Casual discussion with the ICG leadership.Note that this is separate from the formal Board meeting, which will be held earlier in the day.

Documenting your costuming work should begin at the design phase and continue after the construction is complete. Drawings and patterns, process photos, and journaling are all useful, but it doesn't end with your competition documentation. What happened to your work after it was presented? What did you learn? How can your experiences help other costumers? 

Quilting as a costuming technique.

Many times and in many venues, the Masquerade Director must be replaced near or at the time of the convention. Scenarios will lead to hints, tips, and sometimes tricks on how to be chosen. What to do rather than panic. Or, when to panic and how to recover.

Come find out what leads someone to look at dozen skeins of yarn and think ‘I can make a costume out of that.’ Learn about pattern resources, picking what yarn to use, and choosing between knitting and crochet stitches. 

Wigs are a great way to add drama to a costume, but where do you start? Why are there so many options, but never the color or cut you really want? What does heat resistant really mean? Does a lace front really matter? How do I store and clean them later? 

There are unique challenges to getting a bunch of people together for a group stage presentation. Our panelists have plenty of experience with the triumphs and the pitfalls of getting a bunch of costumes finished and presented.

Have you ever want to costume or cosplay but the thought of sewing scares you. Well you are in luck, our panel of experts have some ideas to help you in this endeavor!

Glitzy, glittery and gaudy techniques to make your costume stand out.  Learn materials and basic techniques for adding sparkle, shine and focus to your hall or masquerade costume.

You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars to create amazing costumes. There is lot of tricks that can help you make the looks you want without breaking the bank. 

Everything you always wanted to know about the Costume-Con Archives.

Conductive thread and washable components have made incorporating electronics into costumes much easier. By integrating lights, sound, and other effects, costumers can bring their outfits and props to the next level. Come learn what's out there and how to incorporate it into your material fantasies.

There is a difference between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation, and sometimes, this difference is a very fine line. As costumers, we need to be mindful and respectful of different cultures and their respective histories, as we pursue our love of costuming. We invite you to listen, learn, and reflect on different cultures, including your own, so you can approach costuming with a more purposeful eye. This panel will be hosted by BIPOC costumers.

Looking for those finishing touches for your non-human costume? During this panel we will talk about the use of prosthetics, contacts, and other ways to alter your basic default Human Exterior. We will cover the basics from how to make your own, match skin tones (human or not), how to apply/remove, and some good basic Do's and Don'ts. 

Fixed, mechanical, animatronic, and light-up fairy and cosplay wings. This class will cover common methods and tutorials for making your own costume wings.

We will go over and discuss the MMCC CRL's, and armor construction per the CRL's. We will also go over ways to attach armor. We will also try to answer question as time permits.

Making creature costumes from fursuits to big, rubber monsters. Showing examples; discussing designs, materials, and techniques.

With the rise in popularity of cosplay general costuming has also rolled more into the mainstream attention. This results in a lot of companies putting out 'fast fashion' versions of the same things costumers have been making the 'slow' way for years. How does this affect your costuming process, access to materials, and the perception of costuming in general. What are some pros and cons of this trend? How would you like to see this trend change?

Question and answer session with convention Chairs Erin Card and Beverly Warner for Costume-Con 42 in 2024.

Shibori is an umbrella of historical dyeing techniques that involve stitching, binding, clamping (Itajime), and pole wrapping (Arashi). Participants will walk out of this workshop knowing at least two techniques.

In this class, you will be introduced to Japanese sashiko, which is a running stitch technique. This class is aimed to give you an appreciation of its cultural & historical importance in Japan and to learn what makes it different from other running stitch techniques used around the world. In addition, you'll learn how to use sashiko in your day-to-day life, including as a form of moving meditation. You will also learn the basic concepts and what tools you need to get started. This clas...

What's the difference between chiffon, organdy and organza? Wool gabardine or polyester? Does it matter? A crash course on fibers, weaves and fabric types, what they're most suitable for, and when it's okay to buy the cheap stuff. Many swatchbooks will be available for perusal - presented by the author of fabricforcosplayers.com

You do not have to be a chemist to do dyework. We will review easy-to-use safe products that are readily available to the home dyer and what you can do with them. Items that have been dyed using these products will be available for inspection.

Are you curious as to what goes into a hotel contract for a convention? From attrition, event space rental, room blocks, power drops, food and beverage service, and tons of other moving parts, this panel will help take the mystery out of negotiating a contract for an event.

Ever wanted to know how drag queens, kings and monsters change their bodies, faces and hair? Here is that chance. Award winning drag artists spill the tea on how they make the magic happen. From duct tape, to makeup, to foam, to corsets and a ton of pantyhose: the box of tricks gets opened to help you get new tools. 

Yearning for jewels to accent your period costume? Just love jewelry? Metal clay is a wondrous medium that starts as a soft pliable clay and, when fired, will transform into a piece of fine silver. This class will cover the basics of metal clay techniques from start to polishedFEE: $100 Pre-pay before the convention via Venmo or e-mail Jewelsbyoliviac@gmail.com

Learn to make your own cord, stronger than string, smoother than braid, suitable for laces, rope and drawstrings. FEE: $10 at the start of the class

Led by Rev. Randy Smith

A instructional panel on faux fur, terminology, and where to purchase.

