OurState Capitol is one of the most unusual andbeautiful in the nation. Its interior features greatmarble columns, mosaics on the evolution of life,and paintings and sculpture from some of the greatartists of the midwest and the world.

Don't forget food. Nebraska is not onlycom country, but cattle country too. Some of thebest beef anywhere can be found right'here, and fora lot less money. Several of the restaurants evenoffer 3 and 4 pound steaks. A restaurant guide willtell you just where to get them.

Nebraska itself has numerous attractions.Just opened at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha isthe Lied Jungle, the largest enclosed rain forest inthe country, if not the world. The Henry DoorlyZoo is one of the premiere zoos in the country in thefield of species perpetuation. Especially exciting isits unique collection of white tigers.

Also in Omaha is the Strntegic AirCommand Museum at Offutt Air Force Base. Ifyou are interested in the history of military aviation,this is for you. Between Omaba and Lincoln is thenew Maboney State Park. Hiking, swimming, andhorseback riding can be found within thirty minutesof Lincoln. Somewhat further away in WesternNebrnska is the Stuhr Museum of the PrairiePioneer in Grnnd Island, and Pioneer Village, amuseum and reconstructed prairie village, inMinden.

Within reasonable distances are Kansas Cityand Des Moines, cities which contain a largenumber of museums, theme parks, and otherattractions.

So come to Costume Con 10. We'll treatyou to the best hospitality around.

Costume Con 10P.O. Box 31396Omaha, NE 68131Rates: $40.00 until April 30, 1992

$45.00 May 1st and at the door.

14

Book Reyiews by Eleanor Farrell

The Art of Featherwork in Old Hawaiiby John Dominis Holt (Topgallant Publishing Co.,Ltd., Honolulu, Hawaii, 1985. Pb, 176 pp., $ I7.95,ISBN:0-914916-68-8)

This is a collection of commentaries,legends, cultural backgrounds and family historiescovering the art of Hawaiian featherwork,including lots of photographs and artwork •depicting the range of feather use by theHawaiians. Primarily a "coffee table" book, thecolor photographs of leis, capes and cloaks,helmets and kahilis (standards) are gorgeous, andthe book can be enjoyed for its inspirational value(J've incorporated these designs into two scifilfantasy costumes so far!) as well as a casual butinformational background source on this art form.

Arts and Crafts ofHawaii: V: Clothineby Te Rangi Hiroa (Peter H. Buck, Bernice P.Bishop Museum Special Publication #45 (BishopMuseum Press, Honolulu, Hawaii, 1987 (1957).Pb, $6.95, ISBN: 0-910240-38-8)

This publication from the Bishop Museumin Honolulu covers not only the history ofHawaiian garments such as tapa bark cloth, feathercapes and helmets, but also gives detailedinformation (including drawings) explaining thedesign motifs and techniques used in making theseitems.

Cosmic Roya1tt by Toni LayWhen we dress in costumes we often give

our new personas titles of honor, peerage orsovereignty. Afterall, we're serfs, peasants andsimple folk in our mundane lives. But, if we aregoing to take on such exalted roles we shouldknow what we are talking about. There are sometitles that are not commonly used.

My research into the nobility was donewith two books: Webster's Ninth New Collel:iateDictionaty, (c) 1985, and The OfficeEncyclo.pedia, (c) 1955, for the titles, definitionsand order of rank. This list is NOT meant to bedefinitive.

15

~LADY: used for MARCHIONESS,

VICOUNTESS or BARONESS; thedaughter of a DUKE, MARQUIS OREARL; the wife of a BARONET orKNIGHT.

WRD: used for a KNIGHT, EARL, VICOUNTor BARON.

SIR: used for a BARONET or KNIGHT.

Honors:DAME: a female member of an order of

knighthoodKNIGHT: a man honored by a sovereign for merit

and in Great Britian ranking below aBARONET.

BARONET: a rank of honor, below a BARONand above a KNIGHT.

