Mollie Makes- Cute Crafting

One of the more interesting aspects of having therapy (which I have now completed! Yay!) is the random discoveries that you make during your journey. A task that I had to complete every single week (and still do now afterwards, because I find it fun) was to do 5 relaxing things every week. Sounds easy, right? Well it can be surprisingly difficult to make time to simply relax and plan what activities you are going to do! As part of this, I decided that I wanted to explore a little bit more the things which I have previously enjoyed, but sort of got pushed aside. A part of this involved going to a store with a huge magazine selection and browsing the general interest section. It was during this time that I stumbled across a magazine called Mollie Makes. The free gift that issue was this cute biscuit keychain. I made a note to myself to buy the magazine the following day when I had more money, but it turned out it was that day that the new issue was coming out. Typical! So I decided to take to Ebay and the like, in search of Mollie Makes issues. I discovered that they could be somewhat relevant to the Japanese Fashion and general Kawaii Community.

So I got this issue of Mollie Makes because the cover photo looked very promising. I was not disappointed. It gives clear instructions on how to make cute stuff, such as the felt macarons you can see here. These would not look too out of place on a lolita accessory. I am having fun coming up with ideas on how I can use this macaron pattern as a base for future crafting projects.

There is also simple embroidery and it talks you through the basic techniques. I think this could be a useful magazine for anybody looking to extend their crafting knowledge or those who dream of selling their own accessories. There is a range of big and small projects- there is a crochet skirt and other clothing as well- and a wide range of variety. Some of the projects will probably not be related to your interests at all, but there is a great deal of potential here as well. There are also interviews with members of the crafting community. It gives a fascinating insight in to the day to day life of your typical crafter. It gives you an idea of where their inspiration comes from.

I am really looking forward to buying further editions of Mollie Makes in the future. In fact, I may delay publishing this so I have a chance to get all the past issues I want! But there are also online patterns and projects if you do not wish to commit and buy a physical copy. I just wanted to give the magazine a bit of a signal boost because I think it could be a useful tool. Out of all the craft magazines I have come across this is one of the best ones I have discovered. I can't wait to make the macarons!

Adapting Japanese Patterns

 A few years back, there was a pattern in one of the Gothic Lolita Bibles which took my fancy. But this being the Japanese GLB, it meant that I did not understand the instructions.

The pattern in question was this Cinema Doll echarpe. This was probably the item that started off the sash trend that followed. After some unsuccessful attempts, I gave up about this sash and then forgot about it. But then I decided to sit down and actually properly think about the instructions and see if I really needed to know Japanese to make the sash. So, did I need to know Japanese?

The answer is no, I did not. This gold sash was made using the GLB pattern but I altered it slightly to make it a bit simpler. The main thing I altered was I made the sash as one continuous length, whereas the pattern is split in to halves. So I just had 2 long lengths to sew together and put the desired trims in the seams. I did put a chiffon overlay over a cotton base, just because I liked the look of the chiffon better. It was the chiffon that proved to be the biggest challenge for me, as I hand-stitched the entire thing and chiffon is a real pain to work with.

So my biggest piece of advice to anybody thinking of making something from a Japanese pattern would be this- use some common sense. I was able to work out how to make the sash because I sat down and figured out the rough order of how to make the sash. If need be, make a version using cheap materials so you can see how it will come together. I actually made a navy blue sash before this one and I admit I did make a few mistakes with that one. But it meant that I had a much better idea about how to make this gold one, and I feel the gold one turned out a lot better. A lot of the reason why I decided to make a sash using one continuous length is because I couldn't quite figure out how to make the sash if you used 4 pieces. So I came up with my own way of making the pattern simpler so I would know what I was doing.

It does help if you can figure out the materials, even if you don't end up translating everything. It helps to look at the quantities at the end. If you have a quantity like (random number) x (random number) then you know the material has to be a square, so it is going to be something like fabric or interfacing. If it is one number with cm after it, then you know it is going to be one length, like a line of lace for example. If it has something like x(number) then you are probably going to need some sort of embellishment, like a tassel. Look at the item you are trying to make to see if you can spot all the materials mentioned in the list. Once you have a rough idea of which materials are which, you can try and see if you can spot these words in the instructions, so you know when you need to use which bit. 

