Handmade Lolita Thread

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I bought a JSK with a damaged bodice for cheap because it was my dream print. Part of the skirt is unusable because of a large rip. Now I don't have enough material to gather into a skirt that will fit my waist and have enough space for a petticoat, and adding a bustle like pic related is what came to mind to fix that. The problem is the skirt material isn't a single continuous piece, it's in two pieces and has a seam in the middle. Where's the least awkward place to put the bustle?

>>8776832
This may be better for the sewing thread, but anyway I don't think there's really a good solution to this.

>>8776832

Cut the narrower panel into another two pieces. Put your bustle there. Use the wider panel as the front of the skirt. This way the seamlines will be at the sides of the skirt, not front and center.

I recently lost all of my machine embroidery patterns. Does anyone have any they want to share? I had some cute alice in wonderland ones..

Any anons make stuff from the newest OnS yet?

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I like the background in this photo.

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this is adorable imo

>>8779497
Agreed. Saw that on the sewing group. Super cute.

>>8779491
I like her stuff a lot, but it's a shame that she doesn't know how to sew properly. And by "properly" I mean she self admitted that she takes a more DIY approach rather than pattern, cut, sew. Still, her stuff looks clean and always turns out well.

Where do you all buy quality lace that isn't super overpriced?

>>8779525
Online, eBay, Taobao. But honestly, you don't always need to add lace to something to make it Lolita. A lot of people get it into their mindsets that they need lace for some reason.

>>8779556
That's true. I just like old school and have a few patterns for some things that could benefit from white lace. Do you have any taobao stores you go to for lace?

This is just about finished. Have to finish trim, add a couple bows, and make it look neat, but considering I didn't know how to thread a machine when I started this...definitely could have ended up worse. It's pretty cute in person.

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>>8779771
Dropped picture

>>8779775
Not bad anon! The bodice looks a little boxy, but it is your first and it might look okay worn. I'd love to see it when it's completely done!

>>8779775
Good job! This looks pretty great for your first piece. Mine was nowhere near this neat. Post pics when it's done, I'd love to see the finished version!

>>8779506
What sewing group?

>>8781355
Different anon but 99.9% positive they mean "pintucks and lace" on facebook

>>8781355
or 'lolita sewing collective'?

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Wow
(from CoF)

>>8784646
thought those were tennis shoes at first glance

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I want to make this headdress, but I'm not sure how to make the ear thing. Help?

>>8788676
Does she mention where she got that fabric?

I also wonder why more brolitas don't make their stuff themselves, since they always seem to worry about if brand will fit their frames. Seems like it'd be right up their alley.

>>8791005
I have that fabric as well and I got it from fabric dot com. I think it's sold out on the site now, but if you search Kokka Paris they still have mint colorway available.

>>8787970
Cut out two pairs of the ear shapes, sew together on the wrong side, cut it so you can turn it inside out without it looking like a sack of pebbles, trim off excess fabric. Turn right side out, iron, add interfacing, iron again, see if it looks like pic related.
Looks like there's a dart on the ear thing, or it could be two separate pieces sewn together, can;t really see much on my screen.
But yeah, experiment, use interfacing, and don't give up if it looks awful on the first try. Learn from your mistakes and keep trying until it looks right.

>>8792002
It's a dart, that's why the ears are standing and not flat on the head.

I'd recommend looking at the store pictures, you can see the shape better.

Build a mock with craft paper till you get the dart right because it's oval shaped so it's a little bit tricky

I have never sewn lolita clothing before and would like to start. I am having trouble finding proper fabric in local stores. Any online stores? I am in the US but I'll import it.

>>8792642
start with plain or florals, you shouldn't have any issues finding a nice plain thick cotton fabric from a local fabric store. I assume you mean edge prints by 'proper fabric', please don't go for that

someone mentioned fabric dot com right above, I have no experience with it so can't comment. just look through the online stores of your local fabric suppliers. if you want to pay a lot for custom fabrics, spoonflower.

>>8792642
Start with a solid piece. Since you're in the US, try Joann's Stretch Sateen.

http://www.joann.com/sew-classic-bottomweight-stretch-sateen/xprd757778.html

I've made blouses and dresses with it, and it works well for both. It's easy to sew, the slight stretch helps if you're not great at fitting yet, and it looks great wash after wash with its very subtle sheen. It makes nice ruffles too.

>>8784646
This is gorgeous but has more cosplay vibes than actual lolita dress. Pretty impressive skills nonetheless

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Don't like the bow on the waist but the rest looks pretty decent.

>>8779678
Check the taobao spreadsheet. There are loads of lace stores listed there.

Where can I find nice patterns that's not super expensive?

>>8792002
>>8792016
It's a full seam, not just a dart. It's curved so that it makes the fabric stand upright when worn. I'm not sure how to explain it, so if I get time tomorrow, I'll take photos of it laid flat so you can see what I mean.