~ (in ascending order):BARON - BARONESS (lowest order of peerage

in Great BritainVICOUNT - VICOUNTESSEARL, COUNT - COUNTESS (the wife of an

EARL is a COUNTESS)MARQUIS OR MARQUESS - MARCHIONESSDUKE - DUCHESS

~PRINCE - PRINCESSRAJAH - RANI OR RANEE (Hindu

PRINCEJPRINCESS)MAHARAJAH - MAHARANICROWN PRINCE - CROWN PRINCESS (heir

apparent to a throne)CZAREVITCH (Russian hear apparent)

Sovereipty:ARCHDUKE-ARCHDUCHESSCZAR-CZARINAEMPEROR - EMPRESSGRAND DUKE - GRAND DUCHESS (also the

son/daughter of the Russian CZAR)KING-QUEENSULTAN - SULTANA (Muslim KING/QUEEN)

Qther..;.THANE: a feudal Scottish lord

The Costumer·s Quarterly - Spring 1992

Masks & Helmets with Fabric Stiffener Liquidby Tina Connell

t.'-Mttt %'WA

There's a product available at craft shops,and at the larger fabric chain stores, knownvariously by such names as Fabric Stiffener orDrape & Shape. It has the consistency of whiteglue, but has some kind of plasticizing agentadded. It cleans off with soap & water easily. Icall it "goop" as a generic term, due to itsconsistency and what it does to one's hands.Basically, you dip fabric in it, and then shape itover a form or mold until it dries. It then willpretty much stay in the shape in which it dried. Itis subject to some wilting from humidity (forwhich read SWEAT, costumers), but this can beminimized by sealing the back with spray plasticsealer or a similar moisture proofing material.Double, or thicker, layering wilts less.

I discovered this product quite byaccident. I wanted to make a domino mask, andcouldn't work with any of the prefab commercialones. I tried various materials, such asbuckram, etc., and didn't like the effect. Littlesampler size bottles were available of this stuff,so "what the hell, why not try it". For my form,I started with one of those dreadful full face clearplastic masks they sell in novelty shops for acouple of dollars, built it out with modeling claywhere the shaping around the eye area created anun- comfortable pressure point on my eyebrowridge, and cut the whole thing down to the sizeand shape I wanted. Because the mask top onlycame to about halfway up my forehead, Iextended it up to the hairline with an applicationof masking tape on a base of tissue paper (so itwouldn't stick to my hair).

I covered this with plastic wrap, scotchtaping it at various points so that it wouldn'tshift (in retrospect, a plastic tape such as


electricians tape might work a little better forthis), and would present a smooth surface. Ienlarged the eye holes for comfort and betterplacement and vision, and slashed the plasticwrap at the eye area and taped it down on theinside. For my fJISt try, I gathered the followingmaterials together: a small glass bowl (glass as Ididn't know for sure when I started how difficultcleanup might be); a couple of feet oflightweight cheap muslin; plastic gloves;scissors; and then started "gooping". Cover thework surface with lots of newspaper or plasticsheeting - - this is messy. Wearing gloves to dothis just didn't make it - - the sticky cloth tries tostay on the glove instead of the form. Iresigned myself to sticky fingers. I started offtrying to drape with large pieces of cloth -- itdidn't work. On a curved surface large piecesgo all bunchy and make lumps. Also, becausethis stuff is very sticky, it catches onto sectionsyou have just put down that are still moist, andshifts them as you put new pieces in place.

The technique I finally worked out useslots of small pieces, about I" x 2", withtriangular or wedge shaped pieces working beston curved areas. Larger pieces worked OK onbroad, fairly flat areas, such as the forehead. Isimply drop a piece into a bowI with some fabricstiffener, work it around till it's completelymoistened but NOT drippy (in fact I removedexcess liquid because it made it too slithery towork with easily and also takes much longer tocompletely dry) and drape it on the form.Because of the tendency for new sections toshift previously applied bits, I worked ondifferent areas of the mask at the same time,with drying and "firming" time between

16

working on each area. It took me about a day toget the entire first coat on to my satisfaction, butpart of that was technique learning time. Onelayer is a bit too flimsy to be really acceptable fora mask; I added a second layer, at the same timesmoothing, filling, adjusting, etc. to get it just theway I wanted it. The second coat went a lot faster.The final product looked pretty good, but didn'thold shape around the edges quite a nicely as Ihoped for (it "softened" and spread too much atthe nose, for instance), so I whip stitched shapedmillinery wire to the inside of the edge, allaround.

An extra bit of "prettifying" can beaccomplished by liberally coating the entiresurface of the mask with an extra coat of stiffenerliquid. This fills up the "pores" of the fabric usedand smooths the surface. I simply smeared it onwith a finger, but you could probably use a brush(fingers let you rub it into porous spots better). Iended up with a glossy white mask that looksvacuformed. It is both lightweight andcomfortable.

I was also successful in creating a"Bug-Eyed Alien" mask, by building up the nose& mouth area with clay and taping halves of asmall child's ball to the form. That particularmask also has the advantage of letting me wereeyeglasses behind the "bug-eyes". Numeroussmall holes were cut in the eye area - - iridescentsequins allover the "eyes" conceal the visionholes very well.

