Lolita Charm: Blooming Bloomers!

Monday, November 15, 2010

Blooming Bloomers!

I'm an all-thumbs lolita - while I can make a few simple accessories or deco items, I'm terrible with a sewing machine. I'm really hoping to learn this winter, and if I can get better, maybe even get a new sewing machine! (Psst... I love the Hello Kitty sewing machine! It looks like something from a little dollhouse!)

This weekend I decided to use one of my own November style tips and whip up a pair of flannel bloomers! Supposedly they're a very easy project for an afternoon, so I felt emboldened. I used this very easy tutorial from ABC Lolita, one of my reader's blogs :) It was pretty easy to follow - here's my pair of very simple white bloomers! (She's also got another tutorial where the bloomers have an added ruffled hem!)

I wanted them to have a very winter feel, so I chose heavier, textured materials. I hand-stitched on some white cluny lace I had in my sewing box and made some pink velvet bows out of ribbons I found at a church sale. I probably could have done this on the machine, but I actually find it fun to do the work by hand - it's very peaceful and relaxing for me. I'm really happy with them, I never thought I could make anything cute like that!

Since they're so plain I thought it'd be fun to do embroidery on them. I've decided to make a heart-shaped pocket and applique it on with a blanket stitch. I'm not sure what would be best for a center design - roses (my favorite flower!

) are my first thought, but maybe some whitework (white stitches on white fabric) would be more suitable for wintertime? Snowflakes are a favorite motif for this time of year, and since I'll only be wearing them in winter snowflakes are perfect :) If you're looking to learn embroidery or expand your knowledge of stitches, I recommend the Embroider's Handbook. The pictures are easy to follow and the book covers ribbon embroidery, cross-stitch or counted embroidery, cutwork and eyelet work, and even beading embroidery. I'm really interested in practicing my cast-on or Brazilian rose, which is a 3D rose made from 'casting on' stitches to the needle just like you would on a knitting needle. Here it is combined with a bullion knot or Porto Rico rose stitch. For those who want to try more ribbon embroidery, the hardest part can be finding the necessary silk ribbon. This website has an absolutely gorgeous range of ribbons, from the purely beautiful spectrum of solids to even variegated and hand-dyed lengths of silk.The easiest ribbon rose is the 'spiderweb rose', so named because the petals are fastened with a spiderweb of regular thread.

I also found this pattern from an online magazine scan (I'm not sure if this is Kera or GLB - by the way, click for larger) for a cutesy, double-ruffled bloomer pattern. I love the pink plaid and the candy applique reminds me very much of the Nutcracker, so I think this idea would also be cute for winter or Christmastime. Even better, if you get good at them they'd make very cute presents for your lolita friends this holiday season! Candy canes or present boxes would also be very easy and cute. I've seen cute popkei appliques on Nile Perch where the present-box square is covered with a thin tulle, and star-shaped sequins and rhinestones stitched and scattered inside.

Bloomers look super cute for hanging out around the house and keep your little rufflebutt warm in winter! They're really easy to make and you can do some very creative things with just a little trimming and appliques!

Labels: crafty loli, tutorial, winter

7 Comments:

At November 15, 2010 at 10:45 AM , Anonymous said...: Hi!
I would love to have this tutorial; i need warm bloomers. :)
Can you post the link for it?

Thank you!
At November 15, 2010 at 11:01 AM , Anonymous said...: Oups...never mind, sorry i didn't saw that clickable line...
^-^;
At November 15, 2010 at 11:54 AM , Luna said...: How cute!! I will definatly have to try to make a pair..
At November 15, 2010 at 2:12 PM , Julia said...: I'm really bad in this kind of works....I'm not able to sew, to iron, to wash...sometime I think I'm not a proper girl :(
At November 15, 2010 at 2:16 PM , Julia said...: AAAAAHHHH!!!!! By the way, Victoria Suzanne, please, could you write something about "how to wash a lolita dress"?
I washed mine this morning, in the washing machine, with the "hand wash" programme and cold water. Now it's drying. Hope it's fine....
At November 15, 2010 at 3:17 PM , caro-chan said...: Did my comment get deleted somehow or did I just not finish clicking post o_O. Anyways! I said these are super cute bloomers, and I really need to get to making some of my own because I have hardly any pairs. Thanks for the tutorials btw! They're both very helpful.

I also suggested changing the link color since it's very hard to see that it's a link till you're just over it.
At November 15, 2010 at 6:27 PM , DuskRose_Dreaming said...: The bloomers look so pretty!! I'm always happy when a loli takes the plunge and tries out sewing--I know it can be intimidating.
Both your ideas for embroidery sound lovely. White roses, maybe? (Combining them lol). Also, thanks for that link, as I'm hoping to learn to embroider soon too! ^^
*must make another pair or three of bloomers...*

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Monday, November 15, 2010

Blooming Bloomers!

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