Monday, June 25, 2012

Summer Lucky Packs~

I've been wanting to do something like this for quite a while now, and I'm super happy that I've finally made these a realization! 


I'd like to thank my friend and super talented artist, Jessalyn for her amazing illustration!  If you head on over to my shop, you can see her work a lot better/bigger on my main page - she put a ton of work into the print detail on the skirt *O*
In case you don't know, Lucky Packs are something the Japanese Lolita Brands do. Typically they contain enough things to create whole outfit (or sometimes more) at a super discounted price. But here's the catch: you can't choose your size or colors or anything - they're a total surprise/gamble.

My Lucky Packs are a bit different, in that you get to input your measurements, as well as color preference, so you'll get something that'll suit both you and your closet. I decided on doing 4 (technically 5) different bundles at different price points:

Accessories, $100: Yep, pretty much a boatload of accessories - head bows, wrist cuffs, and a bunch of other things that have yet to be released in my store.
Basic (Sk), $175: This pack contains enough things to create one outfit, and is centered around a Lollipop Parade skirt. Ships with a Special Edition tote.
Basic (JSK), $200: This pack contains enough things to create one outfit, and is center around a Lollipop Parade JSK. Ships with a Special Edition tote.
Princess, $400: This pack contains enough things to create two entire outfits, and contains a few Lollipop Parade items. Ships with a Special Edition tote. This is also the only pack that ships for free!
Prince, $130: This pack contains enough things to create a boystyle or kodona look. This pack is special in that it caters specifally to both male and females (I even included a gender check box when checking out :P), so that way a girl won't be stuck with something intended for a guy (specifically for sizing purposes), and vice versa.

Since it takes a little while for me to get my Lollipop Parade fabric in, I won't start shipping the bundles for another 2 weeks. The Lucky Packs will be available for purchase for 2 weeks - until July 9th!

Have fun shopping~
♡MissChubi

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Why I'm In Need of a Clone~

Easy. So I can get loads more work done! x__X

This week has been an absolute nightmare.
Wait. Correct that - this entire month, has been a nightmare. Along with a regular flow of orders, and the amount of work I've chosen to take on lately is quite immense. For example, the last 2 1/2 days I've spent upwards of 30 hours sewing my latest project. Last night alone I got 3 1/2 hours of sleep so I could quickly wake up to resume sewing in order to meet a shipping deadline. I don't mean to complain - in fact, I feel so lucky that I have been so busy lately - but I'm really so exhausted.

For the first time this week I got to relax for a few hours, after I packed my latest works into a large box and handed it over to be Expedited to it's location for a photo shoot. Lying on the couch in the air conditioning (my studio is on the second floor, and the a/c lacks motivation to actually cool my room, which means I'm usually sweating as I stich, ugh) was such a relief. Somehow I only ended up actually sleeping for a little over an hour, but it was nice to get to lay there just the same.

Now I need to de-clutter my studio so it's workable once again. Then, it'll be time once again to catch up on things like lax orders and the stack of unanswered emails and messages, and finally - finally! get the Lucky Packs up and going~


^My work table, which used to be clear, and has been collecting and piling up ever since before Frill D:


^Must, and will get a new system of fabric organization soon!

I'm really so excited about what it was that I've been working on, so I'll leave you with a small glimpse:

♡MissChubi

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

The HUUUGE *Frill* Blogpost!

This past weekend, Frill came and went in a flurry of ruffles and petticoats! We left Friday morning around 9:30-ish, fully prepared for our 10-hour trek. Honestly, it's not as bad as it sounds, and it wasn't nearly as expensive as I thought it'd be. We took my friend, Sarah's family van and split the cost of gas and the hotel room. We got in later that night, and the very next morning we got dolled up and attended one of the biggest and longest meet-ups ever! Haha.

