Three Prints that I Would Love to See

This week's Lolita Blog Carnival topic is "3 Prints I'd Love to See"! While I'm not officially a member yet, I'd like to follow along for a few weeks to get me back into the habit of posting regularly. The prompts that they give tend to be really excellent, and I like the challenge of making a good reply. :)

Onward!

Print 1: Toile/China Hedgehogs
Yes, crazy person that I am, I want hedgehogs. I think hedgehogs are just the cutest little things, and I think that a print along the lines of Innocent World's Delft Lotta would be the perfect way to make prickly hedgies a little more Lolita. I really like the way that IW does animal illustrations, so I'd want it to be more in their general illustration style. I think a border print featuring a twee little hedgehog with a ribbon around its neck sitting on a patch of grass with little flowers and a pastoral scene in the background would be super cute. Some days I really wish my illustration skills were more up to par just so that I could make it come to life!

Print 2: Bread
I'm not the Bread-chan Anon from BTB, but I would like to see a good bread print out there. Juliette et Justine's most recent attempt at a bread print is not to my liking, especially because well, I find it a little disturbing to have the image of a small boy with the words "yeast foam" right over my crotch. ;) In my version of a bread print, we have a border with a lovely wicker basket filled with baguettes, and croissants and rolls on the ground around it. The rest of the fabric would be striped, and I really like a cream x chocolate color scheme for this.

Print 3: All-over Raspberry Print
What, you really expected me not to post a berry print idea? :P I honestly think that raspberries and blackberries are under-used in Lolita fashion. There are very few prints out there featuring raspberries or blackberries, and most of them are by indie brands. It would really tickle my fancy for a major brand like BABY or Innocent World to release a pretty print with raspberries, vines, flowers, and bows. BABY released the Strawberry and Cherry Print (at right) in 2010, and I'd really like to see raspberries treated in a similar fashion. I know that raspberries aren't as iconic or welcoming as cherries and strawberries, but they are still visually very interesting , and I think that they are deserving of a lot more use than they currently get.

Mini Update!

I haven't had the time to update this blog in several months, and even though I've had plenty of great ideas swirling around in my head, I haven't had the energy or the time to make a solid post. My health has been in decline since the spring, with lots of new, subtle, and unpleasant symptoms bogging me down. I was really depressed for a while, and my anxiety and OCD were driving me crazy (hahah). I also began to notice that I was tired all the time, and that I was beginning to have a lot of problems with memory, concentration, and speech. As it turns out, those new symptoms were actually really scary side effects from a medication that I'd been on for the past 2 years. My medication created such a disturbance in my sleep patterns, that over the long term, I was actually beginning to experience various forms of cognitive impairment. (<_<);; I've fired the doctor who put me on that crap, found a new one, and am actively working to get transitioned off of that medication. It has been a rough road, as anyone who has experienced Antidepressant/SSRI Withdrawal Syndrome can attest, but I'm starting to feel optimistic about the coming weeks. I am out of work right now, and taking some much-needed time for myself, so expect a lot of updates in the coming weeks.

Here are some of the topics I'll be discussing soon:

• Lolita Sewing Project Updates - Burgundy Corset Skirt, Headbow, Matching Bolero
• Making a Matching Headbow Out of Waist Ties
• Bodyline's Best Bets - Pieces Sure to Satisfy Even the Most Picky People

I also hope to join the Lolita Blog Carnival, and over the next two weeks or so, I'd like to debut my own webshop for handmade Lolita accessories and jewelry! I've toyed around with different branding ideas and names in the past, but I think I finally have something that I'm happy with, and I'm really excited to get started. I will also be remodeling my crappy sewing room over the next month or two and turning it into a proper Lolita sewing room with white furniture, curtains, and decor. :) I'm going to post lots of pictures when I finish!

5 Things Every Beginner Lolita Seamstress Should Own

Hi everyone, it's been a few weeks since I last posted, so I thought this would be a nice little writing exercise. First though, an update on my sewing escapades! My sewing machine has been home from the shop for a week or so now (it had a burr somewhere), and it's been getting plenty of use. I'm knee deep in the middle of a burgundy and black 3-tiered corset skirt with a Swiss dot tulle 6-tiered back bustle, and I've been getting started on different projects for the RI Lolita swap meet on the 30th. I hope to have 4-5 pairs of cotton and lace bloomers done for sale, as well as a special bolero and headband set that I plan on selling with my AP Fruity Cafe JSK. In short, I'm going to be very, very busy between now and the 30th!

