DRAGONMOUNT

It is time for another installation of "Fan Art Friday," and this month's topic is an ambiguous one: Whitecloaks!  Also called the Children of Light, I for one flip-flopped back and for a few times; are they good or bad?  It almost seemed to depend on which individual you were thinking of.     The first bit of artwork I found made me laugh.  I am almost tempted to make little bookmarks out of it and pass them out at the next JordanCon.   New Children of the Light PSA ~ minniearts   This next piece shows my personal favorite Whitecloak: Galad Damodred.  The style this artist used reminds me of a playing card; deal me in!   The Knight ~ ToranekoStudios   I also wanted to show off a work of art done by one of our own members of Dragonmount!  I think this manga style lends a bit of cuteness to the often stern character that is Galad.   Galad Damodred ~ Dawnflower8   Eamon Valda is one Child of the Light that you don't have to bother asking if he is bad or not.  I think this piece really captures the scorn Valda is so well known for.   Soldier of Light ~ ianxfalcon   My last selection for this week is one that I think captures the real emotion I get from most Children of Light in the series: condescension.  They tend to think that they are better than others, and have a real sense of disdain for anyone who is not one of them.  This I think is captured by the quite literal way in which he is turning his nose up.   Child of Light ~ AndreaRule   That's all for this week; stay tuned for next month's "Fan Art Friday!"

Welcome back to another exciting edition of “Fandom Flair.”  As promised last time, I want to show you how to make really cool (though incredibly warm) Pokémon pajama pants.   Materials needed: About a yard to two yards of fabric Elastic Sewing machine A pair of pajama pants that fit well   Step 1: Find comfortable fitting pajamas This project is easy because you don’t need a pattern.  You simply copy a pair of pajama pants you already own.  And if you’d rather they be pajama shorts, all you do is use shorts at the template.  Super simple.   Step 2: Select your fabric As stated already, I found a fantastic Pokémon fleece.     I bought it on sale, probably $6 a yard.  I purchased two yards, just to be on the safe side.    With projects like these, you can customize your outfit as much as you want.  Would you rather Star Wars pajama pants?  Buy a Star Wars print.  Would you rather flannel instead of fleece?  Buy flannel; the pattern works the same on all types of fabrics.  Would you rather have Pokémon print on one leg and Mario Party on the other?  That’s doable, too!   I like to work with fleece because it’s such an easy fabric.  It doesn’t fray, so you don’t need to worry about hemming.  The lazy side of me loved that there’s less work involved.   Step 3: Trace your pattern I’m going to include pictures from another pair of pajama pants I made since they turned out a bit better.  Those were crafted out of flannel, so you can see how any fabric will work fine.   First, take your existing pair of pants (or shorts) and fold them in half.  Lay your fabric on the floor and fold up one side, just long enough for your folded pants to fit.     Trace with a fabric pen, leaving about an inch in all directions for seam allowance.  One thing to note here: make sure you stretch out the waistband.  Typically, pajama pants have elastic along the waistband which makes the top much smaller than you actually need.  Stretch the waist out as far as it can go, then trace.  Otherwise, the top will be too tight on your stomach.   Once it’s traced, cut out the fabric.      When it’s unfolded, it’ll look nothing like pajama pants.     Step 4: Repeat for the other leg On your fabric, lay flat the piece you just cut.  Trace around it—leaving no room for seam allowance.  Cut it out.  Now you have two identical pieces.     Step 5: Sewing the legs Place these two pieces atop each other, right side to right side.      First, you’re going to sew along the curved line.  Do this on both sides.     Next, you need to open up the fabric and fold it so the two seams you just sewed are touching.      Now, you can see how these will eventually become pants.  Sew a straight stitch from the bottom of one leg, up to the middle, and down the other leg.   Step 6: Adding the elastic For the top hem, fold the waist down wide enough to fit your elastic in.  Sew a straight stitch all the way around, leaving an opening about 2-3 inches wide.      Cut your elastic to be about the length of your waist—when stretched—and add a half an inch.  Using a safety pin, thread the elastic through the casing at the top of the pants.  Once the elastic is pulled all the way through, use your sewing machine and stitch the elastic to itself.      Now you can sew the rest of the waist seam.   Step 7: Hemming the legs Now that you can get the pants on you, find out how long you need the legs to be.  If you’re using fleece, you can simply cut with scissors and be done.  Or, trim the legs an inch longer than they need to be, then fold the hem inside that inch and straight stitch it down.  Do this on both legs.     And you’re done!      This project is so easy to do!  Just imagine all the pajama pants you can have!   Please join us next time when I show you how to make an Ajah inspired blanket!  Thanks for reading!

