Pop*Princess: prints

Showing posts with label prints. Show all posts

Saturday, December 8, 2012

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

Friday, October 12, 2012

Lolita Blog Carnival: Three Prints You Want to See!

When I first saw our new topic for the week, I was sewing and thinking, "Eeee...errr, ummm, oh I'm not sure!!," *o* and wiggling my little feet in frustration like that would somehow help inspire some sort of genius or perhaps call upon some assistance from a muse watching from the heavens, thoroughly amused with my struggle. Honestly, this shouldn't be such a difficult topic right?

(Oh hush, I hear you giggling at me! o^-^o) What prints would I want to see from my favorite brands? More cutesy animals? Something more scenic, or still life-y? I just didn't know!!

Then, as I was sitting at the sewing machine, working on a new Alice in Wonderland jumperskirt... It was like :palm in face!: all of the sudden. Uh, excuse me Annika, but aren't you an indie brand?! Duuuh. (For some reason, I keep forgetting I'm a brand. So whenever someone says, "I love your brand!" I get all starry eyed like, "I'm a brand? Reallyyyy." :blush:) Why would I be thinking about other brand prints, when I obviously have ideas of prints for Pop Princess!

Forgive me, my love of all animal prints! <3

This week's prompt: 3 Prints You Want to See! (aka. Prints Pop Princess wants to make!)

Princess Cookie Cat

Princess Hopscotch Bunny

1. My Daughters

I decided that Pop Princess's first set of collection prints will most definitely have to pay tribute to both of my fuzzy little daughters, Cookie and Hopscotch. Hopscotch passed away a year ago suddenly, and I miss her little wiggly tail and floppy ears, and I want to do something to remember her by. Plus, this little bun bun wasn't taking any sass from Cookie Kitty, and so she'd boss her around and they would always play so cute together. To this day, I still think Cookie thinks she's a rabbit.

I have been sketching on and off this summer of ideas for prints of Cookie and Hoppy together, and the one I fancy the most is the sketch below. I got the original idea from my kitty, Cookie, who loves to play with me when I take bubble baths and sometimes is foolish enough to hop in. (Always so mad afterwards... she'll never learn!)

Don't laugh too much, it was just a quick sketch, and animals aren't my forte!

I believe this border print would look beautiful in pastel color backgrounds of baby pink, blue, mint, and light yellow. Floating down the dress, little shiny bubbles (round, hearts, stars) would shimmer with their filmy, rainbow essence against the background. At the bottom, soap bubbles would be filling and flowing across the hem with one little fuzzy rabbit and kitty sticking their heads out among the suds, all too pleased of course.

Other ideas for Hoppy and Cookie include:

-Hoppy/Cookie getting into mischief with a ball of yarn, one playing, one chewing on it

-Hoppy/Cookie/Me: cameo/silhouette border print

2. Carnival Rabbits

I will say it now, and I will always continue to say it: rabbit prints!! I can't help it. I am such a sucker for things with bunnies on them... I just can't help myself. ; o ; With their fuzzy little, twitch noses and their wiggly tails, eeee they are *too* cute! I desperately want a border print of a carnival scene of little buns dressed up, hopping around among tents and balloons, and a rabbit riding a penny farthing. Think of how cute they'd be in their little costumes! I'd love if I could get glitter detail into the print, so parts of it were shiny too.

3. Fancy Lady & Gent Cats

Last but not least, I was inspired by these kinds of vintage post card illustrations of fancy cats! I would love to do an illustration of Victorian kitties all dressed up in their Sunday best; bonnets, dresses, bow ties, and top hats. Perhaps it could be themed, different kittens from different time periods! I think a simple kind of block coloring would make the characters stand out from the background, as I think this print would lovely on jewel tones like wine reds or burgundies, something as regal as the cats themselves.

xo Annika

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Pop Princess: Fall/Winter Prints

I thought I would write something short and sweet to introduce a couple of the fabrics that will be featured in this year's line up for Pop Princess Fall/Winter collection. This season we will be focusing on more subdued tones to match the changing colors of the seasons accented by hints of glitter shimmer, rich velvets, and overall elegance with sheers and silky solids.

Since I'll be finishing and phasing out the last installment of our darling sweet prints like: Cherry Berry Kitty, Bunny Tea Party, and Magical Carousel Ponies.... I thought I would give us a new theme to look forward to: Alice in Wonderland. ♡

Illustration by Arthur Rackham

Alice in Wonderland... A favorite story among both an audience of children as well as adults. For children, it's a story of following a young blonde, wide eyed girl through a dream like state of Wonderland, filled with mystical and fantastical creatures of all sorts, shapes, and sizes. It is an adventure of great heights to be shared with grinning cats and dozing mice. For adults, it is a series of unlimited interpretation as well as fanciful linguistic creations, a tale filled with themes about the loss of innocence and entry into adulthood, as well as the inability to maintain a logical frame of mind when nonsensical things like Mad Hatter's riddles, like life's expectations, sometimes make absolutely no sense. Either way, I think all of us can appreciate the fantastic, beautiful tale that makes up Alice's adventures in Wonderland for one thing or another.

"You're all just a pack of cards!" -Arthur Rackham

Some of the most recent prints of Alice in Wonderland, I must admit that it was not love at first sight. Actually, I kind of wrinkled my nose at most of them because while I thought they were cute, I didn't think they were suitable for lolita wear and so I passed them up. (Also, the little spiderwebs were kind of creepy to me, as I will admit, I have a teensy phobia of spiders...)

But then, months later I came across them again and spiderwebs aside... I started to grow more and more fond of them. I began to appreciate the simplicity of the silhouette shapes, tri color design, and the intricate uses of glitter embedded in the print to accent things like tiny bits of lace, head bows, the ruffled collar on the White Rabbit, etc. And as strange as the concept, I rather enjoyed the whimsical nature of the theme of an acrobatic, carnival loving, circus going Alice in Wonderland.

I could see the beautiful warm beige and brown tones made up into a wonderful one piece dress accented by chocolate colored ribbons and waist bows, and light dusty caramel colored silk, with gold scalloped lace accents at the neckline and princess seams, also accompanied by a gold shimmering top stitch thread.

The fanciful nature of this print features white ponies mounted by the Mad Hatter tipping his cups to catch drops of tea from the White Rabbit floating off, carried by balloons. Little girls with poofy skirts and mary jane shoes skipping rope with little cats as stars, hearts, music notes, and playing cards all rain down from above.

I can see the light creme x pink print over lain with a light, gauzy white chiffon for a more airy and theatrical look for a jumper skirt. It would be accented by gold thread, shimmering gathered tulle fabrics at the sleeves and a tiny braided trim at the neckline.

Our next print, is also Alice in Wonderland/circus themed and comes in a violet stripe x black colorway border print. It is called "Circus at Night." True to it's name there are ponies parading, elephants posing, and monkeys wheeling around on penny farthings under chandeliers. There are also dancing ballerinas and fanciful clowns eyes on the prize, juggling for the final count down.

Lastly, I am hoping to introduce a few more floral prints this year that will appeal to both the sweet and classic lolita with designs for skirts, jumper skirts, and one pieces dresses.

♡ Well, what do you think, lovelies? Would you like to see more Alice in Wonderland themed prints? Florals, too? Tell me what kinds of fabrics you would like to see in Pop Princess!

xo
Annika