Badge Ribbon F.A.Q.

Badge Ribbon F.A.Q.

When it comes to badge ribbons there are two common reactions:
Ribbons? Oh yes!  Giveme, giveme, giveme!! 
And…
Ribbons? What’s the deal with ribbons? What are you talking about? I’ll pass for now. 

At JordanCon, many people are of the first opinion. Let me introduce you to the world of badge ribbons and answer the most common questions about them. 

Badge ribbons are a fun way to decorate your badge, declare allegiance to a fandom, or design a moto. The design and quote possibilities are nearly endless. Seeing people walk around with badge ribbon beards might inspire you to say “I want those!” or they might just confuse you, and that’s okay.

 

JordanCon History with Ribbons:

Three JordanCon badges from different years with increasing lengths of attached ribbons.

Attendee Glen Vogelaar shares his badge ribbon collection in an example of the increased availability of ribbons.

There used to be just a few ribbons at JordanCon.  Focused around the official ones given to guests, panelists, and staff members. Then around 2013 or so, someone asked “Can I bring my own ribbons to trade? Saw it at a different convention.” Permission was given, and a trend started.
For a few years people tried to avoid using the colors of the official JordanCon ribbons, but as more people created their own designs, it became harder to track. Now the convention staff just ask people to avoid key word and color combinations (more below in Designs).

There are several friendly competitions among JordanCon attendees to see who can collect more ribbons. The one between long-time attendees Bao Pham and Thom de Simone is the most well known by regular attendees. Authors Gerald L. Coleman and Milton Davis have one they play out on the JordanCon Facebook page every year as well. Encourage them in their antics. 

 

Etiquette:

Follow some simple rules of etiquette at the convention to help avoid awkward moments around your ribbon collecting. Being polite is the best thing we can all do for each other.

Four convention badges hanging from a board with different number of ribbons attached. Top says JordanCon and Gerald L Coleman as Guest.

Gerald L. Coleman showing off a small collection of badges from JordanCon and Multiverse.

First, ribbons cost money. The person who brings the ribbon design sets the rules for their ribbons. They might give them away freely, ask for a trade, or if it’s in support of a cause, even ask for a donation. It is their choice if and how others get their ribbons.

Second, know that not all ribbons are for everyone. Some are made for specific groups: fan groups, people in cosplay, friend groups, participants for a different convention, etc.  Someone might have three ribbon designs, but only one that is available to everyone. If they have ribbons, but don’t offer you one, you might not qualify for that ribbon. No hard feelings, there will be others. Who knows, while talking with them you could learn about a cool new fan group to join and be eligible for the ribbon at another time. 

For those that have to decline a request, remember to be polite as well. Say something like, “I’m sorry, but this ribbon was specifically made for those who participate at ‘a certain event.’” Or you could try, “Sorry but these are for people who are dressed in cosplay.” Being courteous goes a long way to avoiding hurt feelings. Always remember to be polite on both sides of the ribbon trading game.

If you see someone freely handing out ribbons, feel free to approach them and ask, “May I please have a ribbon?” or “What is your design about?” Or best: “Are your ribbons available for trading? Let’s trade!” 

Be respectful of the ribbon designer’s responses by remembering the points above. 

It is polite to not duplicate a ribbon’s design without permission. There are many ways to be inspired by a design, or a similar concept. Duplicating all aspects of another’s design is frowned upon. Look at the ribbons as another artform.

The term “badge beard” is used to describe the ribbon collection on the badges. The style people wear their ribbons can mimic the variety of beards:  Wide and messy, short and trimmed, or long and neat.  Find your own personal style!

Panel of four images. Six people wearing badge beards of different styles. Right to left: Short in cos-play, Long in t-shirt, Long with one ribbon repeated 8+ times, and Wide with many ribbons hanging on the side from the central badge.

Attendees showing off different badge beard styles. From right to left: Asha’man Anthony, T-shirt crew Kalyani, Deana, & Rahul, Author Lyndsey Luther, Tardis Patrick.

 

F.A.Q. – Frequently Asked Questions 


DOES everyone like ribbons?

No. The choice is individual. There is no pressure to wear badge beards. There is no pressure to make custom ribbons. But if you are bitten by the “I want ribbons” bug, this article is intended to answer your questions.

WHAT size ribbon should I make? 

JordanCon badges are 4″ wide.
Most ribbon companies sell 4″ wide ribbons in two heights: 2″ and 1 5/8

The height is up to you. If going with a longer quote or image, the 2″ height gives you more design room.
The other common ribbon size is 3 1/2″ x 1 5/8″. (This is the size of the ribbons used at some other conventions.) The 4” ribbons can be cut down to that size with pinking shears.

WHEN should I buy ribbons?

To be on the safe side, if you want ribbons by JordanCon, order by April 1st from most of the companies listed below. Look at the shipping dates the company provides before ordering. 
Their production time does not include weekends. With the companies that send you PDF proofs, each change to the design is another possible two-day delay.
Each company will have its own “last minute” deadline. Most of them ask when your event date is, so they might tell you themselves if they can’t meet the deadline.
Personally, I try to have everything finalized by March 15 most years. This way I don’t risk having to pay a rush fee or for rushed shipping, which both add greatly to the cost per ribbon. 

Again, for peace of mind, that’s order by, not start the design process by, April 1st.


WHERE to buy ribbons?

There are multiple online companies that make custom ribbons. In Ribbon Companies, I list the most recommended sources with known pros and cons for each. When bought in bulk of over 100, prices for single color ribbons become similar. Shop to compare for your best price. Setup fees and shipping could determine your best price for the quantity of ribbons you plan to order. 
If you want to shop local, look for trophy companies or custom print shops.