Of course I took my camera along for vlogging, so enjoy the random thoughts and musings throughout the weekend:


Day One

On Saturday morning, we arrived at a quaint banquet hall. Not being from Georgia, I had no idea what to expect and hadn't realized it was taking place in such a comfy space. Upon opening the door I knew I'd made the right choice in choosing to participate in this event! So many ruffles and frills... it was amazing ♡

^So y'know how when you go to a con, and you're given this super ugly badge that hangs on a lanyard around your neck? Yeah, well Frill had these really cute buttons that served the same purpose and were a million times cuter! 

The boutique opened up a little while after we got there - and there was a mad dash as petticoated girls ran from the center room, down the hall to the boutique. I was among them, of course. It's not often that you get the chance to browse a variety of Lolita clothing, shoes, and accessories, with the added luxury of trying everything on! 

^All the shops that were showcased at the boutique - can you find my logo? O:

^The craziness that was the boutique. As you can see, there were fitting rooms in the back corner, and lots of loveliness everywhere! This isn't the best angle of the room, as most of the clothing, etc. is being obscured /: 

It was also mad hot in there, and I was all over the place trying on a number of different shoes and things, lol. Here's what I ended up purchasing:

^My very first split wig! At $25, how could I not have bought it?
Aaand shoes that aren't black! Hehe. I love the lavender, and was quickly drawn to these. Being used, they are a bit scuffed up, and the sole is coming a bit loose, but I'm seriously planning on taking them to a cobbler to be fixed. And at $35, I couldn't really complain. Now I just need more lavender things! D:
I'd already made up my mind about these posters when I saw them on Frill's tumblr a little while ago. They must and will be framed and hanging on the wall of my studio, soon enough.

Throughout the day we took lots of pictures - some of which were on my camera, and some of which were on my friend's or other random people's cameras, haha. 

^Soo I feel super awful because I was talking to this girl for a while, and I totally forget her name, and she wrote down all her infos on a napkin, which was then stuffed into my purse and probably accidentally thrown out while packing to leave :( Anyways, she makes cute deco things and whatnot and I feel bad that I'm so lame ;__; (Note to self: bring a notebook or something next year for important infos of importance!)

^Aaand a random Loli appears! Hearts x 3? Lol.

I also met up with a few clients, which was awesome! It's definitely the best feeling in the world to see someone not only wearing my creation, but being so happy with what it was that I made.

^ O: That's my jabot (which will be in the shop soon)! This was commissioned a few weeks ago to complete her "riding" inspired Lolita coord :3 Horrible lighting is horrible, as it was throughout the entire space we were in, so most of the photos I got were either blurry or of less-than-desirable quality, like this :(

^ It's the Roli Poli Loli! If you remember, I posted a review she wrote up about my blouse a little while ago. Even though it's hard to tell in this lighting (yes, it's blurry, but it was the better of the few that we took), she is in fact wearing my Lucille blouse in black! I think when this photo was taken we were waiting in line to have our photos "professionally" taken in front of a backdrop with adequate lighting (hooray!). I'm not sure when those will be up, but I'll definitely be posting them whenever they are!

"Frill at Night"

After panels and everything, there was a 2-hour break and Frill resumed with some more fun activities! I spent the majority of this time backstage getting ready for the fashion show, however. I didn't know who my models would be until around this time, so surprise! XD

During this time the "Princess Brolita & Prince Kodona" contest was taking place. My boyfriend was urged to register for it that morning while we were picking up our badges, so he was super excited to take part in it. I was a little bummed that I wouldn't be able to watch since I was backstage doing fashion show stuffs, however at the super last minute I was pulled away to be a "guest judge" for the event, since I was a designer and from far away, which meant I could have an "unbiased" opinion. That was totally nerve wracking. It was super fun though, and I didn't have my camera on me so I don't have any photos of anything going on. My boyfriend didn't end up winning (although he was close!). I still don't really know what the winners won though, lol.

