Back in September, The Footwork and Frolick Society hosted a Wonderland-themed 19th century fancy dress ball. The idea was inspired by the whimsy of Lewis Carroll’s Alice In Wonderland (published in 1865) and Through The Looking Glass (published in 1871).
There were so many fabulous interpretations of Alice In Wonderland! You can get a sense of the fun in the gallery from the event on the Footwork & Frolick website, here.
I chose to re-use an idea I’d executed in 2018 when I turned a 1980s dress into a 1950s dress and style it as The Queen of Hearts. You can read about the dress re-make and original fancy dress styling here, in a past blog post. For this new wearing in 2024 I chose to use The Queen of Hearts theme and accessories again, but with one of my 1860s dresses to suit the mid-19th century goal of the Wonderland Ball!
Genevieve, the name of my apricot ballgown from 1863, seemed to be the most fitting choice for a Queen of Hearts theme. (You can read all about the making of this dress in this Project Journal series of posts.) The two main elements of my fancy dress ensemble were a tiara and a royal order sash. I figured that could easily work again.
We captured a series of photos of The Queen of Hearts elegantly (and somewhat aloofly!) preparing for the ball!
The ball itself took place in the lovely Andover town hall. It has all sort of beautiful details. Look at the ceiling!
And the company was lively! I met charming new acquaintances and reconnected with creative friends. Below are a few of them… and we are joined by a golden lobster! (The lobster wanted to participate in the Lobster Quadrille, but had to step up the bling-factor to be ball appropriate!)
The Quintessential Clothes Pen 