A Quick Look at a New Design!

During this super snowy week/end with work cancelled, we have gotten a little bit of time back to design and work on some new pieces in between the in progress commissions! As I have been in a bit of creative rut lately, I decided to try something different: an all black piece, with only the difference of fabric choices as accents. This is what happened, you can look at it for sale here:

One of my dear friends, a few years ago, had given me this beautiful vintage velvet swiss dot tulle fabric and I have had it tucked away in the drawer as I wasn't quite sure where I wanted to go with it, or what I wanted to do. There was only two yards of it, so I knew until I was sure, I didn't want to waste it!

For the fabrics, I had a small piece of gorgeous, premium black velvet left over from a previous design and so I chose that for the bodice. I decided to do another sheer chiffon neckline, and accent that with a lightly shimmered organza sleeve. For the under skirt, I selected a baroque black satin that I felt had just enough sheen to make the over skirt swiss dot pop.

When I started playing with the pattern, I knew I wanted to have a more elegant silhouette so I really scooped the neckline so it would go up, over the shoulder, and swoop down along the back to expose the shoulder blades of the wearer. I've always found lower necklines on the back of dresses terribly attractive on women!

Originally, I had wanted a silhouette of a very, very full skirt and sleeves but because I had so little of the vintage tulle and width of the organza was a certain size, I went with something more toned down and classic. I compensated that desire of over the top with the over sized, elegant bow and the pretty corset like back with silver eyelets. Beneath the corset like lace up, I inserted a shirred panel which is hidden by the velvet privacy panels.

Instead of doing something aesthetically even, I decided to do something asymmetrical with the bow at the shoulder and the waist line. Overall, I'm really pleased with how it turned out which I haven't been for a long time, which is a relief. And apparently you all like it too which just pleases me greatly! I have never had over a 1,000+ notes on anything before on tumblr but all the comments have made me really happy! Thank you for that!

I hope to show you more in the future, and get my creative head back in the game!
xo
Annika

Introducing A New Dress & Other Such Things

Status Update: I am still alive. No, seriously, guys. I'm so sorry! (Am I the worst blogger in the history of bloggers? Probably. -_-) I've cast a heal spell, and am back at 100% HP, for the foreseeable future of, well, until I catch the next bubonic flu plague. (I'm honestly surprised I lasted as long as I did given the amount of sickness going around, and the fact that every single co-worker I have either has flu or strep at the moment.)

I knowwww what you're thinking. "Look, Annika, seriously. You cannot have been sick for this entire month, and you haven't made a single blog update aside from the illustrator call. Where are the new dresses? Where is the new merch?! Are you just fooling us into thinking you're ill when you are really just napping with your cat and playing video games?!"

[To subdue your anger, I will surreptitiously insert photos of Cookie Cat.....]

Look at that disapproving glare! Oh Cook.

Hahahaha. :sweat drop: I really was sick with a terrible flu for a whole week! And then to make matters worse, we had a staff meeting that ran till midnight, I had to get up in three hours, and go back to work, and therefore I relapsed for a bit with the same flu this week. (You try working an entire shift on three hours of sleep, after you've been up the whole rest of the day previous too. ; o ;)

I'm not going to lie, and tell you that I've been super productive and have a bunch of new designs just waiting to be photographed for sale..... Because I definitely haven't been. Honestly, I think I have been going through a bit of depression the last couple months which has caused me to be super critical about my work, and when I don't feel like I'm meeting my standards, doing enough, being 110% at my best, then I get frustrated and mad at myself. And not just my work, or lack there of, is depressing me. It's just been a rough year, and I guess I feel discouraged for a variety of reasons. And I suppose I am having difficulty adjusting and transitioning with it all. So I know I'm not feeling inspired, or doing as much as I know I'm capable of.

See, even Cookie looks a little sad!

With that said, I really am actively trying to snap myself out of this rainy dark cloud that has been following me around lately. Some days are better than others. Even if I haven't been producing garments, at least I have been sketching some out for the fashion show in the summer, while finishing up the Dexter series and getting in to Doctor Who.

Also, I have been working a couple paid commissions which is a nice change of pace. I have been trying (feebly? haha) to teach myself how to use my new Canon Rebel T3 DSLR camera, which was kindly given to me as Christmas present as a way for me to improve the image quality of my designs to show to you, dear readers. And I'm ever so grateful to have a new toy to play with! So I've been giving it a go! (And you thought these photos of Cookie were just random! ; ) )

Still need to work on that focus! >.<

I've been trying to do things for just me, to cheer me and sort of jump start my creative muses again with a good amount of knitting, reading, and playing video games! Plus, with the Illustrator Call for Pop Princess coming to its close, I have been getting pretty excited about that! (The entries I have been getting are amazing! So many talented ladies and gents!)