This edition of “Fantasy Review” is dedicated to Dan Wells’ I Am Not a Serial Killer--the first book in the John Cleaver series.  Technically not a fantasy, but it does fall nicely under the paranormal/horror heading, and I'm okay with that. For those of you who listen to the podcast Writing Excuses (which also features Brandon Sanderson, Mary Robinette Kowal, and Howard Tayler) you know that Dan Wells has a great sense of humor.  That's what makes this book such a switch.  While there is a lot of humor mixed into the story, on a whole, it’s very dark, and kind of disturbing.  Warning: slight spoilers might follow.   I Am Not a Serial Killer Dan Wells   Synopsis: John Wayne Cleaver is not your normal high school student.  He suffers from antisocial personality disorder, and has the three main traits shared by 95% of all serial killers: he wets his bed, he is a pyromaniac, and he is cruel to animals.  But knowing he has the makings of a serial killer inside him steers John down a strange path.  He puts rules in place to ensure he doesn’t kill anyone.  He doesn't want to be a serial killer.     When a real serial killer settles in his small town, John has to break a few of his rules in order to ensure the safety of his fellow humans.  Once John starts breaking the rules, it’s hard for him to stop.  He lets out the monster within him, and now there’s no putting it back inside.   Pros: This book was amazing.  It’s pacing kept me hooked continuously; there was never a moment when things slowed down.  The characters were also developed very well.  Though John suffers from antisocial personality disorder--and that makes him look at life, reality, humanity in a different way--he was still believable and real.  The relationship, or lack of one, that he has with his mother is common.  They acted like a typical family.  And the humor, spaced through the dark and bleak scenes, added depth to this story.  Dan Wells’ use of dark humor was incredible in the short story “I.E.Demon,” and that same grim hilarity is here as well.   Cons: As stated, John has a few issues.  This made him very hard to related to as he made decisions throughout the book.  There were times when I couldn’t believe he was doing what he was doing, or that his thinking didn't coincide with my own.  It distanced me from him, which is risky to do with your main character.  However, these also added to the believable aspects of the world and the story.  Even though I couldn’t get inside John’s head and understand his reasoning, I was fine accepting that someone would behave this way.   This story was also very gruesome.  There’s murder and gore, plus John’s mother is a mortician, so there’s extra dead bodies around.  Though the details aren’t terribly graphic, it’s definitely not for the squeamish.     Conclusion: This is an excellent start to the series, does a fantastic job of introducing a flawed main character, and gets things set up the next book.  The plot was enthralling, and the idiosyncrasies that made up John’s personality drew me in.  I can’t wait to read the second book, “Mr. Monster.”   Rating: 4/5   If you’re interested in picking up a copy of I Am Not a Serial Killer, you can get it here at the Dragonmount eBook store.

We have received the most exciting news possible this month.  There will be a Wheel of Time TV series!   Harriet McDougal (Robert Jordan’s widow/editor) has shared that the issues have been resolved and the rights to the Wheel of Time has been sold to a major studio. Please stay tuned to Dragonmount’s Front Page for further information as it comes in.  Tor's Leigh Butler weighs in on the subject with her picks for casting.     JordonCon was held last month and many of our Dragonmount members were able to attend.  Our very own Jason Denzel was in attendance, as were Brandon Sanderson, Harriet McDougal, and the other members of Team Jordan, Maria Simons, and Alan Romanczuk.  The Author Guest of Honor was Catherine Asaro and the Artist Guest of Honor was John Picacio.   After the opening ceremonies--hosted by the 13th Depository's Linda Taglieri--the events included the Thursday evening Director’s Dinner, the JordonCon Art Show, the Writer’s Workshop, the Costume Contest, and spending lots of time meeting friends, making new friends, and engaging in rollicking fun.   Below you will find some pictures of this year’s JordonCon.               Check out more on JordanCon's official Facebook Photo page.  Or, these beauties by Larry Barthel.  You can also look at Mashiara's photos here.   See you next month!!!

