Designing my Sallopettes

I wanted something casual and yet pretty to wear this summer and this old pattern gave me the starting point for a new design.

During my research I also came across this old photo which I love.

To speed things up and get the shape of the bib correct I purchased a pattern and traced off the relevant pattern pieces.

 

 

Then as I usually do, I made a toile so we could see where alterations needed to be made.

You can see from the photos below that the bib needed to be narrower and by making this alteration the garment becomes much more flattering.

  

We also streamlined the back and took some fullness out to make it fit better.

 

My first pair of sallopettes in the making, you can see here I have added a skirt to the bib : –

 

Made in cotton and lined in cotton the sallopettes are both comfortable and yet pretty.

 

After making mine, I made a blue set which are for sale in this colour on my Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/ShinkuRose, or can be made to order in a colour of choice.

MCM LONDON COMIC CON

We set off bright and early by train on 25th May to visit London Comic Con. I dressed in ‘Bitter Sweet’ Lolita in a casual coordination as I was trialing my sallopettes.

We had bought early entry tickets which I would advise as friends had to queue for over two hours for entry on the Saturday which is very tiring and can make a person grumpy by the time they get in.

My first stop was Nice Ice which I have wanted to try for a long time but have always left it to the end of the day on previous visits when to my great dismay they have sold out. This time we headed straight for their stall and the Nice Ice was delicious, my husband and I had mango and our friend had strawberry which I finished when he had had enough, yum, yum. We liked their face book page and now are the proud owners of key chains with the nice ice logo and anime characters, mine is Princess Mononoke. I am heading straight for their stall if they are at Hyper Japan.

We spent our time walking around all the exhibits but at midday it did become very crowded when all those who had been queuing entered.

I only bought a couple of items this visit one of which was this super kawai necklace from Candy Geisha!

As you can see from my photo this is a versatile necklace it goes well with my civilian clothes but also brilliantly with my Lolita outfits. I really like Candy Geisha’s accessories as they have a unique look and I will definitely buy again on line or at any of their pop up shops.

I also bought a new wig which I love. It is a split wig, black and purple, with twin tails photographed below. I think it enhances the look of my mini tricorns (for sale on my Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/ShinkuRose) and I am looking forward to wearing it to Hyper Japan.

 

My husband bought himself a new T-shirt from fb.com/JoshClarkeDraws which we both really like but he found that due to the size he needs there was not a lot of choice and this is one area I am going to look into in the near future as men like interesting clothes. My motto is that life is too short to wear boring clothes and at the moment his choice is limited. I think this will mean that I will have to buy a cover stitch machine to get the professional finish that is desired and needed on both T-shirts and Hoodies.

I loved wearing my sallopettes, they were both comfortable and pretty so I have now listed them on Etsy and they are also available direct through me on my facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shinkurose/593986427294641).

 

 

A Trip to Camden

Saturday started with fabric shopping however once this was completed successfully I needed a bit of different retail therapy so I traveled across London from Sheppard’s bush to Camden to the markets and shops there.

Camden is a great place to visit and there are a myriad of shops and markets but I always gravitate to Camden stables market which is the centre of alternative fashion. The shops aren’t the only interest though, there are plenty of other things to see.

One of my favourite shops is Sai Sai described on Camden markets web site as –

“a relatively new store specialising in this Japanese style. If dressing up as a goth version of a Victorian porcelain doll is your thing, it’s thoroughly recommended. Apparently it also does visual kei, which appears to be the Japanese equivalent of the 80’s glam metal look. “

I treated myself to a pair of tea party shoes there.

I wandered also into the vintage area where I bought this wonderful fur brooch in Atomium, a fantastic shop which stocks an eclectic mix which this Saturday included items from a chocolate box in the shape of a hat to a wonderful Victorian jet necklace. You will find them opposite the vintage book stall.

They also had a couple of jet hat pins that I really wanted but unfortunately funds wouldn’t permit. Atomium s ethos is that “With the world in the state it is, it should be a criminal offence to buy anything new”. Have a look at their web site http://www.atomium.co.uk/

Walk on toward the back of the market and you will find a fur shop where there are capes, stoles and coats in abundance at very reasonable prices.

Outside the market there are many, many fantastic shops.

Next to the lock you will find the Irregular Choice shoe shop, a magical shop full of colour and fun. Over the years I have bought quite a few pairs some of which are below.

You can shop on line but they also have shops in Carnaby Street, Leicester and Brighton.