Since masks worked so well for me, Iwanted to see how it would work in other areas,such as headpieces. I made a "helmet" by usingthe tissue paper / masking tape / metal windowscreen technique that has been previouslydescribed in the Costumers APA, and in TheCostumer's Quarterly. This consists of coveringthe head of the "subject" with tissue paper, thencreating a "mold" by applying masking tape stripsto the tissue paper base (which, as mentionedabove, serves to keep the tape from sticking to andpulling the hair). Once a full head form has beencreated, it is removed and slashed so that it willlie flat. This creates a pattern to use in marking

and cutting screen wire. I cut about 1"+ outsidethe edges of the pattern. This gave me an edgefor overlapping when I sewed the gores together torecreate the helmet shape. All edges must betaped, as otheIWise the sharp edges of the cut wireare quite hazardous. The sticky material of themasking tape you use to protect the edges maytransfer to the needle you use in sewing up theseams -- this can be removed with rubbing alcoholor other solvents. (Since this was the frrst time Iever tried it, I took step by step Polaroid photos ofthis process, so that other beginners can see how Iwent about it, if they like.) In spite of carefullytaping all cut edges of the screen wire, I stillpicked up a couple of punctures where bent bits ofwire pierced the tape. I needed a firm heavy baseto set this on while "gooping" and don't haveaccess to a supplier of styrofoam head forms, so Ifaked one by securing a cut-down and shapedstyrofoam craft ball to the top of a large heavywine jug. I covered the styrofoam with plasticwrap to prevent the goop from adhering to it. Ifyou create a sturdy enough head form pattern, youmight be able to apply goop directly onto it, aftercovering it with plastic. I have not tried thispersonally, however.

Covering a helmet is much easier; I wasable to use larger fabric pieces, and theapplications of sticky cloth had less tendency toslither on a wire mesh base than they did on theslippery plastic surface of the mask form. I usedtwo layers again, more for smoothness than forstructure, as the wire provided that. Iwhipstitched millinery wire around the inside ofthe edge after the frrst coat for improved shaping,and in applying the second layer used oversizepieces of cloth at the edges and folded them underto bind in the wire and give a smooth edge.Where there were rough areas on the inside, Iadded smoothing bits there as well. If you want asofter surface along the edge to sew other piecesto either masks or headpieces, this can beaccomplished by taking a piece of cloth the rightlength for the stretch you want to sew onto and3-4 inches wide, adhere it to the upper/outer surface smoothly for about 1/3 of its width, and then,

17 The Costumer's Quarterly - Spring 1992

when that has dried, fold it to the underside andadhere it there, but leave about 1/4" fold ofmaterial protruding that does not have anystiffener on it. This fold of unstiffened fabricbecomes your sewing surface.

Further experimentation showed that thisstuff can be very effective as a structural supportfor adding "excrescences", such as built upstyrofoam additions to a headpiece. A singlelayer coverage of the styrofoam surface greatlyminimizes its fragility (though you want to be sureyou've sculpted the foam to exactly the shapeyou want before coating), and to adhere itpermanently, tack or pin the foam in place fromthe underside/inside (so it won't shift till the goopdries) and bond it in place with moistened cloth"hinges" all around the edges. Fabric stiffeneradheres to itself beautfully, if both the "appliance"and the helmet have already been coated. Ihaven't tried it, but I suspect this could be usedvery effectively to create sturdy lightweightaccessories and props. The end result isremarkably resistant to damage. Obviously, youcan't sit on it and expect it to still look good, butyou can drop it on the floor and it won't suffer anyworse damage than chipping any paint you mayhave applied, or perhaps some sequins falling off.A double, or better yet, triple layer applicationresults in a surprising amount of rigidity andstrength, and is quite light weight. Plate "armor"may be my next experiment -- use yourimagination for possible applications.

A helpful hint in gluing fabrics to surfaces:if you want to reduce the likelihood of the gluesoaking through your cloth and either staining orshowing on the surface, heavily Scotchguard theback of your fabric first. Also try to only gently"pat" the fabric in place, as pressing on it firmlywill tend to force adhesive up through the pores ofthe fabric. For greater comfort, you can glue inswatches of absorbent batting or fleece at "sweatpoints" on the inside, such as the forehead area Idid this with my first mask, wore it for nearlyfive hours, and although it was somewhat warm, Iwas never too hot, and didn't have a problem withdripping perspiration.