Hallia here, taking over Fan Art Friday!  With a fresh start, we will be looking at one of the most important and trying occupations in existence: the Amyrlin Seat.  There have been many women in this role, with varying degrees of success.  Spoiler Alert; look at your own risk if you have not yet read A Memory of Light.   For our very first piece of art, we have nail art done in the fashion of what the Amyrlin represents: to be of all Ajahs and none.   Wheel of Time Nail Art - The Stole of the Amyrlin Seat and the Flame of Tar Valon ~ The Nailinator   There were several notable Amyrlins from the series that we as readers became familiar with.  The first being Siuan Sanche.   Flame of Tar Valon ~ fee-absinthe   I found this picture to be very interesting because of the medium used.  The small bits of color really are striking meshed in with the scroll-like background!     And after Siuan, there was everyone's ~ahem~ favorite: Elaida.   Elaida Sedai ~ SicilianValkyrie   I find the look on Elaida's face in this piece to be so well done; it captures all the animosity she exuded in the books.     Vying for power against Elaida was my own personal favorite character, Egwene.  I found her to be a great leader and very wise for her age.  Of all the art from this week, this is my favorite.  I find her here just how I picture in my own mind.   Flame of Tar Valon - Egwene Al'vere ~ endave   The final piece is one of Cadsuane.  She is the last known Amyrlin Seat, and is certainly experienced enough for the job.  I think this is shown particularly well in this piece, with her serene face not falling in the chaos around her.   Cadsuane ~ Jieroque   That's all for this week. Stay tuned for next month's edition of Fan Art Friday!

Welcome back to another edition of “Fandom Flair.”  This week, I want to highlight a very easy way to show off your favorite fandom on your shoes.  All you need is fabric! I found this cotton fabric at Joann Fabrics last year. I’ve been a huge lover of Keroppi ever since I was little.  I didn’t have any sort of project in mind, I only knew I needed to own this fabric!   Then I saw a tutorial for covering shoes in fabrics.  It was the perfect way to put my Keroppi fabric to good use.   List of materials: 1/4 yard of fabric Mod Podge glue (or equivalent) Scissors X-Acto knife (optional) Shoes   Step 1: Select fabric You all might not be as big a Sanrio fan as I am, so you might not see the appeal of Keroppi shoes.  But, never fear!  There are so many fandom fabrics available!  If you’re comfortable shopping for fabrics online (which can be tricky since you can’t guarantee colors), try Fabric.com.  You can also do places like Joann or Hobby Lobby, online or in person.  Just a search of online fabrics pulls up everything from Harry Potter, to Star Wars, to Nintendo, and beyond!  You can find a lot of fabrics to fit your fandom needs!   Step 2: Select shoes I used canvas shoes, since I had an old pair with a hole.  I’ve heard that canvas works best; the glue will stick better to this material.  However, I also fastened a lacy fabric to leather shoes, and it worked fine (pictures of this are mixed in below because I had better pictures)!  I suggest using an old pair that you don’t mind if it gets ruined. Step 3: Construct and glue Cut a rectangle out of your fabric that is long and wide enough to fit on your shoe. Next, cut a slit in the center of one of the shorter sides, making sure the slit is long enough to cover the sides of your shoe.   Starting at the toe, use Mod Podge to adhere the fabric to the shoe.  Do just a little bit at a time, no more than an inch in either direction.  It works best if you let it dry for 10-15 minutes (or longer).  But, if you’re impatient, it’s possible to do it all at once—it’s just stickier and messier.  Next, use the Mod Podge to glue down one side of the fabric.  Pay attention and make sure that the strip of fabric on the side touches the rubber sole.  Work your way to the back, leaving the top part of the fabric sticking out over the top of the shoe; we’ll fix that later. At the back, trim your fabric so it’s a little longer than halfway.  Glue it down.  Let it dry. Next, tackle the other side of the shoe, repeating the same steps.  