So enough of me yammering on then, you want to see the new dress! (I heard that sigh of relief, readers!) It took me a long time to make since I've been going through a blue period, but here it is at last!

Black Velvet Alice in Wonderland OP: 

 I went with a similar silhouette and style as Red Bunny Tea Party, featuring the cropped waist and the tempered princess seams running down the front, this time without the lace detailing. The rich, lush black velvet gives ample ruching around the 3/4 leg o' mutton style sleeve which features a key hole design, a sturdy cuff, and antique gold rose buttons.

 Even with the large velvet waist bow pinned at center front, I still didn't feel like the dress was quite complete but I had a hard time figuring out why, particularly since the skirt fabric is incredibly detailed. A few of my darling friends suggested that a detachable peter pan collar would be a cute addition, so after a few variations of style, size, and details I decided on this one. I brought the pattern from the skirt back into the collar, and accented the edge with gold top stitching, and finished it off by neatly and carefully hand stitching on a gold diamond rhinestone trim for a hint of glitter. I like the idea that the collar can be taken off for a more elegant, sophisticated style!

The print, once again, features a black silhouette from Alice in Wonderland. Each featured character, be it Alice or the White Rabbit, is edged in a glittering gold accent. The etchings of gold accenting the dark silhouettes give it a hint of shimmer in the sunlight, which just adds to the elegance in my opinion.

It's not a lot, I know but I promise, I'm going to get back to work!! <3
Buy Black Alice OP Here!

What do you think about the new dress and quality of the images from the new camera? : )
Again, sorry about the long absence, lovelies!
xo

Up in Coming December Design Releases for Pop Princess!

My lovely readers, I'm sorry for continually disappointing you with my lack of writing. I sometimes wish I had a clone to do the mundane things in life, like working, while I get to frolic about sewing, designing, and writing. Work is keeping me exceptionally busy, busier than I thought it would and as such I have not been able to do much in the ways of designing to be able to show new things for you. So for now, the production will be a bit slower than usual, especially since my carpal tunnel is acting up because of work. <3

On the flip side though, I suppose that allows me a longer time to conceptualize the designs and continue to refine my process by going a bit slower. : ) There are two new designs which I'm delighted to share with you, that will be released this upcoming month of December--but first,
they are making a trip to Disney World where they will be on location for a photo shoot with our very first Pop Princess spokes model! (I'm looking forward to introducing you to her, she is adorable! For now, I am keeping it a secret to surprise you!)

I've also decided to budget, and purchase a nice digital SLR camera over the winter month as I think it is time for me to be able to show off the details and beauty that the garments I make deserve. I feel I am short changing not only you, but myself as well by not being able to capture them professionally.

For now, a few sneak peeks... <3

Red Velvet Bunny Tea Party OP:

When I first got the red bunny fabric, I wasn't certain what I was going to do with it until the weather started to turn colder and I thought to myself that girls would want to look very pretty but still be able to keep warm. I was between a lovely silk and a deep, cushy top of the line velvet. As you can see, I went with the velvet and it is GORGEOUS, just gorgeous. My camera just can't capture how lush the fabric is in person. I adore it so much, I've decided to do another but in black!

I went ahead with a lovely mutton style, full sleeve with a bias bound keyhole and a 3/4 length, that allows the buttoned up cuff to rest just above the elbow which accentuates the fullness. It took me some time to dye the lace by hand, about 3 batches, to get it the right kind of shade that would accent the red in the bunny fabric, but also work nicely with the richness of the velvet.

I wanted to keep the one piece dress simple, but elegant by using a minimal amount of design features: red pearl faced buttons, scallop lace, and a lovely double faced satin ribbon on the back. You know what else makes this dress awesome? : o There's (literally) 144 inches of skirt gathered into that waist line... I sort of want to have a contest to see how many petticoats it actually fits..... : >

When I was finished, I topped it off with a lovely and beautiful velvet waist bow that is removable. I even made a cute matching head bow to go with it! (Had I had more velvet I would have sooo made a gorgeous red velvet bonnet with roses! *o*)

Alice in Wonderland Frame JSK:

This next one, I am also EXTREMELY excited for!!! This is one of the most gorgeous prints I have seen in a long time, and am honestly grateful I got my hands on even a little bit of yardage considering how rare it is and super super expensive.*o*

 This extremely decadent print, featuring Alice in Wonderland, is set off by its pale pink background, and was carefully illustrated with the up most care for even the tiniest details. Vines, roses, and ribbons criss cross down it's front until your eyes reach the gilded frames setting off Alice, The White Rabbit, and a set of tea cups, and is finished by a scalloped set of ribbons and printed lace.

