Two Lolis WIP

I might use this blog as a WIP showing blog?
I dunno.

I frequent my tumblr blog, personal and art blog more. http://murasakinoryuu.tumblr.com/

But I need a place to remotely link my arts...
so....

FINALLY finishing this artwork
why did this take so long...
-MNR

Sewing and Hair

Sewing

I can never find information on hand sewing. There's plenty of information on machine sewing.
I wasn't able to get my mother's sewing machine from home. So frustrating. I know I have schoolwork to do but I want to relax by sewing. I desperately need to grow my lolita wardrobe. I do have a garment from winter break, where I sewed the bodice to the skirt. I drafted the pattern myself, and it fits pretty well.

It is extremely hard to find information on hand sewing garments. What I've found so far is basting stitches in preparation for machine sewing. Blech.

So, I will soon go on a quest for antique sewing magazines. They oftentimes show you how to handsew in the back, as machines weren't as prevalent.

I will take a pic of my dress for later on, as a WIP. I might have mentioned this previously, but I want to hand embroider the top, and make lace for the edging by hand. I've found several pretty lace patterns, and I have already begun one in a minty green.

Its great, the fitted sheet  for my bed here at college has lost its elasticity. I don't really want to repair it. I want to turn it into another lolita dress!
I'm silly, silly. I have two other pairs of sheets, I don't need  three! Its ok.
I needs lots and lots of green dresses I do! hah.
well, spring IS coming. I haven't gotten a chance to wear lolita s much as I wanted to this winter. I don't have the proper attire to do so is the problem. I really want knit tights and lolita boots. But of course, the fashion is expensive...
Once I get a paying job in the games industry, I'll dress it all the time squee!

Anyway, I will post the pattern as I drafted it, and a tutorial will follow.
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These are some of the tutorials I am using. Sorry, this time these are all videos.


http://youtu.be/CJUuxOTkbRE - this woman has pretty decent tutorials in general.
http://youtu.be/gtCVpi99o8A - A lolita shirt reconstruction
http://youtu.be/ZmSbiHakoyg - bloomers

Hair
I have the hair of an african american. It is frizzy, fluffy, dense, and strong willed. It is not a good idea to break the will of hair, because you will break your hair.
It is, however, shoulder length. I choose not to straighten it with chemicals, use a flat iron, or wear extensions to make it look straight. For the most part I tolerate and like my hair, but I want wigs so that I can change up my hairstyle more often. I want a green wig!

The only thing is to work around your hair. I don't think it is unfortunate that I don't have straight long hair. I find it unfortunate that there's a lack of diversity in the magazines such as the G&LB. The point is to look victorian and cutesy. But I'm pretty sure there are alternatives to the one look that is presented in these books and others like it.

I do believe that lolita generally requires shoulder length or longer hair in order to attempt certain styles. One could have closely cropped boyish hair or tiny curls though, it will just require accessories for it to look lolita-ish. Cute hats, beanies, berets, hair ornaments and clips, and definitely bows.
It just matters that you take care of your hair.

New Dress Commentary

New BBTSSB dresses in online-store!
Stands for Baby, the Stars Shine Bright, a japanese lolita brand. They have a store in San Francisco that I really want to go to and browse in.

Its very cute and classic, even though I'm not a Shiro lolita, or a sweet lolita. I might have said before that I'm a classic lolita. It looks like a toned down sweet lolita dress. They also have off white, pink, navy, black and white, and pure black.

http://www.babyssb.co.jp/shopping/baby/jumper/136206.html


Yes, its a nice dress, but the reason I posted about this is that the sizing is reasonable! This dress could be a lower sized plus size dress, as the size is:

Length：90cm(35.43inch)
Bust：85～104cm(33.46～40.94inch)
Waist：81～100cm(31.88～39.37inch）

The dress looks a little short. Its wider around than it is long. I have a problem with that. I wish lolita brands in general would have more "long" or "tall" sizes. Over 40" in length, because not everyone is 5' even. So 36 inches is 1 yard, which is 3 feet. So 2 feet (24 inches) of you isn't being covered if you're 5'. That might be ok, might come up to your knees or slightly above. If you're 5'8", for example, you're 68". 68 - 35 = 32". Almost 3 feet of you isn't being covered. That means mid thigh is uncovered.