HOW many should I buy?

The answer to this question is determined by your personal choices and budget.
As said in the Etiquette section, some ribbons are made for smaller groups, so there is no need to have hundreds made up. Other ribbons are made to be given away to everyone that wants one. Thus the question becomes, how many do you want to give away?
At JordanCon there are up to 1200 attendees, but around half don’t collect the ribbons and the other half don’t collect every ribbon available. The most I’ve given away was 100 ribbons in a year. Other people have given away 30 to 400 ribbons. 

At one larger local convention, there are 80,000 attendees and dedicated ribbon trading times and sessions. Even they say 200 ribbons is a good number to bring for trading, so don’t feel like you have to bring enough for everyone at the con.

If you plan to give away ribbons for more than one year, I’ve found the math works to buy more than I need for a single year. But that’s only if I have the budget for them. Shipping and set-up fees are a factor in the costs not included in the price per ribbon quoted by the companies.

Obviously, vendors or authors who want to make ribbons part of their promotional material, would be wise to order larger batches.

HOW do people walk around with long badge beards?
Roll of ribbons held together with two alligator clips. One showing the backside, one with a heart on the clip.

Decorated or plain clips hold ribbon beards together well.

People have many tricks, but the easiest is to bring a clip with you to the convention. 

Examples: Binder clip, large paper clip, alligator clip, etc.  
Roll up the ribbons as you walk with it in a much neater arrangement. Then you can have a dramatic reveal to show off your impressive collection.

Keeping your ribbons rolled can also help keep the edges looking nicer longer.  If the edges start to look ragged, use a pair of pinking shears to trim them nicely.

MY ribbons keep falling off, what can I do?
Black gaffer’ tape along the center back of a ribbon beard.

Tape for support.

Duct tape, Gaffters tape, or a strong masking tape. Tape is your friend if your ribbons don’t want to stick together. Put a strip down the center backs of them.
You can also decorate the back of your ribbons with stickers or other items. Because your badge will spin around and there’s no stopping it.

 

ARE there forbidden or restrictions on the ribbons? 

The convention tries to be a welcoming place for all ages. Keeping word choices and artwork PG-13 is encouraged. There is at least one “F*** Moash” ribbon that goes around the convention. The asterisks are part of the design, not an edit for this article. 

JordanCon has ten official ribbons. To prevent confusion we ask that you do not copy the Wording & Color combos of the list below. Even the wording should be avoided, since each represents an official group at the convention. Aiel and Jenn Aiel ribbons can be earned by anyone that volunteers to help at the convention. 

Word Fabric Ink
Attending Professional Silver Black
Chair Red Silver
Director Black Gold
Eternal Member Berry (purple) Silver
Guest Blue Gold
Aiel White Red
Jenn Aiel Teal Gold
Media Pink Black
Program Participant Brown Silver
Vendor Green Gold

 

CON is over. Now what do I do with the ribbons?

Some cons have ribbon recycling programs. JordanCon is not one of them.
If you have leftover ribbons to hand out, save them for your next con or bring them back next year. Repeating a ribbon is 100% acceptable. 

Typically people start each new con with a fresh badge, so whole badge beards are not used again. Yet it is up to your personal choice. Reusing selected favorite ribbons is more common.
Some people collect ribbons with the intent to create some larger art project. I’ve seen skirts, vests, hats, and a few other creative crafts made from con ribbons. 
Many just hang them as a fun reminder of their convention trip somewhere in their house.

 

Ribbon Companies:

Below is a list of the best known and most recommended companies that create custom ribbons. Known pros and cons are listed for each. Listed in alphabetical order only, not a ranked order. No one at JordanCon was paid to promote these companies.
*Editor’s Note: These companies were chosen and researched by Deana for the purposes of this article. JordanCon does not endorse these companies or guarantee their services in any way.

Hodges Badge
Pro: Provides full-color ink printing (sublimation). The cost per ribbon is higher than single ink color printing. Need to contact customer service to arrange for full color printing. 
No set-up fees for single color print ribbons.

Con: Text only, no images allowed. Very limited font options.
Does not make
3 1/2″ ribbons (issue for other conventions, not JordanCon).
Type your text, they email you a PDF proof to approve.  

PC NameTag
Pro: Provides full-color ink printing (sublimation). The cost per ribbon is higher than single ink color printing.
The company has a pre-made package of pronoun ribbons.
Offers the option to buy packages of pre-made ribbons of random sayings if you want to get in the ribbon game but don’t have a design in mind yet. Also useful to help create something with ribbons when you don’t want to cut up your own ribbon collection.

Con: Has a set-up fee and a 100 ribbon minimum to buy.  

Marco Promos
Pro: Two color text printing possible. Had a Prism foil print for design. (Could still, I just didn’t see it while checking for this article.)
Clipart printing is possible. Multiple text styles possible.
Widest selection of ribbon colors available, examples: Rainbow, gold trimmed, Netherlands’ flag

Con: Set-up fee. Extra fee, if you order less than 100 ribbons.
Type your text, they email you a PDF proof to approve.

Name Badge Productions
They call them the 4” Stick and stack ribbons
Pro: Can order low quantities of ribbons.
Good selection of colors.

Con: Set-up fee for text and a Logo fee for custom line art. The design is only kept for 2 years after you order, so you need to re-order yearly or pay the fees again. You type your text, they email you a PDF proof to approve.

Ribbons Galore
Pro: Able to see a draft of the ribbon as you design it. Wide range of available clipart and fonts preloaded. Able to upload your own line art.
I personally prefer the interactive design feature on this website. You can see the design and feel confident about the look.
They will email you a PDF proof of the final design to confirm and make suggested changes before printing.
No set-up fee. Can order low quantities of ribbons.