This is a demonstration to show a wide variety of unusual materials used to make large props and monster suits. Different types of foam, stretch-furs, adhesives, and other uncommon materials will be shown.

We will cover the information that I wish was available when I first started to explore dyeing in 2002. After an overview, we will spend time answering your questions about dyeing.

Why does finish work on a costume really matter? Barring being on stage no one will even see your hem, and that odd ripple is barely noticeable! Who's going to notice some wrinkles, no one has time for that. Let's go over how finishing can polish your outfit and give that one last nudge to perfection. From overlocking/pinking/grading a seam, ironing as you sew, storing and cleaning your costumes there are a lot of ways to costume that don't involve your needle.

Don't have time to build a breastplate for your cosplay?  Take a basic underbust corset and cover it in fabric to match or enhance your cosplay instead!  Learn how to cover a basic underbust corset with cotton cosplay print fabrics.  You will learn how to add fabric to two different types of corset panels, one with a straight side and a semi-curved side, and another with two curved sides.  This class requ...

Basic leather tooling and some sewing. In this class students will receive a kit to help construct a segmented leather belt. We will talk about leather tooling and techniques and you can let your creative side come out while learning the basics. Even if you have tooled before, it’s still a fun piece to create and have fun with, all levels are welcome. Just so you’re warned, since we are a leather tooling class and we love people having fun, this class can be a bit noisy....

With the cost of home 3D printers dropping and print volumes increasing, many are wondering if this could be an easy alternative to other areas of prop, costume, and decor making. If you've wondered what kind of printers are out there for the budget-conscious costumer and what can be made with them, this is for you. In this part, we'll talk about: the basic types of printers available, the kinds of materials they print with, and some of the software out there.

Tips on getting fragile or massive (and anything in-between) from Point A to Point B. Tips and tricks for getting costumes safely to cons.

Hands on workshop. Kid friendly!Learn to do ropes, 4-strand "round" braids, classic (3-strand) French and (3-strand) Dutch (or inverted-French or underhand) as well as a Crown braid (technically a horizontal modified (3-strand) French braid) and other advanced ideas like 5 and 7-strand fingering techniques; as well as shapes like hearts, spirals and a pull-up-weave.  BYO-Brush, or use one ...

Kanzashi: Participants will learn how to create a fabric folded flower using a basic technique that can be expanded on to create a brooch or hair pin. Basic hand sewing skills needed. Kits will be provided.  

In this limited attendance workshop, you will be introduced to Japanese sashiko, and given the tools & basic knowledge to start your sashiko journey. This workshop covers the historic & cultural importance of sashiko, and what makes it different from other running stitch techniques. At the end of this workshop, you will have :a) hands-on experience of doing sashiko, b) basic knowledge of the concepts, terminology & methods of sashiko, and c) a partially fi...

Binding to create dye resists have been around for centuries. We will explore different binding techniques that include tie dye as well as easy Shibori binding techniques. 

Are you guilty of committing cosplay crimes? Of course you are! Whether you've used hot glue to hem a garment, spray painted in your bathroom, dyed a sink bright pink, or “forgot to wear gloves”, this is the panel for you! Join guest of honor Downen Creative Studios and members of SheProp as they share some of their mistakes, short-cuts gone awry, and reveal some of their own worst crafting moments. Come bond with us as we assure you that we are only human and even the most experienced mak...

Basic leather sewing and some tooling. In this class students will receive a pocket watch (yes…we provide the watch!) and then while learning a basic leather stitch, you will create a belt sheath for it to go in, belt loop and all. We will help you learn a basic stitch to create your sheath, dye it and even decorate it a bit if time permits. When you are done, you will have a snazzy watch and sheath, all before the time runs out! Just so you’re warned, since we are a leather tooling class ...

Corsets, hoops, dance belts—these are all foundation garments and they really matter in costuming. Advice on selecting and making foundations and visual examples of the huge difference they can make to a costume.

The right foot can not only make your sewing easier, it can make for a better finish. Our panel will share which feet to use, when to use them, and examples of what they can do.

This is a bullet-point panel where the panelists present their best tips and tricks in making (mostly) creature costumes. Each "presentation" has to be less than a minute and we try to get through as many of the 100+ tips on the reference page we hand out.

People can talk all they want, but actually seeing something on someone can help you decide. What looks good on your body? What color works best for you?

Started as the "Cosplay Transformation" project, Richard has been photographing costumers on a large format film camera since 2015. Richard plans to work on a high quality coffee table size book toward the end of 2023, to be published in 2024. Come see slides, large prints, and learn what the project is about. It will be an ongoing project and additional costumers will be needed.

How to add color to your costume or garment without having to sew using adhesives, silicon caulk, fabric paints, and dyes. Products and techniques will include how to get the look of quilting without having to quilt, edge treatments, and how to deal with fabric that unravels easily. Samples of different products, their uses, and results will be available for close inspection.

You've got 3D printed pieces, now what? This part will go through the various techniques of finishing printed pieces so they don't look so obviously 3D printed. From off the printer's build plate to painted and weathered, we'll cover what you need to make that piece really shine (literally and figuratively)

Learn the basics of blocking hats without the need for expensive tools/equipment.