The Peacock Feather Masquerade Mask

Hello and welcome back to my blog.

I am excited to share my latest creation with you as it’s so different to the kind of items I usually make. Last month, my friend Laura commissioned me to make her a glamorous mask to wear to a Christmas Ball. It was such an exciting prospect I just had to say yes, especially when Laura told me what she had in mind.

Laura wanted a mask to go with the beautiful navy number pictured above. She also liked the idea of introducing green and turquoise into the mix to complement her red hair, and like me she has a thing for peacock feathers.

Luckily, I already had some nice fabric scraps that suited the brief in my stash but I still needed to buy a few supplies. First up, the mask base itself, which I bought on eBay for £7.75. Laura wanted a mask on a stick rather than one with a tie and this one ticked all of the boxes. They are still available to buy here.

I also bought a pack of ten peacock feathers on eBay for £2.99. Click here to buy your own.

Now I had my supplies it was time to get crafty. I must admit, I made it up as I went along, playing around with different layouts and embellishments. The hardest part was actually covering the mask in the navy blue needle cord. My plan had been to cut the mask shape out slightly big and then fold over and superglue the excess fabric to the back, clipping the edges where necessary. Unfortunately, the superglue just wouldn’t stick and the mask was way too thick to sew through.

It was incredibly frustrating and I may have uttered one or two expletives. However, my wonderful dad saved the day by suggesting I try contact adhesive. I’d never heard of the amazing substance but it turned out to be the best £1.99 I’ve spent in a long time. It’s great for sticking fabrics together and it worked a treat on the mask. As you can see, I bought mine from Wilkos. The picture also demonstrates the issues I’d been having with sewing, fraying and superglue.

Once the mask was covered, the rest of the project was great fun. I used a mixture of beads, feathers and fabrics, some of which I sewed in place while others were secured with my trusty contact adhesive. I covered the messy back with black felt.

I was so pleased with the finished result and Laura loved it too. She looked amazing at the ball.

Thanks so much for reading my blog.

Lizzie

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