Chopping up Brand

The title is correct. I am subjecting you all to one of my recent commissions.


A friend of mine has brought me three pieces she wishes to have altered. So far I have completed one of these requirements.  As I complete each one I will post pictures on here for your entertainment, and you can leave comments on if you love or hate it. If you do please tell me why :)

For this piece she wanted to turn it into a skirt. For payment I wanted the top half.  So there was not much altering needing to be done. I also made a hat to go with it, and used one of the bows from the top part of the dress.

Updating!

So I am supposed to be working today, but thanks to Hurricane SANDY, I can't... I am missing out on money and I am very upset.  When I go to the office tomorrow, I will double check with my boss if I would get paid for today or not since I tried to work from home, but since my work laptop crapped out and for some reason the other computers within my home cannot get access to what I need to get to.

On the plus side, I now have time to update my blog!  YAY!

As you know, we have a winner for the contest, she is very excited and I am excited to be making this garment for her.  Admittedly, I sketched out the design and I had a moment of "This is really cute... I could make this for myself and make her something else."  But I mentally slapped myself, because that is not cool!  So iSaunter is going to get this really cute garment I designed.  Hopefully it comes out as nice as my drawing.  I will warn, this is going to need a pettie coat... and that is the only hint you are getting my from! Aside from that my lips are sealed.... Maybe two pettie coats, I cannot tell until it's completed.

So, this Saturday coming up, there is a Baltimore Lolita meet up to see the Silent hill movie.  As of right now, there are only 2 girls and myself going...  I am possibly going to drag my friend out... and they will drag their own friends out too... so it will not be as big as I hoped but we are still going to have a good time.  I know there are some other Lolita Meet ups happening and if I can go to them and take pictures or the possible video, I will.

I also realized that I have titled this Blog as a Lolita Fashion and Crafts blog.  Is it just me or do I just seem to talk more about what is going on with me other than what this blog was originally for?  Oh, that reminds me, I was supposed to show you my Color Book I made for class.  I will hopefully get that done today since I now have the time and energy.

Well Ladies and Gents, I am going to end this post here for now.  Please let me know what you would like to see or read about on this blog.  Like if there is a new AATP JSK or something that is out and you want my opinion on it, or if there is a tutorial you would like to see done.  I think I am going to document iSautner's garment as I make it, but I will not post pictures up until she actually gets her prize.

Stay Pretty Everyone!

Hugs and Kisses

PLV

Officially Closing the Contest...

Tomorrow I will announce the winner of the contest.  Thank you so much everyone for your submissions and patience!  There were really good entries and it was hard to decide the winner.  The Winner will receive an email from me, and I will make a blog post.

Now don't think this is the end Ruffle-butts!  I will have another contest in the future :) 

Love and kisses,

PLV

Tea Time...

So for my project that I am redoing, I came up with a theme for my color inspiration book.  Tea.  I have created a Lady Grey Dress, and a Longjing Green Tea dress (Chinese Green Tea) dress design, and will make designs inspired by Chai, Camomile, Darjeeling, and Assam .  I will be making an Earl Grey to go with Lady Grey as well (He counts as his own tea!).  I really want to create the Longjing Tea Dress, the design is simple, but the print is crazy.  Most likely I will have to paint the design on because I do not have the money to have fabric costum made!

So as I said before, what I am making is a Color Book.  It's a book that has the colors I want to use and what inspired me to use them.  Tea has inspired me, and not just tea, but tea from other cultures.  In our project we could either do magazine clippings, or we could sketch designs.  I first did clippings, but decided that since I am doing my project over, I am going to sketch this time.  The only thing that makes me nervous is someone possibly stealing my designs, but I really want to impress my instructor since the project is coming in late and I need to make up for that!

For others who are interested in starting your own line or going into Fashion and design, I would recommend making these.  It's basically your ideas in a book that you would present to a distributor or someone who would possibly be interested in selling your line.  It's an easy way to make a collection as well, so long as you are staying with a certain theme.  Will I post pictures?  I don't know, I say that I will do a lot of things :P  So lets just see how this goes!