I love going to Camden, the statues, the cobbled streets, the immense variety of different shops and also all the food stalls from Chinese to Peruvian make it unforgettable and every visit is different.

PHOTO-STYLING

We were really happy with our finished Tricorn hats but needed to showcase them both on line and to prospective customers as we want to make them to order.

Usually I have got some idea of how I would like to present what we have made but this time I struggled so I am very glad that we met Joanna Jacobs at the Boscombe Vintage Market where we both have stalls. Joanna is a talented artist and photographer and an excellent stylist, have a look at her work on her facebook page http://www.facebook.com/JoannaJacobsPhotography?fref=ts.

The day started bright and early and we met her just after 8.30 am in a beautiful small village in Wiltshire

We started with the black silk hat and this was dressed up with furs. I had already applied my make up but Joanna suggested lips in the style of Clara Bow which did look great.

The dovecote was the background here

Next up was the lovely burgundy velvet and Joanna cleverly styled this with layers of tulle

The small tricorne proved the most difficult to photograph but I got to wear an Erte coat and for this one we started to darken my eye makeup to accent the mood

Great fun was had with the blue felt which was dressed up with a Hermes scarf and an Armani coat. The little blue and yellow flowers in the background just accent the photo but the great thing is that the hat really stands out which obviously was the whole point of the exercise.

The weather started to break at this point but there was just one hat left and we stayed under cover for the steampunk one.

This was an experience not to be missed, very clever styling by Joanna and beautiful photographs which deliver what was wanted. It was incredibly helpful to have input from a third party and be able to stand back and look at the finished product. It is important to do this, it helps you to grow as an artist/designer and also to see how other people interpret your work because it is not always how you envision. Alternative fashion is all about taking risks and playing with the style. Although I mainly focus on Lolita fashion this photo shoot just shows how versatile accessories are and how they can be translated into different fashions.

A Trip to Worcestershire

We set out bright and early Monday morning to travel up to Evesham in Worcestershire for our 3 day course The car was packed with the equipment we needed to make our three tricorns.

First was a blocking board we needed for the felt Tricorne, this had caused a bit of stress for my dad who was making it as he needed to find something strong, not heavy and that we can push pins into.  In the end he found floor insulation board which he stuck together in layers.  As you can see once we got there we had to cover it in cling film as blocking involves the use of a lot of water.  With hindsight we would have painted this board with PVA so that it was water tight.  We also had three polystyrene blocks which we used for each Tricorne.

This is how the felt one started out

It is called a capeline and we bought it from Baxter Hart & Abraham and you can see below how it changes once it is blocked and shrunk.

The silk one had blocking net as its base which was blocked and stiffened,  

It then needed to be topped with domette and finished with silk.

     

and here is the brim, stiffened, neatened and ready to stitch

The velvet one had a base of double sided buckram and its brim although smaller was much the same as the black mini hat

Here are all three ready to be transformed into Tricornes

The mini Tricornes are nearly finished but you can see how lovely they are   

We had a lovely three days working with Janie at her School of Millinery and would recommend her as a tutor, in fact we are going back  and next time we are going to learn how to make bonnetts and a Watteau hat.

Hats Hats Hats

I have wanted to learn how to make mini Tricorne hats for a long time and at last it is going to happen.

We have arranged a three day course with Janie Lashford at Janie Lashford’s School of Millinery,Evesham, Worcestershire. I attended her school a few years ago and learnt couture techniques for making fascinators, she is an excellent tutor and is well versed in couture techniques. There are just two pupils, me and my mum and it will be an exciting but tiring few days as there is a lot to learn.

We are making three hats each, first one in felt and these are the bases we bought from Baxter, Hart, Abraham Millinery Supplies.

The second one is in velvet

The third is silk dupion

And then we needed trimmings

Monday morning we leave home at 6am for a prompt start at school at 10 am and by Wednesday evening we should end up with 6 hats which look like this but ours will be sweet Lolita, classic and steampunk inspired Tricornes to bring home.

I will keep you updated with my progress over the next few days on my facebook site http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shinkurose/593986427294641

Made to measure

One of the important aspects of our small business is that we want our dresses to fit as well as they can so each individual feels good and looks lovely when wearing them and we are trying to make this a viable option for all through our made to measure service.  We do offer bespoke wear and this can be found at http://www.mimibespoke.com but for most people this would be used for very special occasions such as a wedding.

Made to measure should result in a very good fit however for this to happen we rely on the measurements we are given by the customer therefore we are using this blog to give hints and tips on measuring accurately.