Con: Single color print only. More expensive, per ribbon, in comparison when ordering smaller quantities.  

 

Ribbon Design Tips:

The combinations of colors and inks seem practically endless, though some of the companies have more options available than others. As a general rule, less is more in ribbon design. Keeping artwork lines and text short makes for better visual impact. There are exceptions to the guidelines below, but in general, simpler is better.
After avoiding the official JoranCon ribbon combos, the rest of the world is open to explore and design. Pull inspiration from your favorite things! From food, to books, to super heroes, to sarcasm. Express yourself freely. 

Size:

Remember, just because the ribbon is 4” wide does not mean you have 4” of design space.
The design space is closer to 3 ½” x 1 1/4” on a 4” x 1 5/8″ ribbon. This allows for open ribbon space around the edges and the cut edges. If using Ribbons Galore, turn on the “Print Area” blue lines to see the design area space. For the other companies, to see your design before submitting it to print you can achieve a passable template using Word’s “Text Box” function or one of Adobe’s more powerful tools like Photoshop and InDesign.

Text Length & Font:

It’s a rare ribbon that looks good with three or more lines of text. One or two lines of text is best for readability. If you do plan on a longer quote, the 4” x 2” ribbon is a better option. 

As a general rule, use one font for your ribbon design. The exception is using a different font for a website in small plain text under something more elaborate. Check the fonts available from the company you intend to order from. If you want to use a font they do not offer, you have to turn your phrase into an image and upload it as clipart or a logo. 

The more elaborate the font, the simpler the text should be. Keep in mind font can also convey meaning. The font you select can alter the perception people have of the ribbon. Are you getting the reaction you want? Try altering the font to see how you feel. 
For example:Ribbon sayings in different fonts: It's time to roll the dice!, Roll the Dice!, Book Lover, Exterminate

 

Color Choices:

Visual impact – Color on color printing is valid, but black foil on top of black fabric will not be visible from more than 6” away depending on the viewer’s eyesight and room lighting.

Dark ink on a dark fabric is harder to read.
Light ink on a light fabric is harder to read.
Rainbow ink on a rainbow fabric is harder to read and also a hard to find combination. 

There are many design rules at play as to why black, white, silver, and gold are the most common ink colors seen.
Grab a color wheel and play with contrasting colors. Be inspired by the color combinations of your favorite superheroes or logos! What you see on the screen won’t reflect the finished ribbon, since the printing is normally a foil. The shimmer will help the text pop. Full color sublimation printing is an exception, since those are often printed as a flat color.

Logos, Designs, and Clipart: 

Each printing company listed above accepts artwork as various types of digital files. There is widespread acceptance of JPGS and EPS files. Double check with your printer and ensure the open spaces of your design show as you intend. 
When designing with clipart or custom vector art, again—less is more. Elements with fewer lines and more defined open spaces look great on ribbons., especially at a distance. Too many fine lines in a design can blend together creating an unclear image. Repeating elements can be more impactful than many different elements like an emoji string.

Two ribbons. Black with silver writing: Your Pancakefulness. Has a fork on the left. White with gold writing: Let’s Eat Pancakes.” Has a leaf, stack of pancakes, and fork underneath the words.

Two pancake inspired ribbons. Lower design is too busy.

Example: The “Let’s Eat Pancakes” ribbon shown was one of my early designs. I will not be reprinting this ribbon. The busy font and complicated clipart does not read well at a distance. Narrow gold lettering on white ribbon – not a good choice. It is very hard to read at any distance. Gold on white?  Use a block text.
The “Your Panckefulness” with the simple fork clipart and larger silver text is a more successful ribbon design. Props to Dea Carey for her creativity when creating that one. 

Do not use copyrighted designs that are not your own. If you have permission from the artist to use the design, wonderful! Use it well!

There are millions of “free clipart line art” images available on the internet. Low-resolution files are typically fine for badge ribbons since the artwork size rarely exceeds ½” x ½”.  Are just the lines showing or is everything printing as a block of color?  You may have to adjust the file’s transparency settings before it is usable for printing. The transparency allows the ribbon’s color to show inside the open spaces of the line art. 

Whatever inspires you, have fun with both the design process and handing the ribbons out! We all look forward to seeing what people create every year. 

Join us at the next JordanCon for sharing ribbon fun and more shenanigans.

-By Deana Whitney

 

 

 

Extra Workshop Classes on YouTube

Extra Workshop Classes on YouTube

JordanCon 2021 passed in a blur of activities and gatherings and digital content, along with a few minor hiccups. The Workshop Track refuses to let the fun fade away too quickly. To continue our digital experience, we have two more panels to present. Lovely teachers not able to join us this year in person shared their expertise in other ways. 

Glass Aes Sedai Trinket box

Glass Aes Sedai Trinket box

The first is from master glass artist Leia Powell. She generously shares her skill in showing us how to build a glass trinket box. The box showcases the ancient symbol of the Aes Sedai. Along the way she shares bits of information about the history of stained glass. JordanCon 2022 attendees will have the opportunity to meet Leia in person and buy some of her amazing works in the dealers room. She occasionally teaches live workshops as well, but as of this moment, the spots are filled by the students who signed up for the 2020 workshops which were put on hold along with so many other matters. Meanwhile, follow her store on Facebook at: Wildcat Mountain Artistry or on Etsy at Geeky Stained Glass

 

The second presentation is a discussion between the costuming expert Linda Taglieri and Workshop Director Deana Whitney. Members of the Wheel of Time fandom might know Linda from her celebrated blog The 13th Depository. JordanCon regulars know her as one of our favorite Aussies and the creator of many amazing Wheel of Time inspired dolls. Linda and Deana discuss the clothing in the Wheel of time with an emphasis on split skirts. There are reasons Jordan showed the ladies smoothing their skirts so often. Linda and Dean shared some related split skirt images in this folder

Enjoy these videos along with the other content on the JordanCon YouTube channel. 

