A Little White Bonnet

After I completed my hat I decided to work on a bonnet for Thali. Once I made up the paper pattern for Thali's bonnet, we couldn't settle on a fabric and so I started on something more Triple Fortune than Victorian Maiden and... hit somewhere in the middle. Like I said with hat, I can't really do over decorating. So actually the rose and feather pieces is a hair pin (that I need to put a more appropriate attachment on) and the bonnet is mostly plain. I think that means that I can dress it up easily. I'll try something a little more exciting for my next head piece project. 

 

 It took some time to finish this. I worked on the base of it while I watched through all of Love Live! and then I put aside, because I wasn't sure where I was going. I only really knew that I didn't want a ribbon going under the chin, because I really do not like to have ties there. Originally I was intending to use gold in this piece, but it was just too much and I didn't have enough to match it (it was meant to match Lucienne) so the night before a photoshoot at Redwood, I decided I would finish it match Rose Toilette. Of course.

For the more technical details; The base materials I used are calico, felt and wire around the brim. For covering I used a matte polyester satin and a pink chiffon, the bias was made by me from the satin. I ended up using two laces, a pair of chiffon bows for decorating the sides and some very tiny little pearls dotted across the inside. 

I have two more bonnets with a slightly reworked bonnet pattern in the works, made of the same material I used for the hat. Of course in colours I probably won't ever wear. I'll see how they go. I'm a little bummed because I'll have to wait until we're back in Japan to get more of the flowers and feathers I used here. But when I am...

Overall I'm happy it came out okay, and it received good feedback from my friends! I hope the tweaked pattern works okay, I should have more on that... eventually, haha.

Coat of Arms Alteration

 A little while ago I mentioned I was working on something, and this was it! I'd been meaning to get to it for a little while, but it took me a little while to get around to finishing it (and in the same vein as the DDC alteration, I ended up finishing off both arms on the morning of the day I decided I wanted to wear it...).

 I'm not a fan of one pieces, they usually feel very restrictive and limited- style and comfort wise. So I resolved to remove the sleeves and collar. The collar was cut too high, and the arms too wide for me. I'm planning to use the fabric from the sleeves to make a matching beret as well as possibly using some to trim the pockets of a cropped jacket. Who knows when I'll get to that though!

I did consider selling this piece, but I received it in a lucky pack and it was and still is quite unpopular (most people perfer the JSK in the other colour) so I decided to make it work for me instead.

First step was to remove everything and uncover APs's secrets. 

Sleeves and collar removed. From this point I had Thali help me with marking out a new neckline, and used some black velveteen we had to make my own bias binding. I cut in the new neckline and also brought in the arm scythe and then attached the bias binding by hand.

Finished! I don't think I attached the binding in a very conventional manner. In fact other than resewing DDC's binding back on, I haven't really used bias binding before. I'm quite happy with how it turned out. I had to decide whether I wanted to bring the arm scythe in again further, but doing so would risk ruining the shoulder decoration- the silver trim unraveled like nobodies business- so in the end I left it wider than I would have prefered.

Paired with a black chiffon blouse, the dress will be a lot more comfortable in an Australian climate.

I think using the velveteen to trim it keeps some of the character of the garment and doesn't detract too much, it's certainly a lot more comfortable and a little more versatile!

***

I have not forgotten the pink dress I was making either, I finally got the last bit of fabric I needed- now if I can just find the time...

Cameo Window Rosette

Which you cannot see in this outfit shot, heh. So we've moved! As you might notice from the change in backdrop and lighting. It's so lovely to live in a place with so much light~ We are settling in okay, but we still don't have internet- so I'm posting from the library!

I saw mention not long ago about using the fabric swatches that come with items for different purposes and resolved to use them to make the little thing below. Of the fabric swatches I could find, cameo window had the most interesting detail, though it was larger than the buttons I originally had to cover! I finally got my hand on the right size for the piece and set about creating a little rosette~

Since the rosette's center is merely a covered button it's easy to sew the chiffon ruffle to the edge. A little bow for that extra touch and there it is! 

I purchased the custom button sets from daiso, the rest is up to what you have around!

I've been up to another larger project since we moved also, if you've followed my instagram, you would have seen a peek. I hope it'll be finished and I can have a post up soon!

Lavender Rose Test Dress Mini Project

Just a quick little project from the other weekend! We recently bought a new sewing machine for PepFox, and boy is it lovely. I wanted to test it with a garment that wasn't too important before I started on a customers piece, so I pulled out these fabrics and got to work on this dress I'd been wanting to make for a while but hadn't really had time for.

Using the new machine was amazing, and I now actually can't wait to sew things up! The next month will be a busy one for us here at the studio, but hopefully after the new year I can get stuck back into other more complicated pending projects after we've moved house.

We also had a little craft afternoon with dear Lizzy! We pulled out all the bits and pieces we had and made whatever our little hearts were inspired to make at the time. I made up some cute little bracelets, a simple necklace and a not so little cockade featuring what was previously my Jewellery Jelly swatch front and centre- the world will know of my loyalty to the cause of cuteness?

I hope you'll all have a good holiday season, as I'm not sure I'll have much opportunity to blog over the next month or so! Stay safe ♥

Thanks for looking~

Jewelled Headdress Project

 This weekend we were meant to go out and take some photos again. The rose gardens are in full bloom, but unfortunately the weather is not so great at all! So instead we're staying home. I sort of had something princess-y planned but I didn't own a gold tiara or more interesting head wear, so I decided to make something!