Normally, I'd be against replicating an indie designer's pieces, but their quality has dropped in a shocking fashion of late. Comparing my headdress to a friend's (I bought it in 2012, she bought last month), it looks like it's not even from the same store. It's nuts and really sad.

please forgive my absolute dingus question, but how exactly do you use the otome no sewing patterns? do you need to understand Japanese?

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>>8795975

It's easier if you either have some sewing experience, or have enough common sense and logic so you can figure out which pieces are supposed to go where. With that in mind, though, the instructions are really clear, and the text is barely needed at all, since they show you the final product most times you can guess what is supposed to go where. There is one project at the front of the book that is in full colour photograph, then the rest of the book is lineart drawings like this. Again, really clear drawings, barely any words. Most of the time you can use logic to guess what each diagram wants you to do.

As for the patterns, there is a large piece of paper in the back of the book that you cut out. It can be a bit confusing to locate the piece you want since they're all superimposed on each other, you choose the piece you need and then trace it out (leave the paper pattern intact so you can trace another pattern from it next round). Do note that their L size still appears to be a short, flat girl, it's just that L size is a fat short girl and S size seems to be a skinny short girl, so if you're taller and bustier you're going to need to modify the patterns. If you come across a piece that is white instead of grey inside the book, that means you have to draft the pattern out yourself (it's usually a rectangle though, so again, very easy).

>>8788673
>that fabric
ohmylawd

>>8795975
>>8796022
Also keep in mind that the patterns in the back are without seam allowance, so you'll have to add that yourself or else everything will end up too small.

>>8776832
You can always op out on adding the bustle to the dress and making it an underskirt instead. Brands have done examples of this, I'm just too lazy to get an example.

>Buy fabric and lining for it
>Put them in water to shrink
>The lining fabric leaks colour badly
>Change the water 10+ times, still leaks a little
>Give up since my fingers are starting to look like raisins

Has this happened to anyone else? I have used the same fabric on differend colous but for the first time the colour leaks like this.

>>8797569
It happens a lot with dark or jeweltone colors, the dyes are just more prone to running. Leave the lining fabric to soak by itself in some detergent + hot water for a couple of hours to get rid of all the extra dye, it'd suck if the color transferred when you steam ironed or washed the finished garment.

>>8797569
Grandma always told me to add a bit of salt to the water.
I'm not sure how it works exactly

What are the ratios for making a 2 tiered skirt? Can the top layer be what I normally use for skirts and the 2nd layer be 1 and a half times that measurement or is that not enough?

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She always has really nice locations for her pics.

>>8795173
This dress is lovely! I would recommend taking the bow off though, it kind of throws the whole dress off.

>>8797986

>what I normally use for skirts
Vaguest measurement ever.

It depends on how fluffy you want your skirts to be, and what shape you're aiming for.

For something like AP's Whip Magic coat set jsk, the top tier would be 2-ish metres and the second tier would be 3-4m. Baby's 2-tier skirt jsks (eg- Heart Marble Chocolate) are usually narrower, the second tier would be only 2-3m instead of 3-4m. So:
- if you're making something with a border print and want it to be clearly visible, keep it under 4m in the second tier.
- if you don't want to be a poofmonster, keep it under 3m in the second tier.
- if you're not doing a border print and want to be absolutely fluffy and poofy, go ahead and do 5m in the second tier.

Then work your way backwards to get the skirt width for the first tier, eg: 4m in second tier, do 2.5m in first tier. 3m in second tier, do 1.8 in first tier (not too narrow for your hips/petticoat). 5m in second tier, do 3m in the first tier.

You can't really get a good A-line shape out of just two tiers. If you're thinking of AP's miniskirts, the top tier is actually a flared skirt, then the bottom tier is a long rectangle. In that case you'd need to start with a flared skirt pattern, then add a rectangle as the second tier.

>>8798944

Ah, I forgot to add. These mostly work for those who fit within Japanese sizing, ie waist size 60-80cm. If you're a lot bigger/smaller than that, you might want to adjust the sizing in proportion to your waist size.

>>8797668
Salt will help set the dye. Try that!

>>8798869
It looks good, but the pattern on the bodice is cut up and I think it would have looked better if she'd used a solid colour for that instead. Also, that waist bow is really limp, it looks really out of place. Waist ties would have been better.

>>8798951
Thanks! My waist is around 60 cm. I thought there was an exact ratio or something to use, sorry about the vagueness.

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Do you seagulls have any tips for finding out-of-print fabrics? I found some that I want to use because the theme for the event is swords and sorcery, but it's been long out of print. The locals only have a few fat quarters of the wrong colorway and it's even hard to come by online. Pic related, it's the fabric series I'm looking for.

