Pretty Oddity

Downton Progress!

2012-02-01T01:11:00.000+08:00

Last weekend and my Monday and Tuesday have been busy busy busy! I cut the bodice fabrics for the 1910s Tea Gown, basted, crazily decided to do the whole thing by hand (just needle and thread, no machines)and all this happened while I rewatched Downton Abbey and American Horror story.

Baste baste baste!

I'm especially proud of the sleeves. I overcasted the side of the bodice by hand.

A closer look at the lace. The solid black fabric is the Italian Satin I bought on the whim with no clear idea what to do with it. So glad I finally found a use for it.

Then tomorrow, I'm going to be marking and cutting all those skirts and overskirts.

The next part of my progress is this:

My husband and I on our wedding day, April 15, 2005

I bought the dress from David's Bridal. It was on a sale rack with the other bridesmaid gowns, the last piece of that style and wonderfully marked down. It was the only champagne colored, historically inspired and slim dress in the whole jumble of stark white strapless voluminous A-lines. It had an overskirt, yo. Then I tried it on and it fit PERFECTLY.

While the silhouette of the dress was gorgeous, it lacked in embellishment. So off I went to Joanns and Hobby Lobby to find beads that matched the sparse beading that was already on the dress. I only had two weeks to embellish my wedding dress. (Yeah, two weeks. That's another long story) So off my inept self went. I was able to bead only what was needed, but nothing beyond that. It took me forever, I have never sewn or beaded anything before. Then I got married and put the dress away. I only had a small amount of regret for not being able to finish the embroidery and beading.

Seven years and loads of sewing and beading experience later, I decided to pick it up again.

This is the dress before I beaded anything on it. Photo taken in late March, 2005

My Work In Progress. I really would like to fill the whole bodice with pretty pretty silver beads.
Photo taken today, January 31, 2012.

I am quite happy with how it turned out. I had no set pattern to follow and it was so much fun to do. I cannot wait to finish both these dresses.

I am thinking of beading the black 1910s Tea Gown with black beads and crystals. What do you think?

Dressing Downton, Sewing Downton

2012-01-23T17:11:00.003+08:00

It's no surprise to anyone who knows me that I fell head over heels in love with Downton Abbey. I watched it for the clothes at first, then got sucked in by the drama less than two second later. To celebrate my obsession with this show, I have decided to sew up some Edwardian pieces (also, garments that can be styled as such) I am so excited!

To prepare for all this sewing, I downloaded several patterns from Sense and Sensibility Patterns. I spent the better part of the weekend printing everything out and taping the first pattern I'm going to work on. I decided to work on the 1910s Tea Gown Pattern first. I am going to do it in black fabrics: black lace, black italian satin, black chiffon etc. Kind of fitting since Downtown Abbey started with a tragedy and a memorial (I also have mostly black fabric in my large stash that I have to get rid of before I justify buying any more fabric *cough*)

And of course, I have been collecting pots of inspiration from different places. The possibilities for embellishment and construction are endless. Here's hoping I come up with something fairly cohesive that is also fairly historically accurate.

NOTE: I was on a right-click-save binge, so all the images (except the one from Sense and Sensibility Patterns) are of semi-unknown origin. If you want credit for these pictures or want me to take them down, let me know, 'kay?

I shall call you HIPPIEDOOM!

2011-09-30T22:38:00.001+08:00

Image from www.panilisnewska.com

I bought 4.8 meters of Lecien's "My Folklore" quilting cotton on a whim a couple of weeks ago and I knew I had to make some kind of maxi dress with it. The fabric is a strange brownish eggplant with a blue and yellow flower motif and a really sweet looking border. I was also set on trying my hand at making a Gunne Sax-esque dress I've been drooling over at Etsy for the past couple of days.

Image from etsy.com

The whole dress is self-drafted, but heavily based on the Weisn Dirndl from Burdastyle. I love the princess armhole, the pleated looking skirt and the slightly puffed sleeves.

