Plushie Weapons Workshop: FEEDBACK, please!

[Majik]

Another Anime Boston has come and gone, and with it, the newness of Plushie Weapons.

My thanks, love, and gratitudes to all who attended this year, and helped me to test out a new event. With such a strong turn-out in it's inaugural year, I'd think it's safe to say that I'll be submitting this event for the approval of the Powers That Be next year.

I'd like to post a few of my thoughts on expanding and streamlining this event for future years, and take suggestions and complaints on this year's trial run. The more I hear from you, the better prepared I can be in the future!

[color:red]EDIT: Those of you looking for more patterns: As stated in the class, I'm happy to email any of my existing patterns out to you for FREE. Printing and snail-mailing, I'll charge for. [/color]

[Majik]

My thoughts and observations for 2008:
[color:green]
More kits! I hadn't anticipated so many students, what with all the other great events we had on Saturday (I passed on seeing the Pillows for this! Yup, I loves you guys that much )
--Should this event be accepted in 2009, I will bring MORE kits, and *all* kits will have pre-cut fabric yardage/accessories included, now that I know *approximately* what kind of attendance to expect.[/color]


[color:blue]More variety! I've got over a year to develop new patterns, streamline the old ones, and write up better directions. I've already got a start on Nunchaku, and a full-sized Buster Sword (About 60" long when finished. I'll be testing that one personally!) I need to hear from you on WHAT nifty toys you want to make! While I can't possibly take ALL suggestions, I'm happy to hear, and concider.[/color]

[color:purple]Additional panel help: I'd like to have my assistant take an official cashier position for this event, to help expedite the getting of kits.[/color]

[color:red]More time! Who thinks this event needs 2 hours, instead of 1? (We were scheduled for 1 hour this year, and ran into some empty space for another 45 minutes or so..)[/color]

[color:brown]And this year's biggest concern: Skill levels of attendees. Novice crafters need more help with the production of the piece, and understanding the directions, as to be expected.
Experienced crafters will have a better grasp of the directions, but may want a more customizable class. Less direction, more inspiration?

Would breaking this event into two class levels be better, or worse? TALK ABOUT IT, please![/color]

Even bad ideas can lead to something good!! Let your voices be heard!

[Risikafox]

I unfortunately, did not attend this panel as planned because I was not aware that it was 18+ beforehand. I wasn't sure if 'older sister' counted as 'guardian', and I had to stay with my sister all weekend. I am glad to hear that it was such a great hit, however. ^^

[Majik]

Well, I'll be working on the language/legalese of "18+ or parent/guardian" over the next few conventions, see what their Panel coordinators and Con Chairs/Security heads have to say on the matter.
Weapons policies do vary from year to year.

ALL of my sewing/crafting events are 13+ or parent/guardian, because we ARE dealing with sharp pokies and occasionally suggestive topics *ahem*, and because of the cover charge - some parents are very suspicious of additional convention costs, and that's understandable.

Not that minors should be free-roaming the halls of a huge building in a huge city with 15,000+ strangers around them at all times o_O

My complete and total love to the Moms and Dads and older sibs that came with their knee-high-anime-guys this weekend. I totally dig the Parental Guidance thing in these situations.

[blackcat523]

My friends and I got in, but had to leave (the youngest one in our group wanted to change into something a bit warmer).

I know there was mention of getting the patterns. Is this still possible? Or will I have to wait for next years con?

I wanted to stay, but as a group we all stuck together and to not loose each other (first time at AB)

[kittyclaws]

The fabric should have been pre-cut for the patterns. Besides the long time it took for everyone to get their patterns, paying $6 wasn't worth it. I didn't even get to finish cutting the fabric in the time alotted.

The only use in breaking the class into two is if the younger ones could receive their own class. Its ridiculous that we would have to get stuffed toys peacebound and that the panel was 18+. They clearly don't even look like weapons and it's extremely doubtful that they could hurt anyone.

[Majik]

[color:red]This year was the very first time I've run this class, and I thank you all for helping me Beta Test the content. If anyone has finished their weapons yet, send me pics, I'd love to see! If you can't for some reason complete your projects, TELL ME WHY, and I'll happily send advise, and revise the pattern involved for future classes.[/color]

[color:green]In response to anyone wanting patterns emailed: Send me a PM with your addy, or hit my website and contact me there: NEVER POST YOUR EMAIL IN PUBLIC FORUMS.

Unless, you know, you like getting junk mail.

www.MajikCraft.com

I'll happily email out any of my existing patterns for free.[/color]

Kittyclaws: Thank you so much for the post. I *need* to hear what DIDN'T work, so that I can adjust accordingly. The peace bonding applies to weapons, real or fake, that will be carried around the convention. I'll see about finding a Security head to make a more appropriate post about that issue, and the 18+ issue, when something more formal can be presented, so stay tuned, please!

