Making a Minty Dress Part 1

During the early part of this year I found some amazing fabric in NYC that I just had to buy. It reminded me of Emily Temple Cute and a fabric and patten that they would use. I was able to get it in a pretty pinky melon color and  a nice mint. I saved it until I came up with the perfect idea for it and last week I make my first cut and stitch. I found a pattern at JoAnn's Fabrics about a month ago for just $1. It was a shirt with capped sleeves. I really like the sleeves so I bought it pretty much for them. I mixed the pattern with my own ideas and my Minty Lolita dress is about half complete.

It is a cute and simple Lolita design. Capped sleeves, empire waisted, gathering at the bust, and the super cute minty bow fabric. The sleeves look large in these pictures and they are not quite that big. I think it is just the way it is hanging on the dress form. I tried the top on and it fits quite well which is good because it does not have any gathering in the back or any elastic.

The skirt lining is not attached yet and won't be until the bottom part of the dress is done as well. (Disregard the black and white ruffle on the bottom. That is just another skirt that was on the dress form that I kept on it to give the lining a nice silhouette.) The bottom of the Op will be pretty basic. 2 ruffles along the hem and perhaps a couple of cute little bows. Every Lolita likes bows. 

I will have fabric left over after I am done with this garment but I am not sure how much. I will just have to see. I hope there is enough to perhaps make a skirt. I still don't know what i want to do with the pink melon version of this fabric. It hasn't "spoken" to me yet. What do you think I should make with it?

Tokyo Rebel

Since Japanese fashion and Lolita are growing in popularity all over the world and in the USA there are stores popping up that sell Japanese clothing. Many of the shops are on the West Coast. Angelic Pretty , h. NAOTO, and Baby the Stars Shine Bright are available to the girls and guys of San Francisco. Lucky Ducks! If I lived anywhere near them I would never eat because all of my money would go towards their shops.

For us East Coasters there is a small but amazing shop, Tokyo Rebel. Based in NYC at 170 Avenue B

New York, NY 10009. I have been lucky enough to visit the shop and I wish I lived in the city so I could see it all the time. They sell Lolita clothing, accessories, parasols, magazines, mooks, bags, deco goodies, and more. On top of Lolita things they sell punk items. I was able to snag a pair of Innocent World white crest socks and a pair or Angelic Pretty strawberry white lace wrist cuffs. It was really awesome to be able to look at the items in person instead of on line.

It is owned by a husband and wife. I have only had the opportunity to meet the husband but he was very nice and friendly. On my visit I was allowed to take pictures which was very nice because often shops that sell brand have a no photo policy. I was able to take a few snaps of the shop and some of the items. The shop has a window out front next to their door where they show off a coord on a dress form. It is just a sneak peek of what they have in the shop. Inside they have funky music playing and tons of things to buy lining the walls. I have never been to any place like it because I live in a pretty "non-city" area.

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 Tokyo Rebel is very active on line. They have a website, blog, Facebook page, You Tube page, and more. I really like their updates of what they have in the shop. Seeing their new stock is always fun and it is nice to dream about buying all the fun new goodies. This particular video shows off one of my favorite dresses. So, check them out. You will be happy you did. I hope to visit their shop again soon and take more pictures.

Fabric and Trims From NYC

These fabrics were bought with the purpose of making sun dresses to sell in local stores.  They are all silk and feel so smooth. Since they are so light they are also a bit see through. These will need to be lined but I would have done that anyway. A good dress is lined.

I know these fabrics don't look like the most amazing thing but that is fine since I only spent a dollar per yard. They were in large bins mixed with hundreds of other fabrics. The front black, white, and blue fabric looks like a stripey blue popcorn print. I got it because it was so weird. I am not sure what I am going to do with these but I am sure that I will find a purpose for each one.

I know! These fabrics look just like an Emily Temple Cute print. I saw the pink one in a crowed shop and grabbed it immediately. It is super wide fabric at 68 inches wide so I bought 3 yards. I can make a lot with 3 yards. 5 minutes after I got the melon color I was the mint and freaked out even more. I scooped up the same amount and was happy as a clam. They were only 4 dollars a yard. So awesome! I kept my eyes open for Lolita like prints and was very happy I got these ones.

These are some of the cards that I grabbed at the shop I visited. I bought something from each of them. I highly recommend each of them.

Fabric Shopping In NYC

This past Saturday I went on a fabric shopping trip to New York City with my mother. We got a really good deal on a round trip bus fare so we wanted to do some fabric shopping. I wanted to buy lace, ribbon, fabric for Lolita dresses, and fabric for everyday wear.

I woke up around 5am, hopped on the bus around 7am, and arrived in NYC around 11am. It was a fine bus ride, mostly boring and I slept a bit. I have no problem sleeping on buses. I forgot that it was St. Patrick's day so I was surprised to see green everywhere. The parade was about to start and everyone was pretty rowdy. The bus dropped us off at Bryant Park which is right in the garment district so we started the moment we arrived. The first shop we visited sold ribbon, lace, and trims. I took a few pictures because this shop was what most of the trim shops look like. A long hall covered in merchandise.

All the fabric shops looked like these pictures below. Fabric everywhere. You could spend half a day in each shop and still not see everything. You have to scour and keep a sharp eye out to find what you want. It k=can be hard to find a specific sprint but if you ask the shop owners and employees they know if they have it and where it is. 

