Daily Outfits: February and March

First an update about the "Virtuous Unicorn" line!  I've been working coloring the sketches.  The animals and flowers are done (and look great!), and the maidens and unicorns are almost done.  I was stymied on the maiden's dresses; designing a dress to go on a dress was a bit meta for me, but it seems to have worked out.

So look for some more previews soon and the actual line after that!

Other then dabbing watercolors onto paper, I've worn some clothes and taken some photos.

Worn on St. Valentine's day, and posted to the egl community for the Red theme.

This coord on lookbook

Jsk: Handmade

Cutsew: Thrifted and altered

Collar: Vintage

Pin: Vintage

Earrings: Gift

Corsage: handmade

Purse: Thrifted

Belt: Thrifted

Cuffs: Handmade

Hair Bows: Handmade

Socks: Innocent World

Shoes: Easy Spirit with handmade bow clips

Worn to a Valentine's day party.  I went for a sort hime look.  Not sure what I think about the high bun with my face.  Bit of an experiment. 

This coord on lookbook

Jsk: Handmade
Blouse: Ebay
Mink Stole: Antique's Mall
Tiara: Gift
Necklaces: Handmade
Shoes: Thrift store
Bow Clips: handmade

Striped dress again.  I went for a more mori style this time.  I wore this to drop off my Mother's and my "jewelry" entry for the Philadelphia flower show.   I tried out pinning my sandal shoe clips to my boots but they went a bit wonky and one fell off while I was taking photos.

This coord on lookbook

Jsk: Handmade
Blouse: Forever 21
Cardigan: Burlington Coat Factory
Belt: thrifted
boots: Steve Madden
Shoe Clips: handmade
Sweater Clip: Antiques store
Pin: Thrifted
Tatted Headband: Handmade

And I wore this to the Member's preview of the Philadelphia flower show.  My newest dress, which I can't seem to stop wearing!

A little view of how long my hair has gotten.  I've since gotten a few inches trimmed.  

This coord on lookbook.

Jsk: Handmade
Turtleneck: outlet store
Cardigan: Burlington Coat Factory
Corsage: handmade
Shoes: Thrift store
Bow Clips: handmade
Sweater Clip: Antiques store
Pearls: Gift 
Hat: Hats in the Belfry

And for those interested here is our entry.  The catagory was "Hair Comb" and the theme this year was Hawaii.  Other then the paint it is made entirely of botanical materials (calabash, lentels, mustard seeds, poppy seeds, orange peel ect.)  We won second place; which was great because last year we only got an honorable mention!

Daily Outfits: Early Summer

Coord post!  Get ready for quite a few photos, I've been trying to get used to using my tripod for taking shots of outfits.

Another outfit with my "curtain" jumperskirt.  It's alsmost astonishing how versatile this dress is!  I think I need to make a few more fairly simple flower pattern and solid color pieces.  

It's just so hard to keep things simple and not add too many details!

This may be one of my favorite coordinates (so far)!  the layering just seemed to really come out well!  Something about the length and fullness of the skirt really reminds me of Tenniel's Alice illustrations.

This outfit on lookbook

I am wearing the teal cardigan and gold tone sweater guard I posted about a few days ago.

Hmm, a somewhat awkward expression, but I just am so delighted with twirling photos recently!

I made some brown tatted flower shoe clips a week or so ago.  I really like the addition to these rather plain brown shoes I bought when I was a Bridesmaid at my friend Thera's wedding.  

I used the brooch pattern I posted a while ago.  I just made the top two layers rather then the whole thing.

And finally, I just had to make this little amusing gif when I looked through all the photos I took.

Please enjoy watching my head move around as my parent's chickens walk by!

Daily Outfits: Daily Mori

Although I have a great affection for lolita, I usually wear mori or natural-kei as my daily wear.  It's somewhat ironic that lolita just isn't a clothing style that is easy to sew lolita clothing in.

I do very much enjoy wearing the foresty styles too!  Here are some of my favorites from this past month; before it got so  humid and hot!

I've been trying to chronicle this outfit for over a year.  The layers and thinness of some of the fabrics makes it wearable for only a short amount of time in the spring or fall.

This coord on lookbook with clothing list

Detail of my necklace and hair comb.  No thats not Innocent World, but rather a very similar necklace I found at a costume jewelry shop and glued to the comb.

A more ethereal take on the Maid Marion type coord I wore before.  Same scarf too, worn in a different way.  Modeling my new (to me) purse.  