Co~tumes to Go by Marji Ellers

I. It is a very good idea to select materialswhich do not wrinkle or crush. Feathers, jersey,poly/cotton, denim; all light-weight, not bulky.

2. If you are flying, find out what sizecontainers are allowed. Measure the inside of yoursuitcases, not forgetting the diagonals. If you aretaking a car or van, measure the inside.

3. Now, design your costumes to fit thedimensions of your containers. You can design inparts; some that nest, fold, or can be fastenedtogether at the con. Good ideas are curtain rodsthat extend, paint roller handles that screwtogether; crowns in one flat piece to fasten at theback, feathers to be added later. Take your glue,pliers, thread, thimble, scissors etc with you.

4. Now design for light weight. Substituteeffect for reality. Paper mache, cardboard, 1116"plywood that can be cut with scissors, foam; thinklight!

S. Construct sturdily, It has to stand a goodbit of handling. Bind ravelling edges, re-enforcewear spots.

6. Pack in sturdy containers, as lightweight as possible. For car, plane, train, bus ordriving with others, use hard sided suitcases. Youcan cut the center divider out of a suitcase forgreater depth, and just dedicate that one tocostumes.

For one person cars or vans, use boxes ortrays. Lay costumes in them with dust covers over.

Fold costumes in full length dry-cleaner'splastic bags, with all heavy items on the hinge sideof suitcases, in separate boxes.

Pack all accessories in zip bags orsomething organized, according to your list. Anddon't forget the makeup!

7. Keep all spillables away from thecostume. Fail-safe!

8. Assemble at the con on a drop clothbrought from home.

9. Using your checklist, pack to comehome the same way, but throwaway damagedstuff you will have to replace anyway.

18

"I just do it, I can't teach it"by Jay Hartlove

" ...'

19

The lCG is an educational organization.Although the only time costuming classes aregiven under the ICG name is once a year atCostumCon, our members continue to teach whatthey know all year long. Whether it's on a panelat a science fiction convention, at a class set upby a local Guild, or just explaining sometechnique to someone at a party, each of us haslots of opportunities to fulfill our Guild'sprimary function. There are some problems,though, with getting all that knowledge you haveinto a form that does your students any good.

If you know a subject well enough toteach it, then you probably don't give muchthought to the subject when you use it yourself.Before you can teach something, you must stepback from your hands-on command and breakthe subject down. Obviously you want to break itdown into its components parts or steps. What iseven more important to your student, though, isto prioritize those steps. Which part is more basicto a knowledge of the subject? What concept ismore important than which details?

Always try to teach the big, generalizedpicture first, then more on to specifics. This way,if a student gets confused somewhere along theway, he/she will still have a grasp of the general.Even if your students never tell you that you'velost them, you will know that you've left them atleast with the big picture. Students can often fillin details on their own through research andexperimentation.

And if they do tell you they're lost, it is alot easier to go back and pick up where thespecifics became confusing.

Avoid linear teaching. Requiring that astudent learn, thoroughly and accurately, eachstep before moving on to subsequent stepsrequires lots of time for review and testing.Otherwise you will undoubtedly lose studentsalong the way. Since this method does notprovide a general framework into which eachnew fact fits, if a student fails behind in a linearprogram, he/she will fail to grasp everythingfollowing the point of loss.

Not providing your students with a largeframework first may seem an obvious mistake,but lots of subjects are taught this way, with theexpected failures. The worst example isMathematics. Students are led blindly into newsubjects without telling them what to expect, andeach new fact must fit firmly on top of the lastone. The result is that everyone at some point inhis/her educational career misses something, andeverything after that point makes no sense. Thelucky ones make it through Algebra andGeometry, but many lose their way shortly afterArithmetic. It's not the student's fault, but thefault of the teaching method. This problem is sowidely recognized that educators have given it aname: Math Shock.

My point is that it is much easier to giveyour students a general framework first, ratherthan taking the time and trouble to make sureeach student is following you exactly at everystep. Taking too much time to review and test isunfair to your bright students, and moving aheadtoo soon isn't fair to everyone else. Without aframework, even the smartest person might missa detail that may kick his/her out of the chain, atwhich point learning stops. It only works when

The Costumers Quarterly - Spring 1992

doing a one-on-one, when it is obvious whetherthe student is following you or not. Otherwise,just avoid it.

