Last January or February Allyson asked me to buy her some plastic canvas, foam and fur because she wanted to make a fursuit. I had no idea what she was talking about but since she is the artist in the family, I took her to purchase the supplies she needed. She then disappeared in the basement for several works working on her latest creation. I asked her the other day what gave her the idea and she has no clue. She swears she can’t remember how she became interested in it. I am thinking she saw it on YouTube. So she made the head and feet all by herself. The tail and the sleeves she cut out and had me sew them together. I watched how she did the head and after she got the shape together she took masking tape and taped areas and then removed the tape. She then cut the fur pieces to the size and shape of the masking tape and then hot glued the fur to the foam. I know she had Woolzey finished by the talent show at school which was in April or May. (He was her second head, as her first she has now decided to call her prototype and learned that it was way too big and heavy). The secretary at school told me her performance blew them all away and everyone was clapping and got into it. Of course the secretary almost fell out of her chair when I told her she made it herself. So a few months ago Allyson mentioned the furfest con (convention for all of you like me that has no clue about the lingo) and wanted to go. I kind of forgot about it until three weeks ago when Emily mentioned taking her. So a last-minute trip was in order and all I have to say is next year I am asking off work because working Thursday and Friday and then leaving straight for Chicago and getting home late Sunday night and working Monday and Tuesday was no fun. I am a spoiled part-time girl!

Emily and I had no idea what to expect. While driving up there I told her I needed to have my picture taken with a creepy old man for Liz. Liz is one of our newer nurses on Women’s Health and I just love her. She cracks me up and lets me tease the crap out of her without getting mad. She is a year older than Emily and can dish it right back. It’s always a good time when I work with her. So Allyson pipes up from the back seat and says that there are a small portion of people who have sex in their costumes and they are called Yiffers. The fursuit people do not like them because they give the fursuit people a bad rap. No kidding because I can’t tell you how many of Emily’s friends asked if she was going to an orgy. She said sure with my mom, it will be great fun. It kind of reminded me of the small subset of Mormon’s that have multiple wives. Yes, only I could relate these two set of people. After I got back and relayed the message to Liz she knew they were called Yiffers. She told me that her brother told her about them which I bought at the time but now I’m just wondering if Liz is a Yiffer! HAHAHAHAHA. And now I can give her crap about that for the next month!

The next morning we weren’t there twenty minutes when I was completely blown away by the artistry of the costumes. I would say most people do not make their own costumes but pay fursuit makers to make them. This is not cheap as the head alone can go for five hundred dollars and up. It all depends on who it is that makes them. And yes Allyson knew some of them and could tell the costumes they had made. They also had an art show but no picture-taking was allowed. It was mind-blowing. Then they also had booths were people were drawing and doing commission work. Emily has a gal etching a shot glass with midwest furfest on it. It should come in about two weeks. So we wandered around until the parade started. Emily and I got our spot thirty minutes early and it was the perfect spot. The parade route was roped off just like they do at Disney. I am guessing there was at least 1000 people in the parade. It last an hour and a half. Towards the end some chinese tourist started trying to crowd me out of my spot. I really thought I was going to have to throw elbows. Look dude Emily and I were the first one’s here and you aren’t getting my spot! He was getting mad at me for not moving out of his way. I ignored him. I was a little nervous to leave Allyson in the line up for the parade and not see her for two hours but she had Emily’s phone, the selfie stick and ended up making a bunch of friends.

Allyson spotted a booth where they take your photos and then send it off to a 3D printer and your picture ends up a statue. Allyson really wanted it done but I had already spent a fortune on her for Christmas. Emily the devil said who cares let her do it. So I threw caution to the wind and said why not. So they took her pictures and scanned her while she was standing on a platform that rotated 360 degrees. When they were finished they had a sample on the screen which was really cool and they will clean it up and send us the proof in 2 weeks.

As long as we are happy with it, they will send it to the printer and we will receive a 4 inch statue of Woolzey in four weeks. I cannot wait to see the finished project.

That night they had a dance off which was amazing. I cannot imagine dancing full-out in a fur costume. Those people had to be sweating to death. Allyson really enjoyed it. The next day they had a dance competition which was amazing. I am posting links to the winners of the group competition which they were called furternity. Click on the name if you want to watch the video from the competition. The second runner-up in the veteran category was Fenrir/Strobes I thought he should have won but I am no dance expert. His suit was super cool.

So until next year or Allyson’s next costume I’ll try to stop the crazy about this. I have already determined I’m going to learn how to sew the fur together for patterns without it looking like its sewn together. Thank goodness for endless information on the internet!!

Mole Moral~ People often make fun of or question stuff they do not understand or have no experience with. I have never met so many understanding and accepting people than I did this past weekend. It reminded me of how Jesus said we should act. Love God first and then each other. These people exhibited just that even in crazy costumes!