Except, when you get to the back, trim the fabric a little longer and fold under the end seam.  This will create a thick divider between the two sides, similar to how the back of a shoe normally looks. Once they’re all dry, you can start trimming the bottom.  This is where the X-Acto knife comes in handy.  Use it to slice the fabric right at the seam of the sole.  In some shoes, there’s a tiny gap between the sole and the shoe’s material; you can use a pointed object to shove the sliced seam into this gap. If you don’t have an X-Acto knife (and I don’t have one), just use a pair of good, sharp scissors to cut the fabric as close to the sole as possible.  Cut this way completely around the shoe. Next, trim the top half of the fabric down to about an inch above the shoe’s top.  Start where the shoe’s tongue would be.  Cut a slit in the fabric at the corners, allowing you to fold the fabric under the tongue.  If the shoe’s tongue is very curved, you can cut notches into the fabric for easier gluing.  It’s a bit tricky to get the glue on the bottom part of the tongue.  I deposited some glue onto my finger and applied it that way.  Makes a mess, but it got the job done!    I’d suggest waiting for the tongue portion to dry before moving onto the sides. Next, glue the sides down inside the shoe.  Again, I used my finger to apply the glue, as it was a better way to get in at that angle.  Work from the front to the back, and you can let it dry in portions for easier handling.  After your shoe is completely covered—and completely dry—you can add a top layer of Mod Podge to really seal them good.  This makes them look shiny and pretty, but it also hardens the fabric, making the shoes very, very stiff.  This worked fine for my Keroppi shoes—except getting my foot in is a bit of a hassle.  If you left off the top layer, you could simply add a little bit of extra glue around the sole to ensure the fabric won’t come undone.  This would keep the fabric a lot looser and give you a bit more comfort when wearing the shoes.  That's what I did to the lacy pair; they have no rigidity from the glue at all. Next, repeat everything on the other shoe! Now you have two beautiful fandom shoes, ready to wear and be admired! (Or in this case, be worn to a wedding....)  Next week we'll stick with the fabric theme and look at how to make amazingly comfortable Pokemon pajamas!  Thanks for reading!

Harriet McDougal teased us all at the tail end of JordanCon with an announcement about an upcoming announcement. We know now, thanks to Team Jordan's Google+ Page, that the rights for a The Wheel of Time feature/television show have been resolved and they are currently in the works with a major studio. Here is the quote from Harriet: That's all the information we have at the moment. We will update as soon as we learn more. Until then, let's all bask in the joy of knowing that our beloved series will still continue. It's not the beginning, but it's a beginning.

It's time for the April Forum Roundup.   The Dragon Reborn Role Play has been revamped and it's now easier to navigate and engage in current threads!  It’s open to any who want to roleplay within The Wheel of Time world!   The General Wheel of Time Discussion continues and features Verin, the Forsaken, the Choden Kal, Bors, and others.  The Wheel of Time is so detailed and has such depth to its world and characters there will always be something to ponder.   DM Mafia has multiple games in progress for those that enjoy a mystery.  Each game is labeled by skill, so you know what to expect before signing up.   The Aiel Social Group has been busy with their Humor Week and can boast six ongoing topics.   Shayol Ghul featured "Flatter the Nae'Blis" this month and some interesting games, one that includes an "Executioner!"   The Wolfkin were still busy with "Chili Dunking" and held a serious discussion on "After Death," as well as a new game, "Email Game - Seers."   The White Tower and Warders Social Group featured events held by the Green Ajah and the Warders on the Tar Valon Board.  M'Lady La Fluer has been sharing her beautiful Wheel of Time collages.   Dragonmount members have also been busy traveling and enjoying JordanCon!  Stay tuned for a recap of the Con and a photo gallery of all the happenings!