***I will in the future be planning for larger classes. For a convention like Anime Boston, I'd like to be prepared with 200 kits. (The room allows for 90 people, which means more probability that students will get the kits they want.)
ALL KITS will have the fabric required included. Now that I know people WANT to attend, I won't have to be so financially concerned about wasted materials.

***Space permitting, I'll be applying for a beginner's class, and an advanced class. If AB allows me to take the time, I'd love to move these into *officially* 2 hour blocks. IF WE HEAR FROM YOU on these ideas, we've got a better chance of making it happen!

***Beginner's class will have simple patterns, and items that *should* be able to be close to complete, if not entirely finished, in a 2 hour class.

***Advanced class WILL NOT be completed in a 2 hour event. The patterns for Advanced will work best with sewing machines *Just not possible for a large convention*, so will predominantly be a class for INFORMATION, TECHNIQUE, and PATTERNS. This will be more discussion, and less workshop.

***BOTH CLASSES will be written up in the PROGRAM GUIDE. (Should they be accepted in 2009, of course.) Do be sure to read the full description of ANY event you wish to attend.

***Pricing: I've had this year to make observations, and 14 months to prepare and gather supplies for next year: more standardized prices and patterns are on the way, because I'm not the only thrifty one here. Anyone wanting to clue me in of cheap fabric suppliers, please post!


Keep the feedback coming, folks! This one is going to take a massive makeover, hopefully, all for the better, and I can't do it without you.

[VampyrePuffin]

First off, I absolutely loved this workshop.

My thoughts:
Kits: Definitely more!! The pre-portioned fabric would be a time saver (I was one of the last people in line to get fabric and didn't end up getting it until 6pm (the end of the first hour)). Again, a larger selection would be cool, I've included all the ideas I've thought of so far at the bottom. I'll post more when I come up with them!

Help: I definitely think that a cashier would be helpful, again to free you up. Also a couple good sewer/crafter assistants to help answer questions & assist novice crafters, so you don't have to run around crazy-like to everyone. I know you had a few with you, but they were also occupied with getting the materials out.

Defiantly more TIME! I think 2 hours would be a great start. With pre-portioned kits, it should be quicker to start in on the actual plushie-making. I would have liked just a place to sit to work on finishing my plushie, like an informal workshop space (not necessarily a good idea, but still something I was thinking).

Two skill levels: I think the ideas you have for the split will work much better than what I was thinking. When you do the Advanced Class & people could buy Patterns, would you be providing materials with the patterns? Or would they be much cheaper because there are no materials? (I think $30 for a pattern with no materials is a bit expensive.) Either way I think will work. As a non-beginner (not exactly advanced either) crafter/sewer, I would rather come and get info & technique advice to apply to my own projects later.

Also, as a side note, Peacebonding Plushie Weapons: I finished my plushie Nunchaku Saturday night. (Picture Here, I know it's not the best nunchaku ever, but I made the pattern up as I went and didn't have a reference, so I'm proud of it.) So deciding I wanted to show them off to friends on Sunday, I brought them by Security to be peacebound, as per instructions. One of the heads of security was there. Initially he told me I didn't need to get them done. When I told him that I had been instructed by an orange-shirt, he did reluctantly attach the orange zip-tie. My previously entirely felt toy now had a sharp pointy plastic bit sticking out. Infinitely more dangerous than it previously was... **face-palm**


Kit Ideas:
Mace/Morningstar & Flail
Halberd
Knife/Dagger
Bow/Crossbow
Nunchaku & 3 section staff
Chainsaw
Crowbar
Baseball Bat
Katana
Sai
Kama
Sickle
Scythe
Keyblade (near infinite varieties from Kingdom Hearts)
Kunai

[Dragonmaster Lou]

FYI, I have heard that some people were wondering why the plushie weapon workshop was 18+ even though there wasn't any content usually considered "adult" in it.

First, it wasn't exactly 18+, it was 18+ or accompanied by a parent or guardian. If any security staff at the door was *only* allowing 18+ folks in without caring about parental accompaniment, I'll take full responsibility as I had not personally notified security about allowing kids in with parents.

Second, while I cannot speak for the security/safety implications of the plushie weapons themselves (I'll leave that to the security folks who are more familiar with the policies than I am), I can speak for the safety implications of making them. This is a workshop where you're working with needles, scissors, possibly exacto knives, and who knows what other potentially sharp and dangerous tools in the hands of someone too young to understand the danger. In addition, a little kid may get overly excited and start running around bopping people with a partially completed weapon. If someone was bopped at the wrong time, they may accidentally prick or cut themselves while working on their plushie weapons. Therefore, it was decided that it'll be safer if everyone in this panel was either an adult or accompanied by an adult.

