Either You've Dot it, Or You Don't

 

Unfortunately, I have been a bit preoccupied with the ever-daunting tasks the beginning of the school year provides, so I am sorry I have not posted lately. Here's a nice outfit post to reboot my blogging.

 

My love of all things mod was evident this summer, as I scoured stores online and at the mall for a nice pair of knee socks. Thankfully, I found this adorable pair of crocheted ivory ones from Wetseal. Being quintessentially mod, these knee socks have already been quite handy, especially with the unseasonably cold weather I've endured of late.

 

Otherwise, the rest of this outfit's pieces are treasured classics from my closet. I just adore how well the circle skirt matches with my Beatles shirt. The polka dots give it more youthful, whimsical feel. Circle skirts make any t-shirt ten million times cuter, and they are pretty simple to sew! The Beatles shirt was quite a find, as I stumbled upon their men's Beatles collection. Although it was disheartening they had no girl's shirts, I think the shirt meshes well with the highly feminine skirt. Finally, my kids sized ballet flats feature little Mickey Mouse heads which are rather adorable.

 

Hopefully, once school calms down I will have more time to sew and document my processes. I've started to create a new mod number, with faux red suede and faux black leather. I will be posting pictures soon I promise! Overall, it was a lovely last day of summer and I am already looking forward to my next round of freedom: Winter Break.

 

Shirt: Bloomingdales.  Skirt: Sewn by me. Socks: Wetseal. Shoes: Disney World.

Back In Time

Vintage clothing is simply beautiful. Wearing this type of clothing hearkens my soul back to a different era. My favorite time periods to draw inspiration from are the 1950s and 1960s. Experimentation and exaggeration were plainly seen in the way fashions were made and worn. From top designers to glamorous models to teens shopping on the street, fashions definitely helped to define these eras.

Knowing my affinity for the outlandish, it comes as no surprise that I enjoy wearing what I term "costume" pieces. Most people in their daily lives are not wearing A-line mini mod dresses or full skirts with petticoats. Although a few admirable souls do, which I think is quite fantastic. You might as well wear what you love, as your uniqueness sets you apart from the crowd.

Bearing this in mind, when I first saw the Simplicity Misses' Vintage 1950s Bra Tops pattern, I knew I would have to make these adorable homages to the yesteryears. So I bought the pattern and searched through my fabric for some whimsical material. Choosing a cotton fabric was crucial, as I wanted the finished product to read as a top, not as an undergarment.

First, I made this retro feeling bicycle bra top. Personally, I thoroughly love the vibe the print gives off, as it makes me think of summers biking around town. I could definitely see this particular top being worn with a pair of high-waisted shorts or a full midi skirt in a complimentary color. The back includes two tiny red heart-shaped buttons acting as a closure. There are two straps which act as a halter to tie up in the back. These straps are removable, which I thought was a nice feature.

This is the second top I made. The red flap on top of the Hello Kitty fabric really creates this striking contrast between the two pieces. The straps are made of the contrasting color and the back includes two black buttons to close the top. A red skirt and petticoat would complete this outfit in my mind.

Overall, the pieces turned out really well, as they were exactly what I had pictured them in my mind. It's always a successful project if that happens! I just hope there are still some warm days here so I am able to wear my new tops!

I've Just Seen A Face

 

If I have yet to mention it, I am obsessed with The Beatles. Call me old school, but they are my favorite band to listen to, to watch, and to learn about. They are brilliant musicians, in my opinion, and I love the fun they appeared to have in making music.

This week I went to the Rain Beatles Tribute concert, and it was amazing! I loved the atmosphere, because the band's stage presence was spot on. The members really got into the characters of each Beatle. There were also some TV screens that showed recordings of fans from the 60s, along with other Beatle related videos. From the mop tops to the suits, the costumes were another spectacular piece that I loved. The concert had three different sets focusing on the beginning, middle, and end of their career together. 

Being me, I decided to dress up a bit. I had found this lovely Beatles' faces fabric and bought all of it. All of the Beatles are represented in cartoon form in the primary colors. I thought it would be quite fab to make a dress with the fabric. I made this cute little shift dress to embody the 60s as I see it. I lined the dress in red and added an invisible zipper. It was a lot of fun to make and it is my all time favorite pattern to use. I paired my newly refurbished oxfords with some nice orange-yellow tights. The tights definitely fit the mood of the 60s, and also doubled as warmth from the cold rain.

Even though it rained as a prelude to Rain, my dress, shoes, and spirit held up. I was the only die-hard fan who had dressed up, but I wasn't really expecting the older crowds to get into that sort of spirit of it all. But I was glad I did dress up, cause it was a nice opportunity to show off my Beatles love!!!

Dress: Custom. Shoes: Custom. Tights: Kohl's            

Elsa from Frozen- Bodice

Like most people, I love the Disney movie Frozen. It has all the components to a great animated movie: intriguing storyline, significant themes, relatable characters, and beautiful costumes. The outfits Anna and Elsa wear are so adorable, I knew I would have to try to recreate them. Since my sister says I'm like Elsa, that's the costume I decided to sew first.
 
I searched a bit for the perfect fabric for Elsa's bodice. Nothing was really fitting the idea I had in my head, so I decided to make the fabric I wanted myself. I just wanted something to emulate the scale design of her bodice, have sparkle, and be around the same color. How hard could it be?

 I found the McCall's pattern M7000 so I didn't have to draft the whole costume from scratch. Knowing that I wanted to make a detachable bodice, I redrafted the pattern, making it a bit longer so as to cover the waistband of the skirt. I used a heavier cotton fabric with a little stretch that I had on hand to make the bodice. It was a good material, as it was heavy enough to hold the paint, yet flexible enough to bend a bit. After constructing the basic bodice, I put in some plastic boning, which allows the bodice to hold its shape on the body, acting more like a mock corset.  

Just painting, touching up, glittering, cutting, and gluing took forever and a day.
As you can probably tell, I'm not a professional photographer. Most of the time I barely remember to take pictures of my work, so I'd say this is a lot of photographs by my standards. 
 
 
 
 

 Well after many hours toiling, I finally finished it. I put scales on all of the panels and then added an extra layer of glitter. Personally, I'm pretty proud of it, as it took two full days to just paint and glue down the scales. Overall, I hope the rest of the costume will be easier, but I fear for the cape and its rhinestones....