^Snagged this from the Roli Poli Loli :3 I'm so happy she got a pic of him <3

And back to backstage, where we're just about ready to go on:

^Eee! Super excited :D I'd actually talked to the girl on the left earlier in the day, and was stoked to find out she was one of my models, and even happier that the dress fit so perfect. The girl on the right was super tiny and pretty much had the poofiest petticoat that day! The dress was more than a little big on her, and was pinned profusely in the back, which was then concealed by her long wig :3

^Getting lined up! Being my first fashion show, I was a little nervous about this. However, since I've been on photo shoots before, it wasn't much different. It was actually a bit easier than photo shoots because the entire actual show wasn't nearly as long as shoots can last. There was also professional shots taken of my models after the show, but I'm not sure when I'll be getting my hands on those.

That pretty much concludes the first day. I was super tired after all of this and couldn't wait to take off my petticoats and wig and just lay down.

Day Two

Sunday was pretty laid back. The only activities planned was the tea party, which didn't start until 2pm, and a feedback session afterwards, so we had a lot of time to kill that morning.

^ I stole my boyfriend's hat and wore boy-style! Of course I've got my freaking pink purse, though I'm trying to hide it behind my leg as I wait to check us out of the hotel :P

We ended up going to Krispy Kreme's for breakfast (donuts, yum!), and then killed time at a mall.

^ I definitely wanted to take this tiny carousel home - the perfect photo prop ♡

^ Aaand the bf, lol.

After killing lots of time, it's finally time for tea! 

^ The tea was donated by Lupicia - which is a Japanese tea company, and I think they were one of the Frill sponsors. However, I don't like tea (*gasp*), and it didn't matter much to me that the tea I was drinking was infused with vanilla and strawberry. With or without plenty of sugar it still tasted like dirty water to me /: On the other hand, the treats were super good! :D

^Me and my models <3 Ugh, I wish I wasn't tall all the time /:

^Hooray for the mixed Lolita  & Kodona "couple" <3 hehe

^Finally, one of my bf and I! <3


^Fellow judge of the Brolita/Prince Kodona contest :3 Totally didn't recognize her in this wig and Lolita coord, haha!

After all this fun, there was a lengthy feedback session/discussion with the attendees and the directors. Everyone had so many awesome ideas for improving this con and making it bigger/better next year. Yes, 10-hours is a long way to drive, but I definitely can't wait to go again next year! Hopefully we can get a group together to make the trip more fun, and make the con that much more enjoyable.

And finally, a quick reflection vlog, and showing off my purchases:


♡MissChubi

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Preparations for Frill~

Wow. I've literally been a sewing-robot over these past few weeks. With the wedding (more on that later...), handful of photo shoots, and Frill (this weekend, hooray!) all within weeks of each other... let's just say I'm amazed that I'm not currently in the fetal position, shaking underneath the coffe table.

That being said, I've got a lot of work I've been doing in preparation for my spot in the boutique that will be at Frill this weekend...

First of all, last week I spent a good amount of time creating 50-something lollipops. Ugh. Why, do you ask? For the goody bags that will be given out to those who purchased a VIP badge :P


^Plain lollys, on their way to be bowed..


^Yummy lollys, finished and ready for bagging.


^Bagged, and ready to be boxed & shipped out! <3

Honestly, making this many lollys was quite tedious, and I'm not sure that I'd be willing to do something of this magnitude again. I don't even want to think about the number of hours spent making these. My fingers were incredibly sore after tying and sewing all those tiny bows, etc. ;__;

I've known about this convention for quite a few months, but it's not like I intentionally waited until the last moment to begin working on my things for the boutique! I... sorta had to wait for some funds to make an appearance in my account before really getting started. That, and I've honestly been so busy with so many other things on top of regular orders. Frill always seemed like an eternity away, and then before I knew it, it was May D:

So I began working on Monday - just a few days ago. And I pretty much got everything finished that I wanted to! Every day this week I got up hours earlier than usual, and really worked at hyper speed - I spent about 15 hours each day just sewing. Monday I got two JSKs finished. Tuesday I got one JSK, two blouses, and a pair of bloomers finished. Wednesday I got one blouse, two cutsews, a pair of bloomers, and a head bow finished. And today was spent finishing up head bows, sewing on buttons, etc. (And yes, I still need to pack/figure out what I'm even wearing/finish pants for the bf, etc.) Since I don't ever make this much clothing at a time, I just had to take photos! It kinda felt like I'd made a mini wardrobe for someone :3 (Which, omg, would be amazing to do! <3)



Yummy! I hope I don't sound like I'm gloating, but I really love the way all my garments look together <3 Although I'm not particularly nervous for Frill itself, I am nervous about having my things in the boutique. I'm so afraid that people are going to think my work is awful and pick it apart (not literally, but y'know...). I'm always so worried that I don't really belong in this community and that I'm going to be called out on it and ripped to shreds. But I suppose that's just my tremendous insecurity getting the best of me.