Love Ring Present Box
http://www.babyssb.co.jp/shopping/baby/jumper/135263.html
Ugh, the name is a little rough. =.= I dislike how lolita clothes and other items have Japanese-english names that don't quite make sense in translation. It feels tacky, it sounds tacky and broken english-japanese-ish. Kinda like they're trying to be  'kawaii-otaku'. ITAIII! T_T

The sizing here isn't exactly plus size.
Length：92cm(36.22inch)
Bust：88～99cm(34.64～38.97inch)
Waist：68～80cm(26.77～31.49inch)

People wonder why others make replicas of dresses. Much of the world isn't one size fits all. The dresses and clothing that comes in stores is. Incidently, you cannot copyright an idea in US copyright law. http://www.bitlaw.com/copyright/unprotected.html . The US government holds that a piece of clothing cannot be copyrighted. If a design is copyrighted, because it has a specific use, the article of clothing can be modified significantly to create a different article of clothing. The popular myth amongst lolitas that one can copyright a dress is preposterous.
If dresses were copyrighted, there wouldn't be derivatives of the wrap dress. Or, designers would be paying royalties to the original wrap dress creator.

I don't know Japanese copyright law. I might look into it.

Another question is does a dress from a brand have a specific utility? Utility as in the difference between a generic shoe and those shoes where each of your toes is hugged, and supposedly you're able to run better.

I have lots of ideas about lolita fashion. I need to organize my thoughts about it into a researched discourse.
For one, I would expand the sizing.
I believe also that there are many different patterns and styles that can be experimented with.
I want to see more patterns being created and given out, and in multiple sizes. I think that companies won't do that, because they know that they are in a cultural niche, and they want to control the style and flow of money in the community.
There is a great deal of lolita dependence on brand clothing.

I feel like I want to write a book about this, nonfiction. That would require research, however.

Designing Designs, and alternatives to buying brand

I think my friends are somewhat tired of me talkinga bout how sorrowful I am over not having access to my lolita stuff. Last night, I caught myself looking at bodyline dresses and considering prices and fits.
x_x  I know that most bodyline dresses can't fit me. But (some) are so pretty! And not all are sugary sweet hyper sweet lolita!

To be honest, some of those angelic pretty prints and the knockoffs from bodyline look like they'd give you diabetes if you look at them too long. I like Bbtssb more than angelic pretty because at times they tone down their prints. They also have slightly larger sizing. =.=

I am on an ongoing adventure to find clothes for the plus sized lolita. Unfortunately, one of the only ways a plus lolita can dress in lolita is altering a dress, getting a custom commission, going to a brand shop like F+F and getting custom sized, or making your own.

• The first option, altering a dress, is very tricky. One must find cloth that is exactly the same. You might have to decimate a bow that came with the dress, or apply a neutral color. The most common sizing fix is to add panels of space underneath the arms. That is often where the seams, zippers or buttons are. 
• The next idea is to let the skirt and bodice out. If there is shirring or gathering at the bodice or skirt, one could take a seam ripper and let some of the gathers out, and resew them.
• If one follows these ideas, the bottom of skirt width may not be enough. Therefore, another way to add width would be to add panels.
• If one is tall, adding ruffles of a plain color or a nice quality lace is ideal to add a few inches to the hem. I did this with my Bodyline dress, which was four inches too short.

Most of these ideas involve knowing at least basic sewing. I grew up being a crafty person. I played with my sewing kit when I was in daycare. (I was somewhat of a nuisance, I admit, because I left needles around... x_X) But I essentially taught myself. Back stitching, running stitch, basting, and overcast hand stitching are basic. However, if you need aid in this, there are plenty of tutorials on Youtube. My mummah taught me the basics of knitting and crocheting, and I learned the rest on Youtube.

Custom commissions are slightly more tricky. If you don't feel like learning to sew, or are just awful at it, good news! You can simply transfer the work to someone else! There are listings on the major EGL communities for seamstresses all over.  [I will list some here.]
Generally, you can get feedback from these seamstresses from their shop pages, whether it be etsy, artfire, eBay, or livejournal.

There are cheap lolita clothing shops all around the internet. The problem is, you have to make sure the dress or accessory isn't ita. Ita means painful in Japanese, and basically, its a dress that's tacky, horrible, ugly, or cheap looking. Lolitas strive to be as far from Ita as possible. It takes some skill to not be ita, and every lolita goes through an ita period. Cheap dresses tend to be ita, so check with an online lolita community to get feedback before you purchase an ugly dress or skirt. Some brand clothes have been ita offenders, so also check this out.
Some different  low cost japanese, chinese, or korean stores:
Taobao
Fan+Friend
Bodyline
QutieLand

These sites all offer custom sizes, all the way up to around US size 20 or 22. They also offer men sizes, which mean skirts and torsos are longer.

