Lolita Headwear Workshop Materials List

Konnichiwa fellow Lolitas!

This post is a materials and sourcing list for a workshop I'll be teaching for the Frozen Lolita Club in the near future. We'll be making bonnets, Lolita head dresses, and bows.

Blue & Pink & Pretty!

(As always, click the pics to make them larger.)Today's offering is a Lolita/50's era inspired mashup dress. I say Lolita because It has all the basic lines, but is a little longer than normal aka 50's era. (It really looks fifties when she wears her super poof petticoat and high heels, which she was neglecting in the pics.)

I had the blue fabric floating around and never could find something to compliment it. Miss H was in love with it and one day suggested I use the leftover pink lace from her Irish dance dress with it. This is a Cynthia Rowley pattern #1873 from Simplicity.This was view A. I drafted a peter pan collar for it and shirred the back, instead of adding the zipper.I don't think I'm completely in love with the shirring on this one. She likes it because it's comfy. Anyway, the pattern was easy to follow, but beware of the ten thousand darts! The bodice front has under bust darts as well as side darts. The sleeve is full of darts too, on both the fashion fabric AND the lining fabric.I was cussin' em under my breath while in progress. They've grown on me and I really like the result now. It wouldn't take much cajoling to get me to use this sleeve again. (It's kinda like labor...you forget all the work involved as time goes on!)The bodice panel is edged in pink eyelet lace with daisy buttons.There was just enough blue fabric left to make the trim for the hem ruffle.This dress was super economical. White sheet from the thrift store for the lining and white fashion areas = $1. Pink overlay lace, leftover from another project = Free! 4 Daisy buttons, been in my stash for 10 years = Free! Pink eyelet lace, came from a garage sale with just enough for the sleeves and panel = $0.25. 2 yards blue fabric, been in my stash for more than 3 years = Free! (I know I bought it new, but am sure I didn't pay more than $3/yard.) Interfacing for the collar, leftover scraps = Free! Yay, a nearly free dress AND another finished project out of my basket!

A&G Ohio

In March, we zipped over to a great con we've been going to for 4 years. Shiho, our first of 6 Japanese exchange students, came back to visit and we dragged her a long. I don't think she was prepared for American Otaku! (Otaku in Japanese is an over the top fan of Japanese comics(called manga) and cartoons(called anime). The difference between here and there is that otaku nerds in America brandish the term like a medal of honor. Where as, Japanese use it as an insult. Funny how things get lost in translation!

Here is Shiho on the left, with Miss H dressed in her Suu costume, The Doctor (11th)(he was an impressive character...always on the ball with the right lines), and Miss G on the right. She offered to be a companion, but Amy and Rory were already waiting in the TARDIS. ;)I went in my travel outfit on Friday and didn't feel like wearing the hat, so I just plopped the goggles on my head.Shiho went shopping with our neighbor on Saturday, and we went back to the con. Miss H wore her Sakura costume from Tsubasa River Chronicles, and Miss G wore her cherry Lolita dress.The girls love mochi...which is a rubbery, slightly sweet, rice flour blob stuffed with a slightly sweet red bean paste. I don't mind the mochi, but the red bean paste is kinda disgusting. They love the melon flavored mochi and always get a big box in the dealer's room to share. It's their con tradition.I completely forgot to take pictures as we roamed around the con! Finally, I forced the girls to do a mini photo shoot just so I'd have something to post. First up, is Miss G in her black cherry Lolita dress...Next is Miss H in her Sakura outfit. She made this herself and won first prize in her division at Sugoicon. Unfortunately, we missed costume judging for this one but it's still a great costume!The girls decided it wasn't fair if I didn't get in on the fashion show, so here we go. This is my purple and brown Steampunk costume.There are tiny keys and clocks stitched all over the bustle.They insisted I had to get a "twirl" picture too.Thought I'd throw in a couple of hair pictures too. This started as a ponytail in the center back of my head. I made several pin curls and plopped them all over my head. Since I was going for am elegant messy look, I left an end poking out here and there. I wove in a silver necklace, a large medallion, small jeweled barrettes & hair pins, and a feather pick to finish it off.Miss G couldn't join us on Sunday and Master G had never been to a con. He isn't allowed to go until he turns 14. I made an exception because he's die hard Brony and there was a My Little Pony panel that day. (Guys who are fans of MLP are called Bronys and girls are called Pegasisters in the fandom at large...goofy kids.) We loaded up Shiho, Miss H, and Master G and headed to the con.I gave Master G my pass and went to lunch with Lord McCormick while they attended the Pony panel. Miss H is big fan of MLP too. Lord McCormick and I snuck into the panel near the middle and I was amazed that the guy to girl ratio was about 50/50.They watched the new episode, talked about the evolution of the series, gave away pony related prizes, and discussed pony traits. Master G LOVED the con. He dressed in his Steampunk attire. I think Shiho had a good time overall and thinks Americans are waaay too excitable when it comes to anime!Coincidentally, McDonalds has MLP prizes in their happy meals at the time...so of course, we had to stop there for lunch...and dinner!