Video: Glass Aes Sedai Trinket box by Leia Powell
Video: Smoothing Skirts and Other Clothing Matters in the Wheel of Time with Linda Taglieri

As always if you have a suggestion for a workshop you would like to see or to teach at JordanCon, please send an email to: Workshop (at) jordancon.org. We love bringing a mix of crafts and lessons to our members. The schedule for JordanCon 2022 is already in the works. If you are interested in sharing your work via the written word, rather than teaching a live class, drop us a line as well. 

Almost every type of artwork or skill is welcome. Some we can’t teach due to limits of space and safety. Maybe a written brewing class would work for the JordanCon blog, but hotel rules and a streak of bad luck for our brewing teachers have sadly placed it on a short list of “We can’t do that” classes. Along with knife throwing and fire juggling. Sorry to the Mat Cauthon cosplayers. Until next time JordanCon, keep crafting! 

Considering the Study of Many Dragons: Two Book Reviews & a Cake

Considering the Study of Many Dragons: Two Book Reviews & a Cake

Lady Trent book covers and an ocean cake.

The Tropics of Serpents: A Memoir by Lady Trent written by Marie Brennan

Join me in discussing Lady Trent and her extended study of dragons. As we draw closer to JordanCon time is starting to run short. There is still time to read a few more books before the convention. Each is around 12 hours of audio listening. By now I hope people have checked out Marie Brennan’s website to learn more about her. There is also a good collection of articles about and by Brennan on Tor.com, including her take on RPG campaigns.

JordanCon family, life hit. I fully intended to have two different articles about these books. Then I fell and injured my hand with less than 3 weeks to the con. Typing is slow going; however, I still want to provide everyone with more about our author guest of honor’s work. Toward that end, this article will cover a summary of book two and three from the Trent Memoirs. It will also showcase a fanart cake I made in appreciation of the sea serpents in book three. Thankfully the cake was made a week before life went sideways. 

Discussing the books this way will include spoilers, but as in my first article, major book spoilers will be below warning lines. 

In The Tropics of Serpents, the now widowed Isabella Camherst embarks on an expedition to the continent of Eriga to study savannah dragons and many other species. On this trip, Isabella takes the steps that will lead her truly down the road as Scirland’s premier dragon naturalist. The elder Lady Trent also warns readers in the preface that scandals and gossip abound for this portion of her life. 

Joining her on the adventure this time is Mr. Thomas Wilker, assistant to the Earl of Hillford, and Miss Natalie Oscott, the earl’s granddaughter. Lord Hillford is around for moral and financial support, but his health does not enable him to travel. Along the way, the group meets Erigans such as: Faj Rawango, Galinke, Okweme, Akinimanbi, and Yeyuama. The Erigan’s are from different backgrounds. They do not share a religion, a culture, or skin tones with the Scirling characters, nor with each other quite often. Readers will see the implied and, at times, overt racism of this world. 

Eriga is a tropical land that invokes images of African savannahs and rainforests with a vastly different power structure than found during Earth’s Victorian history. It is also filled with iron ore deposits in a world hungry for iron. The cultures represented by the various Erigan characters appear to be a blending of African cultures. I appreciate this blending, so that nothing feels like a parody. Instead it feels like Brennan is trying to show the cultures as real and fully developed, though the reader is not immersed in the nuances. 

The main focus of the narrative is about the study of dragons—from the savannah snakes of Bayembe, to the Moulish swamp-wyrms inside the Green Hell—and what Isabella is willing to endure in pursuit of these studies. Even when others want her to stop.

Map of Eriga by Rhys Davies. Swamp-wyrm by Todd Lockwood.

Spoilers: The Tropics of Serpents 

The real strength of The Tropic of Serpents is in the character development. In book one, Thomas Wilker is introduced as Lord Hillford’s assistant. A minor criticism I had was he never became a 3D character in my mind. Brennan completely changes that in this installment. She wrote about this transformation inside her mind on a blog post several years ago. In this book Wilker and Isabella develop a strong working relationship, and more importantly a true friendship. A friendship that is beautifully free of any sexual tension between the two characters, though outsiders kept trying to see some and cause troublesome rumors to boot. I greatly appreciated how a ceremony to banish witchcraft allowed for frank conversations between all the main characters. 

Natalie Oscott transforms from a one scene character into Isabella’s true companion. She is an engineer at heart and her designs help drive the action. Oscott, like Isabella, wants a life different from the expectations of a  Scirling noble woman. Unlike Isabella, her father is not supportive of these goals. Thankfully, her grandfather and friends do support her actions. 

Brennan digs into the realities of being a “lady adventurer” more in this book. From dealing with unwanted advances to dealing with menses in different cultures. Not offending local norms plays a major role in how the subjects are handled. Being a young widow and mother does not free Isabella from marriage expectations, despite what she might wish. For those hoping to see different sexual preferences expressed, the topic is touched upon lightly and more favorably than typical Victorian era novels. 

The conclusion of the novel takes a hard turn away from the study of dragons after Isabella performs a near miraculous feat with the help of Oscott’s engineering skills. She earns the right to learn more about the swamp-wyrms, just in time to defeat an army with them. Readers are teased with more Draconean ruins and rumors of treason. It’s almost unfair how fast paced book 2 is in the last few chapters. Yet it leaves Isabella and Wilker with strong lessons learned about the dangers of making promises rashly. These lessons serve them well in the next installment of the series.

