Black Velvet and Chartreuse Gown with Spiderweb Lace

A black ballgown with a flared, full skirt and long sleeves. The skirt is made of black velvet, with triangular cutouts that start near the waist which reveal a underskirt made of swirled green and chartreuse fabric and covered with lace that looks like spiderwebs. There are two flies trapped in the webs. There's a wide V-shaped copper belt at the waist, set with orange, green and yellow jewels. The bodice is made of black velvet and has a feathery pattern near the top. There are more copper accents near the shoulders, and the green sleeves are straight, fall to the wrist, and are overlaid with more spiderweb lace.Click for larger version (PNG); click for PDF version. Click here for the list of dolls.

It’s almost Halloween, the paperdoll-friendly holiday, and I’ve been thinking about what would make a dress scary. The things that scare me don’t generally translate well to dresses, though, since they are too intangible. But there’s a couple of fears that aren’t…

My pride causes me to say I’m not scared of spiders, I just don’t like looking at them. If I put it that way, it’s perfectly reasonable to do things like cover up a picture of a spider when I’m reading a book, or avoid the tarantula exhibit at the zoo.

But it’s never reasonable, really, to wake up my husband at 4 AM when there’s a spider in the bathroom. It’s not reasonable that I have to use paper or my phone to cover up a spider picture in a book, and not my hand. And it’s not really reasonable to move as quickly as I do when there’s one close to me. Before I know it I’m halfway across the room, denying that anything’s wrong at all, I’m just fine, it’s not like I’m scared of such a little spider, because that would be ridiculous. (It’s gone now, right?)

When I was a little kid, I was scared of black holes, and I feel like I’ve gone down in the world since I stopped fearing the random indifference of the universe and picked up such a pathetically obvious, stupid, gendered weakness. I know perfectly well they’re more afraid of me than I am of them. I know they eat lots of annoying bugs and that they’ve only got two more legs than ants (which I don’t mind at all). I know I can kill them perfectly well myself, and I do, if there’s no other option. I put on my heaviest shoes and make a lot of noise, cursing each stupid spider leg and shouting warnings to all the other spiders that they’d better stay well out of my sight, or they’re gonna get it too. I calm myself down by calling up my husband and telling him “I killed a spider!” just like a normal person might say “I got a promotion!” or “I won a new car!” Kind man that he is, he indulges me.

If you were to stalk me over my various online activities, you’d notice I almost never mention this fear, because I’m just paranoid enough to consider how people could use it against me. There’s no real reason to share with the world how to yank this particular chain. But oh well — it’s Halloween, and while I amuse myself with ghosts, vampires and sorceresses, I don’t believe in the supernatural. I’m mostly just frightened of the quirks and instability of the human mind… and spiders.

What do spiders have to do with this gown, do you wonder? Well, there’s the spiderweb lace, and a couple of twitchy, fat flies caught in it. There must be a spider around somewhere, don’t you think? Ah, yes. A gigantic one, four feet long, with spindly long legs and a full set of eyes.

It’s on the petticoat.

Does that make the whole dress different for you? It does for me. I’ve drawn nothing, but all the same it’s still there, just like those spiders that disappear behind furniture while I’m still dithering about looking for my shoes. Now, is it merely embroidered or painted on? Or does it cling to the thin lace on the petticoat, waiting for its host to lure some prey away from the party and into the shadows? Dance with the lady in black and green at the Halloween ball this year, if you like, but I hope you will have the sense to leave that particular mystery well alone.

I’m never going to talk about spiders on this blog again, so let’s have a poll…

11 thoughts on “Black Velvet and Chartreuse Gown with Spiderweb Lace

  1. great dress! i really love it! i hate spiders too; they’re only okay if they’re outside and keep a good ten metre radius from me. im glad to see you’re back for Hallowe’en; youre dresses are the best i can find on any blog, especially Hallowe’en! it really seems like yesterday i was admiring last years outfits, and the robes for the empress of paperdolling, or whatever the name for that lovely costume was. i really love the colours on this one! really great dress!

  2. Trying not to teach my daughter to be afraid of spiders and various bugs, but really, I can’t stand them. Outside, far away from me, fine, but come in my house? Spider, you’re gonna die.

  3. I catch spiders and take them outside if they end up in my house. Well, except that one in the tub last week; it moved while I was trying to catch it and ended up squashed. Poor little guy.

  4. The only time I really go after spiders is if they are on my bed or in my shower. Otherwise, I tend to leave them be, but I’m not a fan of them by any means. I love the green of this dress and the little pattern at the bottom of the black velvet parts. Beautiful work, as always. :)

  5. I do the typical squeal-for-my-husband-and-watch-the-spider-with-hawk-eyes-while-he’s-coming thing… If it moves, I am out of there T_T They move creepy and they watch me!

  6. Such a lovely dress and so many unanswered questions…
    Why did she chose a dress that would,without question attract a spider?
    Does she know the spider is there and just trying to make it through the experience to stay at the ball? When she feels the petticoat shift when she’s standing still does the thought enter her brain that she is not alone?
    Did she really assume that the delicate web work was done by human hand and that there would be no price to pay?
    Have you checked your own petticoat lately?

  7. Thanks, everyone! And thanks? I guess? for all the spider stories ;)

    Mom, I assumed that the wearer was quite complicit in the spider wearing… I really, really don’t like the idea that maybe she didn’t know. That is, I do like it, it’s a great twist to the story too. But I don’t want to think of it! Brrr! Now I’m all creeped out in time for Halloween. :)

  8. Looks like a nightmare queen gown to me or maybe a powerful sorceress (probably evil since she’s catching flies in her web, but maybe not)

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