Wednesday, November 30, 2011

So long, November~

So, this month was very roller coaster-y. I started off the month with a custom commission (my favorite type of work) and getting my first - hopefully not last - consignment opportunity. Then I hit a dry spell. A very dry spell. It's times like these that I tend to get really down on myself and become super pessimistic. Because when I'm not creating, I feel incredibly worthless.
However, I took the opportunity of having a bit of break from orders and turned my negative energy into creating new pieces for my line. I put out five new pieces this month, so it's safe to say I've kept busy. Let's have a look, shall we? (Click on the photos to enlarge so you can read the text.)

^^I started off the month with a Lolita essential - bloomers. Now, I've made bloomers before, but they were of the super-fast, hastily-put-together, not-very-fun-looking variety that I made for myself one night when I realized I wanted to wear Lolita daily. But I needed a really nice looking, lovely pair for my shop - and I really wanted to upgrade mine. I really like bloomers, and as I stated above, I believe they're an absolute must. Not only do they help give your skirt more poof under that petticoat, they also - um... cover your behind if you were to say fall down, or have the wind blow up your skirt. These can be found in my shop HERE.

^^A long-sleeved button up! This is an essential as well, especially as the days grow colder, and winter sets in. My short sleeved blouses have done exceptionally well, and I hope to say the same about these. This addition also came out of a personal need - I have no long-sleeved blouses! I think it's quite lovely, and everything about it makes me feel more doll-like when I wear it. (I actually just shipped out two of these in white this morning!) This can be found in my shop HERE.

^^Ah, the plaid skirt. For some reason, I have a lot of plaid fabric in my stash. However, since most of it was bought two years or so ago when I worked at a fabric store, I can't find any of it anymore as it's been clearanced out/discontinued. That little fact was stopping me for a while, but the need to create overtook my fear of not being able to reproduce this skirt in this exact plaid. I decided to just go for it, and have the client and I find a plaid particular to their liking when they order one. This way, well... it really can be one of a kind! (I think it looks just magical when paired with my long sleeved blouse!) This can be found in my shop HERE.

^^This idea has also been brewing around in my head for.. oh, as long as I can remember. I've had a similar animal ear hoodie in my shop for about a year now, and they've done really well! I was just... kind of done with the faux fur. Every time I'd work with it, it'd get everywhere, including my nose and throat; it's not super easy to wash; it's not particular warm or soft feeling, in my opinion. Not to mention, cheap faux fur really isn't Lolita. So I found this lovely, plush-fuzzy-super-soft-super-warm polyester fabric. I love it! It's exactly what I've been looking for, and this is my favorite hoodie I've ever made - which is saying a lot, as I've made lots of different hoodies. Why bear ears, you ask? Well, it wouldn't be a lie to say I was heavily inspired by one of my favorite anime, Lain :3 This can be found in my shop HERE.

^^Last, but certainly not least! I released this gem over the Black Friday weekend, so it's only been in the shop for a few days. A long sleeved cutsew is something that I've been wanting to pursue for a while, as I don't have any (or many) long sleeved blouses/shirts. This idea came into my head quite rapidly one day while out grocery shopping, so once I got home and settled, I go to work, and here it is. Turtlenecks are typically not my piece of pie, but I remember seeing a lovely coord by someone on Tumblr (I honestly cannot remember who or where I saw this - believe me, I searched forever) and the girl was wearing a turtleneck. I immediately fell in love, and I suppose this elusive turtleneck was in my subconscious while designing this blouse. Needless to say, the turtleneck does not bother me in the least, and I absolutely adore this blouse! (I wore it out while fabric shopping over Black Friday weekend~) This can be found in my shop HERE.

Also, my Black Friday sale was a huge success! So thanks to all of you who took advantage :D This was my first sale I've ever done, and I'm quite happy with the turnout. I definitely plan to do more sales/promotions in the future.

So now that November comes to a close, it's starting off exactly opposite of how it opened. I now am up to my neck in orders - mostly from Black Friday - and I'm feeling very optimistic.
Hopefully December stays the same~


MissChubi

Friday, November 25, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving~

I'd like to wish a Happy Thanksgiving to all my lovely followers! If you don't celebrate Thanksgiving, well - I hope you had a Happy Thursday, nonetheless. Now let's get down to business.

First off, the Thanksgiving Giveaway has come to a close. I announced the lucky winners yesterday on my Facebook page, but I'll go ahead and give them a shout out here as well:


Surprisingly, I haven't heard anything yet from the winners, so if you were one of the lucky ones, well congratulations, and hurry up and claim your prize! 