This coord on lookbook with clothing list

My poor frameless glasses are dieing, so I've been wearing these which are transitions.  They don't make for the best photos though!

A more Otome take.  The scrunched socks with the boots and lace leggings makes me feel like an old school bishōjo manga.    The dress was actually the first lolita jumperskirt I ever made (from thrift store curtains), which still is amazingly wearable even though it's unlined with unfinished seams! 

This coord on lookbook with clothing list

The knit collar was made for me as a present from my good friend Molly.  The cuckoo clock pin I inherited fairly recently from my Grandmother.  

Looking at these photos makes me think I really need to come up with new poses!

I wonder how many Lolita's also wear mori/natural-kei as their more day to day clothing?

Daily Outfit: Maid Marian

Last Friday My friend Autumn took some pictures of my completed *ahem* entry for EGL's hair accessories contest.  Since I already had her in my grasp, I asked her to take photos of my outfit from the day as well.

So happy to have finally gotten some photos of a good coord with my "woodland dirndl".  I've been wearing it all the time right now, since the weather can't seem to decide whether it's spring or winter.  It's so comfy!

This outfit on my Lookbook with outfit list

I wasn't sure what to wear on my head with this outfit, since I frustratingly seem to have misplaced my tatted rose headband.  But delightfully it turns out a scarf I inherited from my Grandma goes perfectly.

I wore the Sweet Acorn necklace and vintage button hairpins again, they are so versatile and charming!

It might be because of Martha's posts about fairytales and her matching coords on her Moss Garden blog that inspired me; but this outfit reminds me so much of Robin Hood.   With the brown braided leather belt, and wearing the green scarf on my head, it feels like I should be in Sherwood Forest.

Or it could be that I found an old copy of  "The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood" illustrated by Howard Pyle.

I have been working my way leisurely through the book recently, and have found it delightfully unlike most versions.

A cheerful hello to all the readers who found my nook of the "blogosphere" through Caro-chan's interview!  I want to thank her for picking me, and my brand to feature, it was a delightful experience!  

I hope you all are enjoying the blog so far, please let me know if there is something specific you'd like to see!  I have some recipes nearly ready, the Sweet Matryoshka skirts and Sweet Acorn Jewlery will be released as soon as I can put them together and take some photos, and when the entries for the EGL contest are released for voting; look for additional photos here as well!

Pssst... I've also been working on stuff for my next line, can't wait to post previews!

Edit:  I've been listening to "Sheena is a Lolita" on almost on repeat since it was posted to EGL.  Sooo cute and catchy!

Remake: Green Corduroy Dress Complete!

Happy St. Patrick's day!  I hope you all have had a good one so far!  To my delight, I finished remaking my green corduroy dress last week, so it was available to wear today.  No pinching for me!

It took quite a while because I decided to hand sew the braid on the bodice and hem rather then using my machine, because it was so thick!

I pretty much stuck to my plan for trimming it, except I used an ecru lace trim rather then the cream knit trim.  The knit trim just ended looking way too chunky.

Heres some additional photos.  Click pictures for larger version (as usual).

I've taken to thinking of it as my woodland dirndl.

Today I'm wearing it with a cream turtleneck, ecru long chunky lace knit vest, white eyelet skirt (with the dresses skirt unbuttoned), and of course my usual brown boots.

I'll try to come up with a more interesting coordinate and take a photo soon. 

I'm working on an entry for the EGL communitie's Hair Accessories contest.  I can't post photos here yet, because I don't want to ruin the competition; but I'll let you know that it involves straw!

What green clothes are you donning this St. Patrick's day?

Tutorial: Tassel Boots

One of the several looks I fallen for recently is fringe or tassel boots.  Alot of brands have come out with them and urban outfitters has also come up with a very cute pair.

But since I didn't want to spend alot of money, especially on shoes of dubious quality and comfort (in UO case); I turned my mind to figuring out how to add to my very faithful brown boots some tassely goodness.

Flower Show Report: part the first

Of course I have to start this post with a photo of the completed jewelry piece!  I'm very very happy with how it came out, it's something I'd love to wear if it was an actual jewelry set!

Here is the materials card, for those interested in seeing what exactly we used to make it:

On Friday we went to the Convention Center to have our piece passed and pin it to the display board.  We had no trouble with the passing and got some very encouraging comments from a veteran of the category.  

You can be sure that on Saturday my Mom and I rushed over to the Jewelry Competition section with a very nervous excitement; to find that we had not placed but had gotten a very respectable honorable mention (the only one in our section to receive one).  