On with the post!

5 Things Every Beginner Lolita Seamstress Should Own

I'm just gonna go ahead and preface this by saying that these are things that I find personally indispensable. Other seamstresses may get along fine without one or two of them, but in general I find that these are excellent things to own. 

1. A Tuned-up, Fully Functional Sewing Machine

 Having a functioning sewing machine may seem like a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised how long a novice sewer can go with a poorly-running machine. I did, for almost a year, and let me tell you how I wish I'd just had my machine serviced to begin with! If you've just bought a brand-new, off-the-shelf machine, chances are good that it'll run just fine. Well, maybe (see my post on buying sewing machines). On the other hand, if you've inherited a sewing machine from a relative, or bought one second-hand from a rummage sale or Craigslist, do yourself a favor and take it to your local Sew & Vac place to have it tuned up. All sewing machines, like cars, need regular maintenance. If your sewing machine has been handled roughly, sat for a long time, used heavily prior over a long period of time, or is just plain old, it probably needs to be serviced. Sewing machines can develop a bevy of issues over time, all of which can seriously impact your ability to sew. Even under normal use, problems such as burrs and timing issues can occur. If your machine is giving you lots of problems, and you can hardly spend an hour without becoming frustrated over its behavior, then you should probably have it looked at. It's also worth mentioning that all sewing machine owners should try in earnest to familiarize themselves with their sewing machine manual, and should learn how to properly thread and operate their particular machine before embarking on any big project. If you bought a vintage or used machine that no longer has its original manual, don't panic; many sewing machine manuals can be found online for less than $15. 

2. A Sewing Machine with Zig-zag Stitch or Overlock Serger

This number can (and should) totally overlap with #1 on my list. The purpose of owning a sewing machine with zig-zag stitch capabilities is so that you can finish raw edges, and work with knit fabrics (like what cutsews are made of). If you look at almost any piece of brand clothing, you'll notice that the edges of the seams have been neatly cast over with thread. This is called an overlock stitch, and it prevents the fabric cased within from fraying. Finishing fabric edges in this manner not only gives your garment a neat, professional look, but also goes a long way to prevent your work from unravelling over time. To get a true overlock stich, you will generally need to purchase an overlock serger. Sergers are specialized sewing machines that function solely to finish raw edges and sew knit garments. Most sergers can cut as they sew, and will have spaces for 3 or 4 spools of thread, which are used simultaneously. Sergers are usually a little pricey, and unfortunately can't totally replace your regular sewing machine. Have no fear, though, because there is an alternative! Most sewing machines out there these days will have a zig-zag stitch, and some even have a functional overlock stich. Using a regular sewing machine, you can achieve a similar finished edge simply by setting your stitch length to a low setting, and your stitch width to the highest setting. If you are in the market to purchase a sewing machine, specifically a vintage model, make sure the machine you purchase has a zig-zag stich. A simple straight-stich machine won't have those capabilities, and you'll be stuck with a machine that can only do one thing: sew a straight stich. :P

3.  A Dress Form

My dress form has been one of the most useful tools in my sewing stash, and I can't imagine doing projects without it. If you only ever sew skirts, then you may be able to get away without owing a dress form, but I've found that JSKs and OPs go much easier when I can pop them on my dress form. The advantage to owning a dress form is that you can place the garment directly on it to check it for fit and to check how it drapes instead of having to try it on every single time you want to change something. A dress form makes it easy to pinn stuff on to see how it looks, and can generally serve as an excellent reference point for how a garment should fit you. Many commercially available dress forms these days are adjustable, and will allow you to set the bust, waist, and hip measurements so that they match or are close to your own. When choosing a dress form, you want to make sure that it is the right size, and is close to your own measurements. Decorative, non-adjustable dress forms from places like Home Goods are great to display clothing on, but generally aren't too good for sewing purposes unless their measurements are the same as your own. If you're balking at the notion of spending $80-$200 on what's essentially a mannequin, don't fret because you can easily and cheaply make your own out of a large roll of duct tape and an old, oversized t-shirt. Yes, duct tape. You can make a duct tape dress form for under $20, in about an hour, with some help from a friend. Unless you change sizes drastically, your duct tape dress form will be an exact copy of your body measurements, and should suit all your sewing purposes. After you've made and stuffed your dress form, you can always lolify it by decoupaging pretty wrapping paper or fabric over the whole thing. P.S., don't do a duct tape dress form when you're bloated. I did mine once during "That Time," and it has a waistline measurement that's a full inch bigger than my usual size! D:

4. A Gathering Foot / Ruffler Attachment

I ~Love~ my ruffler. Well, maybe that's a little exaggeration, but I am especially fond of it. Why? Because it generally saves me a lot of time and frustration, and makes my work look a lot more professional. For about $15, you can go on Ebay and purchase a universal ruffler foot. Once you get it, it may take you a little time to learn how to use it, but once you've got the hang of it, you'll be so glad you bought it! Instead of spending hours trying to gather a skirt waist by hand, I can put it through my ruffler in a few minutes, and have a beautiful, even ruffle throughout. Ruffler foots also make small pleats as well as ruffles, and are infinitely useful in Lolita sewing. 

5. A Good pair of Sewing Shears

Leave that pair of 3M all-purpose scissors aside for cutting patterns. For fabric, you'll want something a little more suitable. Unless you have a very sharp pair of regular scissors, chances are good that you've probably experienced some difficulty cutting fabric. I used to get frustrated trying to cut even basic quilting cotton with the scissors that I had lying around the house. Those scissors were always too dull and tended to do my fabric more harm than good. I got used to trying to find a "sweet spot" with the scissors, because cutting at the wrong part of the blade would sometimes snag and ruin my fabric. When my mom saw my troubles and had me try out her sewing shears, I was instantly converted. Sewing shears are super sharp, and cut through fabric like a hot knife cuts through butter. Most sewing shears even have a bent handle, which facilitates cutting fabric on a flat surface. I can't imagine going back to regular scissors, and I recommend sewing shears to all of my sewing friends. A nice pair of shears will run you between $25 and $50, but I've found that they're really worth the investment. If your blades ever get dull, (which when used properly, they rarely do) you can often take them to local sewing stores to have them sharpened. One caveat to sewing shears: don't use them to cut paper. You might be tempted to use them to cut your patterns out, but don't. Paper, even fine tissue paper, really dulls blades, and can quickly ruin a good pair of shears.

Woo! New Layout!

I know pretty much no one reads this thing (yet), but for anyone who does *coughMadelinecough,* I decided to change the layout! I got really sick of the pixel art x Imai Kira art that I had before - it was just too busy, and didn't really reflect me or my personal aesthetics anymore - so, I took it down and made a new one. This new layout takes the background from my Tumblr, which I'm in love with, and a lovely new header image that I made myself with a collage of vintage clip art from the fabulous Graphics Fairy. I wanted the new header to reflect all of my different Lolita and Quaintrelle interests; basically tea, flowers, bows, fruit prints, bird watching, sewing, and vintage things. The color scheme is all pale blues, duty roses, olive greens, and golds... all colors that I enjoy, and colors that remind me of Versailles and Classic Lolita. I know my layout probably doesn't scream "LOLITA" the way other blogs do with a ton of pastels and kawaii motifs, but this blog is more than just a Lolita blog, and I really want it to represent me.
I have to give a lot of credit to Caro-chan and her blog, F Yeah Lolita!, because her old layout is really what gave me the idea to make a vintage clipart collage. Yeah, at one point, I kinda went "DUDE! I wanna make my website look like that!!," but in my own design, I was going a lot more for the general kitschy, vintagey look that incorporated vintage clip art elements, as opposed to a carbon copy of it (which would just be wrong). Our individual layouts have ended up being fairly different in terms of size, color scheme, content and arrangement, but I still owe her thanks for the inspiration.

Sewing Update!

