Sparkle Stitches~Ribbon Bustle Skirt

How was Winter International Lolita Day 2010 for all of you, my dear friends? I had a wonderful, delicious day, but that is for another post. Right now, I come bearing gifts - a tutorial on a ribbon bustle skirt! I worked hard to finish it this week and hope you all like it!


I love the print on this fabric!

Versatility is a big point for me. It is one of the main aims for Carousel Cafe, so this 4-ribbon bustle skirt is a great design! It can be worn in varying styles with 0-4 of the bustles in action.


1)Cut your skirt panels into 4. You will be using the seams as the casing for the ribbons. If you will be adding a ruffle on the bottom, add them now to each individual panel and treat them as a panel now


2) Sew the panels together, but use a wider seam allowance. I used 5/8". Press them open.


3) Stitch down the seam allowances. This creates little tubes on either side of your seams.


4) Take a length of your ribbon or cording that is two times the length of your skirt plus about 6" extra and thread it from the bottom of one tube through to the top. Attaching a safety pin or bobby pin to the front of the ribbon to help it thread more easily.


5) Then turn around and thread it from the top down the other side. Having the ribbon folded like this makes it sturdier than using two separate ribbons because there is no way for the ribbon to detach from the waistband and pull out the bottom. Tie a knot at the ends of the ribbons to prevent them from getting pulled up into the channels on accident. Finish the ends by hand (I turn and stitch the raw edges).


6) Because this skirt has 4 seams already, a zip opening would be unattractive so we will make it a full elastic waist. Cut your waistband WxL
W should be 2x your elastic width plus seam allowance
L should be larger than your hip measure so you can get the skirt on and off!
Press up your seam allowances, and then press your waistband in half lengthwise.


7) Sew your waistband into a circle and press open your seam allowance.


8) Re-press your seam allowance and fold it in half again.


9) Gather your skirt to one seam allowance of your waistband if it is smaller than your skirt.


10) Stitch, then fold the waistband in half and either top-stitch or stitch in the ditch. For this tutorial, I showed the stitch in the ditch method, but a clean, straight top-stitch gives a wonderful finish, too. Remember to leave an opening in the waistband for your elastic!

From the outside. The stitching is invisible because you stitch right on top of the stitching line that attaches the waistband to the skirt.


From the inside. I lightened the photo to show that the stitching has to catch the seam allowance on the inside

11) Thread your elastic through the waistband, sew the elastic ends together, and sew the rest of the waistband shut. This next step is optional, but it is nice for keeping the elastic from twisting. Stretch your waistband so the fabric is flat, and stitch a line down the middle all the way around the waistline. No in-progress photos because it takes two hands to stretch the waistband out :P


Wearing Style
This skirt can be worn like a regular skirt with none of the ribbons tied as seen at the beginning of this post. Here are some more ways to wear it with an underskirt (or perhaps a cage skirt for ero style?)


This is one of my favorite ways to wear this type of skirt. Pull up only slightly on one ribbon in the front, revealing a layer or two of ruffle. Pull up all the way on the other front ribbon, revealing all the layers of ruffles on the inside.


Double Bustle! This can be done in the front, back, or both sides of the skirt! Just pull up your gathers as far as possible on all your ribbons and tie them in a pretty bow


This is a more subdued version of a bustle and I think it looks wonderful when all four ribbons are used. Pull up slightly and tie a small bow, revealing a layer or two of your underskirt. It creates a slight scalloped look and adds more visual interest to the hem.


As always, please do not hesitate to ask more clarification if there is any point you do not understand! I am going to offer this skirt at a discount (for the ugly insides) on my ArtFire shop soon, so keep an eye out if you are interested! Underskirt not included ;) But they are available for a decent price on TaoBao shops.

P.S. How do you like my Photoshop skills? ^^;

Sparkle Stitches and is Technologically Challenged~Basic Skills - Cording

I have been trying to put together a video tutorial because I think it is easier to follow, but I am pretty horrible at it so here is a photo tutorial instead

This is just a basic skill, but it is useful! Making cords this way can be used for spaghetti straps, button loops, or as a ribbon, which is what I made mine for! And if you don't want to use ribbon for the ribbon bustle skirt tutorial I am working on, this cord is a perfect substitute. I like to use cords because you can make it out of matching fabric, and it is not as slippery as ribbon.

First, cut your fabric into strips four times wider than your finished cord. I wanted 1/4" wide cords, so I cut 1" wide strips. Fold in half and stitch at your cord width (1/4" for me)

I used white thread so you can see easily. Obviously you want to use matching thread!

Make a snip from the FOLDED edge to, but not through, your stitching line


Put a bobby pin in the little loop you just made


Thread the bobby pin into the body of the cord. Start feeding the bobby pin through and the cord will fold in on itself. Don't try to turn too much at once or it will just bunch up! Start small. Once you have a good few inches turned, it becomes much easier! I find that if the end gets a little bit bunchy, especially in the beginning, twisting and rolling it between your fingers helps.

I showed the twisting portion in the video I recorded but I can't seem to make a good video edit
If you need more explanation, please let me know!

Quick, Say Something!

My apologies for lack of updates for a long time! I have been having some personal life issues. I was planning on getting a sewing tutorial up, but have been unable to complete it so far, sorry! It should be up relatively soon. I am making a ribbon bustle skirt with adjustable bustles, but decided to do some experimenting which went wrong ^^; Don't worry, it is still wearable and I fixed it so it looks perfect on the outside, but is ugly on the inside, and I HATE that! Originally it was going to go for sale on ArtFire, but now I don't want to because I feel like it is not my best work... The fabric is gorgeous, though ♥

Let's talk about something much happier! Do you know what is happening next Saturday, on December 4th? It is International LoliDay! I love that International Lolita Day happens twice a year because one can show both a lovely summer outfit and a fancy, layered winter outfit. LoliDay is the best time to experiment with new coordinates, new color combos, and accessorize to your heart's content! Normally I opt for comfort and practicality over looking perfect, but I hope to be able to put some finishing touches on a new dress to wear by LoliDay and go shopping for matching accessories.