It is also worth seeing if you can find a version of what you want to make in your own language. I did look up a few sash tutorials in English, but to be honest, none of them looked as fancy as the GLB one. However, it did at least give me a rough idea of what I was doing.

And if all else fails, there is always the option of trying to translate the text. I found this link helpful- http://www.japanesesewingbooks.com/japanese-sewing-terminology-a-list-of-translated-terms/ There was also an English GLB which had some useful sewing terms (I think it was the flower issue).

I also searched hiragana chart online so I could translate some of the bits which were not covered. It sounds tricky, but if you take your time you may be surprised how much you can achieve. You may find that some words look very similar to English words. For example "ke-mi-ku-ru" when said out loud sounds a bit like "chemical", so I worked out I was going to need chemical lace.

So I suppose I did cheat a little, because my sash design is simpler. But I was really pleased that I had taken the time to work out how to make the sash. I am confident now that I could make a more intricate sash in the future. I would really recommend making a sample of your item with cheap materials first though. It is not worth wasting money on expensive materials if you don't know what you are doing. I would definitely give interpreting patterns another go in the future. Alternatively, you could just ask somebody very nicely if they will translate the pattern for you!

Handmade Playing Card Bow

I am having a bit of an outfit crisis at the moment. July is just around the corner and that means that the Oxfordshire Lolitas will be invading Alice Day once again. Despite Alice Day last year being my hosting debut, I had a great time (and hopefully the other attendees did too) and we even made it in to our local paper. In fact, our photo was used again this year to advertise this year's Alice Day and there are still pictures of us floating around on some of the Alice Day web pages.

The only problem is, for ages I couldn't think of anything to wear this year. Normally, I just go with the flow but with Alice Day, it is one of those events where you ideally want to be on theme. Only, I went and sold my Bodyline Alice Skirt! Whilst I don't regret selling it, it left me wondering what I should wear to Alice Day this year. I could have worn Wonder Cookie or even Starry Night Theatre, but I just wasn't "feeling it". Thankfully, I now have a basic outfit idea planned and now I am trying to build on that. It is not going to be OTT crazy, but at least I will be on theme!

I decided that I would try making some matching accessories for my outfit and this is where this bow comes in-

I have gone for an outfit based around playing cards and card suits. So I took a playing card and turned it in to a bow by folding it like a fan. I gathered the middle part and then fanned the card out to a basic bow shape. The middle looked a bit ugly, so I sewed a bell charm on to the middle. The bell looks loose in the photo, but it is in fact gently sewn on and hopefully it will stay in place. I deliberately chose the Joker card!

This is not an original idea. I actually saw something similar online last year, but there was no way I was going to buy one of those for a stupid amount when I could make one at home. The only thing is, it feels as though there is something missing on my bow. It looks very simple. I don't want the bow to look too over-done, but maybe there is something I can do to make it look a bit neater maybe? I thought about getting some thin ribbon and then tying a tiny bow around the middle. I wonder if that would work?

Hopefully I will be able to figure out a way to finish off this bow and also complete my outfit. Any suggestions about the bow would be greatly appreciated. It was just a very cheap and simple craft idea. The good thing is, if I need to make more, I only need a spare 5 minutes and I already have a supply of playing cards!

July Ox Loli meet- Luna hosts a meet at Alice Day!

I would have updated earlier today but I have been very tired. It has been a long hectic weekend. I have hosted a lolita meet for the very first time! It took a lot of planning but thankfully, everything came together. Earlier this year, it was decided I would host the July Oxfordshire Lolita meet. Originally, I was going to hold a scavenger hunt but I realised that the day we were going was the same day as Alice Day. If you were reading my blog around this time last year, you may remember I attended Alice Day last year with my husband. I thought I should make the most of the date clash and so, the meet became an Alice Day meet!

We spent the day at Oxford Castle eating my picnic and getting in to all sorts of immature japes. We even made it in to the local paper! I will hopefully get a scan of the paper at some point. It was a very interesting day. People kept mistaking us for performers which was funny!