So, it looks like my mad rush of sewing over the past three weeks killed my darling machine. Every time I try to sew, the threads are looping and nesting, and every stitch looks like a miniature disaster. Nothing stays together, and she's basically unusable right now. It looks like it could be a simple bobbin tension issue, but I'm afraid that it could be something much worse. I am definitely going to have to take her in to the Sew & Vac Shack to have her looked at. This all comes on the tail end of a ton of sewing, and I need to take her for service soon, because I have a whole bunch more projects that are suspended without her. 

As I mentioned, this has been a busy, busy month for me and my sewing machine. What I've managed to accomplish over the past month is often more than I do in several months. My first project was altering a vintage 70's cream-colored cotton paisley Gunne Sax dress for use as a Lolita dress. The dress features leg o' mutton zip sleeves, a gathered empire-waist bodice and a tiered skirt, all done in this delicate sheer paisley cotton with Cluny lace accents. I picked up this beauty at my local goth shop, Bedlam after fawning over it for months. Originally, the dress was floor length, like most Gunne Sax dresses of that era, and had a slim A-line lining at the skirt. While I was considering leaving the dress as is for Aristo, I decided I liked the dress much more for Classic Lolita, so I had to shorten it and alter the lining. To accomplish this, I carefully removed the middle tier of the skirt, and reattached the bottom tier to the top. This brought the skirt length to 60 cm, or about 24 inches. The skirt itself was quite voluminous, and had plenty of room for poof, but the lining was a bit too restrictive to fit a good petticoat underneath. To remedy this "problem," I gently removed the skirt lining, and sewed a new one in. My new lining is a gathered, two-tiered attached lining that uses around 2.25 yards of fabric, and has a very full hem circumference - just under 4 yards. Needless to say, it can accommodate a pretty massive petticoat now. >:) I also found a small cluny lace bow from F21 in my hair accessory stash that I thought went perfectly with the dress, so I ended up attaching it to the bodice to add a little extra Lolita flair.

 L: Detail of bodice & fabric; R: Full Dress shot  - Photos courtesy of : Madeline Hatter of The Bloody Tea Party 

I wore my "new" dress on two occasions this month: first to a small RI Lolita meetup at Blithewold Mansion and Arboretum in Bristol (more on that here), and second to Anime Boston. For Anime Boston, I used the leftover fabric from that removed middle tier to make a matching bonnet. The bonnet was my last project before the machine broke. Actually, to be more accurate, the machine broke in the middle of my bonnet, so I've had to hand sew quite a bit of it. I finished the bonnet in a couple hours the night before the con, so I think that I am going to get some more trim from RYCO, and add a couple more details, like matching cream roses, some lace, maybe pearls, and perhaps a big bow on one side of it. My friend Harmony was gracious enough to take a picture of my AB outfit, showing the bonnet in it's full glory. 

Photo courtesy of: Harmony Cloud

My final mad sewing project, which while not Lolita, represents the largest of my efforts this month, and is certainly worth the mention. Over 5 days, taking a grand total of 24 hours of work, I finished an Eternal Sailor Neptune cosplay costume for my dear friend Michiru. My poor Michiru was left in the lurch a week about a week and a half before AB when the young woman she commissioned her outfit from in January told her that it wasn't going to be finished in time, and that she wasn't going to offer any kind of refund. Michiru was really heartbroken, because she was getting married the next week, and AB was going to be her honeymoon. I was super pissed off about the whole thing, so I offered to finish the costume for her in my spare time. The original seamstress priority shipped the raw materials and anything she'd finished back to us on Wed or Thurs, a week before the wedding. We got the box in the mail on Saturday, assessed the contents (two bows and a skirt), and I made a run to Joann's to pick up some remaining materials and thread. I downloaded, cut, and altered the pattern for the fuku bodice on Sunday, and had everything cut out by the end on the night. On Monday after work, I got the separate bodice pieces + lining sewn together, and ripped out the original hemline on the skirt ( one side of the skirt was 15" long, the other side was 19", FML). On Tuesday, my day off, I finished the bodice and the panties, fixed the hemline (yay heat n' bond hem tape to save my ass!), attached the skirt (which, as it turned out, the seamstress made to the wrong measurement), and took everything to Michiru for a fitting. After the fitting, I drafted the sleeves and collapsed in a heap around midnight. On Wednesday, after work all day, I cut and attached the sleeves, drafted the collar, cut and sewed up the collar, and started work on the belt. On Thursday morning, between 6 and 9:30 am, I finished the belt, finished the panties, and made the glove toppers. I don't know how I got it all done, but I did. Parts of the costume (i.e. anything done after 10pm on Wed) weren't 100% up to my standards, but they were wearable, and everything looked good together. Michi was really happy with the result, and it was 100% worth it just to be able to make her smile and be happy. <3 