[Sevinkei_]

I think the workshop is a brilliant idea, and needs only a few tweaks -- those being more time and more kits prepared. I do agree that having separate beginner and advanced workshops would probably be a good idea. Majik, I like your thoughts on the novice/advanced classes; I think that would work well.

Another thing I'd like to recommend is having more consistent fabric, by which I mean... all the fabric being the same type. I know that's a hard thing to do when you have to provide so darn much of it, but making anything out of different types of fabrics with different stretch qualities really tends to negatively affect the final product. (But I don't know if I ended up with what I got because that's all that was there or because I was among the last few to get any fabric.)

For kits, it could be fun to have things like keyblades (as mentioned above; lots of sewing, but I don't think they'd be a terribly difficult pattern); Rikku's daggers from FFX-2 just because they're a neat shape, though they'd be hell to stuff; gunblade (I smell an advanced pattern); etc. etc. etc. I definitely agree with the kama, katana, sai ideas. A plushie chainsaw would be GENIUS.

Look for me next year; I'm definitely going to attend again. =) This workshop has so, so much potential.

[kittyclaws]

[quote=Dragonmaster Lou]FYI, I have heard that some people were wondering why the plushie weapon workshop was 18+ even though there wasn't any content usually considered "adult" in it.

First, it wasn't exactly 18+, it was 18+ or accompanied by a parent or guardian. If any security staff at the door was *only* allowing 18+ folks in without caring about parental accompaniment, I'll take full responsibility as I had not personally notified security about allowing kids in with parents.

Second, while I cannot speak for the security/safety implications of the plushie weapons themselves (I'll leave that to the security folks who are more familiar with the policies than I am), I can speak for the safety implications of making them. This is a workshop where you're working with needles, scissors, possibly exacto knives, and who knows what other potentially sharp and dangerous tools in the hands of someone too young to understand the danger. In addition, a little kid may get overly excited and start running around bopping people with a partially completed weapon. If someone was bopped at the wrong time, they may accidentally prick or cut themselves while working on their plushie weapons. Therefore, it was decided that it'll be safer if everyone in this panel was either an adult or accompanied by an adult.[/quote]

The panel should have been 13+ and under 13 accompandied by a parent or guardian. I believe if the younger ones this age are allowed to register for the convention without a parent or guardian they should be allowed to use scissors by this age.

Since they are allowed to register without a parent or legal guardian if I were them I would have been extremely dissapointed in not being able to attend the panel. They may not even have the option of brining their parent or guardian with them. I know my first year I was under 18 and I did not have my parents there. This was the first plushie workshop I was able to attend after wanting to attend one every year I went. Plushie workshops are very popular.

If it's really that much of a big deal to use scissors then possibly have some no sew patterns for them in a seperate under 18 workshop.

[Dragonmaster Lou]

[quote=kittyclaws][quote=Dragonmaster Lou]FYI, I have heard that some people were wondering why the plushie weapon workshop was 18+ even though there wasn't any content usually considered "adult" in it.

First, it wasn't exactly 18+, it was 18+ or accompanied by a parent or guardian. If any security staff at the door was *only* allowing 18+ folks in without caring about parental accompaniment, I'll take full responsibility as I had not personally notified security about allowing kids in with parents.

Second, while I cannot speak for the security/safety implications of the plushie weapons themselves (I'll leave that to the security folks who are more familiar with the policies than I am), I can speak for the safety implications of making them. This is a workshop where you're working with needles, scissors, possibly exacto knives, and who knows what other potentially sharp and dangerous tools in the hands of someone too young to understand the danger. In addition, a little kid may get overly excited and start running around bopping people with a partially completed weapon. If someone was bopped at the wrong time, they may accidentally prick or cut themselves while working on their plushie weapons. Therefore, it was decided that it'll be safer if everyone in this panel was either an adult or accompanied by an adult.[/quote]

The panel should have been 13+ and under 13 accompandied by a parent or guardian. I believe if the younger ones this age are allowed to register for the convention without a parent or guardian they should be allowed to use scissors by this age.

Since they are allowed to register without a parent or legal guardian if I were them I would have been extremely dissapointed in not being able to attend the panel. They may not even have the option of brining their parent or guardian with them. I know my first year I was under 18 and I did not have my parents there. This was the first plushie workshop I was able to attend after wanting to attend one every year I went. Plushie workshops are very popular.

