Demos/Workshops

1. Mask making: papier mache, buckram, foundations

2. Face lifecasting workshop or demo

3. Build a Duct-tape Dress Form

4. What Pointy Horns You Have: Make a set of horns

5. Mini Hats-embellishment

6. Fascinating Fascinators: Making a Fascinator from Scratch

7. Basic Beadwork: Sewing beads onto fabric, materials, supplies

8. Beaded Project: Brooch, barrette, Necklace, earrings

9. Stage Makeup 1: Basics—essential supplies and techniques

10. Stage Makeup 2: Prosthetics, shading, Glitz and glue, templates

11. Latex Prosthetic Workshop: Basic Scars to More Advanced

12. Stage Makeup 3: Witches, wizards, aliens

13. Stage Makeup: Horror Demo, wounds etc.

14. LED’s and Basic Electronics for Costumers

15. Polymer Clay Beads & Cabs: Make Custom Jewelry for your Costume

16. Making Customized Fit Fangs

17. Making Steampunk Weapons from Kids’ Toys

18. Costume Weapons: Make and embellish a sword or dagger

19. Airbrush Painting Basics Demo for Fabrics, Costumes and Makeup

20. Knotting Techniques: Lucets, Macrame, Kumihimo Demo, each could have a separate workshop

21. Macrame Workshop: Necklace or bracelet project, making trim

22. Braiding Workshop: Basic Patterns and Combinations, can be applied to hair braiding

23. Hand painting Trim & Lace

24. Ribbonwork Embroidery

25. Basic Fabric Dyeing Workshop

26. Silk Ribbon Dyeing Workshop

27. Advanced Fabric Dyeing Workshop

28. Tanning animal skins

29. Making Shoes & Boots

30. Making Fantasy, Monster & Alien Feet

31. Kimono Dressing

32. Steampunk Accessories, could each be a separate workshop: Goggles, Belts, Garter Belt, weapons, Compass, backpack

33. Basic Hand Embroidery Stitches Workshop

34. Needle Felting workshop, small object

35. Knitting for Beginners

36. Crocheting for Beginners

37. Tatting for Beginners

38. Bead Crochet for Beginners

39. Making a Nifty Pincushion or Hat Stand By Recycling

40. Make A Custom Hatpin

Basic Costuming Topics

· Prop Weapons

· Buying Costume Pieces off the Rack

· Costuming Villains

· Making a Basic Bodysuit

· Gilding the Lily: Adding Sparkle to your Costume

· Embellishment on Difficult Fabrics: Spandex, Fur, tulle

· All Hail Glitziana: Sequins and Rhinestones and Sparkle

· Basic Costume Shapes Without Patterns, and How Far You can Go

· Inspirations for Recreation Costumes: Beyond Book Cover Art

· Costuming on a Budget: Easy Ways to Create a Fantastic Look

· Using Found Materials: Thrift Stores, Yard Sales, Grandma’s Attic, & the Recycling Bin

· Using all 360 Degrees of your Costume

· Children in Costuming: Building & Presenting a Costume

· Quick and Easy Halloween Costumes for Kids

· Creating Your Own Elf or Hobbit

· Release Your Inner Princess: Fairy-Tale Gowns, Wands & Crowns

· Superhero Costuming: Spandex, Capes & Beyond

· Costuming Wizards: Basic Costume Shapes, Fabrics & Props

· Klingon Costumes and Weaponry

· Costuming Without Sewing

· Jedi & Star Wars Costumes: Shapes, Patterning, Layering

· Armor for Fantasy or SF costumes

· Sculptable and Moldable Materials for Costumes

· Goth, Vampire and Horror Costumes: What’s Classic, What’s New

· Transformation Costumes: Start with One Thing, End with Another

· Anime Costuming & Cosplay

· Mens’ Costume Challenges

· SF and Fantasy Military Uniforms

· Furry Costuming: What’s It All About?

· Fursuit Construction and Characterization

· Belly Dance Costume Basics

· Defying Gravity: The Belly Dance Bra

· Costuming for Dance: From Ballet to Jazz to Historical

· The Lord of the Rings Costume Universe

· Pirates of the Caribbean Costume Universe

· Embroidery Machines: What’s Out There and How to Begin

· Digitizing Designs: How to Start and the Learning Curve

· Costumes of the Wild Wild West

· Steampunk: Inspiration to Creation

 

Costuming Necessities

· Having a Good Hair Day: Wigs and Styling

· Wigging Out: Cosplay Wigs

· Making Wigs from Scratch

· You WILL Be Accessorized: Appropriate Accessories and How to Achieve Them

· Horn and Tails, Claws and Paws, Oh My!