So, that concludes my tale of crazy sewing for the month. I'm used to popping out a lot of work in a short time, but I don't think my poor machine is. Hopefully, whatever's wrong is a super-cheap, easy fix that won't take me away from her for too long. 

Halloween Meetup

I just got back a couple of hours ago from an awesome Halloween picnic meetup that I co-hosted with my Loli BFF, Madeline Hatter. :) Maddy and I put a lot of effort and planning into this year's meetup, because we both really love Halloween, and we wanted this meetup to be really special and fun. Last year, we tried to host a similar event, but it didn't turn out the way we wanted, so this year was our chance to reboot and correct all of the mistakes we made in the past.
We chose a super-spooky but scenic location for our meetup (let's call it an early Victorian park, shall we?), and made sure to have all of our ducks in a row in terms of planning and preparedness. Last year we ran into a lot of issues, some of which were under our control, and some of which were not. One of those issues was time and weather. Last year, we had the meetup at night, a couple days before Halloween, and we had the misfortune of being chilled to the bone by the near-freezing temperatures that accompanied the freak snow storm that rolled in the day before. This year, we held the meetup two weeks earlier, during the day, and vowed to cancel if the weather turned ugly. Luckily for us, the weather was beautiful! We had a bit of rain in the morning, but by noontime or so, the clouds dissipated, and the day turned sunny and warm.
By planning weeks ahead of time, and making things in advance, we were able to have all most of our favor bags, food, and decorations made well before the meetup started. While we were a couple of minutes late (as usual -_-;;), we were still able to set up relatively quickly and have the meetup in full swing in no time! Everyone was gracious enough to contribute food, drink, or a picnic blanket, and in the end, we had quite an impressive spread. Maddy and I made / purchased a couple of special dishes for the meetup that were Halloweenish and festive; we had pumpkin-shaped tea sandwiches (which unfortunately got left at home by accident!), mummy and pumpkin cake pops, Death By Chocolate graveyard cups,  and blood orange soda.  I also made an Asian salad with teriyaki chicken as a healthy dish to balance out some of sweets. Others brought Oreo pie, scones,  pumpkin bars, Chinese buns, cupcakes, cookies, and tea. Everything was super yummy, and everyone was able to go home with 'doggie' bags full of tasty leftovers.
We had a bunch of fun activities planned for the meetup, most of which we got to do in the end. Maddy got things started by telling the tale of the Tillinghast vampirism case, which is a true documented story about supposed vampirism in RI during the 1700's. After that, I gave a small tour of the 'park' and gave a short talk about its history and the various monuments and artwork found there. Later, after we'd gorged ourselves on food, we ran one game and one contest. Our game was a rather silly one that involved guessing the weight of "Pumpkin-chan," a rather unfortunate pumpkin that we put in a wig and decorated to look like a Sweet Lolita. The person who guessed the closest won a cute little coffin box that my sister and I made, chock full of goodies. Our contest was a "Best Coordinate" contest, where everyone voted, and the winner received another cute coffin box. The Lolita with our Best Coord was super cute, wearing an adorable Red Riding Hood ensemble mostly by BTSSB. Our first-runner up was fabulously gothy in a super-awesome handmade JSK and canotier. After we gave out all of the contest prizes, Maddy ran another Halloween game, called the "Cemetery Game." While this game was originally created during the Victorian era to be played in a cemetery, it can be played anywhere, and is similar to tag or hide-and-go-seek.
Once the Cemetery Game was finished, the meetup was drawing to a close, so Maddy and I distributed the favor bags that we made, and started to pack things up. Our favor bags consisted of a candy corn-shaped Rice Krispie Treat wrapped in plastic wrap, and placed into a cellophane bag tied with purple ribbon. We attached little Thank You notes to the ribbon, along with small skull brooches that we'd made ourselves.
In the end, everyone went home happy, and I hope that we can have another event like this again next year. Maddy and I had a blast planning and making everything, and we really hope that all of our guests had as much fun as we did.