Whatever the process you're trying toteach, keep the big picture foremost in your ownmind as well as in the lesson plan. Try to makeeach detail appear pertinent to the whole.Chances are that any detail you feel should beincluded will be pertinent. But it's up to you topoint out why this is important as you go along.Otherwise it is too easy for a student, especiallyone who is on the verge of losing your train ofthought, to assume that the point at hand eitherisn't important, or that he/she can go back laterand pick it up. If you haven't told them why adetail is important and where it fits into the bigpicture, then they won't be motivated to go backlater and fill in the gap.

Organizing your thinking into prioritizedsteps will probably help you see the structure ofyour subject more clearly than you have before.It is not at all difficult. You just need to do alittle planning before you start speaking. Makenotes if it helps. Make an outline of points youare to cover, in chronological order, withunderlines or notes to yourself as to which thingsare the most important to emphasize.

A typical pitfall that inexperiencedteachers have is to take affront at questions. If astudent asks you to explain something again, itdoesn't necessarily mean the student is stupid.Moreover, you should never take it personallythat maybe your first explanation wasn't clearenough, or was geared for a different audience.The fact that the student is asking for a betterexplanation means that he/she is interested inwhat you are saying. If you have assumed themantle of teacher, then take the time to getthrough to your students. Be willing, at any pointin your instruction, to discard the explanationyou started with, and rephrase it in a new way.Everyone carries around their own limitedcultural vocabulary. You can't hold it against astudent if you need to use different words thanthe ones you thought of originally. Try to uselots of different examples. Words are cheap, andnot worth taking personally.

The Costumer·s Quarterly - Spring 1992

And when you've got students in front ofyou, just relax and communicate. When theystart smiling and nodding and asking thoughtfulquestions, then you'll know you're doing yourjob right.

From the President'sSewing Box:

byJanet Wilson Anderson

Well, it looks like this will be my lastmessage to the chapters and officers, at least forthis term. As many of you know, I am serving onthe Executive Committee for the 1993 Worldconin San Francisco, and that promises to keep meexceedingly busy through Labor Day 1993. Withthat major commitment, (and a rapidly growingnew business), I have decided not to run foranother term as ICG president at this time. Idon't rule out coming back to serve again at alater date, but for now, I need to be sure I candevote my attentions wholeheartedly to a limitednumber of commitments. I will continue to beactive in the ICG, and to support its interests tothe best of my abilities.

This year has been an "interesting" one,with many more administrative needs that I hadever imagined. But despite all the paperwork andprocedural challenges, I feel that we have done agreat deal to straighten out the ICG's affairs andmake it possible for us to grow with lessconfusion and more concentration on what wereally got organized to do - costume!

I would like publicly to thank PierrePettinger, Byron Connell, Betsy Marks, andKathryn Condon, in particular, for all their helpand encouragement this year, not to mentiontheir hard work as we traversed the internal andexternal administrative jungles. And a warmpresidential "thank you" to all of the Boardmembers who read each and every one of thesemissives, sent back your ballots and kept thewhole thing running while we cleaned the"Aegean Stables". Your thoughtful notes andcaring concern has been appreciated more thanyou can possibly realize!

20

21

Messages fromCostume Con 11

byAnimal X

You love costuming, don't you? CostumeCon II is a way to share the joy of our art withfriends, both old and new. Its a chance to trysomething new and to share what is old to youwith someone else. And its hard to decide.whichis more fun; seeing all the amazing costumes, orhaving people ooh and aah over your own work.This is your chance to do it!

CC 11 is happening at the SheratonStation Square in Pittsburgh's historic Southside.(Yes! There are things to see in Pittsburgh, andthe air is clear enough to see them these days!)

The Sheraton offers abundant space forthe most theatrical costumes you can dream up.We're sure that our 10,000 square foot ballroomcan accommodate you. Just across the wayStation Square Mall offers some of the bestshopping in town, plus restaurants to suit anybudget. Historic Fort Pitt, and DowntownPittsburgh are just a trolley ride away.

Our theme for CC II is EDUCATION IThere will be panels and more panels. We'recovering all aspects of costuming; historical,fantasy, science fiction, fashion, wearable art,theatrical, and how-tos for both theinexperienced and the professional.

In addition, we are planning to have agadget room, featuring all those wonderfulgoodies you see in the catalogs but never get totry! Pleating machines, hot glue guns, rotarycutters, and all the neatest toys.

Then there's the fun stuff, like theHaunted Con Suite, or our Friday Night Social,with a cross universe theme. Come as theKlingon Indiana Jones, or how about theferret-riders of Pern, or even the Frog Prince ofDarkness.

