This is the forged iron black cat mask that I made for this year’s Tucson All Souls Procession. I won’t post a photo of me wearing it until after the procession, since I’m still deciding on the rest of my costume. The mask is hot-forged from heavy steel sheet, and has a riveted nose and whisker spots. The “snakeskin” pennants were stitched from an undyed Guatemalan cotton sash, ornamented with mica cutouts, copper spirals, vintage pearl buttons, snake vertebrae, and handmade yarn tassels. This mask is sturdier than the copper masks I’ve made, but not really any heavier. It’s six inches wide.
I also made this embroidered cotton fabric Mountain Lion Mask. It’s quite wearable but for this event it will be pinned to my costume. It has a black cotton backing and is stiffened with thin cotton batting (a single layer for the eye and ear portion, and several layers for the muzzle and nose). The patterned flannel ties, the embroidered stars, and the French knots around the eyes are intended to suggest the Leonid meteor shower that occurs at the end of November.
MINERALARTS: 
3 responses to “Forged Iron Cat Mask”
Exquisite.
Oh I really like this, there is something about fabric and embroidery for me. That is weird about the Leonid meteors, I did a fabric postcard with a little story about Pierrot and a Leonid storm.
Kind of goofy but you might get a kick out of it. Everything must have a story!
http://jjbks.wordpress.com/2009/12/16/my-first-fabric-postcard/
The Leonids are a big deal at my house because Beluga always has a seizure when they peak, and afterwards he frantically wanders around crying around until dawn. Typical meteor shower behavior for him but for some reason the Leonids are the worst.