Remember that 18th-c. Does 17th-c. Masquerade Gown that I was so excited about, but then got almost finished making and hated it? When planning for Carnevale 2025, I came upon a way to resurrect it into something more me that I could love — and get multiple uses out of.
The party theme was Cabinet of Curiosities, and I had an idea of covering myself with gothic curiosities. Using the masque gown as a base, I added black lace appliqués on the skirt, beaded bat appliqués on the bodice, and black skull lace along the neckline (all trims from AliExpress). Then I added purple and black crystal beads in the skull lace’s eyes and nose. I made hanging sleeves using a pattern I’d made ages ago, and I trimmed the outer edges of the sleeves with more of the skull lace, which I also beaded.
With this redo, I wore the gown to a Goblin Ball themed party held by friends in fall 2024. I used a black smock under the gown (which provided undersleeves) and added a giant skull rhinestone tiara.
Then I started adding all the “curiosities” to the gown. These were gothy charms I sprinkled all along the bodice edge and openings of the hanging sleeves.
The next project was a chain girdle from which hung small faux books of ancient knowledge. I found a variety of old book covers online and modified them to fit, sometimes recoloring them too. I printed these out and glued them around stacks of corrugated cardboard, which I’d inserted metal eye pins in so the “books” could hang. I made five books but only used four in the end because I also wore a bat chatelaine that I’ve had for a long time yet never used.
The final addition was a portrait necklace filled with even more curiosities. I was inspired by this artwork I saw online:
Instead of people, I used images of oddities that would go in my cabinet of curiosities. I got miniature portrait-style frames to link together and glued in the images I’d found and resized.
For the Carnevale party, I wore a small bat tiara and veil with this gown. On our way to the party, we took some pictures by the grand canal.
And then we had a fabulous time at the party, where three of the Bella Donna Historical Performers sang, and I played emcee between them, several dancers, and an acrobatic troupe, all before a wonderful dinner.