Making your own dress:
Slightly more hard. There are lolita sewing circles and knitting circles you could join.
I will list more about this later, though.

I'm thinking of making this blouse: http://www.burdastyle.com/patterns/andrea-blouse. I only have cotton broadcloth with me, so I will have to double it up. Most free burdastyle patterns don't have instructions. However, basically just stitching the seams and hemming, using fraystop and lining helps. Every handsewn project will be different, and is a step to learning how to become a good seamstress. Everyone makes mistakes, it just takes practice.

http://www.burdastyle.com/search?key=lolita+skirt#

When I have time, I hope to make a small guide on handsewing lolita clothing.

I have plenty of lolita clothing designs. I would love to make my own line of plus sized lolita clothing, sizes 10 to 22, or at least lolita patterns. The problem is, I'm a game artist now. I feel like I have to devote all my time to achieving this goal. I love both, but I don't know which I love more: crafting lolita items or drawing for video games. I don't like choosing... I guess this subject is for another time.


Stay frilly y'all.




-MNR

Summer festival lolita

I don't much care for being a lone lolita. I've never been to a meetup, and I don't have any lolita friends (I do have other friends of course).
That's why it pains me when I'm not in lolita, and I see another lolita walking about.

I've been searching for months for lolitas in the capitol region of NY: Albany, Schenectady, Troy, Rensselaer. Heck, I'll settle for lolitas located in NY, CT, or MA. I am a very shy lolita, but I would dearly love to collaborate with other local lolitas.

The other problem is that my dresses are stuck in storage and I can't reach them!  I only have one of my dresses. I don't have any skirts. I feel like I've been cut off from something I love. When I'm out of lolita, I look... androgynous, or boyish, or just plain common and mundane, so its hard to approach other lolitas on the street and say hi, because I feel so ashamed of the state I'm in, and that they look so lovely in their frills. I wish my inside were able to reflect my outside more often.By that I mean, I wish I had my dresses with me!

I've only seen two lolitas IRL. One was in NYC last year, in a baby blue bodyline dress and handmade blouse. The second one was actually in Troy, at a barbeque, in a black angelic pretty OP with strawberries on it. I wish I wasn't so embarrassed as to just say 'I like your dress!' and walk away. I was just in shorts, a t-shirt, and sandals, and was sweating (it was 85 degrees) so I was very embarrassed that I didn't look at all like a lady.

However, more power to her for wearing stockings and petticoats in 85 degree weather! Though the skirts are quite ventilating. Perhaps there should be wool or acrylic type petticoat layers for the winter, and chiffon or light cotton or linen petticoats for the summer. The victorians must have already thought about this. They couldn't have been sweating in 90 degree weather in dresses that covered their whole bodies.

When this summer is out, and I am able to reach my dresses, I don't think I'm going to let them leave me again. NEVER!!!

So embarrassed....

-MNR

Thing Related Depression.

I fell into a depression that has lasted about a week, is why I haven't blogged much or done much.
It is caused by a variety of things. It started when I got my dresses from bodyline. It was exacerbated by difficulties with friends lately. I can never say when a depression ends. I don't want to jinx it.

Due to some unfortunate events in my life, not too horrible, but bad enough, years ago I acquired clinical depression, stress and anxiety disorders. I don't know, but I mihgt also randomly be hallucinating.

A lot of what I have to be depressed about lately is my appearance. I'm definitely not the standard american, or what the media wants the standard american to look like, or what guys at my school want the standard girl to look like.  I wish I was but oh well. No matter how much I diet, or starve myself, or liposuck, I will never be a size 2. And that should be ok.


What does the stereotypical lolita look like? Almost across the board: long blonde hair, baby blue eyes, pale complexion with rosy cheeks, looking about 16-18 years of age, skinny and of a "perfect" height and weight.
Sometimes, it will be a brunette female, with the same features.
Even lolita designers, stars, and lolita laypersons show their ideal image of the lolita as being such. (I've read GL bibles, watched videos, read japanese designer's descriptions, seen drawings on brand sites, seen the kind of models used, and see what japanese women do to their faces, hair and skin to make them look more European/white.)

Do you ever see anything different? Do you ever see clothing modeled by a tall lolita, or a black lolita, or a larger lolita, or a hispanic lolita, or a slightly older lolita (like 28 or something)? It annoys me and torments me. This is because the designers are making clothes for the smaller people. It's not one's fault for being skinny or tall. It may be one's fault for being overweight. But it's also not one's fault for being different.