I made the princess armhole bodice from my basic sloper and added sleeves. I eliminated the button down at the front and put a zipper at the back. I embellished the front bodice with cotton lace, bias piping and bias tape before I sewed the pieces together. The bodice I drafted was a little too short, so I added a "belt" so the waistline would sit right at my waist instead of above it (I felt that a too-high waist made my own waist look bigger). I also pleated the skirt, rather than gather it.

And after about three days of sewing (about an hour a day, it was so hot in my sewing room), voila!

HIPPIEDOOM!

I love this dress, the skirt has great swish and I feel pretty wearing it. The bodice fits me perfectly and my waist looks smaller than usual. Wearing it reminds me of my younger days as a Goth (though I am still a Goth, I'm hardly what you would call "young") when I used to wear long skirts even in tropical weather. This is definitely a wear-again for me, but now that I'm older, I'll wait for cooler weather.

Lyra, all of nineteen years old in 1999.

A New Dress for Mom

2011-09-05T17:53:00.000+08:00

I got this very retro fabric from a very popular fabric store in Manila for CHEAP (less about USD1.75) It looks slightly canvas-y but it's very soft, unlike real canvas. I got about three yards without a real plan for it (I just fell in love with the cute geometric tree print)

Then last Saturday, I was inspired and made this:

I don't plan to do anything fancy to it. It has an exposed metal zipper which I installed by hand because I was in the mood for pain. I still need to install the facing and finish the hem. I'm quite happy with it. It fits my mom and I perfectly and REALLY sucks all those loose bits in, since the fabric is sturdy like canvas, but soft and smooth but not shiny like fine cotton broadcloth or high quality quilting cotton. That's me modelling the unfinished dress, but I'm hoping that my mom would be willing to model this for me when I've got everything installed (facings and waist stay) and all the loose threads snipped.

Update

2011-08-07T14:16:00.000+08:00

As much as I wanted to update my portfolio and make pieces for the Project Runway audition, I had to go to the hospital and stay there for a week because of a liver infection. I was brought to the emergency room with a gigantic belly ache, vomiting and just feeling terrible. They quickly hooked me up to an IV and told me that I would be confined to a room while they run tests. They also found a stone in my gall bladder through ultrasound and it all sounded scary to me.

These past few weeks were an eye opener for sure. I need to improve every way. I need to not only try to improve my sewing and pattern making skills, I also need to get healthy. I have been neglecting my health and this experience inspires me to never set foot in a hospital unless it's a routine checkup. I need to live longer. I have a small boy I love and he is everything. That reason alone is compelling enough.

I Am Torn

2011-07-15T18:03:00.001+08:00

Image via Google Images

Project Runway Philippines is gonna be holding auditions soon and I am still kinda on the fence about auditioning. There are reasons why I REALLY should and there are also reasons why I REALLY shouldn't. So what do I do???

Sew Retro: Sewing A Bombshell Dress

2011-07-09T14:04:00.001+08:00

Picture stolen from http://www.blogforbettersewing.com/

I recently enrolled in an online sewing class called Sew Retro taught by Gertie of Gertie's New Blog For Better Sewing. I have to say I am really enjoying it. The class teaches you to make the BurdaStyle Bustier Dress with the weird looking bath lily front drape omitted. I find the process of making a dress from start to finish seriously fascinating and I can't wait till I get done taping my pattern together so I can start my own Bombshell dress. Gertie guides you through taping up your pattern, making a muslin, fitting the bodice using draping techniques and sewing the actual garment. She is engaging and she really knows her stuff. I like her teaching style, it's casual. Like you're old friends and she's right there next to you, patiently explaining the importance of hand basting. The class is just a goldmine of information, resulting in a lot of of A-HA! moments for me, for sure. I won't give much away, suffice to say I learned so much from those 15 videos and I'm eager to learn more. I hope she makes more classes!

BurdaStyle's Bustier Dress.

Anyway, you can take the class over at Craftsy. I think they're having a 50% off special.

