How to make lolita dresses ?

Question

I have always loved the vintage clothing look(ever since I read the Samantha series from American Girl). Then one day I saw pics of the sweet and goth. lolita dresses. I fell in love. I was thinking of making them. I am going to practice my sewing first though( I am inheriting a top of the line sewing machine).

So my questions are:

Where can I find patterns?

Are they terribly difficult to make?

About how much would materials for each dress cost?

If I were to spend an entire day on them, how many days would it take to make one?

Any dependable stores to buy a ready made one?

Thanks!

Answer 1

The answers to your questions are a bit subjective since I don't know much about you or your sewing abilities so I'll try to answer each questions as well as I can and if you have any more questions you can email me directly or join my lolita sewing community at

http://www.groups.yahoo.com/vanilla_loli

Where can I find patterns?

Some places have pattern scans online - you would need to know a bit about grading patterns so this may not be a reliable source for you if you do not know how to make a pattern from a smaller picture.

I could suggest investing in some Gothic Lolitas.  Not only are these magazines filled with beautiful pictures and inspiration but each magazine comes with pull out patterns in the back of several different types of clothing from various Lolita brands.  These generally run in japanese size medium so you may have to do a little grading but, it's much easier to make a pattern bigger buy a few inches then have to make it from a small picture of what the pattern should look like.

Are they terribly difficult to make?

That would greatly depend on your sewing ability.  If you have some basic sewing know-how no, the dresses are too hard to make and the skirts even less so.  If you don't know how to sew at all it may be more of a challenge of trial and error.

I have no formal sewing training and mostly have taught myself.  I don't find the dresses too hard although I suspect they take me longer to make then some one who has a ton of formal training.

About how much would materials for each dress cost?

Again this answer is totally dependent on you and your tastes.  If you are going to make a dress out of brocade type materials that could be very costly - with all the notions and materials probably some where in the vicinity of $100 or more.  If you are going more basic cotton then somewhere around $40.  Here are some tips I use to keep my costs down.

1) If you have never made the pattern before and aren't completely confident that you can manage it without any major snags considered purchasing un-dyed muslin fabric to make a "mock-up".  Muslin fabric can be as little as 99 cents a yard and can often times be purchased for as little as $15 for the a complete bolt.  The muslin is very cheap but can be made to act like most fabrics when being sewn on.  You could practice making the dress first to make sure you have the fit and know how to complete it.

2) If you really want to buy expensive fabric to work with for a really sumptuous looking dress know how to work the system.  Jo Ann's puts out a bi-monthly ad in the mail.  Sign up for it.  They often have a 50% off one cut of fabric coupon.  This coupon is your best friend.  The cut of fabric can usually be just about anything, it will note any fabrics that are not included in the deal.  That fabric that was going to cost you $20.00 yard and $80.00 to complete that dress just became $40.00 for you to complete the dress.

If I were to spend an entire day on them, how many days would it take to make one?

Depends on your sewing ability and the simplicity of the dress.  I have a skirt pattern that makes a very cute Lolita skirt that takes about a half a day to make.  My friend who created the pattern can complete the skirt in about 3 hours.  She is a very accomplished seamstress.  I can complete the skirt at the same quality, but I have to take a little extra time to ensure I am doing it right.

For a dress - expect to spend a few days on it or at least one whole day if it's rather simplistic.  It's better to spend a few days on it, take some breaks in between and have a great dress rather than rush and end up with something you're not so proud of.

Any dependable stores to buy a ready made one?

There are several and it solely depends on your budget.

Fan + Friend has a great selection at fairly affordable prices in a variety of different styles.

http://www.fanplusfriend.com/servlet/Sto...

If you are open to more of a variety of Lolita may I suggest http://www.inthestarlight.com

or J-chan designs

http://jchansdesigns.com/

I have purchased from In the Starlight and have worked as a model for J-Chan Designs who will be featured in the August issue of Anicoz magazine. Both owners are a delight to work with and are excellent designers with great craftsmen ship.

If you are looking for something that looks more like Japanese brand but are willing to sacrfice some of the quality for a lower price may i suggest Anna House

http://annahousefashion.com/

While the prices at first look expensive keep in mind they are in Hong Kong Dollars so the $280 dollars for a skirt is actually, for example $36 american. The quality is actually good although the fabrics are a little thinner than couture.

I hope this helps answer your question. If you have any further questions please feel free to email me or join my lolita yahoo group

http://www.groups.yahoo.com/vanilla_loli My yahoo group is devoted to Lolitas who s

Answer 2

I don't know about patterns, but http://modcloth.com/ has loads of vintage and indie clothing. Look in the dresses section. They're adorable and reasonably priced too.