I took full advantage of the fact that I already had an Alice inspired outfit in my wardrobe. I have always loved the imagery from the book.

Skirt and cutsew and waist bow (worn on head)- Bodyline

Shoes- Unknown (from Minky Shop)

Socks- offbrand (stall in Camden)

Accessories- various off-brand

I had various playing cards stuck all over me. I had all 4 Aces on my leg and the Queen of Hearts was attached to my chest. My shoes are so OTT. I need to wear them more often. They remind me of Cardcaptor Sakura! The heels are made of foam which is very soft to walk on.

I cut up some playing cards to make some nail art. If they look rushed, it is because they were!

For the picnic I provided loads of food such as cupcakes, sandwiches, various salad bits, crisps, tarts and lots more. I got some plain blue cups and added Drink Me on one side and an Alice sticker on the other side.

The plates had Alice printed on them and I also had some Eat Me tags. Originally, the tags were meant for the cupcakes but that idea didn't work well so I tied them to lollipops instead.

There was a croquet set laid out on the garden. Nicola and Naomi (dressed as Alice and the Red Queen) decided to do their own version of croquet instead! Oxford Castle even remembered to include some lawn flamingos (bottom left!).

We got to hold some cute little bunnies. Some were really tiny. I was a little scared I was going to drop the one I held. We held our picnic very close to the bunnies so we got to see them whilst we ate.

There was also a giant chess board! We decided to make it look as though Nicola had just fallen down on to the chessboard, which is why she looks a little dead here. Sadly, I forgot where some people got their clothes from so I have just included information I remembered.

From left to right we have-

Raine (as the Mad Hatter in Meta's Romantica Train), Louise (awesome waistcoat! I think she was doing the Mad Hatter too but I am not sure!), Jenni (as the white rabbit in Moitie), Sammi (as the Cheshire Cat in another cute salopette), Me (as Alice/Card Sentry hybrid, see outfit rundown above), Beau (as Alice in Angelic Pretty's Wonder Cookie), Sophie (wearing Alice and the Pirate's Scent of Rapunzel), Olwen (in Bodyline).

And on the chess board we have Nicola as Alice (handmade items).

We were joined by 2 newbies- Sophie and Olwen. Both of you were absolutely lovely and I hope you attend more meets in the future! You both looked lovely!

I also made a game- Pin the tail on the Cheshire Cat! It took me a couple of hours to paint this by hand. Louise won some Colin the Caterpillar sweeties and a teacup necklace (to continue the Alice theme).

Despite feeling a little tired, I had a great day and the others have told me they enjoyed it too. I will definitely hold more meets in the future. Now I really want to attend Alice Day again next year. Next year it will be the 150th Anniversary of the day Lewis Caroll originally told the story of Alice in Wonderland to the real life Alice- Alice Lidell. I believe next year it will be held on the exact same day of the anniversary too. I can't wait!

Yay! I have lots of lovely new jewellery!

I am so lucky to have friends like mine.

A few months ago whilst I was still getting this blog up, a friend asked me if I would like some jewellery. I made a jewellery inspiration post for Saija so she would get some sort of idea of the sort of pieces lolitas like. Well, a few days ago I got my jewellery package. I even got given a letter written on duck paper! If I ever get given something with a duck on it, you can guarantee I will be happy! :)

I shall be keeping this letter safe (I had forgotten how nice it feels to receive letters. I hope letter sending never dies out). Firstly, I got a pair of pink bead earrings and a dangly charm on a keyring. I am not sure what sort of animal it is, but it looks cute! I felt it was slightly too heavy to dangle off my phone so I will probably be attaching it to one of my bags. I also like the cute little bow on it.

I didn't realise how dark this picture came out. Here are a few of the earrings I got and a necklace which I can match with the pink earrings. Again, the large charm on the necklace is very sweet. Maybe I should dye my hair purple too...

Then I got this bracelet and another pair of earrings. I think butterflies look beautiful so I was really happy with these items. Plus I now have a bracelet with my loli name on it. I predict that this bracelet may be my most worn item.

