Mystery Lace Mascherade…
Mystery Lace Masquerade….
I actually like masks, I have to say I can’t wear them coz I am wearing glasses and absolutely failing on putting contacts on. With this said, I can show you how I made a mask of course in RPL for the first time! Now the image above is not your usual mask, but I think you know by now, that I never pick your usual designs! Image -Guo Pei Haute Couture Gilded Mask.
The Idea…..
I was asking in a really gorgeous FB group what else I could create in RPL , next to my jewellery and pattern. Now one lady suggested, that I create lace masks, and so I did a lot of research and gave it a long thought. If you would like to check out her amazing Etsy store, check it out HERE. She does gorgeous items! Thank you Karen, you made me think about mask lace idea! I had many questions, that I needed to answer, before even embarking such project. A large project because, masks are different. You put it around your face, so it has to mould easy and stay ok….
So I checked Pinterest. Here you can visit our our boards!
And the cords is on!
Above, you can see the beginning of the mask idea…. Raw, easy and still a virgin….. LOL! I had no particular fillings in mind, no ideas, where it will take me and if it would be larger or smaller. Quickly after the base idea was shaped in my mind, colours and netting were picked. I ended up adding tulips to it.
It was important to me to combine, greens and vibrant colours to make it all come together. And like I said, I wanted to say away from black and classic red or white. Anyways, this is where it went…
A mask is an ancient form of a facial disguise, it was used to frighten enemies and contain identity. In modern day the mask is generally known to be a symbol of the concealment of the ego behind an artificial mask. In ancient Greece the mask was very common, and used for actors on stage. But do you know, where that mask comes from? Actually mask exist from 7000BC and were used in theatre ( Greece) but they became very popular in ancient China and in the 13th century they very introduced in Italy, specific in Venice…. The rest is history and the mask dominated and fascinated Europe since then… The Carnival was born and the Masquerade…. was a new idea… But back to this project…
The Sketch….
Before starting the lace on calico and having enough cord, I always sketch and draw the idea of the mask. This sketch was the start and birth of the mask. Even though I sketch the mask with an adult woman in mind, I wanted the mask to be wearable for my little girl in mind.. I wanted to make it fun and here came the idea of adding flowers and so to add colour – in this case vibrant emerald. She is born in May so emerald is her gemstone. It was falling into place just fine.
I also introduce into the mask, the traditional crochet rings, as seen above. I loved the idea of recreating a web like design….. I will elaborate the sketch into a watercolour print as soon as possible….
The designs in the mask are a mix of netting and fillings. I am also using different type of cords like you see in the image above. A simple cord in the dark / emerald green and a fan cord in the lighter green.
The Illustration…
So, now let me show you how it looks on her…. coz voila it;s ready! And If you are interested in having a mask done in this style or similar, get in touch! Also if you like the illustrations, you can check out the Etsy Store HERE. I am very exited about this piece, not only because it;s the first time I made, it, but also because it made my little one so happy and she felt exited about wearing something so different!
Would you wear this mask?
XO,
Lorena