 Loosely inspired by the far more detailed and interesting Alice and the Pirates headdress here, I made do with my random assortment of findings. A lot of people when writing about DIY in this situation would probably say something like 'theirs is $250 and I made this for just $20!' or something. Now I don't know what materials the AatP's one is (I'd want to hope it was filled gold or something..) but even making a simple thing like this, it really is a lot of work. I feel like making something yourself is the quickest way to appreciate the time and effort that people put into things. Maybe I'm just a bit too clumsy or not so great at this sort of thing! Either way it's sweet enough for me, I just hope I can find somewhere where it won't get tangled...

It will also probably sit a bit differently on my actual head, Calgacus' make shift one isn't very round.

 The coordinate I had planned around Cameo Window, I don't think I had decided on legware yet. I can't wait to get to wear this skirt out, maybe soon~

Thanks for looking~

Soft Ruffles, Ribbons and Pearls - Dress Project Part 1

 For some reason that is unknown to me, I decided I wanted to make a dress. I've been talking of blouses and even vests but here I am.

I gathered my supplies and resigned myself to waiting till I had free time ... and today, well I had some free time. I've finished the work I needed to have done by this weekend so instead of making a head start on the work I'll need to do after Animaga I decided I would start on this project.

A case of glass pearls, I couldn't decide which yet to use for this project but they looked oh so pretty sitting there.

 I set out to alter our regular bodice pattern to match with the style I'd decided on in my sketches. I pretty much winged it and there's some things I'll do differently next time but for now it has worked nicely. You can see my sketches below. I think for the most part I'll stick to bodice two but I will shorten it, so it actually sits on my waist. As for the skirt, I think I've completely changed my mind and will just go for ruffles all around- I haven't gotten to that yet though so who knows if I will change my mind again. I figured that way I could make a removable overskirt some time if I felt like it.

 Here is the bodice sans any extra decoration as it was completed today. Not pictured in my supplies picture are the lining fabric (I'm using a cream lining we had around .. not sure if it was the best idea) and a pink cotton that I used to interline rather than doubling up the pink fabric. The top half has the dot tulle as an overlay also.

I'm probably going to deviate again from my sketch with the decoration and go for a larger bow with some pearl details but I'm probably going to leave detailing until the dress is finished. I put my petticoat on the mannquin because it looked so so weird hanging on its own.

I really do not know when I will get to the skirt, depending on my motivation and time it could be tomorrow- it could be in a month! Either way, I'm pretty happy with how it's going so far, hopefully it all comes together okay, haha.

Thanks for looking~

Day Dream Carnival Alteration Project Complete!

 On Sunday, I decided I really wanted to wear Day Dream Carnival. This meant undertaking an alteration I had been putting off. I don't knw if you notice in the picture above, but the bodice isn't like any of the jumperskirts! That's because originally it was the one piece. While I loved the print of Day Dream Carnival, I tossed up a lot over which cut I liked best. In the end? None really. However, when browsing for it anyway, I stumbled upon this lavender one piece- for under retail. No one was bidding so I went for it. I actually really like the style of the bodice, but I hated the organza sleeves. They really had no place for me and they would also likely be tight and uncomfortable. I can be fairly sensitive to the feel of fabrics, and I when I received the dress I could confirm that I didn't like the feel of it at all.

 And so I decided to remove the sleeves. Day Dream Carnival isn't built like most one pieces. As my research to see if this might be possible with some other prints that I liked but didn't like the jumperskirt cuts would show me- most one pieces have sleeves that seem like nothing more than large elastic straps. The organza sleeves were instead attached with a binding along the inside- perfect for me!

I unpicked the stitching along the binding and then removed the organza from the bodice. Once the bodice was free, I repinned the organza and hand sewed in a matching lavender thread over where the original stitching had been.

I took about two hours to do each arm, I think. I am a bit slow and the thread may have matched a little too well! Because I had a nap I couldn't finish it on Saturday, so I did finished it this morning before the Melbourne Lolita's Swap and Sell. I'll have pictures up shortly!

Using a little charm from the neck ties and some ribbon from my sewing supplies, I made a tiny hair piece to complement the outfit. I think though that I really need to make or buy some new lavender pieces. Also Thali told me today, that she has never worn this blouse before and since I liked it so much I could keep it! Thank you so much! I'm so lucky~ ♥

Thanks for looking~

Magical Etoile Hat Project Complete!

Previously I had posted some images to tumblr of my hat, however I had not truly finished it yet!

However, last Friday I finally finished it. There are some problems still but since it is the first hat I've made I think it can be forgiven.

A girl in my community was selling the Magical Etoile brooch headband quite cheaply since it had some damage from simply being old. I thought at the very least even if I didn't like the headband overall, I could take off the brooch to use it for something else, so in the end I decided on a cute boater style hat. I bought silk from a local store and made a mock up. I didn't use a properly millinery material to make the inner of the hat, so it's not a very sturdy hat, perhaps next time I can. For now I have enough material to make another hat, so I think I will make a simpler one to decorate with flowers I bought from Okadaya early last year.

I found a silver ricrac to match the trimming on Magical Etoile's hem, and finished the hat simply with it around the crown. As for the hat itself, it is almost entirely hand stitched- funnily enough the worst seam (as you can see around the brim) is the one I elected to sew on the machine. Next time I will trust myself.

I finished the inside simply with little stitches and some remaining lining. it turned out puffy, which I like, but I'm not really sure why. Hopefully I can repeat it next time. As you can see from this angle, there is a flaw in the underside of the brim, I think it is not too obvious when worn but hopefully this does not happen with the next one I make. I'm hoping to get better at them, but that will come with practice.

Before I tackle another hat however, my next project is definitely the blouse. I need to draft a pattern for the sleeves and collar for it, and I have been lazy about that. When it is complete I am going to make an outfit with Magical Etoile and this hat; hopefully I can finish it in time for the next Melbourne lolita event.

Thanks for looking~