I have to admit to being somewhat disappointed, being a very competitive person, but I quickly got over it.  My Mom and I are now fired up to try again (and WIN) next year!  The theme will be Hawaii. 

As usual when I go into the city, I took my chance to dress up !   Here's Friday:

You might remember this look from the 7 item 10 outfits challenge.  I changed up some elements and to my frustration forgot to put on the brown leather belt.  It really would have tied the outfit together more!

This coord on my lookbook with outfit list.

Slightly unflattering accessory shot!  Why yes, that is acorn jewelry you spy!  Yes it did take 4 month for my findings package to finally leave that mysterious Hong Kong post office!  

That means that the Sweet Acorn jewelry line will finally be released with the Sweet Matryoshka Skirts (soon!)

That flower pin I made out of scraps and is one of my newest favorite accessory.  

The hair pins are another new item.  I was unsure how to do my hair and picked out a few of my  Grand mom's buttons from a collection of her's that I inherited and just glued them on to a flat back hair pin!  I like the subtly vintage/mori look of them!

I got this hair stick as a Christmas present from my friend Autumn and have since been wearing it nearly everyday.  It's such an easy and comfortable way to put up my hair. 

I wanted to dress up the style a bit and added a braid to one side as well as the button hair pins; while still keeping it messy for that mori look.

For Saturday I wore another slightly changed challenge look.  I wanted to wear the beret for the Paris theme, even though the Matryoshka dolls on my skirt are of course Russian!  

This coord on my lookbook with outfit list.

This is my first time wearing a beret with lolita, and I can see why they are so popular.  Cute and comfy!

You can't really see them too well in the coords photos but I added some removable "tassles" to my boots.  I've been hankering for tassle boots for a while, but I can't really justify buying a new pair just for some fiddly bits.  So out came the fake leather, glue, and thread.

I'll be posting a tutorial for them soon.

Part the second will have photos of our competitors and of the prettiness of the flower show in general!

10 item 7 outfit challange

It's been a crazy busy month, so the other day I played dress up with my dress form. What an enjoyable challange.

Items:A: Polka dot "bed sheet" Jsk
B: Sweet Matryoshka Jsk
C: Brown ruffle cardi
D: White ruffle blouse
E: Ecru "lace" cardi
F: Red Cardi (if you can see it lol)
G: Eyelit underskirt
H: Brown Boots
I: Brown Heels
J: White Sandles (need a new pair XD)

I tried to do as many diffrent styles as possible.

1. Basic Sweet: B, D, I

2. Mori Lolita: A, D, E, G, H             

3. Classic (ish): B, C, D, I

4. Hime: A, J

5. Casual Summer (country?): B, F, J

6. Casual Fall: A, C, I

7. Circus/Carnival inspired: B, D, H

I'm planning on wearing a varient of the Mori-girl outfit tomrow when we drop off our peice for the Jewelry Competition at the Philly flower show.

Remake: Green Corduroy Dress

I love thrift stores.  Treasure troves of unwanted items just ready for you to see the potential!

As enjoyable as it is to make something from scratch, it is sometimes more so to remake a dress: changing buttons, adding trim, altering the silhouette until you have something new and wonderful.  It's quicker and usually less expensive then from scratch, and almost feels like delightful cheating.

This is what I have planned for this green corduroy dress I found a few months ago.

At first glance it's a fairly unremarkable dress, rather shapeless, and quite a bit too large for my figure.

What drew me in was the beautiful soft mossy green corduroy, mock tortoise shell buttons, and large patch pockets.  It had potential as a beautiful and warm mori or dolly-kei peice for the cold weather!

So far I have attacked it furiously with a seam ripper; removing the skirt from the bodice and cutting open the side seams.

My next plan is to sew new side seams and adding some darts to make it more fitting to my figure.  Then the skirt will be newly gathered reattached to the bodice.

Image from Folkwear.com

Then comes the most enjoyable part, adding braid, lace, and other trim.

My current inspiration is vintage German dirndls and Tracten fashions, like those frequently worn by the Grimoire shop girls.   They are so elegant and charming, but rather hard to find and *ahem* pricey when you can.

So I am planning to add some sage green and ecru martial braid to the bodice and skirt hem, some delightful knitted trim on the edge of the hem, and ecru crochet doily flowers on the patch pockets.

Hopefully it will turn out well!  Look for more updates and photos in the future!