Well, my break is up and I still haven't worked on my project yet today... Kinda need to get a move on that.  Don't forget to submit for the contest! Take advantage of the extension!

Hugs and Kisses,

PLV

Dear Loli's

Dear Loli's,

Hi!  I know I have not gotten a chance to really update that much.  Here is why!

1) My sister is getting married, and not only do I have the responsibilities of being the sister of the Bride, my little sister and I are the Maids of Honor... I don't know if she is allowed to have two but she is doing it anyway!
2) I have started school, working on getting my degree in fashion and design!  (insert applause)  I am only part time so I have a little bit of a way to go, but I am doing it!
3) Work is in over time mode.  I spend most of my week doing 12-13 hour shifts... yeah, it's crazy but I like the money.

So that are the three main reasons as to why you might not have heard much from me.  A lot of exciting stuff going on!  Oh!  Mason is coming for his second visit here and we are super excited about that.  He will be in town for my sister's wedding and then we will have some time together! 

Expect pictures to be uploaded on the Facebook page.  The pictures might not be Lolita related, but I am going to post some pictures from my sister's wedding because it is "craft" related.  I am making the ring barer pillow and two sashes for the Jr. Brides Maids.  Because I am running out of time my Friend Sunny Sprocket is going to be assisting me, and I will be paying her in the form of Taco Bell.

Speaking of pictures and the Facebook page, if you haven't already liked the page, you should because its where I am post all my Lolita and craft pictures... and because I asked you to <3
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pretty-Little-Victorian-By-Lolita-Doll-11/156610104368041?ref=hl
If this link does not work, please let me know!

Also, reminding that the Contest has started!  Don't think that because I am busy that I forgot.  Thank you to those who have already sent in submissions!  Those of you who have yet to enter, you still have till the end of the month!

I also wanted to make a note about one of the questions.  If you're not a designer or don't sew, you can either leave that question blank.  You can write what your hobbies are!  Like if you do crafting or singing, anything is good!  I will edit that question.

I would love to write more for everyone, but I have got to hop off of here and get busy.  I will try to make more regular updates.

Hugs and Kisses,

PLV <3

Contest Entry!

Ok, so today after one of our meet ups, I remembered I promised a piece of clothing to whomever wins the contest XD  I feel that I should once again let you know, I am self taught when it comes to sewing.  Anything that I make are not going to be up to retail standards, but so far I think I have made some pretty cute stuff.

Rules are as follows:
Answer honestly and you can put as much or as little details as you want.
Nothing offensive, I shouldn't have to go into much more detail than that.
Please try to answer all questions.  I do understand that not all questions may apply to everyone or you just might not have an answer.


On to the Questions!

1) What is your name?  I suggest using a fake name, since this is the Internet!
2) What kind of Lolita are you?
3) Favorite brand, and why?
4) If you could live in any era, what would it be and why?
5) Are you yourself a designer, or do you make your own Lolita clothes?  Or do you have any other
    hobbies you feel like sharing?
6) What do you think will be next for Lolita, or what would you like to see?


Well that is it.  Not much I know, but I figured I would keep it short and sweet.  Please email all entries to the following email:
lolitadoll1121@gmail.com

Favors, Upcycle, Renaissance Festival.

Hello My Pretties!

So for the time being we are still here.  If Blogger gets better we will stay but as of right now any pictures I take I will be putting on our FB page.

So I thought I would let you all know what I am up to... aside from working two jobs and hardly sleeping.  My friend Sunny Sprocket is going to go to Otakon and has asked me to help her with her costumes.  I have been a very bad friend and forgotten about them, and so not I will be trying to work on some of them tonight and then hopefully get a good bulk done tomorrow.  I will not be attending Otakon this year as I need to save money for Wales.  I am looking forward to that Blog post, it will be like a belated Chanukah/Christmas and any other religion present :)  So now you have a hint of when I will be going.