Sewing? Oh you slay me, you're so funny.

2011-07-04T13:35:00.000+08:00

I have been trying. But trying and doing are completely different things. This is what my project is supposed to be:

But it looks more like this:

This is why I can't get anything done. @_@

To My Dad

2011-06-19T22:31:00.000+08:00

To the silent and solid man who love, guides, provides and cares for me. To that frighteningly intelligent Engineer who leads not by words but by example: Thank you, Daddy. Thank you for driving me to parties, then staying up to wait to pick me up when it's over, thank you for eating with me at three in the morning when I have pan de sal and liver spread cravings, thank you for trying fixing anything that is out of order: be it a sewing machine or my life, thank you for being such a wonderful husband, father and grandfather. Thank you for being Papa to Connor. There's isn't a more perfect Dad in the world. I love you.

Cotton/Silk Embroidered Blouse for Mom: DONE!

2011-06-07T18:19:00.003+08:00

The Details

MATERIALS: 4 yards (yes, you read that right) 60 width Cotton/Silk (70/30), 1 pack of cream colored bias tape, five spools of white thread (four for the serger, one for the machine) and half a yard of cream colored cotton twill tape.

DURATION: May 5 to June 7, 2011. Embroidery from May 5 to June 2. Sewing took a total of two days, June 6 to 7.

PATTERN: Self-drafted according to Mom's measurements.

CONSTRUCTION: I really enjoyed making this blouse. The planning, embroidery, modifying the design and sewing was so much fun.

The front bodice is doubled, so the embroidery is protected from skin and friction.

I did change a lot of things from the original design. It was supposed to be a tunic with set in sleeves, but it ended up being a raglan peasant top instead.

On to the horror stories: a bit of fabric got caught in the knife of my edger (eek) and there was a big hole next to the right arm-scythe and while I was doing the embroidery, Connor ate a melon popsicle and left an orange stain on the neckline. (DOOOOOOOOOM) So I cut away the offending parts and made the blouse raglan sleeved. Mom liked this silhouette better than the original so I'm relieved.

I also originally cut the sleeves to be quarter sleeves, but mom changed her mind and wanted long sleeves instead. I cut more leftover fabric and connected it to the existing hem. I covered the unsightly seams with bias tape and hereby declare it a design feature.

On to the next project! YAHOO!

So true.

2011-06-06T09:05:00.000+08:00

"I always feel like I’m struggling to become someone else. Like I’m trying to find a new place, grab hold of a new life, a new personality. I guess it’s part of growing up, yet it’s also an attempt to reinvent myself. By becoming a different me, I could free myself of everything. I seriously believed I could escape myself- as long as I made the effort. But I always hit a dead end. No matter where I go, I still end up me. What’s missing never changes. The scenery may change, but I’m still the same old incomplete person. The same missing elements torture me with a hunger that I can never satisfy. I guess that lack itself is as close as I’ll come to define myself."

Haruki Murakami

via Love.Design.Life

EMBROIDERY IS DONE!

2011-06-02T00:04:00.000+08:00

Mwahahaha!

And here's a couple of mostly unflattering behind the scenes photos. No makeup, hair unbrushed, no dignity:

Stitching while watching North by Northwest. Yahoo.

Taking a Connor break!

He is the one I love the most.

Sewing the tunic is gonna happen tomorrow, bright and early. Hurray! Can't wait.

Almost DONE!

2011-05-29T12:37:00.001+08:00

The embroidery for Mom's summer tunic is almost DONE! I can't wait to see this thing on an actual body (before summer ends too) I do miss the sound of my industrial machine. While I am enjoying doing all this hand embroidery, I also want to get some actual sewing done. I have so many projects in line and I want to finish them all before the 20th of June (my birthday). I just want CLOTHES, demmet!

Cotton Silk Blend (70/30) from Fabric Warehouse in Natural, DMC Rayon Floss in different colors, my largest embroidery hoop and size 26 DMC Tapestry needles.

