Making an Old School Hat (slight blood warning)

I’ve always wanted an old school hat similar to the ones that HeartE and Meta have put out. However, they are quite rare on the secondhand market, and I prefer to DIY things when I can. It’s just a matter of finding the right kind of hat and lace…

Heart E Sailor Hat

Meta Present Box Hat
Credit: @sirinsnest (IG)

A few months into my search for a suitable hat, my friend ended up finding this little bucket hat for me in a closing sale for a vintage clothing rental. After flipping up the brim, it was perfect! I found some super cute lace at a fabric store, and the off white color complements the hat wonderfully.

I created a ruffle by gathering a straight stitch, then pinned two rows to the hat. After sewing two accent bows to the sides and ribbons to make a chin tie, it was complete!

However, I totally ended up sewing my finger in the process (which never happens!). I guess that’s my sign to be more alert when I’m sewing…

Minus the small injury, this is a super easy DIY project, and I hope you give it a try.

Until next time~

Valentine

Jardsale - Jfashion Swap Meet

I recently attended Jardsale, which is a jfashion swap meet run by Bay Area Kei in my local comm. It’s always such an amazing place to get good deals! I went last time, and I was so excited to go again this year. The venue was larger, so there were a lot of sellers.

I wore a music note jsk to twin with someone in the OS discord. It’s a Shirley Temple dress from 2004. Sadly, it’s too small on my bust, so I was considering selling it… but it’s really cute worn as a skirt 😓 (shhh maybe i’ll just keep it LOL.)

JSK: Shirley Temple
Blouse: Metamorphose
 Socks: Bodyline
Shoes: Madden Girl
Headdress and Tie: handmade

We got some cute photos together~ When I get the photos back, I will post them here if my twin gives me permission to.

Here’s my haul!

I tried not to buy any main pieces this time, but I did see a VISIBLE skirt which made me change my mind. I have a VISIBLE op that would use an underskirt because of how short it is, and I think both work out together. It was a really great price! However, I will say the quality of the tulle is pretty stiff and scratchy. I didn’t expect much because VISIBLE pieces from this era tend to sort of be of that quality… LOL. But it was too cute to pass up.

tried the skirt under VISIBLE op

I also got two bonnets, one from AATP and one from antique beast. However, I think I will sell the AATP one, as I figured out I don’t actually need two. I like the AB one a bit more, since it is a little smaller and has a flower attached. I got a cat headdress from AB as well, which was the most expensive item today 😅. I’m still on the fence about whether I’ll keep it forever, but it is really cute! 

My favorite item was actually this Prisila wig. It was super cheap and matches my current hair perfectly. The side bangs are my real hair, and you can barely tell. I’m excited to use this in old school coords!

 

The rest of my haul consists of a freebie parasol and bloomers. The BTSSB parasol is broken, which is why it was given away. I think I will need to replace the snapped plastic rod with a new one, but I think it can be repaired. I just purchased some new rods. I’ll create a blog post update if it works out! 

Iended up donating fabric, 2 blouses, socks, shoes, and a handmade jsk I don’t wear much to the freebie table.

Overall, I had so much fun and I’m glad I was able to control my spending for the most part, and I’m happy with what I got. 

These community events are always so amazing and well organized thanks to the amazing Bay Area Kei staff! I can’t wait to go to another swap meet this year.

Thanks for reading~

Valentine 

(more pictures below)

Altering Bodyline Francoise Velveteen OP

Altering Bodyline- let’s talk about it.

I have to say I am a big fan of some of bodyline’s older Lolita designs. Oftentimes, they would use pretty decent fabric, as seen here with the Francoise Velveteen OP. I wanted to take a chance on this OP, which seemed to look quite nice from some owner photos! 

However, I wasn’t a fan of the collar, which was thick and frumpy (though not in a good way). I wanted to make a more elegant and simple collar out of cotton, as opposed to the thicker velveteen they originally used. 

I also took this as a chance to oxyclean soak red fabric, which bled a lot of excess dye. I’m not too sure that it won’t bleed again the next time I wash it, but I’m hoping that it won’t be too terrible and stain my alteration.

I ended up coming up with a design inspired by Victorian Maiden. The cuffs were repurposed to become a half bonnet, which actually was quite cute! I originally wanted the waist tie to make a hair accessory, but it appears that the Mercari seller forgot to include it :( oh well. The removable bow actually was cute as a headbow, so I turned it into that as well.

The finished result:

Anyway, I hope this can inspire some of you to alter cheaper or non-egl pieces into a usable piece of your Lolita wardrobe! 

edit: I was so excited to find this scan after I made the alteration. It's from Gosu Rori vol. 1 and looks almost just like the dress I altered! It's from AP. It makes me want to add a little detachable bow at some point.

Thanks for reading~

Valentine 

First Blog Post

 

    Hello friends! I have been interested in creating a blog, but wasn't too sure if I'll have the time to manage it. However, I figured it would be worth a shot.

    My hope is to document some of my lolita coords and creations, which are a big part of my involvement with this hobby. I really love all things gothic and old school, but it is hard to delve in-depth with my interests on social media. Hopefully, this allows me to have a more creative and personal outlet.

See you soon!

Valentine