End of Book 2 Spoilers. 

The Voyage of the Basilisk: A Memoir by Lady Trent written by Marie Brennan

The Broken Sea by Rhys Davies.

If you decide to pick up physical copies of these books, I highly recommend the hardback versions. Not only is each book printed with beautiful interior artwork; each book is printed in a different color scheme too. Book three, to match Todd Lockwood’s impressive cover illustration, is printed in blue. Most appropriate for a story that takes place largely at sea and on islands.

Readers join Lady Trent six years after her Eriga trip as she, her son Jake, and Tom Wilker embark on a voyage around the world in search of sea-snakes and more dragons. She and Tom are gathering information to question the nature of dragon classification. If successful, both might achieve the recognition from the Philosophers’ Colloquium they crave, despite the barriers of gender and class that have blocked their paths. 

The Voyage is my favorite installment of the first three books.  It might be due to the Keonga islands, inspired by the Polynesians islands and people. It could be the introduction of the archaeologist character named Suhail from Akhia. It could also be the sheer scope of the adventure told. It’s a literal voyage around the world, which takes them on a two year adventure visiting many parts of the world barely mentioned until this point. 

Beyond the study of dragons, readers learn more about the ancient Draconian civilization that has popped up in the other books. Now more links are being drawn between them and the study of modern dragons and sea serpents. 

Isabella and Thom continue their research as they deal with hostile governments, cultural taboos, tropical diseases, storms, and being shipwrecked. 

Dragon Turtle by Todd Lockwood

Spoilers: The Voyage of the Basilisk 

One of the best additions to the stories is Jake Camherst, Isabella’s now 9 year-old son.  He and his governess Abigail Carew join the expedition as a learning opportunity and as a counter to all those that criticized Isabella for leaving him behind when she went to Eriga. Sadly, Abigail remains a rather flat character, but Jake grows in many ways during the story. He also pushes his mother into some adventures she would have turned down without his prodding. 

The other stand out addition to the story is Suhail, an archaeologist of Draconean ruins met by accident twice during the journey. His desire to learn more about the Draconeans makes Isabella more interested in them as well.  Brennan has said her natural inclinations are better reflected by Suhail, rather than Isabella. He is a character with drive and interest. He also has an ability with languages that enables better communication between the Scirlings and an assortment of other peoples. Like Jake, Suhail also prods Isabella into taking actions. Actions that lead her into the middle of another battle. 

The Keongan people are primarily represented by Heali’i. Who is a Ke’anaka’i and identifies Isabella as one too. These ‘Dragon Spirited’ people are recognized and respected in the culture as different. Yet not being of a related culture or transgender myself, I would hesitate to call it a positive representation. I respect Brennan for including a transgender character in a culture that creates a place for them. She could have not included the subject, but instead it becomes a plot point. This enabled more frank conversions as thought provoking as the witchcraft ceremony of book two. The Keongan people respect the Ke’anaka’i. Isabella respects them by fully acting as one. Indeed, being one opens up several opportunities otherwise forbidden to women.  

The pacing is a bit uneven and will seem slow if you only want action and fighting dragons. This segment is more about the people and animal breeds met along the way.  It includes more self-reflections than in past books. Yet despite these minor issues, this installment inspired me the most.  

End of Book 3 Spoilers. 

More adventures await for Isabella Camherst. Indeed, as of book three, she is still not Lady Trent. That story happens later in the series. Yet I hope these discussions have inspired you to pick up the series and enjoy the full story yourself. 

Words of the Series:

Interlocutor – a person who takes part in a dialogue or conversation.

Much like Brandon Sanderson used “maladroitly” quite often in his Mistborn: Era 1 series, Lady Trent uses interlocutor several times per book. It stood out after the third time I heard the word, and I was finally compelled to look up the meaning. 

Let us all gather in July to be interlocutors together.  Until then, enjoy some tea and cake while reading more from Marie Brennan. 

Ocean Wave Cake: 

The sea serpents and Todd Lockwood’s stunning cover artwork fired my creativity after reading the series. Thanks to this inspiration, I decided to make fan art. My medium of expression has become cake and fondant in the last few years. At the bottom of the waves is an early style diving bell.  I’m rather proud of the engineering that went into creating a twelve-inch tall leaping sea serpent over tropical waves. 

Isabella may enjoy a number of coconuts while in the Broken Sea; however, it is not a flavor I enjoy. So the cake is a lemon sponge with pineapple filling, which creates a sunny look and a light citrus flavor. The ocean waves are made with Swiss meringue buttercream in 4 colors. The sea-serpent and diving bell are fondant over rice-cereal treat. Isabella is made of all fondant. 

Bright lemon and pineapple flavors. Next images will contain spoilers.

Spoilers: 

Sea-serpent cake with book cover. Figure is 12″ tall. Overall cake is 23″ x 8″

 

Reverse side of the sea-serpent. I tried to make is square-ish, like Lockwood’s cover.

 

Isabella riding a sea-serpent. Whiskers made of fishing line.

 

Article and cake by Deana Whitney
Join her in the Workshop Track at JordanCon.

Wheel of Time Quilt: History & Inspiration

Wheel of Time Quilt: History & Inspiration

History of the WoT Quilt:


On May 2, 2019 Christine Wessling posted in the JordanCon Costumers Facebook group asking if there was an interest in doing a group quilt for the Charity auction. She had experience with similar projects and wanted to give back to JordanCon after being embraced by the Con’s people. Within hours there was a flood of comments and interest.  Three days later Christine and Natalie Gehling had developed a plan for the quilt.  Each block was to be a book cover using the Tall Tales Quilt Block, but enlarged by 100%. By the end of the following week, all the blocks had been claimed by a JordanCon enthusiast and Joy Allen had agreed to take on the dauting task of quilting the blanket together.