This is why I'm taking a while. Try doing some hand-embroidery with this cheeky monkey on your back. Hee.

In other news, I really need to do something about my hair. Hmm.

CEBU! and the end of the world...

2011-05-21T13:01:00.000+08:00

Hello, my lovies. Just a quick update. We are now in Cebu (we flew in Tuesday night) and we are going to be here until August. The embroidery is going well, but it has slowed down considerably because of all the packing and preparation for Connor's and my extended stay.

The REAL work (sewing, embroidery etc) begins Monday. This weekend will be used to celebrated the world not ending. HURRAY.

Mom's Embroidered Summer Tunic

2011-05-07T16:36:00.000+08:00

The embroidery bug bit me recently and I have also been thinking of what to give my mom for mother's day. So I decided on making a nice summery tunic for her. She had hinted several times that she wanted several tunics to wear now that the temperature has risen in this country. And because I currently want to embroider until my fingers fall off, this tunic is the perfect excuse to kill two birds with one stone.

It's FAAAAR from perfect, but I'm quite happy with it.

I am using a cotton/silk (70/30) blend fabric and DMC Rayon Embroidery Floss. I WISH I could use 100% silk on this project. Sadly. it's not available in this country and this project was planned on such short notice that I wasn't able to order pure silk embroidery floss ahead of time. Perhaps for another embroidery project, we'll see.

LOVE.

2011-05-05T08:04:00.000+08:00

VOSS, spring/summer 2001
Jacket of pink and gray wool bird’s-eye embroidered with silk thread; trouser of pink and gray wool bird’s-eye; hat of pink and gray wool bird’s-eye embroidered with silk thread and decorated with Amaranthus.

Alexander McQueen - SAVAGE BEAUTY

at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Wehhh. (Sewing machine woes)

2011-05-02T21:14:00.002+08:00

I have three sewing machines at home (and one in my other house in the province, so that makes four). How in the world did I manage to get ALL three machines broken when I have a deadline? My Juki industrial has a sticky pedal and WON'T stop even after I take my foot off it. Instead it accelerates until I pull the plug out. I have never seen how fast my Juki can go until yesterday afternoon. I nearly sewed on my hand, almost had a heart attack because of the frightening roar it made accelerating when the pedal got stuck and it absolutely destroyed the chiffon and satin I was stay-stitching. @$%#$%^ it's so hard to cut chiffon and satin!!! My white and vintage Singer have timing issues so they're pretty useless as well.

So! I shall call the repairman tomorrow and have them come on Wednesday. Then when everything is fixed, I'm going to sew in peace and it's going to be ZEN.

ZEN!!!! GRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!

Quick Outift Post

2011-04-27T17:13:00.001+08:00

Cebu was fantastic! We really enjoyed it there. The food was wonderful and the people were so nice. We did not meet a single bad cabdriver. BLISS.

This dress is what I pretty much wore while we were out (there was also the green Japanese fabric shirtdress, but I posted about that already) Glad I brought dresses because it was HOT over there. I don't think I would have survived the heat wearing jeans.

These pictures show Connor and I where we love to be: Timezone and Red Mango Frozen Yogurt.

Photobooth Picture from Timezone Cebu.

This is probably the loudest dress in my closet. This is probably the loudest dress I've ever owned. EVER. The contrasting collar is hot pink and the print is a combination of turquoise, pink and red. I fell in love with the fabric the second I saw it. It was so uncharacteristic of me to buy something so cheerful. So off it went to my seamstress for her to do another Red Cross uniform shirt-dress. I realize that with the sudden mushrooming of nursing schools in the country, this dress could resemble nursing school uniforms in terms of silhouette. I've seen several schools use white shirt-dresses as school uniforms with those large, hideous and translucent shank buttons. There was even a school that used red and white striped fabric, like a peppermint, for their uniforms. But with this print and contrasting fabric you cannot possibly mistake it for anything other than a loud loud button-down floral dress that's perfect for this summer heat.