· Thy Shoes and Thy Feet Must Match Thy Costume

· Shoes, Boots & Footwear in Costumes

· Big Silly Things on Your Head(s)

· Balancing Large Headpieces

· Hat Blocking (could be a workshop)

· Fangs For the Memories: Goth & Vampire Costumes and Personae

· Wings of Wonder: Many Different Ways to Fly

· Making & Transporting Props

· Steampunk Accessories: Goggles, Holsters, Belts, and Weapons

· Parasols, Canes and Other Self-Defense Techniques

Historical Topics

· Lady’s and Gentlemen’s Regency Styles

· Regency Costuming: From Corsets to Coats

· Viking Wardrobe: What’s Authentic Vs. Fantasy

· The Revolutionary War Period

· Men’s Historical Fashion Accessories

· Men’s Historical Hair and Facial Hair Styles

· The History of the Necktie

· Jewelry in History from Ancient to Modern

· Style and Fashion of the 1960’s

· Ladies’ Historical Hair Styles

· Makeup in History

· The “Retro” Look: the 1940’s and 1950’s in Fashion

· Historical Military Gear

· Understanding Banners and Coats-of-Arms

· Victorian Costuming: Overview of an Era

· The Industrial Revolution and How it Changed Fashion Forever

· Belle Epoque Wardrobe

· The REAL Renaissance Gowns

· Dressing Pre-History

· Women’s Work: The History of Loom Woven Fabric

· From Sheep to Shawl: Working with Woolens

· Children’s Clothing in History

· Medieval Dress Realities

· Historical Re-enactments: The Critical Details

· Trim in History: Tassels, Fringe, Beads, Soutache

· Historical Footwear

· Elizabethan Fashion from Peasants to Nobles

· Laying the Foundations: Historical Undergarments and Their Importance

· The History of Underwear

· Building Victorian Corsets, Hoops & Bustles

· Variations on the Victorian Bustle

· Drafting or Modifying a corset Pattern (Could be a workshop)

· Historical & Ethnic Profiles in Contemporary Costuming: Folkwear Patterns & Beyond

· Basic Corsets & Hoops: Historical Periods and Fantasy Costumes

· How to Pattern A Corset (Could be a workshop)

· Historical Armor

· Armor as a Fashion Statement

· Authentic Historical Western Dress

· Native American Beadwork and Decoration

· Costume Overview: Kimono: How to Pattern, Make and Wear Kimono

· Victorian and Edwardian Millinery

· Costume Overview: Samurai: From Underlayers to Armor

· Historical Footwear & Stockings

· Henry Tudor: What a Wardrobe!

· Historical Costume Dramas, and Where They Often Go Wrong

· The History of the Pocket

· Have Fun Documenting your Historical Costume: Content, Appearance, Research

· Deportment and Manners: How to Act in Your Historical Costume

Techniques

· Can’t Find the Fabric you Need? 1) Painting, Beading & Embellishment

· Can’t Find the Fabric you Need? 2) Re-design your Fabric from the Threads Out

· Hand-sewing: When, Where, and Why?

· Painting on Fabric: From Airbrush to Squeezy Paint

· Ribbon Embroidery Intro

· Basic Sewing Machine Operation and Skills

· Fantasy Fabrics: Layering & Collage Techniques

· Beyond Fabric: Riveting, Sculpting, and Innovative Materials

· Distressing Fabric: Adding Age or Trauma to Your Costume

· Intro to Dyeing Techniques

· Using, Making & Modifying Commercial Sewing Patterns

· Pattern Altering for Special Considerations: Size, Mobility, Disability

· One Way to Make an Alien: Stretch Fabrics and Spandex

· How to Handle Difficult Fabrics Without Severe Injuries

· Sewing Machine Trickery: Free-Style Machine Embroidery, Reverse Applique, quilt techniques (good demo)

· Making Sense of Patterns & Sewing References: Tricks of the Trade

· Expanding Scaled Patterns

· Fabric Manipulation and Tricks

· A Plethora of Pockets

· Intro to Needle Felting

· Leather, Fur & Feathers: Working with the Real Thing

· Working with Synthetic Leather and Furs

· Chain mail as Armor or Decoration ( Great as a demo or workshop too)

· Fun With Thermoplastics

· To Bead or Not To Bead: Beads on Costumes (could also be a Workshop)

· Quilting in Costuming

· Too Much Time on my Hands: Hand Sewing & Hand Embroidery

· Perfectly Finishing Your Costumes

· Variations on Seams

· Utilizing Your Sewing Machine Feet

· Inside Out: Linings, Interlining & Padding

· Making & Using Trim on Costumes

· Basic Millinery Supplies, Tools, Methods

· Working With Ruffles & Ribbons By Hand or Machine

· Elastics for Every Purpose

· Working With Natural Fabrics: Wool, Silk, Linen, Cotton

· Working with Synthetic Fabrics And What to Expect

· Planning and Making Belts

· Other Uses for Boning Steel and Hooping

· Matching Trim to Your Costume

· Using Foam Latex: Carving, Sculpting, Glueing & Painting

· Uses of Cardboard and Foamcore

· Faux Paws: Reproducing Fur, Gems, And Any Texture

· Dyeing, Silk Painting & Resists Overview

· Intro to Kumihimo, Macrame, and Braiding

· Defying Gravity: Understructure to Hold Up Your Costume

· Tambour Beading (could be a workshop)

· Puppets Large and Small

· Body Paint for Costume & Cosplay

· Masks and Hoods

· Making Repairs: How to Repair Anything on the Fly

· Using Your Printer to Decorate Fabric

· Cleaning Your Costumes and Specialty Fabrics

 

Stage and Presentation

· Making that first impression: Presenting your costume in a masquerade

· Beginning Presentation Skills in 1 Minute or Less: No Pressure Though!