Each year, the DeepSouthCon gives away three distinct awards to fans and professionals.  They are known as the Phoenix, the Rebel, and the Rubble.  Here's this year's winners:     In addition to this, awards have been incorporated into JordanCon.  These are the first ever to be given out to JordanCon professionals, fans, and volunteers.  Here are the winners:     One last announcement from the convention:  

Welcome back to another edition of “Fandom Flair.”  As promised, we’ll discuss the ins and outs of the Aes Sedai shawl, one of the most important pieces of clothing in the series.    One of the first things I did upon reading the books of The Wheel of Time was try to recreate as many Aes Sedai type accessories as possible.  I sculpted Great Serpent rings out of clay.   I bought a cheap turtle broach because it reminded me of the angreal that was found in Ebou Dar.  I fell in love with paisley designs due to its similarity to the Flame of Tar Valon.   It wasn’t until recently that I actually set out to sew myself an Aes Sedai shawl.  The fringe was the intimidating part.  Anyone could cut out a triangle, but having that beautiful, long, flowing fringe… that was the only thing holding me at bay.  Lucky for me, my sister beat me to the punch.  For Christmas in 2012 my sister crafted us Aes Sedai shawls.  They were simply done, plain fabrics, and added fringe.  For her own shawl, she sewed a Flame of Tar Valon onto the middle; for mine, she drew in on with a black permanent marker.  For a first ever attempt, they were amazing!   At JordanCon 7, I retired my old shawl and had it signed by Team Jordan.  Now it’s hanging on my wall along with all my Wheel of Time artwork.   Now, before we go any further, let’s establish what exactly an Aes Sedai shawl is.  To do this, I turned to Wheel of Time expert, and esteemed member of Team Jordan: Maria Simons.  She told me that, “According to Jim [Robert Jordan], the only mandatory elements of the Aes Sedai shawl were the White Flame and the fringe of a color to match one's Ajah. Other than that, there could be great variation in size, the length of the fringe, and the fabric of the shawl itself. Many times (perhaps even most of the time; I'm not entirely sure), the shawl was embroidered with vines and leaves; the choice of vines and leaves was left up to the Aes Sedai. The actual color could vary as well; a Blue's shawl could be fringed in any shade of blue.” In terms of style, that leaves this project wide open!  You can literally choose any fabric you want, and as long as the fringe is your Ajah’s color, you’re good to go!   Step 1: Materials   Here’s a quick list of materials you’ll need to complete this project: About 2 yards of main material About 2 yards of a liner/backing material About 3 yards of fringe White fabric scraps for the Flame Sewing machine Thread Pins Fray Check (Optional)   As previously stated, you can pick any fabric you want.  Silk, satin, gauze, jacquard, cotton, etc.  In most cases, crafted shawls are typically done in fancy, shiny fabrics.  Satin is a good choice because it’s very beautiful (though tricky to sew with).  Jacquard was my first choice because how thick it is, and the shiny quality (but it’s usually expensive).  Cotton is also a great fabric because of the ease of use, and how well it could be embroidered with vines and leaves if the desire arose. In the end, I picked an outdoor upholstery fabric.      It was the perfect combination of thick, durable, and decorative!  It has a sort of leafy pattern which fits very well into the Aes Sedai theme.  While making a shawl for myself (in my Ajah color of White), I also picked up extra fabric for all the other colors as well.  The Yellow and Green I gave to friends.  The Blue and Gray are finished and hanging up in my closet.  The Red and Brown still need to be completed.   Now a word on lining/backing fabric.  This step is technically optional.  Since most people will never see the back, if it's not nice and neat, that's not a problem.  But there are some advantages to having a backing fabric.  If you use a cotton, or a non-slip fabric, the shawl will sit nicer on your shoulders.  I stupidly used a white satin-type fabric for my backing and it constantly needs to be held in place.   Lastly, you’ll need fringe.  I found mine at a fabric warehouse.  It’s about 4-5 inches long.  Personally, I like longer fringe, but it’s very difficult to find in-store.  Your best bet is buying online, but then you risk the colors not being what you expect.  A great place for online fringe is Crazy Crow Trading Post.   Almost everyone at JordanCon recommend buying fringe there.   Step 2: Triangles Seriously, this project is very, very simple.  It consists of sewing three straight lines to form a triangle.  That’s basically it.  Sure, there is the added difficulty of the Flame on the back, but if sewing those curves is what’s stopping you, there are other ways to get the Flame secured.   