If it's really that much of a big deal to use scissors then possibly have some no sew patterns for them in a seperate under 18 workshop.
[/quote]

I agree, but the panelist did originally ask for 18+ (maybe it was a brainfart/typo on her part -- we're all human and it happens) on her application and I just followed what she requested. I agree that 13+ should be safe with scissors, and apparently we'll go a similar route with this workshop next year.

[Majik]

[color:red]18+ : Yup, my brainfart, I think. I was submitting panels when adjusting to a new lappy *I like my tech old school, and have never been comfortable with tiny keys. Add to that the fact that I tend to key in numbers with the side pad, and I likely snafu'd it, and that's why it didn't register with me later on. I totally take the blame on this one!*
When Panel Submissions come around again for '09, I'll be working directly with The Powers That Be to make the language and regulations mesh up with Anime Boston/Massachusetts laws regarding ages, parent/guardian presence, and prop weapons. Contradictions are BAD, and I apologize for this oversight.

This will next year be EITHER my standard 13+ or parent/guardian, OR 18+ no exceptions. I'm not going to guarantee either way, and this issue won't be brought to table for several months. DO Stay tuned, and DO voice your opinions!![/color]

[color:blue]Plushie Weapons has been applied to ConnectiCon, so we'll see if I can iron out some more tweaks there, and test run some fresh patterns among private members during Bakuretsu, time and interest provided.[/color]


[color:green]KITS: Will be more standardized. Will include all needed fabric and findings. Stuffing, sewing materials, scissors, will still be grabbed separately, but this runs very similarly to the standard Plushie Workshop.[/color]

[color:purple]Time: If I can't get 2 Hours for this next year, I'm going to turn it down, and offer patterns at my Artists' Alley table. No materials, but you can take it home and machine sew it FTW.

(And yes, I'm looking into standardized fabric. Felt for Basic, and, well, I'm taking suggestions on Advanced! Flannel? Fleece? Tricot? other?)

This class will DEFINITELY be cut in two: Basic, and Moderate/Advanced. (Called Advanced to simplify things, just FYI). All BASIC kits will have the same price. All ADVANCED kits.. well, I've got more patterns to make, yardage to calculate, and sizes to standardize before I'll make that call.[/color]

[color:brown]Help: Oh yeah. I'm going to pull as many of my *human* resources as I can for next time. Cashier, Line Control, extra hands. The panelist listing will be made up several months in advance for this.[/color]

That covers the bulk of it, I think.

[color:gray]Nunchaku and crow bars were *originally* in the first list of high priority weapons patterns, but managed to escape me. They'll definitely be making an appearance in the next show.
The Cane and Giant Shuriken suggestions from this year WILL be incorporated for next year. You guys are creative and unique, and that's part of why I love doing these events!
Gun Blades, Key Blades, and yes, even Rikku's FFX2 blades were on the low-priority list for THIS year, and just didn't make the cut due to time constraints. Don't be afraid to give a shout out for your favorite versions! I'll look into starting those patterns after the Summer/Fall convention crush.

And I'll be taking notes on all the other suggestions that pop up here:
Kunai actually WERE available this year. I'm working on a 3-point variation of the throwing stars, as well as some movie/anime specific variations.
Keyblades: Which do YOU like?
Scythes and Sickles will likely be in the same pack, we'll see how it goes.
Kama FTW, I'm looking up design ideas this week.
Baseball bats and Sai were in the first batch of ideas, and will DEFINITELY be coming out. (I'm thinking of crumple-options for the Little Slugger bat as I type )
Katana, Wakizashi, and Tanto will probably make a multi-pack.
Chainsaw, YES. Hand-mounted? Dunno.. Maybe velcro will help.. But I really hope to be able to do a boom-stick as well
3-sectioned staff.. That's a good one. I know someone who's jump on that idea, heehee..
Knives, Daggers, and the like, I didn't even consider, so those are on the list.
Halberd? Hmmmm.. The axe pattern was problematic, so that's not a bad direction to take it in.. I'll be looking up Eastern AND Western designs for those.[/color]

*WHEW!* These posts just keep getting longer and longer! That's a good sign of progress, right?

[Sevinkei_]

[quote=majik](And yes, I'm looking into standardized fabric. Felt for Basic, and, well, I'm taking suggestions on Advanced! Flannel? Fleece? Tricot? other?)[/quote]

I think fleece or flannel would probably be ideal. Nice and soft, and not too hard to work with -- particularly the fleece, in my experience.

[Death]

wanted to go couldnt cuz wasnt there sunday but i also am 15 turning 16 hehe and i was there saturday :p but happy to lend some ideas when you want them