Another dodgy photo! (It looked better when I took it!) Here are my favourites out of the lot. A starry necklace and not one, but two pairs of matching earrings. Saija said she was inspired by a post I did on Angelic Pretty's Melty Moon items. These go well with a luna theme.

It is very clear that a lot of thought has gone into these items. Not only do they have features that I personally find very appealing, but every item also has at least one other item you can match it with. I will never have to worry about if my items match. The jewellery was well made and the letter was a lovely personal touch. It was very kind of my friend to spend the time to make me these items and also make and send them for free. Overall, I am very pleased and I am looking forward to wearing my items. I am amazed at how many new pairs of earrings I have! Thank you so much Saija!

Here is a link to my friend's jewellery photo folder-

http://picasaweb.google.com/minisaoka/Koruja?fgl=true&pli=1#

And an album for the stuff she makes and swaps at Swap-bot-

http://www.flickr.com/photos/prunellamodularis/

Please go and check these links out! :)

I want to learn crochet!

When I was younger I attempted to learn crochet. The results were a disaster. It was so bad that I was unable to complete even the simplest of items. I had kits and everything. But I got over it and accepted that you can't be good at everything.

Fast forward a decade and a half- I have lolitas telling me about crochet items they have made. I think the items look cute but I am reminded of my dreadful past attempts. I bang my head on my desk as I slowly debate whether to try crochet once again or not.

I mainly want to do food crochet like cakes, fruit and sushi. If I could just make the cake on the front of this book, I could alter it slightly and make an interesting headpiece. Plus the 4th English Gothic and Lolita Bible had some crochet items as well which look really cool.

I also want to get this Crobots book. I know for a fact that some of my friends would go mad for these and they would make an interesting present. Plus I would feel better knowing that I put a lot of love into their present.

But I am unsure if I will take up crochet again or not. I don't want to be disappointed...

What to do...

When I was in Winchester recently I mentioned that I visited a craft shop. I purchased these little fabric roses. Sorry about the poor picture, I tried so many times to get this to come out better. The craft shop had a load of these roses in various different colours and I went totally mad for the red ones. But... now I don't know what to do with them! I think they would look good running along the bottom of a simple dress. I could possibly sew them onto a headdress but I wouldn't know how to arrange them best. If I was really clever I could find a way to fix them in my hair. I am not sure how many roses are included in the pack because I really don't have the time to sit there counting them.

I have a little craft box where I keep my finds. Usually they sit in my craft box for ages until I have a rummage and discover them again. One of my favourite things to do is to go in random shops and seeing what little bits I can discover. Sometimes I find things in places you would never expect them to appear.

Charity shops can be good. Sometimes you will find little items to place around the house. You have to look through a lot of trash (sometimes I wonder how people can leave the house wearing florescent yellow and orange cardigans) but I think that is part of the fun. Think about it- if you see a lacy top could you rip it up and use the lace on one of your projects? Could you use that crochet doily? When you visit these places you should try and get yourself in the lolita frame of mind. Don't automatically dismiss something because you think it may take a lot of work. Store it aside somewhere and maybe in a few years your craft skills may have improved or you may have a flash of inspiration.

Craft shops can be hard to come by these days. Usually if you live near a craft shop it is a big chain like Hobbycraft and they seem to stock the same old things. This is why I love independent retailers. Usually the best craft shops are those hidden away somewhere on a back street. I like visiting towns that have history and tourist potential because these places are more likely to have the best craft shops.

Ebay can also be a good place. I randomly typed in strawberries one day and I now own some strawberry mini cat bells which I am thinking of making into a bracelet and attaching one to a head bow too. They are so cute. I can't wait to use them! Sometimes I also type in "cute" on ebay and narrow it down to the craft and then the fabric sections. I have found some fabrics that have been imported from Japan on there. You could make some good lolita items with this stuff. Ebay sellers are usually really helpful so if you purchase more than one of a fabric lot, they will usually sell it to you as one single long bit of fabric instead of cutting it up.

I am still clueless about the fabric roses. Here is hoping an idea suddenly flashes into my head!