Start by measuring your wingspan—that is, your right palm across your shoulders to your left palm.  You want the width of your shawl to be AT LEAST this long.   Next, measure the length from the base of your neck to the middle of your calf.  This is the rough estimate of the length of your shawl.  Of course, this is all based on the personal preference of the Aes Sedai, so if you want a shorter shawl, make it shorter; want it touching the ground, that’s where you measure to.   For my shawl, my wingspan was 60 inches.  My length was 38 inches.  The fabric I bought just happened to be 60 inches across, so all I had to do was measure 38 inches and cut my rectangle.     Next, you want to find the center of your rectangle on the longest side.  This center spot will be the point of the shawl.  Mark it, and then trace a line from that point to the top right corner.  Repeat the line from the point to the top left corner.       Cut along the lines and you have your basic shawl already done!  If you want to use a backing fabric, you can repeat these directions and make another triangle, or you can trace your shawl on top of it and cut it out that way.   At this point, you have the option of using Fray Check on your fabrics.  Fray Check—or something similar—is used to keep the material from fraying after it’s been cut.  Some fabrics don’t fray, like knits, spandex, fleece, and velvet.  If your fabric does fray, applying Fray Check makes the seam so much nicer!   Step 3: The Flame   Adding on the Flame is an essential step to any Aes Sedai shawl.  It is what makes it an Aes Sedai shawl.  You also have a few choices about how big you want it to be, what fabric you want to use, do you want it fancy or plain....  This is a great way to customize your shawl and make it your own.   Since I had scraps of my beautiful, white material, I used it as the Flame for the Green Ajah shawl I made.  This turned out really cool, because I was able to line it up, and keep the pattern continuous.  For my shawl, since it was already white, I needed a material that would stand out enough.  I used the same white satin I used as my backing.   First, you need to cut out the pattern.  I just printed one from online.  This way, you have perfect lines, and you can blow it up or shrink it down to the size you want.   Cut it out, and trace it on your fabric.  For the Green Ajah shawl this was a bit more complex because I had to get it lined up properly:   I also applied Fray Check to the Flame.   Pin it on.   And sew! I started at the point because that was the trickiest part.  But you're welcome to do it the way that's more comfortable for you.   And here we have it:     Now, an alternative to sewing would be using a fabric adhesive.  You can get fabric adhesive that is double sided—I used Pellon Peltex Two-Sided Fusible fabric adhesive.  This is basically a glue that melts with the heat of an iron and binds the two fabrics together.  I’ve used this method successfully on quite a few projects.  If you cut out a layer of adhesive that is the same shape as your Flame, you can glue it to your shawl in as little as five minutes.  Super simple! Step 4: Sewing the pieces together   Here’s where it all starts to come together.  Think of your shawl as a sandwich.  You have the top and bottom buns (the shawl face and the backing) and you have the yummy toppings (the fringe).  That means, you need to sew with each item in the proper order to get it looking right.   FIRST place your shawl face (the one with the Flame sewn on) face down on the floor.   NEXT put your fringe on top, layering it so it completely covers both sides and the point at the bottom.   THEN put your backing fabric face up.  Think Grilled Cheese: you want the top and bottom to both have the yummy browned buttered side showing.  So you want the right side of your shawl and the right side of your backing fabric to be facing out.   Pin this all together.     Sew only the angled sides with fringe.  Start at the point and sew a straight line to the top left corner.  End your seam.  Start at the point again and sew a straight line to the top right corner.  End your seam.  Sew a line straight across the top to completely close in the shawl.  End your seam.  Trim off any excess fabric at the top and apply a coat of Fray Check if necessary.   Another method would be to tuck the top of the shawl under a half an inch or so and sew it close.  This is the way I did it, but it was more difficult.  It caused bunching at the corners, which is not very pretty.   Step 5: Finishing touches   Now all you have to do is pull off the fringe safety string and cut off any stray strands that are too long!       Wear your shawl with pride!  Not only are you filled with the sense of accomplishment, but also with saidar.             Next time, we’ll switch gears a bit and show how to make fandom shoes.  Thanks for reading!