The Road to RuffleCon Part II

Well, folks, it looks like I'm going to have a busy and (hopefully) productive next 146 days. What's in one hundred and forty six days, you ask? RuffleCon. And why am I going to be so busy? Yes, that's right! You guessed it! Atelier Sucré has been officially accepted as a designer for RuffleCon 2015's Fashion Show.

Over the next five months, I will be creating 4 to 5 distinct looks for the show. As mentioned in my previous post, my theme will be an 18th Century take on Lolita fashion, and I will be responsible for at least 3 dresses, 3 bonnets or headpieces, probably one ouji coordinate, and a bunch of other accessories/garments. I hope to begin production of these garments immediately, assuming that I have no serious problems in procuring the remainder of the materials that I need. Currently, I do not have the rose silk nor the special scalloped pinking blade that I require for my Mme. de Pompadour dress, and I will also need to find coordinating ribbons and trim to match whatever I find. I also need to get my <insert many curse words here> serger up and running, and get a mat for my rotary cutter. This will be a very big endeavour on my part, so I want to make sure that I'm fully prepared to take it on.

As I work on things I will try to keep you updated with photos of my progress! Thanks for reading!

NYC Adventures

Last week, I found myself perusing the stores of NYC's Garment District with my friend Jessi. We were on a mission looking for silk and trims. Jessi is trying to start making floral headdresses, and was seeking out pretty laces; while I was on a quasi-insane quest to find silks for a line of clothing for a fashion show that I hadn't been formally accepted to yet. In particular, I was looking for either dupuioni, shantung, or taffeta in rose, mustard, navy, and white/ivory stripe. While I found a lovely mustard shantung, and a very nice two toned navy taffeta; rose eluded me (and my budget). I found out from Jessi that the fabric stores prefer cash when you're trying to negotiate with them, so that somewhat limited my purchasing power because I was a little financially unprepared, but in the end, I wound up with some great deals! The best probably came from Hamed Fabrics, where I got 6 yards of a beautiful semi-sheer ivory striped silk for only $10/yd!

Semi sheer striped silk  |  Mustard shantung and navy taffeta

A lot of the shops had fabrics much glitzier (and in some cases, gaudier) than I needed, and looking through the piles was a little like finding a needle in a haystack. There was so much to see that sometimes, I missed things completely, only to have Jessi point it out to my oblivious self. I disappeared into some stacks of fabric more than once to come out empty-handed, but in the end, I came up with some stuff that I'm really happy with. Jessi is an absolute doll, and did most of the haggling for me since I'm really awful at it, so I owe most of my bargain success to her. She also has the patience of a saint, between waiting for me to emerge from the giant fabric piles, and having to deal with some occasionally sleazy sales guys.

My sewing-related haul

As usual, we made the Lolita pilgrimage to BTSSB/Tokyo Rebel, Kinokuniya, and Laduree. I picked up a lovely Innocent World umbrella at Tokyo Rebel, as well as something special at BTSSB. ;) I also got two of my favorite Japanese sewing books, Otome no Sewing vols. 6 & 7, at Kinokuniya, and a small box of macarons at Laduree. 

 

My non-sewing haul (stock photos)

My new parasol is great, and I'm very happy with it. It's nice and compact, and doubles as an umbrella in rainy weather. The macarons, as expected, were delicious! My box consisted of one chocolate, a sea salt caramel, a pistachio, a rose-lychee, a Marie Antoinette tea, a cherry blossom, an orange blossom, and a raspberry! I also got a beautiful little Plaisir Sucre pastry for my husband. He shared some with me when I got back, and it was divine! 

Fooooooood (well, sorta.)

My next update contains some big news, so keep reading, and thanks for stopping by! :)

The Road to RuffleCon

So, if you haven't figured out by now, I'm not much of a blogger. I have trouble remembering to write down my thoughts in a format longer than a Facebook post, but I'd like to try something new for the year ahead. This year, I and my indie brand, Atelier Sucré, have applied to be a designer at the RuffleCon fashion show. If you aren't familiar with RuffleCon, it's the northeast's largest alternative fashion convention, with a heavy focus on Lolita, other J-fahions, Steampunk, and Western Goth.

To qualify for the show, designers must showcase at least 4 looks. I would like to make a line of 18th Century inspired dresses and accessories. If I am accepted to the show, I'll be making 1 Rococo-inspired robe a la anglaise JSK, one chemise a la reine OP, one JSK a la polonaise, a polonaise corset skirt, a bolero, a pierrot jacket, and a redingote jacket between now and October. I may also do a ouji coordinate of breeches and a vest to match one of these. There will also be two bonnets, a canotier, a tricorn, and a bergere for headwear. At least two of these coords are going to be made with silk, and all will be fairly ambitious sewing projects. As I work on my projects, I'd like to document my progress with them here. Since I have approximately 6 months (not including my vacations) to work on these (in addition to looking for full-time work and doing commissions), I've got a mildly ambitious timeline planned.

I am planning to do a mockup of the chemise a la reine by middle April. I have a polyester youryu fabric selected for this that should drape nicely (though a little differently than the silk), and I'm excited to make a copy for myself.

 

By the beginning of May, I'd like to have the majority of my fabric for this project sourced and purchased. Most of what I use will either be pure silk or cotton sateen. I am planning an expedition to the Garment District in New York City with East Coast Pocket Princess' Jessi for an epic fabric hunt sometime at the end of April, and whatever I cannot find there will be purchased locally or online.

 

My first project will be a Mme. de Pompadour inspired Rococo JSK and bolero in rose pink silk with lace engageants, an echelle of ribbons, and scalloped ruffle trim. I'd like this project done by mid June. This will likely take the longest due to the amount of detail work and all the yards of ruffles that I'll have to make. 

My second project will be a fully shirred one piece done in the style of a chemise a la reine. This project will be done entirely in striped white silk and will be paired with a hard-brimmed bonnet. I may create a veil to go with this dress as well, as I ultimately see it being used as a wedding dress. This dress should be the simplest of all of them, and I'd like it to be done by early July at the latest.

My third project will be a JSK a la polonaise (a type of bustle-back dress), with a flounced skirt and perhaps a matching pierrot jacket, like the one in the picture below. I'm not yet sure of the color yet, but it will either be a dusty purple, or French blue. This should be done by mid August.

  

My last project will be a 1790's inspired corset skirt in yellow silk with a redingote, which is a type of jacket that was used for riding. I think I'd really like a tricorn hat with this.  I'd like this project done before I go on vacation in early September.

Any additional time between the end of my vacation and RuffleCon will be dedicated to accessories and remaining millinery work.

I hope you'll stay tuned as I update my blog with WIP shots and other details of my progress.

♡ Kristen