I still have not worked on those pants that are supposed to be shorts for my Kadona co-ord.  So I will be working on that and also try to use the remaining fabric for a tie.  Speaking of ties, I still have to make a lot more.  I might be able to make a hat to go with my outfit... I have a lot of hats...

Renaissance Festival!  I love going to the Renaissance Festival and I found this super cute fabric to use so that I can make a Renaissance themed Lolita Co-ord!  I am going to try to make three dresses, yes three!  One for myself and two more for my friends.  Then, epic Lolita photoshoot!  I will give you all a hint, Dragons ^-^  But first I must complete the items above!  So I should get started.

Goodnight Lovelys,

Lolita Doll 11

My Mostly done dress!!!!

I say mostly because I did not get a chance to add the buttons or the letters.  As I have mentioned before, I recently got a new job, and at this new job, I am permitted to wear what I want (within reason) and when I told my boss I was making a dress, it was requested that I wear it to work.  Not sure if they will ask that again lol.  I honestly just might keep it the way it is.  There are some things that are off with it, but I still really love this dress!!!  I cannot wait to get started on the next two that I have plans for, but first I have a lot of skirts that are waiting to be made!

                                                                                                                                                                    
I do not remember if I mentioned this in previous posts or not, but this dress was used from an old top of mine and fabric that was left over from a friend!  Basically, the only thing on this dress I paid for was the top when I originally bought it, thread, zipper, and the lining.  The blue hat, in case you are wondering, I bought at the PA Fairy Festival.  You cannot see it, but there is a pleat in the back, just like in the front.  I took a picture but then discovered how wrinkled it was lol.  My plan was to put it back on my dress form, but throwing it on and having someone else take a picture was just easier, and I was already wearing it.

So, to keep with the recycling theme I seem to have going on, my next skirt I will be recycling a T-shirt for the cute yet morbid picture that is on it.  It was originally a gift, but the T-shirt is too big and I thought it would look really cute if put the picture on a skirt!  This will be my first Gothic Lolita piece.

Well, it is time for bed!  Night Pretties!
~LD11

Dress Update... from a while ago....

I think it is safe to say that I have hit the halfway mark on the dress.  I sadly do have to stop after I attach the sleeves because I do not have enough lining for the bottom half.  However the tough part is over and it was well worth all the effort that I put into the dress!  You have no idea how badly I want to post pictures of it now, but I want to wait until I have finished the dress.  Once this dress is done, I will be making another dress, only this time documenting each step.  I will also have a pattern made up so that you can make your own too!  A few select people have seen it (Mason... Ren) and I hope that everyone else likes it as much as they did too.

Now this is my first time lining anything... I think I might have said that before but I think it is needed that I say it again.  That being said, I might not have done it the correct way (but it still is coming out awesome so I am doing something right!).  Before I document the second dress, I will do research... I know, I know "Why didn't you do the research before you made the first dress?"  I guess it's that little bit of vindication I like to feed, and testing myself if I can figure it out on my own or not.  Personally I think this dress is coming out successful.  It's going to be my my afternoon tea dress :)

I am even putting my initials on the skirt of the dress, L. D.  I am so excited!  It's my frirst real dress that I designed and I am making it!  It looks a little different from the design since I found more materials for it, but for the most part it is staying true to the design.  Here is a picture so you can at least see the design and get an idea of what it will look like!



I am already making little hat design in my head to match the dress.  Speaking of my little hats, my job gave my permission to wear them at work (just not the OOT ones).  My one manager says to me "That little thing is a hat?!" sounding rather surprised lol  I got a lot of really good compliments about them, and it makes me want to make more of them.  I am just worried that soon I will have too many hats and then will need to start giving them away... if only I had loyal readers that were interested... Etsy didn't really work out well for me, and trying to sell on EGL... yeah, that didn't go so well either, so now I am just making everything for me and not worrying about trying to sell them, unless I leave Lolita or I really need to clean out my closet/hat boxes.