2011-04-24T20:51:00.001+08:00

I love my boys so much, it's making my heart hurt.

Off We Go!

2011-04-16T20:58:00.001+08:00

Photo from Flickr via Google Images.

We are busy packing for Cebu! It's going to be our first vacation as a family in a long time. We're so excited about the sights, the food and seeing my parents of course. They recently bought a house and we can't wait to see it and stay there. There is also talk that we may be having a day trip to Bohol to see the Chocolate Hills. Pictures soon!

Review: Pond's Cold Cream

2011-04-07T23:27:00.004+08:00

We all know what this is. My mother, two grandmothers and my aunts used it. There was always a pot of it on their vanities and bathroom counters, right next to their makeup and hairbrushes. Being young and lacking foresight, I didn't want anything to do with cold cream because to me it was some kind of anti-aging device (it's not, but I used to think it was) Arrogant younger me didn't want to think of myself having wrinkles, dry skin, fine lines or the possibility of actually struggling with hard to remove mascara and eyeliner.

Then I turned thirty. Suddenly, the reality of age-related imperfections were all too real. My short stint in the mid-west with its bitter winters left me with dry spots on my face the won't QUIT. I also live in a congested city, so just living and doing stuff everyday make my face dirty. I can just sit and do nothing all day and I'll still end up with a coal miner's face.

I picked up a pot of it on a whim the last time I went grocery shopping with my parents. It was at the bottom shelf in small packages. It made me a little sad because I remember my grandmothers dipping into gigantic pots of Pond's back in the day. It was used liberally everyday, so they needed a lot of it. Oh yeah, the pot was made of glass. I do miss that.

I was wearing my usual makeup look that day: MAC Studio Tech in NC-30, MAC Russian Red lipstick and MAC Gel Liner (black). I used to use Connor's baby wipes to take my makeup off, then do my usual Apricot Scrub and Neutrogena facial wash, then finish with a moisturizer. I found that I needed to scrub extra hard to get the liner and the lipstick off with the wipes and I'd still end up with raccoon eyes the next day, even after the scrub and facial wash.

So I try the cold cream: I dot pea sized amounts of cold cream on several places on my face and I rub gently then I wipe it off with facial tissue. KABOOM. All the garbage and makeup went from my face to the facial tissue. It was delightfully DISGUSTING. I wiped it all off and did another round of application until the tissue was clear of dirt and makeup. HOLY COW! Where WAS this stuff when I was a tragic, heavily-eyelinered Goth teenager? The knowledge that is was there all along just made me so sad.

It has been about two weeks of daily Pond's use and my dry spots are gone, my fine lines are hardly discernible and I seem to have regained some my skin's lost elasticity. I also don't sleep with a face full of makeup anymore, even after repeated scrubbings. I'm just very happy with it. Best part of all this? It's CHEAP. I can drown myself in this stuff and still have leftover cash for more fabric.

So yeah, I'm a believer!

P.S. Your mileage may vary, okay? Pond's cold cream may work for me, but it may not work for you ESPECIALLY if you have sensitive skin. I don't have sensitive skin, it's pretty close to cast iron (my stomach's the same way, I can eat practically anything) So here's my disclaimer in case you break out in bleeding sores after using this product. Also, Unilever's not paying me to review this product. They used to pay our bills, but Mom changed companies.

P.P.S. So what's next on my agenda? Why, making my own cold cream of course. I shall indulge my inner mad scientist using a wire whisk and a bain-marie. Mwahahahahaha!

I have no idea where this came from...

2011-04-05T21:12:00.004+08:00

...but I suddenly developed a MAD MAD MAD obsession with Nautical Dresses. Looks like I'm gonna be paying a visit to my favorite seamstress this weekend with navy fabric and red and white trim.