The first requirement is a good quality tape measure and not an old one which has stretched and it is easier to measure with a tape which has a soft end.  Next you need to be wearing the underwear you are most likely to wear with this outfit and a friend to help you measure makes life easier and is much more accurate.  If you have to take your own measurements then one useful tip is to stand in front of a mirror to check that the tape measure is in the correct position but it is better if you can enlist reliable help.  Also you must measure over just  your underwear or a close-fitting garment for accuracy.

Measurements needed are:-

 

Where to measure

Bust – This is measured around the fullest part of your chest making sure that the tape stays level at the back

Under bust – Measure directly under the bust (not over a wired bra)

Waist – Not always easy to find but it is just below the lowest part of your ribs at the sides, there is a natural indentation between your hip bones and ribs

Hip – Measure around your widest part which is usually halfway down your bum (lower down than most people think), again make sure that the tape stays level all the way around

Across Back – Have a look at the diagram, think of a well fitting garment and you measure from where the sleeve seam would be about halfway down the armhole.

Across Front – Same as above but across the front, this is usually slightly smaller than across back

Sleeve length- With your arm bent measure from the top of the sleeve down to the wrist

Nape to waist – This measurement is from the base of the neck (locate the little bumpy bone) to the natural waist

For some garments we would also need to know the circumference of the upper arm and the length of skirt you would like.  Skirt lengths can be very difficult to work out, our average length is 23″ and on most people that comes just on the knee.  One way to check the length is to measure the skirt of a garment which is very similar to the one you are having made.

We measure a lot of people and with the correct measurements we can make garments which enhance, if you ‘suck it all in’ when you are being measured you can slice an inch or so off of the final figure however your garment is going to come out much too small.   We would just like to emphasise please use a good tape measure, take care that the tape measure stays level around the body and do not pull the tape tight, it should be taut against the body with one finger under the tape measure, also please stick to either inches or centimetres and do not mix the two.

One final reminder, write each measurement down as you take it, use the list below as a template:-

Bust

Under bust

Waist

Hip

Across Back

Across Front

Sleeve length

Nape to waist

And if you order from us, don’t be suprised if we ask for a photograph, it helps us greatly and also we may ask what size garment you usually wear as again it is helpful to us in completing your beautiful garment.

 

 

 

A Recipe for a Sweet Lolita Outfit

INGREDIENTS

1. Pretty fabric in pastel colours or girly pinks and blues.  Or choose bright clear colours like I have here and what is good about this fabric is that it could be used for a Fairy Kei or Harajuka style outfit.

2     JSK pattern made to fit but with shirring at the back for comfort

3. Some finishing touches – in this case three pretty yellow bows, lace and ribbon detail along the top of the bodice and a yellow frill on the hem together with waist ties which tie at the back in a bow.

METHOD

Put this together with a frilly blouse and a strawberry bag, topped with a bow headband and pretty stars equals a gorgeous Sweet Lolita outfit

Finding a Label

As I am just starting up I have had to find cheap yet effective ways of promoting and labelling my goods. Every penny counts.

For London Anime Con I had the help of a very clever friend, Rebecca, who designed,sourced and printed labels for me at a very reasonable price.

The first label was to make the little ones I needed for my accessories.

To accomplish this we had a custom made stamp from Vistaprint who had a special offer of postage only plus a small charge for our own design.

This stamp was used on natural coloured tags which looked good.

The next label needed was larger ones which I wanted for the dresses and this is what Rebecca came up with –

These were printed on lightweight card, twelve to a sheet, cut out and a hole punched at the end.
On the back I stuck a label with washing and ironing instructions.

My other labelling problem was I wanted ShinkuRose on my carrier bags but this is expensive to have done professionally. Rebecca solved my problem, using a photo from my blog she created a Gothic Lolita which was just perfect for printing on circular stickers and sticking to some great red carrier bags I bought from Morplan.

For minimal expenditure my labelling was accomplished in a very short time scale.

Rebecca is a very clever lady and at the fairs we go to we always have a supply of her very distinctive and eye catching cards.

What to Do?

I have been thinking a lot lately about my business plans and have decided to move away from promoting the bridal and really work on ‘Lolita’ style dresses and accessories. To that end I exhibited at London anime Con which was great fun.

I needed to think of new and pretty hair accessories and this is one of them:-

Beautiful crochet roses on a hairband with ribbon bows, I love wearing mine

The beauty of these is that they can be made to order in any colour.

They are available from my etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/ShinkuRose or message me direct.