Dress = FAIL!!!

Ok... so I didn't mess up on how I cut the fabric, but I did forget something very important... I did not wash the fabric before cutting.  So now I have two options.  1.  Continue making the dress with the current fabric.  2.  start over again with new fabric that will be different from the original.

If I go with option 1 I will then need to get the dress dry cleaned, or at the least wash it and let it drip dry.  Option 2 gives me the chance to make this dress over again in a different color and this way I will know that the fabric will not shrink on me... I think I forgot to tell you that my main concern was that the fabric would shrink.

I think I am going to go ahead with option 1.  Worse thing that happens is that I make a second dress with the other fabric.  On the plus side, once I get this dress done I should feel more confident in making another.  I have a lot of fabric and a few dress ideas that I could use my fabric for.

Hopefully I will be posting new pictures soon!

Busy Bee

Buzzzzz buzzzzz.... ok, so that might be more annoying than cute.

So, I have been working on a few projects!  I just finished a pair of bloomers and they look really cute!  I have a picture of me wearing them... but I have no idea if it would be appropriate for me to post that... With the top I am wearing they just look like fluffy shorts...  and I look cute in the picture, but I don't want to offend anyone by posting it so I wont unless you really want to see them.

Bloomers aside, I am finally finishing that hat box!  I am not going to post pictures of it just yet because it is not done yet.  I have still painting the outside of it and then once that is done I will be making a lining for the inside.  If this continues to go well, I will make hat boxes for all my hats!... that is going to be a lot of boxes in my room.

So... now that I have made the bloomers... I am going to work on the dress that I said I was going to work on but only put it off...  Today is the day that I finally cut the fabric... I'm so nervous... really, what if this comes out looking like crap?  Or I make it too small?... well if I make it too small I am sure someone else will want it so long as it would fit them properly and I didn't make a massive piece of crappy-frill.

Well, I should go work on that since I am now being kicked off the computer.  Stay pretty and pray that I don't fudge this up...

-Lolita Doll 11

Dress Update

So I have actually been working on my dress, yay me!

So as of right now I only have the muslin mock-up made.  The silhouette (is that right?...) of the dress does not look very Lolita, but it looks like something out of the 1920's, so I still love it!  I have pinned everything together and it looks lovely.  The next step is to cut all my fabric, and then put them together.  90% of the dress is made up of this cream and tan plaid, it much more pretty than it sounds, and then 10% of it is fabric from an old shirt that I loved!  I also plan on lining this dress, so before I sew the actual fabric, I will be sewing the lining.  If there is enough fabric, I would love to make a hat for it, and not a mini top hat, an actual normal hat lol.

As I always promise, I will have pictures of the muslin piece and then pictures of the actual dress once it is finished!  This is the first time I am creating a pattern for something, and honestly it was hard work, which is what I expected, but I didn't think it would be this hard after simplifying the pattern!  Though now that I have done it, I am excited to make a new one, or at least playing with the pattern I created and altering it into something new.

Well ladies and gents, I am going to call it a night because I am sleepy and need rest both for work and to work some more on my dress!  Night!

-Lolita Doll 11

Stroke of Genius!

So, I am sitting here and possibly thinking of breaking my vow and buying a Lolita dress online.  What stops me are two things.  The first thing being that the dress I wanted, they do not make in my size.  The second being that I could make most of these dresses (well, I think I can).

I find this one JSK that I really want, but looking at it, it looks fairly simple, I could probably make it.  It kind of looks like the dress I want to make, but my design looks rather complicated... Then I realize that revamping the design to make it easier to sew, would not be a bad idea.  I can still keep most of my design but make it easier for me to handle and then after that I can work on some harder stuff.  This might seem like a boring post, or maybe every post I make is boring, but for me this is exciting.  I have off work tomorrow, I know what I am going to be doing all day!

