12th Night costume

Yesterday Gustafs Skål held their 12th Night Masked ball. Thank you all for all the advice and suggestions regarding my costume! I went as a deer, well, perhaps doe and I was really pleased with my costume and got a lot of compliments.



As you can see I wore my green gown. I have gained weight, so I dug up my old stays from Laila Duran, which also solved the stomacher problem. Gorgeous fabric, isn't it? They proved to be a bit big, though, so they chafed a little.

The antler hat started off as a round metal structure with the antlers integrated. Then I covered the antlers with paper clay that I painted gold and the base was covered with the same fur as the gown. I tied it at the back of my neck, and then pinned on the organza veil. I was a bit worried that it would fall off, but it stay put all evening. I did powder my hair, though you can't see much of it.

Unfortunately my camera misbehaved, so after MetalMarianne kindly took these photos, I couldn't use it anymore. Which is a pity, because there was a lot of lovely costumes around!

Sometimes I resemble an ice-cream cone...

12th Night ball

The ball was great fun; I enjoyed every bit of it, apart from those moments in the play where I forgot my lines. I knew I was supposed to say something, but had not idea of what. But evidently no one noticed but us on the scene. And I’m really very pleased with my outfit!




I plain forgot to put the tassels on the bag, but I liked it very much anyway.

It was a masked ball, and there were some rather awesome costumes. I’m very annoyed that I missed Anna, who evidently had been abducted from a seraglio and brought to cold Sweden. I did have a masque, but I removed it when we did the play, and then it never went on again.

Annali took her profession back in time and went as an 18th century shoemaker.

Madeleine as a lovely maid.

The glorious sun, embodied by Carina.

Captain Lejon with his parrot, Polly Sture. The bird had evidently much in common with the one in Monty Python and kept trying to fall off.




Lithia Black in the stairways. We took our coffee there, to the annoyance of those who wanted to use it for its actual purpose. For some odd reasons more people went downstairs than up, and we sat there for some time…



This is a very bad pic, but I wanted to show it anyway, as it’s another version of Gustaf III’s national gown. This version was worn at the castle Ekolsund and as you can see it’s a riding habit, and not a gown.

You can also see that it borrows some elements from the men’s suit:



Looking lovely by the Christmas tree.

Sneak peak on the 12th Night ball-outfit.

On my dress dummy, which make sit look very ill-fitting. It looks much better on me.

The petticoat is sewn in the same way as the skirt on the 1797’s gown. Unpleated in the front, pleated at the sides and a long section cartridgepleated at the small of the back. It has a short train. It’s worn over a small bustle-pad, and the peplum on the jacket helps with holding out the petticoat as well... The sash has boning at the centre back so the point won’t fold down.


It can also be worn with the peplum showing, which I really like as well. I can wear it with the petticoat, or I can wear it with the white 1797’s gown. I like versatile garments.

The end of the sash. The fringe is simply the end of the fabric with the cerise threads removed. It didn’t photograph well- the fabric is much pinker in reality.

I’ve had huge problems with the reticule, which is silly, as it’s such a small project. I found the spangles a real hassle to attach and I’ve managed to sew in the lining wrong twice- and did the same mistake both times! Now it’s mostly done, it just needs three small pom-poms sewn on. I couldn’t take any decent pic with my camera, but will try again on the ball. Here is, at least, a very bad pic of the finished embroidery.

What I didn’t get to was the pleated trim on the petticoat, but I have plenty of fabric left, to do that with.

Tomorrow is the ball, and I look forward to it! I just have to do a few stitches on the reticule and iron and pack my stuff, and rehearse my lines… You see, I’ve been drafted to be in a play for the evening’s entertainment. It’s called Kapten Puff and was written in the late 18th century by Olof Kexél. It’s a short and simple story. A captain called Puff (which means pouf, more or less) talks so much gibberish that he ends up without both promotion and girl. It’s quite funny, actually. My part is very small, about ten lines. I’m a lady who is very good at talking herself, and gets affronted when Puff talks so much that she can’t. But I haven’t acted in 16 years, so I’m a bit nervous. And I’m not much on an actress either. Still, it has been fun rehearsing.

Better pics will come after the ball.