Not *the* beginning, but *a* beginning

As I'm writing here today, I have recently returned from JordanCon 2011 (a.k.a. Consaken, or, as designated by acclaim during the convention, ForsaCon).  At the convention, I was inspired to start a resource for would-be Wheel of Time costumers.

You see, a lot of us at JordanCon looked fabulous.  I've been attending Wheel of Time-related events at conventions since 2006, and I can tell you, the costumes I saw at JordanCon 2011 were leagues above the Wheel of Time costumes I saw at Dragon*Con in 2006 (mine included!).  But still, the folks in costume were a minority.  In a panel about building detailed costumes, people were asking things like "How long does it take to make a costume?" and "How do you know what it's supposed to look like?" and "What if I don't know how to sew?".

I want to help those people out, because I want to see them in costume at the next convention.  There are lots of road blocks to costuming: it can be expensive, time-consuming, or intimidating.  It can require skills that you don't have, or equipment you don't own.  But it can also be immensely rewarding, as you develop skills and confidence, connect with other costumers, conquer the challenges you set for yourself, and finally, show up looking fantastic.

On this blog, I'll be posting a number of different types of information: picture and text references for various characters and groups, tutorials on "costume building blocks", resources for finding the materials you'll need, historical information relating to the real-world cultures that the WoT cultures are adapted from, pictures of costuming endeavors, and project diaries for the pieces that my partner and I are currently working on.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you'll enjoy the blog to come!