 The prices in NYC are a bit high but the selection is just intense. There is everything and anything. Before the trip I plotted out the stores that I wanted to check out so it was easy to find them and they are all in one central area so you don't have to go very far. I am a bargain shopper so I scoured the bargain bins and clearance sections. I got quite a few good deals and some really nice fabric.

On out way to a trim shop I spotted a Betsey Johnson Pop Up Shop. A pop up shop is a temporary shop that sells items at a discounted price. I was so happy to see this shop. I am a big Betsey fan. She makes the cutest dresses and everything. I ran right into the shop and was smiling like a fool. I was not the only one though. Many women and girls were walking in say how much they love her stuff too. The shop was closing the next day so the selection was sparse but the discounts were incredible. I got a $100 bag for $15 and a $400 coat for $100! Nuts! I know.

 I wanted to buy all the dresses. Her cocktail dresses and evening wear dresses are too cute for words. They were all size 2's and 0's so  they were a no go. But, I was able to scoop up the black jacket below.

One of the highlight of the trip was my time in Daytona Trimming. I was browsing the goods of lace and everything else and I heard a tiny sneeze. My kitty senses tingled and I knew there was a cute cat in the shop. I walked towards where the sneeze came from and a huge orange cat came walking towards me. he was so big and and so handsome. He walked up to me and let me pet him and give him little snuggles. I wanted to take a picture of him but he walked away but right as he did his twin brother walked over to me as well. I got a picture of him. I asked the shop employees the names of the cats and they said they were Rick and Rack. How appropriate.

 Towards the end of the day I was quite tired and I was ready to be on my way and go home. walking to the bus I saw this sign and way surprised to see it. I am not a big fan but it is nice to see Japanese bands in America.

I will be taking pictures of what I bought in the city. I got some really nice stuff and some really cute fabrics that will make some nice dresses.

NYC Trip Pictures and Fun

I had such a blast last week in NYC!  We went there on a mission to see and show and visit a store and we achieved our goals.  We arrived in the city around 3 or so and got settled into the hotel about 4.  Since the Prince concert started at 7:30 we had an early dinner at the Ginger House.  It is right next to The Fashion Inst. Of Tech and was 3 blocks from our hotel.  Their food is so good.  I had yummy tofu in brown sauce with white rice. 

Once we were done eating my parents went back to the hotel and I went to the TD Bank to close my account that I haven't used in over 2 years.  I got my money, joined my parents, and we made out way to Madison Square Garden.  We got there around 6:30 because my mother told us that we should arrive an hour early) and Prince didn't get on stage until a little after 9.  That was a long wait.  

 Once the show started it was AMAZING!  The stage was his symbol and were right in the front.  He came out onto stage after about 4 and a half minutes of screaming , and he stood on top of his piano and let everyone take pictures of him for a good 45 seconds.   

Once they actually started playing everyone freaked out even more.  The band played snippets of their hits and each song got the crows going more and more.  It was such a good intro.  Here is a video of the show.  He is singing his hit Purple Rain.

After the show we went back to the hotel and went to bed with ears that were ringing just a bit.  Not too bad.  In the morning we had a nice low key breakfast in the hotel, packed up, and made our way to Tokyo Rebel.  We got there right at opening time and boy was it amazing. I have never been to a store that sells brand and I was so excited to see so much Angelic Pretty up close in person. Sorry about the pictures with a haze.  I used my phone to take them and they didn't come out super great but you can still see everything.

Deco goodies!

Socks.

Angelic Pretty

Mags

I had such a great time looking around Tokyo Rebel.  The shop had such nice things.  A good selection of dresses, socks, bags, and a small selection of jewelry and accessories.  I really didn't have much money but I wanted to get something so I purchased a pair of Innocent World socks and a pair of Angelic Pretty wrist cuffs.  I will post pics tomorrow.
I really want to head back to NYC and Tokyo Rebel this year so maybe I will plan to take a trip with my husband.

I am at the Prince concert!

This is not going to be a long post because I am using my phone but I just wanted to say that I am at the concert and it is going to start  in 10 minutes and I am so excited!!!!!!   I will have pics and videos in the next day or so.

NYC Trip

  Tomorrow I am going to New York City (which is about 3 hours away from me) to see a musical artist that I love and have loved for a long time.  Prince!  I am going with my mother and father.  We are all huge fans of his and he hasn't been near us in a long time so when we found out that he was going to be at Madison Square Garden we jumped at the tickets.  I am hoping that he plays Raspberry Beret and When Doves Cry. 

Since the show isn't until 8ish we have the afternoon to bum around the city and what would be more fun for a Lolita to do in NYC than to visit Tokyo Rebel?

   We East Coast Lolitas don't have a whole lot of shops to go for for Brand like the West Coast girls have with Baby and Angelic Pretty.  I have never been to Tokyo Rebel but I read their blog, web site, and Facebook.  It looks like a great shop with all types of goodies.  I might have to try some things on.  I might also be in the market for some AP  lace wrist cuffs.  We'll see. 

We are also staying at a super cool hotel but I will keep that a surprise until I have some great pics.  Since I am going to be out of town there will be a hiccup with my A Dress a Day project.  I also most likely won't have a post until Wednesday evening once I am home again and work is over.  But, I should have lots of great pictures, videos, and stories.