It is not going to change the fact that I am a lolita. It's just that... oftentimes I don't feel part of the culture. Many times, I want to escape from the culture, or I need a break.

Dress#1, too short.

Dress#2, chest didn't fit.

I thought Bodyline was different. That they catered to a wider variety of lolitas. The dresses I purchased said that they fit busts between 34in and 44in. In the US, this means that the article of clothing fits these sizes comfortably. Or that's how I read it. What it actually meant was that the maximum possible stretch was 44in. Also, the dress comes up 4 inches above my knee. The other dress, I was able to fit one breast into. ONE. I'm so frustrated. Some of it is poor choice on my part. Nevertheless I felt (feel) like an ugly giantess, or like the ugly duckling, because I see other lolitas wearing them and looking so cute. Usually me feeling ugly is associated with me being alone and unloved, not being pretty to other people, and not fitting in in social situations.

I'm going to alter the dresses. The second one will need a LOT of work in the chest, and will need a new underskirt.

The shoes I purchased, if anything, were a little big. I was amazed. So there are these 4' 11 japanese lolita running around with size 10 feet? I expected the shoes to be the same proportion. But I saw shoes there that were too big for me! I"m a little dumbfounded.

I know I need to lose weight, I've been told by everyone, I've been looked down on, criticized, harassed, yelled at, teased, ignored, excluded, overlooked, etc, one of the reasons being for my weight. I don't need to be reminded everywhere I turn by the media too. One of the reasons I can't stand the media. Portray unrealistic images of women. Being plus sized and pretty CAN occur at the same time. Being plus sized and healthy CAN occur at the same time. I've eaten all sorts of salads and vegetables, drinking water, for the past two weeks. (Been drinking water for longer, exercising for longer) Cutting back on meats, portion sizes, doing light exercise when I have time. And then in front of me in the dining hall there are these skinnier girls (typical model size) that are eating several plates of food, among them pizza, fries and burgers. Is it fair to call me unhealthy because of the way I look? Is it fair to call me ugly because I have extra lbs? My metabolism is extremely slow, and I try when I can. A lot of plus sized lolitas do. And then there are skinnier lolitas that eat whatever they want, sit around all day and fit into the smallest brand sizes. Are they healthy because they look slim?

No one is saying that fat is healthy. No one is saying that skinny is healthy. What is correct is to say that healthy is healthy. Whether that is small or large.

You hear the ugly things people say on Lolita secrets and some forums. Downright unladylike and bitchy and inhumane things. These are the sort of things that become rumors and become 'true' in the social spheres, even if they aren't. Like all people that can't fit into brand being fat and ugly, and needing to get out of lolita. Or that men can't dress in lolita, or that lesbians can't be lolita, or that you're too old for lolita (when in fact 30 years old is still young.)
Those people can be ignored. But when people start believing them and imitating them.... it's just horrible. ( One of the comments about 'fat girls' was that they stretch out brand clothes and therefore are bad people. If you're stretching out brand clothing, that means that you're a pretty small American woman, I've realized. How can you call a size 8 american fat??? But it's no-one's business what you do to your clothes.)

I'm depressed because this is the norm, and I am very alone in my geographic location. It seems like many of the males at my school are looking for females of a lighter complexion, straighter, longer hair, shorter, and less heavy. I am what I am.

I'm 5'8". I didn't know I was tall for an american female or world wide female until I looked it up on wikipedia.

I just think.... everyone of any size deserves to feel pretty and be pretty.  Since smaller sizes are catered to all the time, and at especially low prices (places like bodyline and f+f), I think that it's time that larger sizes are catered to.

If I had time, I would create my own lolita fashion line for plus sized females (and maybe regular sized males), maybe from sizes 14 to 24. I would make dresses and skirts for ladies with large breasts and posteriors, women between 5' 5" and 6' or maybe apple shaped individuals. I design tons and tons of clothes already. It's just that... my first priority is getting my degree and entering into the game design field. There were larger victorian women, with large breasts and bottoms. (They had intense corsets, so no large stomachs.) They didn't just go naked. :/ Brands make victorian inspired clothing. So why no clothes for larger females?

I had to get this off my chest. There is no one to say these things, so the converse of each of these statements is considered true. It is not the japanese brands' faults for making clothes for small japanese women. It will be their fault if they don't start realizing that people outside of japan like that fashion, have money, and want to purchase their clothes.