Our "Dead Dog Party" will be a riverboatgambling cruise on Pittsburgh's three rivers.There will be games of chance run by denizensfrom all different worlds for you to bet yourcredits on.

Because our convention is situated in aVictorian Railway station, the theme for the hallcostumes is Victorian Travel.

We will have a big dealer's room with allkings of good stuff, so don't spend all of yourmoney at Station Square.

We will also have over 3000 square feet ofexhibit space, and we're now rounding up all kindsof wonderful things, from Victorian gowns toauthentic Eastern European folk costumes, towinners from previous Worldcons, to Buffalo Bill'sleather dresses from the Silence of the Lambs.

So get your reservation today! (While it'sstill cheap!)

Costume Con II is only 9 months away!For more information please write;

Costume Con II200 North Homewood Avenue

Pittsburgh, PA 15208

:"'~."'":-'"

TAX EXEMPT STATUSRECOGNIZED BY THE IRS!

by Byron Connell

On March 27, 1992, the Internal RevenueService granted the International Costumer'sGuild exemption from paying federal incometaxes under section 501 (a) of the InternalRevenue Code by virtue of recognizing us as anorganization meeting the definition of a taxexempt organization in Section 501 (c)(3). Thismeans that the International Costumer's GuildInc. is not required to pay Federal income taxeson ite revenues.

The IRS also tentatively recognized theICG as public foundation under Section 509(a).The IRS letter says, "Donors may deductcontributions to you [from Federal taxableincome1as provided in Section 170 of theInternal Revenue Code." This recognition is for afour year period that began on December 5,1991, and will expire on December 31, 1995. Atthat time, the IRS will review information to besupplied by the ICG to demonstrate that it is apublicly supported organization.


Guild ChaptersThis magazine is sponsored by the International Costumer's Guild. For your membershipdues, you receive 4 issues of this magazine. Some chapters also have a local newsletter,

meetings and local discounts. We are 16 chapters and still growing!

Central Coast Costumers' Guildc/o Nancy E. Mildebrandt

1316 Sherman AvenueSouth Milwaukee, WI 53172

Confederate Costumers' Guildc/o Susan Stringer3947 Atlanta Drive

Chattanooga, TN 37415

Costumer's Guild Westc/o Liz Martin GenIs8124 Loyola Blvd.

Westchester, CA 90045Dues: $14Iyear

The Great Lakes Costumers' Guild3268 Goodrich

Ferndale, MI 48220-1012

The Great White North Costumes' Guildc/o Costumers' WorkshopBox 784 Adelaide St. PO

Toronto, Canada M5C 2K IDues: $121year

Greater ~ay Area Costumer's Guild2801 Ashby Avenue

Berkeley, CA 94705

Greater Columbia Fantasy Costumers' GuildP.O. Box 683

Columbia, MD 21045Dues: $15/year

Heartland Costumer's Guildc/o Shirley Schaaf1818 Washington

Kansas City, MO 64108Dues: $IO/year

The Lunatic Pluvnge Costumers' Guildc/o VicKi Warren

1139 Woodmere Rd.Pottstown, PA 19464

Midwest Costumers' Guildc/o Peninger 2709 Everett

Lincoln, NE 68502Dues: $12Iyear

The Costumer's Quanerly - Spnng 1992

The Montreal Costumers' Guildc/o Capucine R. Plourde

2274A Beaconsfield AvenueMontreal, Quebec Canada H4A 2G8

New England Costumers' Guild(aka Boston Tea Party & Sewing Circle)

c/o Eastlake925 Dedham Street

Newton Center, MA 02159Dues: $15/year

The NYINJ Costumers' Guild(The Sick Pups of Monmouth County)

c/oMami85 West McClellan Avenue

Livingston, NJ 07039Dues $15/year

North Star Costumers' Guild(The Minnesota Mafia)

c/o Jeff Barry and Janet Moe5245 47th Avenue, South

Minneapolis, MN 55417-2311

People Your Mother Warned You Aboutclo Animal X

7201 Meade StreetPittsburgh, PA 15208

Dues: $8Iyear

Rocky Mountain Costumers' Guild7121 South Webster Street

Littleton, CO 80123

Southwest Costumers' Guildc/o Kim L. MartinP.O. Box 39504

Phoenix, AZ 85069

St Louis Costumer's Guildc/o Nora & Bruce Mai

7835 MilanUniversity City, MO 63130

Wild and Wooley Western Costumers' Guild14 Martinridge Rd, NE

Calgary, Alberta Canada TIJ 3C9Dues: $20/year

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