I also made a quick vlog, the first of several that I plan to do over the course of this weekend: 


♡MissChubi

Saturday, June 2, 2012

International Lolita Day~


So, remember how I posted last night about how there was going to be a wedding today? Yea, well I found out minutes after I published that post that it's getting delayed... So if I can, I will wait until whenever it's rescheduled to, to unveil the dress.

Instead of going to a wedding, we ended up getting together with all of the family who was in town. And in a way, my bf and I celebrated International Lolita Day in our own way by dressing up.

^ My coord for the day~ I'm wearing my mono OP, one of the first Lolita dresses I made nearly a year ago. (Note to self: buy a new bag that isn't pink, lol.)


It was pretty windy and on the verge of a thunderstorm a lot of the day, hence my bow not being so perky. Also, the next door neighbors (who we don't get along with so well) were all over their lawn, so everyone was staring at me while this was being taken, ugh. (Second note to self: re-poof the petti~)


Appropriately enough, we ended up eating at a Japanese restaurant :3 Unfortunately I'm lame and totally forgot to take picture of my bf's coord, but he was in all black as well - kuro coords ftw <3

Also, my hair was recently dyed black for the wedding, so I didn't wear a hot wig today! Instead, I wore my ponytail extensions, since they now match my hair perfectly~

♡MissChubi

Friday, June 1, 2012

A Wedding Preview~

I can't believe I'm finally, actually typing up this blog post. It is such a relief to be finished with everything for my mother's wedding. I'll refrain from showing her dress until after the big day - which is uh.. tomorrow - out of traditional superstitious nonsense.

The color scheme for her wedding is black & silver, with red as an accent. That being said her dress is black, as is mine. Yep, I get to be the Maid of Honor. Thank god there's no other women in her wedding party - there's no way I could've taken on even more work this month >_<;;

So, this is what I'll be wearing tomorrow:






Of course it's a Lolita dress! At this point in my life, I don't even think I can wear a dress that's not Lolita, haha. I was going to try and make it more "traditional", but that's super hard for me and my mom didn't care if I was all poufy with petticoats, so yay me! I tried to echo some of the same design elements that are present in her dress, like the high collar, heart-shaped neckline, and tulle at the hem. Unfortunately we've since changed the collar design, so this part kind of stands out, but I like it so it stays.

As the wedding is taking place outside, I figured it would be hot/humid so I wanted to try and keep as not hot as possible since I'll be in full Loli. However, at the present it looks like it's going to be pretty cool tomorrow. I'm not complaining though - I'd definitely rather be cold than sweltering. Ooh, and I also made this dress out of polyester - which is definitely not cotton or breathable, as is typical of Lolita. In fact, it's a polyester shantung that I used on it's "wrong" side, so there's a lot of fun texture that goes along with the feel of the wedding. I also made a few accessories to go along with this:





My headbow and gloves. I'm unsure at this point what we're doing with my hair. I don't know if I've ever stated this before, but my mother is a hairdresser, so she'll be doing it. We dyed it black earlier this week because that's what she wanted to do (no wig tomorrow! D:), and whatever style she ends up doing it in will have to accompany my lovely bow :3 The gloves are looong gloves, made out of a stretch lace that may or may not the same fabric used in her dress. They're scrunchy (hence the scrunchiness in the photo), and about forearm length. So that way if it's cool... at least I'll have part of my arms covered.

I plan on taking video tomorrow at the event, so I'll definitely be uploading a vlog sometime soon after, along with photos of her dress~

♡MissChubi