I seem to have some kind of sewing curse on me as of late. Anytime I try to sew or embroider for myself, something ALWAYS comes up. If I try to draw or paint or even read (YAYHUNGERGAMES) I am for the most part, undisturbed. Fortunately, I have the same good luck when I'm sewing something for a client or a friend. It's (whatever it is) just not in favor of me making my own clothes right now. The white surplice dress I blogged about a billion years ago is still very much unfinished (the front and back are done, but the side seams are not sewn together and a zipper has not been installed) and I fear it's going to stay that way until Christmas. (Please no.)

As always, I shall prevail. Somewhat.

HOTTIE!

I apologize for being kinda incoherent. Too much chocolate and sailor-y/nautical goodness, I guess. :)

PS All of these pictures are from my hard drive. I have no idea where I got these from anymore (I was on a right-click-save spreee) If any of these pictures are yours email me at lyra_kristine *at* yahoo *dot* com or comment on this blog so I can take it down or give you credit. Thanks!

Outfit of the Day: The Black Crepe Dress

2011-03-26T12:48:00.002+08:00

Black Crepe 40s Dress. Black patent belt from Divisoria, ballet wedge shoes from CLN, dark purple tights from my sock drawer.

Just a quick outfit post. I had coffee a couple of days ago with my friend Carla who was leaving for New York the next morning ( I'm gonna miss your face, you crazy strumpet !!!) and this is what I wore. I couldn't find a single seamed stocking in the magic sock drawer so I opted to wear dark purple tights instead. This is the third outfit of my no-jeans-rehab. I just wish I could get more stuff done sewing-wise, but with a three year old who has a fascination with pins, it's very hard.

In other news, I found this bedsheet in our Canlubang house, buried under our collection of inane looking-towels:

Super soft after a bajillion washes.

I have no idea if it's vintage or not. I do foresee a flowery border shirtdress in my future. Mwahahaha. Perhaps mimicking the dress style of the girl on the extreme right:

BEAUTIFUL. Look at her cute wedges!

Speaking of shoes, I need new ones. I ALWAYS need new ones. So I'm off to find the perfect pair(s).

2011-03-23T23:09:00.001+08:00

Rest in Peace, my Cleopatra.

I have loved you from the time I saw National Velvet at eight years old.

Outfit of the Day: La Dia De Los Muertos Sunday's Best

2011-03-22T00:14:00.002+08:00

Day of the Dead Blouse, me; High-waist pleated skirt, me; shoes by Kenneth Cole; kiss-lock purse by Alfa Delon; Cuban-heeled seamed stockings from Annelyn (heehee!); all my jewelry from my bling-loving mom.

This is what I wore last Sunday (March 20th 2011) to little Zoe's baptism. Remember that yard and a half of Day of the Dead fabric I bought on a whim? I wanted to turn it into a purse in the beginning (I was even able to locate a long lost silver kiss-lock frame just for that purpose!) but decided I would get more use out of this material if I used it for a garment. Fortunately, I had some cream colored cotton scraps available for the collar and the sleeve bands, so I didn't have to buy any more fabric. I finally used the vintage buttons I have been hoarding for the longest time on this thing.

Festive Dead!

The skirt was made out of black crepe with vintage buttons used as fastenings. No zippers here! I wanted box pleats for the skirt because... well, I kinda like box pleats. They look so... academic. And this skirt has terrific twirl, without exposing my ohsosehksay granny panties underneath (I kid... not really) I was also inspired by the high waisted 40's trousers and skirts from the 1940s. Almost everyone is into low-waisted skirts and trousers these days and I'm kinda tired of it. I figured, what the heck right?

Lipstick is MAC's Russian Red, which I am rapidly running out of. Must go to a nearest MAC soon!

The combination of puff sleeves and a high waist may or may not work for some people, but it works for me! I'm just so happy with it. I have also been asked "Skulls in a church? Are you out of your mind??" Yes, it did cross my mind that the theme of my blouse was a bit on the morbid side (a bit?) and I WAS apprehensive about entering a house of worship with skulls all over my upper portion. My mother told me to stop being silly because skulls are not even close to the truly awful things people would wear in a church these days. She does make a point, not that it's an excuse for ANYONE to wear anything awful in a church or any place.