All blocks were turned in by December 31, 2019 so the quilt could be ready for the April 2020 convention.  Some blocks were claimed by new people as life hit others. Thankfully all the books were claimed, and a piece was finished for each in time. Then 2020 hit everyone. Allen had finished the quilt, but it was decided the quilt should be held for the 2021 convention when more of the participants would have a chance of seeing the finished work in-person.

Now everyone can enjoy seeing the finished quilt as a preview prior to the July convention.  The makers hope many people will appreciate the work put into creating the piece. It was a labor of love by many different people.

Good luck to the winner of the Wheel of Time quilt auction!  May it bring you much joy and comfort as you read many books curled up under the quilt.
The bidding will be on Friday and Saturday of JordanCon 2021.

Note on the care of the quilt: Machine wash cold, delicate cycle. Line or lay flat to dry. DO NOT put this in a dryer!!

Full Quilt in all its glory:

Full front of the WoT Quilt.

Full back of WoT Quilt

 

 

Below are words written by the creators about what inspired their blocks and a close up image of each.
Please note, there are spoilers for the whole Wheel of Time series in the block descriptions.

Inspiration for the WoT quilt blocks:
Given by those who helped make each block and put the entire quilt together, they share what inspired them to make their portions in the way they did. Minor changes to grammar were made.

New Spring, block by Antoinette Goosetree

New Spring, block by Antoinette Goosetree

New Spring, Antoinette Goosetree: I chose New Spring because I am a Blue Aes Sedai. As I see New Spring is about Moiraine’s journey, I made an excellent, more blue background with her head jewel and the crest of Lan as her bond mate.

Eye of the World, block by Alix Panayotopulos

Eye of the World, block by Alix Panayotopulos

 

 

Eye of the World, Alix Panayotopulos: Because I have always loved the green man.

 

 

 

The Great Hunt, block by Stephanie Jackson

The Great Hunt, block by Stephanie Jackson

The Great Hunt, Stephanie Jackson: (Did not respond in time.)
Description: Silhouette of three fighters inside a golden horn.

 

The Dragon Reborn, block by Heather Nathanson

The Dragon Reborn, block by Heather Nathanson

 

 

The Dragon Reborn, Heather Nathanson: (Per Facebook post) Inspired to make a gold Callandor against red dragon scales. Was nervous to not mess it up.

 

 

 

 

The Shadow Rising, block by David Reynolds-Grier

The Shadow Rising, block by David Reynolds-Grier

The Shadow Rising, David Reynolds-Grier: (Did not respond in time.)
Description: Nine “Glass Columns” made of beads around a Chora tree at sunrise.

 

 

 

 

The Fires of Heaven, block by Kate Larson

The Fires of Heaven, block by Kate Larson

The Fires of Heaven, Kate Larson:

I really enjoyed how this installment let us learn so much more of Tel’aran’rhiod and its workings. It brought Birgitte, one of my favorite characters, into the spotlight. Her iconic golden braid was something that always fascinated me, so I focused on trying to recreate its complexity in my quilt square.

 

 

Lord of Chaos, block by Natalie Gheling

Lord of Chaos, block by Natalie Gheling

 

 

Lord of Chaos, Natalie Gheling: I chose a black Asha’man coat with a Dedicated’s silver sword pin because Rand founded the Black Tower in Lord of Chaos. I chose red with gold flecks for my background to represent the flames and destruction at Dumai’s Wells.

 

 

 

A Crown of Swords, block by Brenna Goode

 

 

A Crown of Swords, Brenna Goode: I was asked, as a substitute, to step in and do the block for A Crown of Swords. I had read the books years ago and loved them so was happy to help. Unfortunately, since I’d stepped in late, I didn’t have time to do a more detailed cover, so elected to try some new-to-me techniques to make the block, including printing on the fabric. I chose an image that was a fairly literal representation of the title, trying to make it stylistically appropriate to the books themselves and the rest of the quilt. It was a pleasure to be part of this collaboration!

 

 

The Path of Daggers, block by Billie Pierce

The Path of Daggers, block by Billie Pierce

 

The Path of Daggers, Billie Pierce:
Aside from the Bowl of the Winds, there is no great triumph for the Light in The Path of Daggers. However, Rand’s failure to use Callandor against the Seanchan army was a pivotal moment for me as a reader, and I believe he needed this defeat to overcome his hubris and realize that he cannot wield tremendous power without the help and support of others. Ultimately, I decided on a detailed appliqué of Rand’s dragon banner, inspired by the original Darrell K Sweet cover, as an homage to this battle and a symbol of the united sense of purpose that begins to emerge in the series as key players take their first steps toward becoming the powerful people who will defeat the Dark One at the last battle.

 

 

Winter’s Heart, block by Christine Wessling

Winter’s Heart, block by Christine Wessling

 

 

Winter’s Heart, Christine Wessling: I picked book nine because it was actually the first book of the series I found… AND it has the cleansing of Saidin, which is just a phenomenal turning point for the men of the series.

 

 

Crossroads of Twilight, block by Tina Pierce

Crossroads of Twilight, block by Tina Pierce

Crossroads of Twilight, Tina Pierce: I chose to recreate the ebook cover, majestically created by Greg Ruth. Perrin has always been a favorite of mine. His crossroad shown on the cover is a major point in his character’s growth. This was his first paper piece work I had done, and it was a great learning experience.