>>8799559
Is this for lolita? This would make a terrible dress/skirt, dude. Wear solids and make cool accessories instead.

>>8799559
ebay? If you have the maker/product name

>>8779497
The use of scallops in this design is A+. I don't normally like Christmas dresses but this is very well done!

>>8795839
That's really sad to hear! I bought my headpiece from Antique Beast in 2014 and have no quality complaints, but I've never done a matching comparison with an older version.

>>8799559
Reverse image search? Or maybe Etsy? I've sometimes found OOP fabrics there, although the mark-up can be pretty high.

>>8800178
Eh, just make it into a simpler JSK with a plain dark bodice. No ruffles, minimal lace etc. so that it doesn't become too busy.

This print has a nice structure and color palette, it's gonna look fine.

>>8798869
This is really cute! I just wish that red was more toned down. The top area doesn't look quite right and the bow doesn't help. I hope to see her improve a bit more.

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Anyone have pics of cute scepters? I often see them in coords, but more difficult to find on their own.

>>8795839
You can't rip off a design plus everyone has already made their own version of this

>>8790720
Is that the chick who runs the blog I want to say Makelovely or some shit?
If it is she got fat
Sage for ot

>>8806361
Yup. I think she was always kinda chubby though.

>>8806361
Is that the cunt who says things about people's weight or other shit?
If it is she should go out.

>>8806369
Yeah I agree she was always on the chubbier side but she's definitely porked up

>>8806377
Not to my knowledge but maybe other anons know something I don't

I sew pants which turned out too tight. Any ideas how I could reuse the fabric? It's green tartan if it matters.

>>8806611
Can you let out the side seams and add a strip of complementary fabric? Assuming this is for ouji, a stripe plus some nice trim going over the seams could give you a nice look. Other than that, your fabric is now cut into such small pieces I don't know if you can do anything else with it other than make accessories.

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I'm looking to make a veil headpeice to go with my new dress. I have a basic idea on how to construct one, but does anyone have any tips or constructs to making one? Any help would be appreciated. Pic related, general look I'm going for, but with added veil in the back. Also black.

Asked in the general but no help was obtained. I want to make a rectangle headdress and want to know dimensions of the main part excluding lace. Google didn't help. If you have a newer brand headdress to measure or reeeeeally nice handmade one, I'd appreciate your help.

Kind of a dumb question, but what should I look for in a sewing machine? I have very basic sewing skills, but I've always just borrowed sewing machines from other people when I needed them. I want to try making handmade now, so I figure I should buy my own.

Do I really need these "100 stitches" some of the machines have? What's a good price range? Is ~$100 enough to get something decent, or should I go with something higher?

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>>8810728
It's a Bodyline headdress, but about 27x7cm.

>>8812964
Anon, I have a brother sewing machine I got for about $80.I've had it for two years now, and it's handled everything I've thrown at it, from fur to vinyl to denim. It works beautifully.

http://www.amazon.com/Brother-XL2600I-Affordable-25-Stitch-Free-Arm/dp/B000F7DPEQ/ref=sr_1_2?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1452805263&sr=1-2&keywords=brother+sewing+machine

It has 25 stitches, which covers all the basic ones you'll probably ever use.
And it's super easy to use and get used to.

>>8812964

Decorative stitches are nice, but not a necessity. It's something cheap machines throw on and it looks flashy, but you should invest in a good machine. Depending on how much you see yourself sewing as a hobby, you can get something that will be decent, but won't last too long. I sew a lot, both for lolita and cosplay (as well as home things), so I got a Janome student model that was about $500, but should last me 20 years+ if I treat it nice. I'm partial to Janome because of the quality, but I've used a Brother and it was fine. I learned on a '78 Singer (that only recently died), but I say only go with Singer if you're buying vintage because new Singers are cheap crap.

>>8810728
If you aren't looking for something flashy it's definitely worth looking at older second hand machines on ebay and the like since you can get lucky and pick up a solid older machine pretty cheaply. With a straight stitch and a zig-zag you're covered for most of the stuff you might want to do when you're learning.

>>8813030
Thanks for the recommendation! The reviews are good and the price is low, so I will consider it. One question: is the foot pedal pressure sensitive to adjust the speed? That's what I'm used to, but some models mention having only one or two preset speeds.
>>8813136
Thanks for the advice. I'm not sure how often I will be using it, but I'm not sure I'm quite ready to invest $500 into a sewing machine yet. I don't want to go over $300 max right now. I'm afraid I'll end up not using it enough to justify the price. But I will definitely consider springing for something a little nicer.
>>8813216
Thanks, I'll definitely check out the 2nd hand market.

Thank you all for your advice and suggestions! I'll think this over for a while.

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Not a fan of the lace she used, but overall nice.

