Aaargh!!!

I just spent the last twenty minutes scrutinizing the HGA entry requirements for the Fashion Show, and realized that I can’t enter my dress for the Convergence Fashion Show after all.  It says all accepted entries are due May 15, 2010.  My wedding’s not until June 12.

Dammit!  I was REALLY looking forward to submitting/seeing my dress in the Convergence Fashion Show.  I guess I’ll just have to settle for showing it at Complex Weavers.  HGA’s loss.

Of course, it will still be eligible for Convergence 2012, since I won’t complete it until next year…all is not entirely lost.  Still, I’m very disappointed – my main goal for this year was to get a piece into a juried exhibit, and HGA’s fashion show was an easy and obvious choice.  But I am NOT going to the wedding without the dress!  LOL at the mere thought.

On the plus side, this does give me much more time to complete the garment in a leisurely manner, instead of rushing to completion.  And it’s better to find out now than after I’ve worked my tail off for several months.  Nonetheless, I am pretty disappointed – I had hoped to show the dress off to a larger audience sometime before 2012.  And if I publish the dress (say, in Complex Weavers Journal) it won’t be eligible for Convergence.  Feh to the whole thing, and to HGA too.

Anyone have suggestions for other juried exhibits that I might enter?  I am considering entering the handwoven yardage for the cashmere coat into the Yardage Exhibit for Convergence, although as it has several large flaws in the weaving I’d have to find one perfect section to enter.  That might qualify for my goal.  But dammitall, I want to exhibit that wedding dress.  I’m sure it will be exquisite, and I’d like to show it off to people.

Any thoughts?