 

 

 

 

 

Knife of Dreams, block by Maureen Carr

Knife of Dreams, block by Maureen Carr

Knife of Dreams, Maureen Carr: My name is Maureen, but I also go by Mashiara and am an administrator for Dragonmount.com. As my chosen name implies, Land and Nynaeve are my favorite characters within the Wheel of Time series. I first read the novels in 1999 as a sophomore in high school, and Lan’s cool calm and amazing abilities won me over instantly. Once it became clear that Nynaeve was his love interest, I latched onto her as well.

When picking a book within the series to sum up my love of Lan and Nynaeve, there were several contenders. The most notable, though, came in Knife of Dreams. I don’t think any fan had dry eyes after reading about Nynaeve’s trek to the borderlands to secure her husband an army. Hearing the phrase, “The Golden Crane flies for Tarmon Gai’don,” is enough to make me weepy still!

I chose to represent this cry to battle by showing the golden crane and lance on a field of blue, like the Malkier flag. For the spine fabric, I chose the fabric I used to construct my own Warder’s cloak. I put so much of myself into this series and into this quilt piece. I am so happy to be included with so many other fans in this amazing project!

 

The Gathering Storm, block by Edward Pena

The Gathering Storm, block by Edward Pena

 

 

The Gathering Storm, Edward Pena: I chose the scene from the Seanchan attack on the White Tower. I feel like it is a pivotal moment in the Wheel of Time, not only for Egwene and the White Tower, but also for the whole world in the lead up to the Last Battle. Plus, it’s just a kick butt scene!

 

Towers of Midnight, block by Drew Osburn

 

 

 

 

Towers of Midnight, Drew Osburn: Hi! I chose the imagery based loosely on the cover of the book where we can see Mat drawing the triangle on the tower to enter. To jazz it up a little I chose to embroider the chapter art from the chapters set in the tower rather than just the plain triangle. It’s my favorite piece of chapter art, so much so that I have it as a tattoo.

 

 

A Memory of Light, block by Deana Whitney

A Memory of Light, Deana Whitney: I picked late and was rather nervous about having to represent the final book in the series. There are so many moments worthy of depiction; some, to be honest, were beyond my ability to represent in a quilt block. However, the moment Moraine walks into the tent—causing Rand and Egwene to stop fighting—is a pivotal early moment. I remember crying when reading the scene for the first time. I wanted to show the moment from the outside so I could show the trees. I love the Ogier and felt showing the great trees returning to the land honored them as well.

 

 

Fang and Flame, block by Natalie Gheling

 

 

Fang and Flame, Natalie Gheling: The ancient Aes Sedai symbol was fun to create, with its sinuous line separating the white and black halves. Surrounding the symbol each blade represents an ajah color of the White Tower. The math to figure out each blade’s angle was a challenge!

Quilt top assembly, Natalie Gheling: My favorite part of being involved in this project was getting to see the blocks in person as each maker mailed their creation to me. I got to hand embroider six other blocks’ titles, and it was fun to use different fonts and colors based on each block. I had the pleasure of sewing the blocks to one another to assemble the face of the quilt, and I am so blessed that everyone involved trusted me with their hard work.

Note: Natalie put a huge amount of time into finishing up the quilt top. As in, at least two full weeks of her quilt business was donated to this process. The hand stitching is gorgeous, and her piecing is literally perfect. I’m actually devastated that she can’t see the final work in person; she put SO much time into it. -Joy

Hand quilting, binding, Joy Allen: This project was a huge undertaking. I didn’t actually do any work on it until after everyone else had finished. I felt like a cheerleader for about 6 months, encouraging, giving advice, and sending out so many reminders. From pictures, I could tell that many of the contributors had put an amazing amount of skill and labor into this project, and when I finally got to see the top with my own eyes, I was still blown away. Literal tears of amazement came at being able to add to what so many had already given. I have never been part of a quilt making like this, and I feel very blessed and honored to have been able to work on it.

Chapter headings: Mat’s Dice, Rand’s first Fang, Perrin’s Wolf

For the quilting, I did a minimal amount within each block to highlight the best features of each. And in the generous amount of white space Natalie gave me, I added in my own favorite chapter icons from the books. Each main group/character is represented, Aes Sedai and Asha’man, Andor, Cairhein, Aiel, Sea Folk, and more, along with the main icons for the major characters. Trying to get the details right and convey the meanings in a different medium was a huge challenge and, to be honest, I was afraid every day that I would mess the whole thing up and it would be ruined. I think, though, that the entire quilt came together more perfectly than any of us could have imagined. And I had a dozen or more cheerleaders encouraging me every step of the 6 weeks that I worked on the quilt.

Chapter headings: Aiel Spears, The Great Serpent, The Seanchan

The binding in ajah colors really ties the entire quilt together and the quilt reverse (where you can see the stitching the best) might be my favorite part. The binding is machine stitched on the front and hand stitched on the back. The finished look is nice and clean.

If you want to learn some of the hand quilting techniques Joy Allen used on the WoT Quilt, join her workshop at the July 2021 convention on Saturday.

Care instructions for quilt: Machine wash cold, delicate cycle. Line or lay flat to dry.
DO NOT put this in a dryer!!  It will damage some of the special threads and 3D pieces on the quilt.

Article Compiled by Joy Allen and Deana Whitney

Photos: Copyright by Calista Perazzo Photography, 2021

Considering the Study of Dragons: A Book Review

Considering the Study of Dragons: A Book Review

A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent

Written by Marie Brennan

In July JordanCon is hosting Marie Brennan as the author Guest of Honor for 2021.  For those who are not familiar with her work, she’s currently best known as the author of the Memoirs of Lady Trent, a six book series with multiple short stories set in the world.  Brennan has written other novels and over sixty short stories.  Her newest novel, Driftwood, is a collection of short stories set within a frame story that came out in 2020. Her series The Onyx Court was released as audible books just this year. They mash historical events in London with faerie enchantment. Find out more about our next guest of honor by visiting her website.