Being in Taiwan, however, winter feels.... not really like winter to me... In Minnesota, Winter LoliDay meant my handmade pink, wool coat, layred tights, socks, and knee-high boots, long sleeves under a JSK and maybe a cardigan,and a cute bunny hat and lamb scarf! Also matching pink gloves to keep my fingerstips from going numb in the bitter cold. Now, I can get away with wearing just a light cardigan. Not nearly as many layering options! This year I will focus on accessories and details like hair, make, and nail to make up for the lack of layers

Activity-wise, there are no meetups planned, so I am going to make it a day of shopping! There are some shopping districts I would like to browse (though I haven't got much money, so it will mostly be looking only) and a 24-hour bookstore to peruse. I am thinking of treating myself to a Starbucks seasonal drink.

This may sound silly, being that Starbucks is HUGE in America, but I honestly have hardly ever tried any of their drinks, and didn't know about the seasonal ones ^^; I always went for Caribou Coffee! Simply because I liked the decor and logo better. Of course, later I also learned about how they used Free Trade coffee and they re-branded recently and started using REAL chocolate chips instead of powder, and basically, are a more decadent version of Starbucks. Not knocking Starbucks though, as I have tried a couple drinks so far and like it :) Gourmet coffee is a real treat to me, though I know many people see it as a daily routine :P And holidays are a time for indulgence, so indulge I shall!

Other ideas for LoliDay include:

*Photoshoots ~ Alone with a self-timer, with some good friends, or as a group professionally, document your LoliDay coordinate!

*Go on an Adventure! ~ Rekindle the childhood spirit of adventure and go somewhere new! One Person Party or take a crew?

*Take a Day Off ~ Stay home and relax, or hang out with a friend at home. Read a good book, watch movies, and eat yummy snacks!

*Bake a Treat ~ Unleash your inner kitchen witch and whip up some munchies in the kitchen! Perhaps try your hand at a GLB recipe?

*Take a Treat ~ Not in the mood to create? How about visiting a local bakery or cafe to treat yourself to a lovely drink and pasty. Most pastries or cakes are cute and lend themselves to being good subjects for food photography. I love food photography *u*


What are your plans for LoliDay?
Has your local group got a meet-up planned? Are you doing something alone or just with a friend? Share your ideas in the comments! I am interested to hear what you are going to do!

Tiana's Kitchen~Heart Print Pancakes

Now for something new! My very first video!

I actually filmed this a few weeks ago but couldn't figure out how to upload it onto YouTube I am a little bit technologically challenged...

Without further ado, I present a very simple way to make your breakfast (or lunch, or dessert, or whenever you feel like having pancakes) cute!




I edited the video with Windows Live Movie Maker. It was terribly hard to film and cook at the same time but I hope the video is understandable!

When They Don't Avert Their Eyes

Sorry for the lack of updates recently. I have been feeling a bit discouraged, but decided to blog about it now rather than continue the internet silence.

Let me start by saying I wear Lolita every day I don't have to work. I have been doing so for a couple years. I wear Lolita whether I am sitting at home all day or going out. Never have I ever encountered negative feedback in Minnesota. I went to the Mall of America every week. Outside of the weekly trips, I went grocery shopping, fabric shopping, took walks, got coffee, etc. Sometimes curious strangers would ask if I was from another country, or simply tell me that I dressed very adorably. Most of the time, I am confused at first because I don't feel any different in Lolita or out of it, and my friends and family are so accepting of it that nobody comments or looks at me any differently.

So it came as a shock to me, the different reactions I have gotten in Taiwan


Being that Asia is more fashionable than America in general, I had thought I would stand out far less. I see girls wearing dresses, short skirts, short shorts, layered looks, high boots, and a lot of heels. Very stylish from hair to shoes and everything in between. Unfortunately, everybody mostly dresses in the same style. It is fashionable, yes, but not diverse. Therefore, even my most casual of casual Lolita outfits stands out like crazy!

The other thing is that in Taiwan, people have no qualms about openly staring. Or "whispering" loudly enough for others to hear, even on the noisy MRT. I have encountered my first "ninja snap" where a girl whipped out her cell phone to take a photo of me on my way to a Lolita meetup. As a group, we walked through the MRT station and a girl very openly took photos of us, pointing, shouting, and telling her friends to look Most of us actually thought she was friends with one of the girls in our group because she was being so familiar. When one of the older Lolitas asked her to stop, she flat-out said "No" and carried on treating us like a display.

While traveling alone this past Wednesday, two girls in the same MRT compartment openly discussed whether I was a coser or not. Rather than either just asking me or keeping it to themselves, they held a conversation throughout the journey, making it highly awkward as everybody pretended to not be able to hear them or see me

Now, I am not going to stop wearing Lolita just because of a few obnoxious incidents, of course. I have noticed that people tend to look at me whether I am wearing Lolita or not, most likely because despite being 100% Chinese, I look mixed. So if they are going to stare anyway, I would much rather they look at my pretty clothes than at me.

Sorry for such a long, personal post. It has taken my spirit for the past few days, but I plan on continuing to live with the fiery passion for all things elegant, beautiful, and cute in life! Never shall it die!

And now I can relate much better to the girls who post asking about what to do in negative situations. Keep your chin up, your head high, and smile! You are beautiful Let's face it - you will probably never see those people ever again, anyway. And if you do, you'll still be rockin' life in your own style~

My question to you:
How have you dealt with this type of negativity in your life?