I would love to start exclusively sewing my own lolita clothes, especially since brand clothes will never cater to females with 46DD/E breasts. However, I do not have a sewing machine, so handsewing takes months. And that is when I don't have projects. I can draft my own patterns to proficiency. Drafting and tailoring for other people, however, is a monumental feat.


I am trying to drag myself out of this depression. It is a hard thing to do alone, or even with a therapist and meds.
Sorry for the depressing post. Again, getting things off of my chest. Hopefully I'm in a mood to dress lolita again. I really try....

-MNR

Inexpensive vs Expensive Brand Clothes, 1

I think that using the word cheap to refer to something low cost is poor terminology. It sounds tacky to call something cheap. Or constantly talk about getting a 'good deal' on a bulk package of clothes. It is as if you're trying to purchase a used car for $200 dollars. Buying clothes is quite a 'you get what you pay for' idea. It is like getting a shirt, shoes, pants and socks for $10. The quality is likely to be terrible, or the clothes will look horrible.
One wants clothes that are sturdy and stylish.

It is obvious that while one wants to not 'break the bank', i.e. paying $400 for a dress or $200 for some shoes. One can look stylish on a budget.  One must also pay a reasonable price, because the price of the clothing goes to pay the company, and the workers, and for advertising, and to keep the lights on in their stores, and especially for the cloth. Or, if it's a private boutique or seamstress/tailor, cost of materials, time, shipping and further tailoring.

One must consider moderation. Paying $300 for a dress is debatable. What it comes down to is if you feel wearing their name is worth it, or if they are just pretty clothes.

I feel this way about brand name lolita clothing. It is obvious that a dress costs so much due to these factors:

• A certain designer designed it
• It is made with certain expensive materials, such as brocade, silk, velvet, or natural materials
• the dress had much labor put into it, with painstaking detail
• the company can add 'couture' in front of the name or in the description, and add on $300+ dollars to the actual cost.
• how many dresses are in stock
• how high the anticipated demand is
• et cetera.

Most of the time, I just don't think it's right to charge so much for something easily mass produced. Perhaps it is expected of the creators to make something expensive, so that not everyone can have or wear it. Would it be fashionable if everyone was able to fit it and wear it and it lasted for some time? I just feel... if you're going to make a one colored dress out of polyester and cotton, throw on a few frills, a few bits of lace.... is it right to  make it $360USD? They certainly have a right, it is their clothing. But is it fair? Certainly if it were a full rococo gown, historically accurate, with soft, factory made lace and the whole thing is machine washable, it is justified that it should cost $300+ dollars. I wouldn't be surprised if it cost $500, and more if it was a seamstress making it, with hand sewn or hand made details.

Small independent companies are more justified in pricing, because there is much more hands on work in creating the garment, such as hand-picking the fabrics, hand sewing any alterations, embellishing and talking with the customer on sizing, repairs or additions.
Larger shops, like some of the ones I saw on 5th avenue, don't quite have that level of detail in their service. Therefore, I feel as if they're taking advantage of the consumer, and are not justified in selling a pair of synthetic leather heels for $3000. The only way to justify that is if the designer is making every pair of shoes themselves, or if they had precious metals or stones, and rare unique materials. Like live goldfish.

Pic from Discovery Blogs. No, you can't wear these. I wonder if PETA has seen these.

I do enjoy how brands are starting to make their clothes slightly larger and slightly more affordable. I am not a big brand fan. I feel some remorse in saying this. I thought I was a lolita. But is buying brand and wearing someone's name on your feet, head and torso what makes you a lolita? Not at all. The clothes are just covering in the end. It is justifiable to like their style, and want to be a part of their vision. Wearing brand for bragging rights, just to say that you're an expensive and therefore important person, is ridiculous.

I would, however, pay up to $200 for a dress. I believe are such dresses as I would pay such a price:

Dear Celine's Summer Classic OP, from QutieLand

Infanta's Spring Whisper Lady Charlotte OP, from QutieLand

Angelic Pretty's Sweet Princess OP, in Lavender

By plus sized, I mean bust and waist sizes of over 36 inches, or a height larger than 5' 6". And with no alteration.

