Report: WhimsyCon 2023
WC Tea Dueling champion announced.
Jessica Twiss and her Tea Dueling prizes
After setting up our section of the Parlour, DVSS staff got down to the serious work of running panels and making tea. Friday evening featured a panel on Steampunk Fabric Resources, lead by Lara and Hannah, and The Clockwork Green Fairy - all about absinthe - with Melanie and Sheila.
The DVSS Parlour featured a large table and some comfy seating, and we hosted folks who wanted to chat or just find a congenial place for repose. Tea and biscuits were available for staff, and Lynelle arranged for penny-candy style jars of candies for parlour visitors.
Which meant that we had a ready-made purlieu for staging the early rounds of Tea Dueling. Mark was our very serious Tiffin Master, with Jessica assisting as the Pot Master, and we made it through about 16 brackets of first- and second-round contestants. We then moved to Main Events for the exceedingly competetive final rounds, where we added in Rosa as the Tea Master.
And our own Jessica - steady of hand that she is - won the competition!
Saturday’s panels featured A Steampunk Capsule Wardrobe, The Perfect Fit, Victorian Women’s Dressing From the Skin Out, The Parsimonious Steampunk, Tea Tasting, Drafting Victorian Patterns from Primary Sources, and The History and Culture of Tea. Our Saturday Panelists included Melanie, Sheila, Lara, Hannah, and Rosa, and there were many comings and goings from the parlour all day.
On Sunday, we Mark, Melanie, Hannah, and Lara presented Steampunk Outside Colonialism, Victorian Textiles, Hats to Spats, and Historically-Inspired Sewing before commencing the breaking-down process in the Parlour.
If you have any questions about any of our panels, please let us know!
Many Thanks to everyone who helped all weekend long, and especially to all those who pitched in Sunday afternoon to make light work of packing during the portion of the weekend when we all have the fewest spoons.
WhimsyCon will not be held in 2024, because CostumeCon 42 will be taking its place. We’re all very excited about the posibilities!