I wanted this jsk to have a more classic feel than my other work, but was originally inspired by antique pinafores worn by little girls in the Victorian era which featured the big ruffles along the shoulder. After importing some rose and scallop trim, I went through great lengths to painstakingly hand dye the yardage needed to match the dress. It took about 4 dye baths to get the color I was satisfied with using a bit of bordeaux, scarlet, and true red from my chemical powder dyes I acquired when I was attending CCAD. (Mrs. Grebennik would be proud!) The rose and scallop trim are really gorgeous, and I think compliment the design well!

 

As you can see, the bodice features a bit of shirring at the bust line with tiny pin tuck gathers, as well as a pinch of gathering at center front where the bow is placed. The bodice is sewn in three separate sections to allow for the scallop chemical lace trim and roses to be inserted properly, and also gives

it a smoother, more flattering fit. I also realized these sections would need a touch of interfacing to stiffen them, especially with the pull of the lace up ribbon.

Then lastly, I decided to go for a removable beaded bow at center front of the bodice. I wanted something that wouldn't overpower the overall design, but just add a hint of something cute as well to compliment the neckline.

This pattern took quite a lot of work, and caused me a bit of frustration in order to get the corset like panels in the right place, lining up the print as best I could, and then that darn sweetheart neckline decided to give me a bit of trouble as well! And then of course all the top stitching looks lovely, but took some time to get right. But, all's well that ends well. Initially, I was going to go with a 5/8" wine colored ribbon, but in the end went with the 1/4" because I felt it worked better with the criss cross design of the roses.

Now of course, the main event which is really what makes this dress so beautiful and stunning... the print itself. Here are some close up shots! <3

Ah, I feel quite satisfied with this piece, even if it did give me some trouble and frustration! Sadly, this yardage is so rare that this is the only one of its kind right now. However, I hope to find some again through my sources and save up for since I know it will be at least $100+ dollars if I do find it!

Both of these prints will be headed to Disney World this next for an exclusive photo shoot with our very first Pop Princess Spokes Model! : 3 I am very excited to introduce you to her, as she is a very sweet girl, and lovely! Can't wait to share those photos as well, how exciting!

Look for these dresses to be up at Pop Princess after the weekend of the 21st, perhaps even sooner, depending upon how the shoot goes! So they will be up no later than the week before Christmas!

So what do you think, my loves? : 3 Would you like to see more designs like this? With velvet and trims?

xoxo
Annika

*All designs/illustrations are copyrighted and belong to Pop Princess/Annika Simmons.*
Please do not redistribute photos without permission, or proper credits! <3

Pop Princess: A Cute Collection of New Prints/Sneak Peek!

I wanted to drop a quick line so you can get a glimpse at the new prints that will be featured in the upcoming OPs/JSKs for darling sweet lolita darlings! Dancing across the prints of dresses are pink strawberries with aristo-cats, fancy prancing poodles, and roses and macaroons accompanied by rather fluffy, cotton tailed hosts! ^-^ (Keep in mind these are works in progress!)

 *All designs belong to and are copyrighted by Pop Princess/Annika Simmons

 My boyfriend insisted that we take some photos of me actually working on the pieces, but I am a bit shy about this sort of thing so I hope you don't mind! : o

 (While I was on vacation, I use the Singer, but oh how I missed my beloved Janome! <3)

These will soon be on sale, most likely featured on the EGL Comm Sale forums so keep out a watchful eye! ^-^

Keep your eye out for these different colorways/prints to soon follow! <3

Enjoy! <3 xoxo
Annika

Pop Princess S/S 2012 Sweet Lolita Collection

Visit us at Pop Princess to find the new Spring/Summer 2012 Collection debuting darling Sweet Lolita clothing, accessories, and purses! ^-^ This collection features sugary sweet prints of bunny rabbits frolicking in gardens, carousel ponies going round and round, and pastel ponies in a candy rain. If you'd like to know "who's the fairest of them all?" just look in the mirror, my dear girl, with our exclusive Disney inspired pendants of Snow White mirrors, Cinderella castles and carriages! Or if you're feeling a bit of a sweet tooth coming on then try our candied parfait necklaces!

"Bunny Garden OP" Sweet Lolita dress was sold to a darling girl in Britain!

Magical Carousel Pony OP Sweet Lolita Dress in Pink/Black: 

 

Chiffon Rose Skirt & Pony Carousel Skirt:

Princess Mirror Necklaces & Sweet Sweet Parfaits: 

Sweet Lolita Tote Purses:

*Mary Nine from tank9 will be featuring this tote purse at Anime Expo 2012 in her video documentary! <3

Enjoy!
xo