· Deportment: How to Move in Your Costume

· Con masquerades for Newcomers and novices: Step Right Up!

· Tips for Managing Your Costume Anxiety

· Soundtracks for Costume Presentations: Music & Sound Editing

· Low-Tech Stage Magic: Mechanical props and Diversion

· Higher Tech Stage Magic: Basic LED’s & Electronics

· Costuming Special Effects

· Costume Presentation: Is Humor Always Best?

· Planning & Running A Masquerade, Large or Small

· Masquerade Guidelines and Paperwork

· Setting Up a Green Room and Repair Table, Green Room Etiquette

· Masquerade Logistics 1: Tech, Sound, Lighting, Photography, Video, Working with the MC

· Masquerade Logistics 2: Choosing Judges, Judging Etiquette and clerking, Workmanship Judging, Handling Documentation, Awards

· Playing with Others: Successful Collaboration on Group Costumes

· Running with Scissors: Art of Stage Fighting and Swordplay

· Body Language on Stage: Choreographing Your Fabulous Costume

· Anime VS FSF Masquerades: Compare & Contrast

· How to Achieve Your Best Photograph Image of Your Costume

· Stage Lighting: What It Can Do for You

· Judging Simulation workshop

· “I’ve Never Judged Before!” and Other Dilemmas

Theory

· Cosplay VS. Copyright

· Costuming to Body Type: Yes or No, and How to Approach it

· Cross-gender Costuming

· Getting Ideas for Costumes & Presentations: Where do Ideas come from?

· Costume Rendering and Sketching

· Cross-Cultural Costuming

· Color in Costuming (What? It’s not All Black?)

· Texture in Costumes: See It & Feel It

· Making Two Dimensions into Three

· Hall Costumes VS Stage Costumes: Compare & Contrast

· Fabric Bias & Drape

· Fabric and Costume Vocabulary

· Time After Time: Costume References & Sources We Use Again & Again

· Fiber Tech: Thread, Yarn, Cording, Laces and Fabric—the Science

· Fabric Identification

· The Physics of Fabric: Why 1” Plus 1” Does NOT Equal 2”; Why Fabric Slithers

· The Physics of Pleating and Fabric Manipulation

· Costuming & Chemistry

· Steampunk: What It Is & Is Not

· Documentation of Fantasy and SF costume Recreations

· Costuming for Theater: What’s the Big Deal?

Supplies, Tools and Materials

· This To That: The Spectrum of Adhesives

· Hot Glue: Not Just for Sticking Things together Anymore

· Using Unusual Costuming Materials: Getting Started

· A Non-Fabric Costume Studio

· Tool Time: What’s Out There and How to Utilize it

· History of Sewing Machines: Using Old and New Machines

· Care & Feeding of Your Sewing Machines & Sergers

· Buying Fabric, Supplies & Notions Online

· Building and Organizing a Costume Library

· Our Favorite Costuming Notions: What Makes It Easier and Better

· Basics of Home Embroidery Machines

· Needle Basics: A Primer

· Rivet, Grommet, Snap and Stud

· The Completely Proper Corset Making Work Studio

· Rotary Cutting Equipment & Methods

· 3D Printers and Laser Cutters

· Cutting-Edge Costuming News

Our Costume History (better if interactive)

· Costuming Horror Stories: Learn From My Mistakes

· How Did You Get Started in Costuming?

· Legendary Costume Presentations That Changed Everything

· Chicken Soup for the Costumer’s Soul: Inspirational Stories and History

· The History of Costuming in Fandom

· The History of Costume Con

· Costumer Retrospective (not just for Costume Con anymore!) “Remembering…”

· Costume Trends Then and Now

· History of the Future Fashion Folio

· The ICG Costumer Archives

· The ICG and What It Can Do for Your Guild

Miscellaneous

· Practical Considerations: Packing, Transporting, Storage

· Practical Considerations: Mobility, Vision, Temperature, Bathroom Needs

· Costuming with and for Dolls

· Costuming For Animals: Small Pets, Larger Such as Horses

· BJD Discussion

· Making Stuffed Fantasy Animals & Monsters (could be a Demo)

· Where Do I Put All This? Costume and Fabric Storage

· The Perfect Costume Workshop: Keep Buying Those Lottery Tickets

· Living With A Costumer: Inspiring or Impossible?

· So You Want to Run A Costuming Business

· Costumers’ Rituals & Superstitions

· Fabric Junkies & Trim Whores: What Kind of People Are You Playing With?

· You Might Be A Costumer If…..

· Creating and Staying in Character