Secondly, since today is the biggest shopping day of the year, I decided to jump in on the excitement and host a sale (my first one ever) myself! Since tomorrow is Small Business Saturday, and two days later it's Cyber Monday, I figured, why not just hold it over the whole weekend?


Hosting sales and promo codes isn't something I do often, so if you've been eyeballing a certain something in my shop, you may want to get ahold of it now! I'm not sure when/if I'll be having a sale again, but 20% off is by far the best price of the year. Keep in mind that this can also be applied towards custom pieces ^_~

I wish everyone a good weekend, and if you are going out in the madness, I wish you safe travels and happy shopping~

MissChubi

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Thanksgiving Giveaway~


Basically, all my fans/clients/followers are amazing, and I’m incredibly thankful for all the support ♡ This giveaway is my way of saying thank you~

♡ GRAND PRIZE —> $50 credit (must be used on a purchase of at least $130 before shipping)

♡ FIRST PRIZE —> $25 credit (must be used on a purchase of at least $75 before shipping)

♡ SECOND PRIZE —> $15 credit (must be used on a purchase of at least $50 before shipping) ^^The credit can be put towards anything in my shop - custom commissions included!

TO ENTER:

As this is my first time ever doing anything like this, I’m keeping it short and sweet~

1. Simply “Like” this post on my Facebook page, and be my FB fan! (facebook.com/elegyclothing)

AND/OR

2. Reblog this post on Tumblr (http://tinyurl.com/7udt3dy) and Follow me on there (http://misschubi.tumblr.com) One reblog per person/account please! Multiple reblogs and likes are appreciated, but will not count/increase your chances.

^^ You don’t need to do both of these, but doing so will increase your chances! :D

YOU HAVE ONE WEEK! READY, SET, GO!

CONTEST ENDS NOVEMBER 23, 2011 @ 11:59p EST

The winners will be chosen using random.com and announced on Thanksgiving Day. Winners will be contacted personally (via email/pm, etc.) with the details on how to redeem their credit, as Etsy is not particularly fun to do shop credit through. The credit is only valid/redeemable at and through my Etsy shop (elegyclothing.etsy.com)

Monday, November 7, 2011

My First Consignment Opportunity~

A few weeks ago I was contacted on Etsy about the possibility of selling my plushies in a nearby local floral shop. Being the slightly paranoid person that I am, of course I thought it was a scam or something. You see, in the past I have been contacted by somewhat sketchy sources on Etsy, and those opportunities felt a little wrong or just plain weird. But after some research, and paying the shop a little visit, I decided to go through with it. 
The shop is called EcoFlora - they're a cozy floral shop that sells locally grown plants and flowers, and it's run by an incredibly awesome woman. Their website can be found HERE if you're interested. They also sell a lot of handmade gifts, art, and plushies - which is where I come in! :D
Today the contract was settled, and the deal was made! I'm only starting out with a few pieces, and depending on how they sell, I'll bring in more or whatever. 

^^Hehe, Miss Chubi poses with a bag full of plushies :3

Below you'll see my Bunny Faces and Zombie Face set up with the other plushies - see if you can pick them out! ^_~




I'm super stoked and incredibly optimistic about this opportunity! Seeing as they haven't sold super well online, I'm hoping they'll do much better in person. I'll definitely be keeping tabs and posting about their success (or failure ;__;).

Miss Chubi

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Khaki Corduroy Jumperskirt~

Earlier this week I was working on my most recent commission, a khaki corduroy under-bust JSK. I haven't had much experience working with corduroy, so I was totally excited to dive into this. After finishing this, I realize it's actually really nice to work with - it washes great, irons great, and sews great! I really think there should be more corduroy in Lolita fashion ^_^

^^ My original sketch~ I love the look and colors my client and I decided to go with. It's simple, but with a touch of school girl, and a little classic thrown in.

^^Materials and fabrics. Cotton lace is so lovely~

^^Bodice and lining, cut out and ready to to be sewn together and laced. I decided to go with d-rings down the back seams so it can have lace up functionality. I'm a big fan of using this technique, as it guarantees a perfect fit.

^^A detail of the bodice lined and laced. And my tag!

^^The skirt hems. This is actually two skirts - an over and an underskirt. I decided to "line" the skirt with an under layer of cotton in order to give it a better shape, as the corduroy was pretty light weight.

And the finished piece! 







I really enjoyed working with corduroy, and I love how this piece turned out. (I may need to make one for myself, in black :3) As I've been working on a lot of things for cold weather, I think something like this might become a regular piece in the shop~

Miss Chubi