Lolita Bow Tutorial

PLEASE NOTE: You may use this entire tutorial on your personal noncommercial site if you credit me, link back to my blog, and leave a comment here that you're using it...Thanks!

This is a basic bow without any frills. You can add lace, pearls, charms, multiple fabrics, etc. to make it unique. To wear, slide it onto a headband, stitch on a barrette, hair clip, or pin back and you'll be the belle of the ball!

Sew Lolita Panel Notes

Sewing Lolita! The following are helpful hints I've learned on my own sewing Lolita adventures.

My Deer & The Bicycle Gear Hat

Here's our adopted baby....well actually, she adopted us....My daughter named her Daisy. She's been living in our back yard all summer. Sleeping under the stairs or trampoline and eating everything in sight. Her mother isn't around much, but we see her once in a while. We haven't fed her or tried to touch her, but she's happy to munch the grass when we're outside as long as we don't get within 10 yards of her. Its been fun to watch her grow.

I'm working frantically on new Steampunk attire for the family. There's an event coming up in September and I want a family picture for our Christmas cards. So...today's offering is the hat I finished for my daughter, Juliette Bellafoxe's Steampunk Lolita outfit.
I had some butterflies in my stash o' stuff which I threw on in various areas. There are also tiny watch gears scattered about on the petals. This is the front.
I wanted it to have the feel of a small Victorian lady's hat with some minor imperfections because she's an airship mechanic. The round shape was dictated by the cool gear I found at the thrift store for $1!
Here's a look at the inside.
This is one side. The red flowers are hydrangeas with cream roses interspersed.
Here's a look at the back.Her skirt is made of the same fabric as the hat. It features a brown taffeta ruffle with embroidered brown fleur de lis, which is also used in the newly added hat ties. The corset/bustle is made of red brocade and is reversible with a simple gold brocade on the other side. The shirt came from the thrift store and benefited from a little tailoring.

The All Purpose (recycled) Bonnet

Miss H and I made her a bonnet to go with the nearly completed dress I hinted at a couple of days ago.

Victorian Maiden Inspired JSK

Miss H found this fabric in my stash and decided to make a Victorian Maiden inspired jumperskirt. VM is a Japanese Lolita brand that I absolutely LOVE. The problem is that their largest sizes are waaaay to small for healthy sized American girls. So, we just drool over the loveliness on their site and come up with our own stuff. She came up with the design & did 80% of the work. I worked on the trickier parts.We modified Butterick 4815, view B, for the bodice. I added an extra 2 inches to the back pattern piece and cut it on the fold instead of cutting two pieces and putting in a zipper. The back is shirred in the center panel and bodice is fully lined.I also shortened the waistline to make a baby doll waistline....somewhere between an Empire waist and her natural waist. The skirt is our usual Lolita skirt pattern with a 6" ruffle added at the bottom. The bodice and bow feature a snippet of antique lace I also had in my stash.This is one of my favorite outfits on Miss H. I like the longer length and, of course, the fabric. I think she did an outstanding job.

Strawberry and Chocolate Cupcake Skirts

I found the cutest cupcake fabric. One with a pink background and one with a brown background. Miss H thought it would be fun to twin with her friend Miss G. Miss H made 90% of both of these skirts and I finished them up. She designed them all the way down to the pearls and bows on the skirt. This was Miss G's Christmas present along with a date to our local tea shop later this month.Miss G was a crafty gifter too. She made this lovely bracelet for Miss H. All the different beads have a special meaning.
Miss H's pink shirt came from Bodyline. Miss G's green shirt came from the thrift store. I bought them matching pearl bracelets and silver rhinestone bow rings with a pearl. I forgot to have them pose for pictures, but I did snag some shots of them playing DDR.

Wonderland Tea Party!

Miss H has reached her Sweet 16 milestone.


To celebrate, we hosted a Loli Inspired "Wonderland Tea Party".

Summer Cherry JSK

Miss H asked for a new jumper skirt(JSK) for her 16th birthday party. How could I say no! She chose a dainty cherry fabric, accented with a small red gingham.She wanted something for a Country Lolita style. This is the front.Here's the back. I did add shirring to the back of the bodice instead of a zipper.The hem features a scalloped edge with a pretty gingham ruffle peeking out.I did some fiddling around with my skirt pattern to make the peek-a-boo eyelet section in the back. I'm quite pleased with the outcome and will apply this idea to other Loli outfits in the future. The large eyelet ruffles are recycled from a thrifted bedskirt.
Stay tuned for a future post on how I did a makeover on the peter pan collared shirt that goes under this JSK.