handmade dresses showcase #1

Continuing from a 5 year old post about my beginner days in lolita when I couldn't get brand and so I sewed my dresses, here is an updated post, with additions to the old dresses plus new creations from Otome no Sewing.

The top left off-white dress was resewn in 2014, when I first got the Otome no Sewing volume 3. It had originally been a zip-up one-piece with puff sleeves a bustle front, but I decided to repurpose the zipper for a cosplay. The only difference here (besides the fully shirred back) is I attached a small bow to the bodice and used the big waist bow as a hairbow. I have not worn this because the fit isn't great, it was just practice to see if I can follow along instructions in Japanese with a very limited knowledge of hiragana/katakana.

The bottom left floral dress was originally sewn in 2011 from an English sundress pattern, with a fuller skirt and ruffle with brown trim. I sewed down the ruffle, added a waist bow and made a very elegant Victorian Maiden style hairbow with attached crystal beads at the ends. I haven't worn this recently but I think I might just because it looks cute and can even be worn as normie clothing.

The top right pink stripe dress was originally sewn in 2012 also from an English pattern with slightly fuller skirt. I used the leftover scraps to add a bodice bow and two small hairbows (if I had hair clips to spare). As this dress is strapless, I would have to wear a blouse with it, although I have gained a lot of weight in 8 years, so maybe it will stay up better.

The bottom right skirt and bonnet were sewn in 2018/2019. The skirt is just a plain rectangular skirt from a nursery cotton fabric made to fit a wider variety of sizes, while the bonnet was sewn from Otome no Sewing 3 or 5, again to see if I can draft my own pattern and sew along. The bonnet is a little big even for my head, but once I sew a blouse from scratch, I might try this on.

It was actually fun to revisit these dresses and use up my fabric scraps to try to add some flair now that I've been in the fashion for so long. Like I've said before, sewing lolita dresses can be extremely time intensive and frustrating even for experienced and formally trained sewists, but also very rewarding when they turn out as you have imagined.  I will try to wear some example coords since the weather has cooled down a bit. Stay tuned for the next posts in which I continue to go through my handmade wardrobe, I have sewn a solid amount since I started wearing lolita, lol.