In anticipation of her visit to JordanCon, I finally moved her books to the top of my “to read/listen” pile.  The good side of waiting so long is that I was able to rush through the whole Lady Trent series in less than two weeks. The downside is that I just meet Isabella, and it seems like her journey is finished for now. I don’t have more from this world to anticipate reading.  As of now.  No telling what might happen in the future with the Camhersts.

Before Brennan visits JordanCon in July, I hope to entice more of our family to become acquainted with her work. Over the next two months, I’ll be reviewing the first three Memoirs of Lady Trent books. Let us begin with A Natural History of Dragons, first published in 2013.

The Todd Lockwood cover showing an anatomical study of a walking dragon sets the tone the story delivers. The covers Lockwood created for the entire series are a feast for the eyes. I knew of the series for years due to the covers always catching my eye. A delightful surprise was the interior illustrations and maps. This is a story that cries for a map to anchor the reader. The maps help reader understand the world and the places of interest.

Anthiope by Rhys Davies @2012

Anthiope by Rhys Davies ©2012

Before discussing the story, I must address the audiobook, which is how I first experienced Lady Trent’s voice. The wonderful Kate Reading does her best impression of the Dowager Countess of Grantham to convey the voice of Lady Trent. Reading’s performances are routinely delightful, but the upper crust edge she gives Isabella makes the character come alive in my mind. The audiobook takes a touch over 10 hours to complete.  With Reading’s voice the story flows smoothly until the book ends, leaving me, at least, going “No, I want more!” Thankfully, more is available in the remaining books of the series.

Let’s consider some non-spoiler matters:

In the vein of most memoirs, the story is told from the point of view of Isabella, Lady Trent, addressing readers as she summarizes the highlights of her life and the major episodes that made her famous. The book doesn’t break the 4th wall, but she does instruct her readers to go find more information in publications available in their world that are not in ours. Book one covers her early life and her first major journey into becoming a dragon naturalist. The preface hints at many more adventures, which readers don’t understand fully until much later in the series. The tone and setting share many similarities with stories set in the English Regency era or a Jane Austen novel. The elder Lady Trent does not spare herself or her society in highlighting how foolish many aspects of her life were in retrospect. This book has action and drama but is not driven by action scenes. It is driven by Isabella’s love of discovery and research. Her passion for the subject is infectious and draws the readers in as all make discoveries together.

If you do not want any spoilers, stop reading this article now. Go pick up a copy of the story in your preferred format and location. Come back once you are done.

A Sparkling. Todd Lockwood @2012

A Sparkling. Todd Lockwood ©2012

Drustanev and envirans. Rhys Davies @2012

Drustanev and environs. Rhys Davies ©2012

Now for a franker, spoiler-filled discussion of details from the book:

The worldbuilding – I commend Brennan’s choices in her worldbuilding. The world is mostly Earth, with the geography rearranged, new names, and of course a whole hierarchy of dragons in the animal kingdom. And dragon-like beings, but we only learn about sparklings and wolf-drakes for now. These changes allow western audiences, at least, to be more focused on the cool factor of the dragons, and less about the “well that’s different” when it comes to the world. Many things are familiar to readers, with some serial numbers filed off and some changes made. Lady Trent comes from Scirland, which is equivalent to England. The bulk of the story takes place in Vystranna, which is roughly similar to Imperial Russia. One of the major differences from many fantasy books is that both cultures follow a faith loosely based on Jewish traditions, though different branches of the faith, which creates some tension. There is classism and sexism in abundance—unconscious and conscious. The characters grow but are often not aware of their bias until their views are shoved into their faces.

One advantage of the memoir style of storytelling is the ability to time skip and for self-reflection.  Brennan uses these strengths to her advantage by allowing Isabella to focus on the narrative of her story. She hints at other matters, but only shows the relevant situations.  Another strength is the way Brennan addresses depression in the story, it feels real. The coping mechanisms Isabella uses are highly relatable to me.

The downside of the memoir style is that many of the other characters feel less than fully developed, which can happen in any storytelling format. Yet beyond Jacob Camherst, few of the other characters come alive as Isabella does in this first installment. Most characters are interesting and have things that set them apart, but I’m not engaged by them in the same way as Isabella.

The story unfolds in four parts, with the first two being the most focused on Isabella’s early life and her interest in dragons, but almost no dragons actually appear. Part one is her childhood adventures and the trouble they cause, along with a Regency-style romance on fast-forward, early married life, and the study of sparklings. Readers meet Jacob Camherst, Thomas Wilker, and Maxwell Oscott, the Earl of Hilford. Each man is important for the narrative of the story, but each in distinctive ways.

Part two begins their expedition to Vystrana to study dragons. Communication difficulties and the lack of a local guide at first hamper the expedition. Readers learn more about Thomas Wilker, Lord Hilford’s assistant. Mr. Wilker is a man born to working-class parents from Niddey who Isabella looks down upon. Conflicts between him and Isabella generate tension in the small party, but they are small background irritation.  It’s hard to study dragons when you can’t find dragons to study. Culture clashes and conflicting priorities set the stage for the last third of the story. In part three, Isabella and the readers are finally able to study a Vystrani rock-wyrm in full detail (added by more interior art by Lockwood). Readers are also introduced to the ancient Draconean civilization, which once dominated the Anthiopen landmass. What seems like a side trip at first, sets off a chain of events that leads to the action-packed conclusion in part four.

While this may be a spoiler review, I don’t want to give away the ending. I’ll just say that tears were shed even while justice was served.

Sincerely,

Deana Whitney

 

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