Fruity Friday! AP Berry-chan JSK

So, it looks like my Fruity Friday is off to a bit of a late start this week. I've been rather busy preparing for the Boston comm's Swap Meet, and haven't had much time to write. Sadly, I didn't get to sell many of my things. Only some costume jewelry went, and it looks like I'll be making a listing for the comm-sales this week. I've got a rather large collection of off-brand blouses, and some Lolita items that I just plain want out of my closet. I don't think I made more than $5.00USD yesterday, so the swap meet wasn't as beneficial for my bank account as I needed it to be.

Anyhow, moving on to Fruity Friday! This week I'll be featuring Angelic Pretty's Berry-chan JSK, my mystery dress from last week. I happened upon the skirt version of it last week while perusing Lolibrary for design inspiration for another project. As it turns out, it was on Hello Lace (huurrrrduurpadurrr), and my ability to search Hello Lace sucks because I tend to quickly gloss over anything with a pink colorway stock photo. (To be honest, though, I think the pink version of this is pretty ugly, and doesn't do the series any justice.)

Angelic Pretty Berry-chan JSK

The Berry-chan JSK was released in 2010 by AP, with an original price of ¥23, 940 ($305 USD). The Berry-chan series features a JSK, OP, and skirt (and I'm assuming a matching headbow), which come in 3 colorways: Red, Black, and Pink.

 Personally, I think the pink is horrid, and the black is a little off, so I'm showing stock images of the red version. At this time, I'm not aware of any matching shirts, socks, bonnets, wrist cuffs, or jewelry that might accompany the Berry-chan series. 

The Berry-chan JSK is constructed of gingham, cotton broadcloth, cotton lace, and chemical lace, with tiny crocheted cherries. It features a back shirring panel, corset lacing in the back, waist ties, a side zipper, and adjustable straps. For this design, AP included a number of design elements that I personally find  very desirable in a sweet dress. As you can see from the stock photos, the dress is primarily made out of gingham, which is a fabric that people tend to either love or hate. I'm fond of gingham when it's used well, as it is in this case. 

Additionally, the dress also features scalloping on the skirt, waist ties and and bodice. On the bodice, the scalloping is purely decorative, and acts as a collar of sorts, whereas on the skirt and waist ties, the scalloping acts as a focal point to draw your attention to the tiers of red ruffles that lie below. 

AP could have easily made the line between the main part of the skirt and the ruffles a straight line, but the scalloping is more interesting and eye-catching, and also shows a higher degree of craftsmanship. I have a hard time with scallops in my own sewing, so I really appreciate seeing them done in Brand pieces. The scallop 'motif', if you will, pops up on another part of the dress: right where the skirt meets the bodice. It's a small thing that blends in with the rest of the dress, but it gives the appearance of the bodice and the skirt being separate items.

The other design element on this dress that I'm really fond of is the strawberry-shaped lace. AP is well known for making their own lace to match their designs. While this is mostly true of the embroidered tulle lace that they put on their pastel sweet print dresses, their usual attention to detail also extends to the chemical and cotton laces found on this dress. If I could find strawberry lace like the kind found on this dress, I'd just about die of happy, and my sewing projects would be complete.  Thus far, I'v only found it once before on Etsy.

Of course, one of my favorite things on the Berry-chan JSK is the little crocheted cherries found on the bodice and skirt. I've used similar cherries on my own accessories and clothing, and I'm just in love with the little things. These cherries are the berry in the Berry-chan series, and without them, I probably wouldn't like it as much as I do (nor would I be featuring it here :P).

Should you be fortunate enough to acquire the Berry-chan JSK, coordinating it is fairly easy. A white peter pan collar blouse will pair nicely with this jumperskirt, as will white socks and red shoes. This  JSK can work in either a sweet or country coordinate, and  makes a nice piece for the summer months. 

Thanks for reading this (err...last) week's Fruity Friday! I'll be back later with more fun fruity pieces to review. :3 

All dress images and background information courtesy of HelloLace.