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>>8787970
I tried to make a bat peplum belt inspired by this. Mine didn't turn out so great, but I know the basics of how to make it stand up like that.
What I did (hope this makes sense):
>Make the top part of basic skirt pattern (this part is irrelevant if you are making a headdress, you'd want a headband pattern or something...)
>slash and spread up to top of skirt to add flare
>split the pattern and add in tapered seams (smaller at the end) to meet the points of the bat wing parts.
Cut out two and sew the tapered seams, then stitch them right sides together along the jagged part and flip inside out

The tapered seams will add the necessary structure to hold it up (you could add horsehair braid or something into these to make it stiffer), while the flare enables it to stand up from your head.

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I made this which was originally for a Christmas coord that I never got round to wearing due to depression. But is this good? It was my first time trying something like this, as usually I tend to stick with sweet.

>>8815613
probably should have resized, totally forgot how big the original picture was oops

>>8815613
To be completely honest it looks a little too bulky. Some of the holly leaves having snow while the rest doesn't also throws it off. It's a great start, but I would make the design more balanced and be a little more careful with the details next time.

>>8815616
Thanks. I think the same myself, really and planned to wear it with a really wavy hairstyle but I do see where you're coming from and you're absolutely right. Thanks for reconfirming my thoughts though. I appreciate the criticism.

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Newbie here. I'm looking to make something similar to pic related. Can anyone point me in the direction of a good tutorial/pattern for the skirt portion? Specifically, I want to make the general shape of the skirt, not necessarily the ruffles and stuff at the bottom. I know how to make a basic rectangle skirt, but that would give me too much of a bell shape, instead of the A-line I want. Sorry for my cluelessness.

>>8815617
Of course, anon! I really look forward to seeing a new iteration of this. I've never seen holly leaves with roses, but it's a gorgeous combination.

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I want to see someone make something out of this.

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>>8816346

Comes in green too.

>>8816110
What kind of fabric would you use for it?

>>8816352
I'm pretty good with fabric and I'm not sure.

It's got a nice drape like a jersey but that skirt material is going to be to heavy for a jersey bodice so that can't be it.

It's not stiff enough to be a cotton. Can't be a satin either

My guess is a poly blend of some kind.

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More fabrics!

I feel like you guys need more to choose from for more handmade goods.

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too busy for my taste but used judiciously it could work.

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Bears paired with brown velvet bows or grosgrain ribbon would be so adorable.

>>8816352
I'm not entirely sure, I was just going to look in the fabric store for some light pink and white fabrics that looked nice, but perhaps I should plan this out better. The original OP is chiffon, according to the product page. It doesn't look like any of the chiffon I have, but I'm not really an expert on fabrics, so...

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>>8816403
Looking at some of the close-up pics, it does look see-through like chiffon.

>>8816110
Go for a 1/2 or 3/4 circle skirt.

>>8816433
Thought it might be something like that. It looks a little gathered at the sides, too. I've made a full circle skirt before, so I think I can handle that. I'll just have to do some math to figure out exactly how to cut it.

Thanks, anon.

>>8816362
Yeah, I love how it's draping. Would love to know what it is if anyone had any suggestions. It says chiffon but that looks heavy for chiffon, unless it's a different kind of chiffon.

>>8776803
I'm so tempted to make a blouse because apparently my shoulders are too manly for the Japanese

>>8816419
It is chiffon, I own it. It's just kind of a thicker chiffon and it's lined.
I can take pics if you want.
>>8816110
Try looking at some vintage patterns maybe?

>>8816627
>>8816110
Idk if this will help but.
The skirt has a seam on each side, and isn't gathered at all on the front or the back, only has gathering on sides.
The gathering is about 17cm long, and I have the S size. (the gathering reaches to the boob dart on the bodice, to the dart on the back of the bodice) I HOPE THIS HELPS!
The zipper is also on the side seam.

I'm not to sewing savvy as you can probably tell but, I'm happy to help any way I can.

sage for double post.

>>8816627
Pics would be awesome!

>>8816642
Thank you, this actually does help! Having a number for the gathering helps. Would you mind giving a measurement for the circumference of the bottom of the skirt?

I'm not very sewing savvy yet either, but I'm trying to learn. So thank you!

>>8816647
>>8816675
Oh yeah, sure.
What do you want pictures of specifically? It'd be easier if you just told me what you wanted to see so I could take it all at once.

The bottom is ~122cm, def not exact since it's such a big ass skirt.

>>8816719
FUCK I mean only the front skirt panel is 122cm at the bottom so it would about 244cm total.

>>8816719
>>8816721
Thanks! That's enough for me to work with for the skirt part. I should be able to get the right amount of fullness and general shape with this. I'll get started on that ASAP, and I'll be back if I need any more help!

>>8816719
I'd love to see some closeups of the bottle ruffles that exentuate the fabric's texture!