First I have to re-sketch my design.  Then I will cut out a pattern from the muslin that I have, sew it all up and make sure it is fitted correctly.  I can honestly say that I have gone from being horrified at the thought of putting this dress together, to feeling excited again!  Hopefully I will have something for you to look at soon!  Night all!

-Lolita Doll 11

Photo Dump!!!

Ok people!  The long awaited photo-plop!  So I have decided that I am going to just share the things that I have made, instead of waiting for a fashion show.  I realized that my stuff did not look like a collection.  Next year I am going to try and join in my school's show.  This is providing that I actually can afford to go to school and get financial aid.  Now you might notice... that everything I have made has been... skirts... because I am nervous to move on to actual dresses, for fear of it coming out horribly wrong.  After this next skirt I am working on though I am going to try and tackle the dress because even though I am scared of doing it, doing it and failing will make me a better designer and seamstress.  Plus I might surprise myself and it comes out awesome!

Anyway, on to the photos!!!

This is the Story Brook fabric.  I still have more, but I don't have anymore of the trim I used for the hem sadly.

I love how this skirt came out, and so does my mom.  I want to get more fabric and make more of them!

This is the skirt I made for a friend of mine!  I am really glad she liked it.  I am now working on another skirt that looks like this.  Its going to be a little longer and the front will be a bit different.

I still have so much fabric!  But first I need to work on that dress I was talking about.  Now crafts are going to be fewer now because hours for me are going to be jumping up, and it sadly is going to cut into my family time too, but hopefully that is just temporary.  Keep a look out for updates, I will try to make them when I can!

Cupcake Purse!

Ok, so I keep trying to load the picture of my new purse on FB but for some reason it is not taking it.  Grrr Facebook!  But that is ok because I can show it off here!

It was actually not that hard, but it does not look as polished as I would like for it to look.  Either way, I have a cute purse now to go with my skirt!  Hoping to make a headpiece to go with it soon now too.  But first, I am fighting off a cold or something.  Check in with everyone later!

-Lolita Doll 11

Finally Finished!

So my JSK is finally finished.  I might add a bow in the back later, but as of now, this piece is being labeled done, and I am checking it off the list!  It is so cute and I love everything about it!  If I wasn't so tired, I would be posting pictures but I am very tired.  I still have some fabric left over and I plan on making a head piece and matching purse.  The only thing I am worried about the purse is that it will not make the shape that I want, but we shall have to see.  This of course will have to be worked on later as I have recently acquired even more donations of fabric!

As much as I really want to work on another skirt, I might be putting that on the back burner.  Me and some friends want to go to Otakon, and I am going to be doing my first group cosplay (its a group of 3 but still).  I'm so excited for this group rp, its going to be epic!  I plan on working on my costume asap.  So our first group cosplay is going to be Vocaloid (actually, I have no idea what the line-up is going to be).  As much as I love Rin, I might end up doing another character.  Maybe a guy since I have the height, I will have to take a look and see which ones would be best suited for me.  The next is My Little Ponies.... Don't look at me like that!  It was a part of my childhood, and after watching the show I have decided I am Fluttershy!  And I plan on making a Fluttershy Lolita inspired cosplay.  I have seen it done before, but hopefully I can rock it better!  As for our last group cosplay... I want to keep it a secret.  I'm so excited for it!  I get to dress up as the character that basically started my downward spiral of nerdy-geek-anime-fun-loving-ness.  So I need to figure out what I want to work on First.  Probably Fluttershy as her costume will be the easiest to make (minus the wings... I might buy those... depends on how much time and money I have.)  As for my Vocaloid Costume, Akita is taken and I am not sure who my other friend is dressing as.  I did Rin The Daughter of Evil, and that was fun, I still have the costume.

Well, it is time to sleep and then after that it will be time to get up and do more sewing!  I will post pictures soon of my JSK!  Cannot wait to show it off!

-Lolita Doll 11