Morigirl Secret Santa 2011

This is my second year of participating in the annual morigirl livejournal community's Secret Santa gift exchange and once again I'm really pleased with the result! The gifts I received from a fellow morigirl came in a book-shaped box, which I intend to use for some of my jewelry findings and lace remnants.

Dressing Gown for Dances of Vice

sources: Costumes of Nashua and the Quilt Museum and Gallery

Nightgowns and dressing gowns were once incredibly lavish! Ladies of leisure often spent time in a boudoir-- their private dressing room-- to bathe, dress, and prepare themselves for the day as well as relax with some tea or embroidery. While I dont own any antique dressing gowns like the ones pictured above, I do have some vintage pieces in my closet, so I tried putting together a coordinate inspired by traditional dressing gown ensembles (click the photos for larger versions).

My outfit for the Dances of Vice: Pure Imagination brunch was a sort of stylized boudoir look using a vintage nightgown and dressing gown and handmade accessories. At first glance, it doesn't seem to fit the theme of the event since it's not related to winter or candy, but some fairy tales characters do wear a nightgown or dressing gown in their stories, such as Wendy Darling from Peter Pan or Clara from the Nutcracker.

Dances of Vice: Pure Imagination

source: Dancesofvice.com

Two weekends ago, I attended the Dances of Vice event called Pure Imagination: A Winter Toyland Holiday Brunch and took a few photos! Click the pictures to see the larger versions.

Click the jump cut to see more photos and an I Do Declare fashion show!

Happy Halloween

I decided to create a witch outfit this year for Halloween, so I just used what was in my closet already and added a hat! My inspiration was the stylized type of witch you find in fairy tales, so I tried to make the coordinate cute as well as creepy.

The hat is from the Shannon Dockery Bakos hat shop on Etsy. This seller makes many interesting hats, but this one was my favorite! The crumpled shape of the hat crown and the tassel on the end give it a lot of character. I made a brooch of feathers, velvet ribbon, pom-pom trim, and a paper flower to add to the side of the crown. It's rather difficult to see the details with all the black, so here's the brooch by itself:

This dress is one of my favorites, an older release from Innocent World. The bodice has a quaint lace-up style and the skirt is a mass of gathered tiers bordered by delicate rose lace trim. To see the details of the outfit better, here's a closeup without the hat:

The blouse is a 1980s secretary blouse I found on Etsy as well. I tied a black georgette scarf in a bow and pinned it to one side of the collar so I could balance out the tilted hat.

Here's a closeup photo of the bodice itself. I love the criss-cross laceup! The necklace is from Innocent World as well. The mirror on the back of the watch face design came off, but I always wore it facing this way anyway.

The skirt is very full and heavy with all that gathering, so I usually only wear this dress in the colder months. This is one of the things I like about wearing solid color dresses: the design isn't as striking as a print, but details like this can make it feel luxurious and special.

♥

In the spirit of this spooky season, here's a necklace I made for a friend recently! I chose antiqued bronze for the metal rather than silver or gold so it would have a more old-fashioned look.

The miniature heart keys and diving swallows are puncuated by a single tiny porcelain doll arm for an understated creepy touch. I think this necklace could be worn with casual outfits as well as styles like dolly kei or gothic.

Happy Halloween, everyone!
If you're dressing up today, I would love to know what your costume will be ~

Fawn Headdress

Last week I made a hair accessory for a friend because she wanted something involving deer and moss (right up my alley)! Here's a photo:

The base is a dark green velvet leaf-- similar to the ones I used in the last hair accessories I made-- topped with a remnant of lace, a circle of faux moss, a flocked fawn figurine, some spun-cotton mushrooms, and a few gold leaf charms. I added three dangling pearl chains with knotwork design pendants at the end and a waterfall of soft embroidered tulle lace to the back. For extra whimsy, I added some tiny lace circles and gold leaves to the waterfall of lace itself.

This piece can be worn as a hair accessory or a brooch, but I could also imagine it attached to a bag or the brim of a hat. Here's my friend wearing it--doesn't it look lovely with her complexion? This accessory works with the lolita dress she was wearing, but I think it would look good with a morigirl or dolly kei outfit as well.

♥

End of Summer Coordinate and NYCC 2011

It's time to put away the summer clothes because autumn is here, but I thought I would make one last summer coordinate to celebrate the passing of the season...

Natural kei can be worn year round because it's all about layering, but in summer this style conveys a truly nostalgic feeling. The color palette of light green (I've been calling it "antique pistachio"), dusty rose, and antique white adds to the romantic mood.

The cardigan is a lucky eBay find! I've always been a fan of floral embroidery and harlquin checks, but never seen them combined until now. The miniature scallop along the edges is a delight as well. The ruffled camisole worn underneath is from Pink House. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the ruffles actually alternate two similar shades of dusty rose. What detail!

The ruffled rosette skirt by Wonderful World is full of details as well; each ruffle layer has pin tucks, along with yet another miniature ruffle. I love the stylized rosette print.

I finished off the outfit with the straw bowler hat and a Pink House rose corsage. The soft silk roses and bits of straw surrounding it really lend this corsage a natural look.

If any fans of natural kei are attending New York Comic Con next weekend, please come to my panel-- Natural Kei: Little Pink House on the Prairie on Sunday, October 16 at 12:30 pm! This year I'm focusing entirely on natural kei, so I'll be describing it's origins and characteristics, explaining where to find it and how to wear it, and presenting a natural kei fashion show. Even if you can't make it to the panel, I'll be at the convention all weekend so please come up to me and say hello ♥

Changes for Moss Garden

As some of you might have noticed, I recently created a Facebook page for Moss Garden (see the right side of the page), so if you click "Like" then you'll be notified automatically through Facebook about new blog posts! For those who don't already use Google Reader or Bloglovin', this Facebook page may make my blog easier to follow.

If you've already seen my new business cards, you'll notice that I added two new items to my roster of subjects: music and book recommendations. Some people have emailed me requesting suggestions on these subjects, so I thought I would make it official. Also, I'll probably throw in some movie recommendations now and then, so I hope everyone enjoys these additions!

Also, I want to thank everyone who's been reading. I've been writing this blog for over a year now, and even though I don't always have time to update, but I appreciate your comments and email!