There's not much you can do for actual brand OPs if you're 45" in either bust or waist. Nothing to do but wait. However, you can request reproductions or totally new dresses from smaller boutiques and seamstresses. It is my dream that these shops will realize that larger sized foreigners exist and want to purchase their clothing. u_u

Plus sized friendly brand shops:
QutieLand - A number of smaller shops that tailor make clothes standard size and 'oversized' for 10-20 extra USD.
Victorian Maiden - A very small number of brand dresses that would fit around bust or waist size of 40-42.
Innocent world - A respectable amount of dresses that have an upper bound of 44 inch waist or bust. Personal favorite.
Baby the Stars Shine Bright (BtSSB) - Their shirred clothing fits up to 45 sized bust and waist. Their tailored clothing hovers around 36 inches for bust and waist.
Candy Violet - An american startup lolita shop, with their own site. They have a size 2XL to most of their clothes, B: 46 W: 36.
English Charm - Goes up to 2XL, B: 48 W: 42 H: 52
Ergi - sizes by commission
Fan+Friend - up to around bust of 44 for untailored items. Offers tailored items.
mfashion - A few brand blouses, B: 42 W:40
Milky Ange - A lot of their dresses have an XL size, where  B: 44in W: 40-42 in. Very lovely traditional lolita.


List will continue as I find shops.

-MNR.

Experimental Game 2, and knit pattern drafts

I'm supposed to be working on my game right now. I'm making it in Gamemaker 8 lite. I don't have screenshots because I have NOTHING DONE. Waaah.
I love game design but making a game on your own in a total of 2 months is horrific.

I like the resolution 900x700, which is a slight scale-up of 800x600. The character sprites are going to be 100x50. I am using placeholder sprites for now, because I don't even know if I'm going to stay with that.

I've been so distracted by lolita. I'm ashamed, I woke at 8:30 and took a shower, and spent all the time I had for breakfast primping and preening and making sure my bow was on right. I only have a phone picture.
But I was late for my multimedia class. Basically art history. So, I got marked tardy. So another two tardys and my grade goes down a letter. But this is the first time I've been late to class this year.

My friend Jacob is.... not that fashion oriented. So he chastizes me whenever I take too long or go over the top with my lolita outfit. I feel guilty because I was at least 5-10 minutes late for class because I was trying to see what my body was doing in relation to my grey dress.
The waist was fine, my butt was fine. It was those infernal BREASTS! They keep growing and saboutaging me! If they keep growing I won't be able to properly fit into the dresses I have now!
But I had to re-lace the back corseting and make sure the hem was fine... I can never get ready in time for a leisurely breakfast.

I have to scan in the paparazzi image and trace over it in vector-ness to make it look clean for the game.
I also have to trace in the crowd.

My main problem is that I shall need to find code that allows my character to be fixed in one relative position on the screen, while being able to move up and down. The room is going to be a long room, and enemies spawn from the right side.

Edit: Triumph! I got my character to move up and down the screen and stop at an invisible wall!

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Patterns on another note:

I see all these brand name cardigans in these online lolita shops. They're 200 dollars and gorgeous. Cardigans are a staple of almost every lolita substyle.
I love making things, especially things I can wear. I figure, why not make replicas? They won't be exactly like the cardigans, because I'm not aiming to make something in fingering or lace weight. Worsted weight is fine. I consider these patterns to be inspired.

I get this idea from going to Ravelry and Craftster and there being patterns like: "Anthropologie Inspired capelet" or "Anthropologie Inspired Cloche". I can't find patterns for this stuff, and I want to spend my money on jsks and the little brand that I can buy, so why not make them? Or at least try?

I want to try this also because even if I should want to buy their cardigans, I will never be able to fit them. So this will be for all those women that are larger than a Japanese small/medium (or are a Japanese small/medium).

There are so many knitting patterns that can be altered to make replicas, hybrids, or even brand new original cardigans. Once I get a hang of creating cardigans and other objects from scratch, I want to design my own patterns and share. This is a project I will work on in the future. First, I must make something presentable of my game project.

But my next cardigan project will be a plain low scoop neck top down raglan, with Caron one lb sky blue acrylic yarn. It is this pattern. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/safire

If you do want to buy these cardigans, or draw them, or drool over them, they're here. These are cardigans I absolutely love and can't afford...

Inspirations for my note, and others:
http://www.marymagdalene.jp/contents/outwear/223/0404/
http://innocent-w.jp/shopping/094805/index_e.html
http://innocent-w.jp/shopping/102801/index_e.html
http://www.angelicpretty.com/shopping/item/jkt/102c-5116/102c-5116.htm
http://www.babyssb.co.jp/shopping/baby/knit/134106.html



On another note:
I love that innocent world has been making their sizes slightly larger, and they have amazing sales for brand name clothes! Angelic pretty has been doing that tooo! They have size "large". Good job lady and gentleman designers! Keep up the good work.

-MNR