Also, it was either this or the green Red Cross shirt dress again (fourth time this week. It was washed after each use, so don't get any funny ideas).

Yes, people did stare at me during the baptism, but I think it was more from the fact that I was wearing a skirt than anything else. It's kinda sad that not too long ago, wearing pants in a church for a woman was an exception rather than a rule. While I love our modern mindset of freedom to choose what you want to wear or do, it makes me sad that not many will choose to wear skirts. We really should, yo! They're comfortable, versatile and VERY easy to make. They will also make you feel extra pretty.

The priest is late.

My Cuban-heeled stockings in action.

My pretentious "fashion" blogger pose AKA the priest is REALLY REALLY late, I am very very hungry and these normally comfortable heels are killing me.

The baptism was a chaotic affair. There were about a dozen kids of different ages and sizes that were freaking out from the sheer amount of people, all that waiting for the priest who never showed up (another priest had to take over) and most of all, the heat. I was so glad I was wearing a skirt. At least I was somewhat ventilated.

Outfit of the Day: The Red Cross Shirtdress

2011-03-14T18:57:00.003+08:00

This is what I wore today. The dress is patterned after the "Grey Lady" American Red Cross Uniform of World War 2 in Japanese cotton fabric from Cotton Depot, Glorietta 5. The print is a bunch fans and flowers on a pretty jade background. The wedges are from Salsatrends, a local brand (I believe) and my black leather kiss-lock purse is from Alfa Delon.

I am slowly taking jeans out of my life (except when it's absolutely necessary, like when I have to go to certain dirty areas where wearing a skirt is simply NOT an option) I've always wanted a shirt-dress, but none of the shirt-dresses I've seen in the malls or online really appealed to me. Nothing looked right, there was always a catch. It was either too baggy, too drab, too bright, too thin, too short, too shiny, too scratchy... etc. I didn't want a drab, baggy boyfriend shirt dress, I'm a big girl (circumference-wise anyway. I'm kinda short, height-wise) and a drab, baggy boyfriend shirt dress is not going to do me any favors. So I looked to the past (as I always do) and I came across these pictures from the blog Unsung Sewing Patterns:

Photo from http://www.unsungsewingpatterns.net/

I was sold. A buttoned belt! Pockets! A flattering Princess style line! Tiny epaulets! Fantastic. My seamstress was also pleased because it was an easy dress to make (as opposed to the more complicated dresses I have her sew for my clients when I'm too busy with other things or too swamped with other projects to sew it myself) I love my seamstress. She does such excellent work.

Pictures taken using my Blackberry camera phone. It was already late afternoon and the light was just mehhh. Better pictures coming soon!

A Sneak Peek!

2011-03-09T01:28:00.003+08:00

A couple of days ago, my Uncle presented me with a large Louis Vuitton suitcase FULL of dresses he got at an estate sale. He deals with Antiques and Paintings and I was telling him on his last visit that I would love to get my hands on vintage dresses so I could study their construction, their fabric and their fit. He told me that the next time he goes to an estate sale, he was going to snag a couple of things for me.

True to his word, he brought me this:

I had NO idea that it was going to be this AWESOME.

This baby is old.

The suitcase alone had me jumping up and down with glee. The contents were just as fantastic. All sorts of dresses and gowns from the 1940's to the 1980's. I haven't photographed them all and I will as soon as I get them from the cleaners. Of all the gorgeous and questionable dress from that magical suitcase, this is the dress I am most excited about: an original Ben Farrales. Mang Ben is a legend in Philippine Fashion. I have no idea what decade this dress is from, I'm guessing the 1960's? It's like I'm holding a piece of history. It looks even better in real life.

In other news, sewing for myself has come to a complete stop due to work (sewing for others, that is) The cream Simplicity dress still on my worktable as well as the 1940's swing dress and what seems to be a bajillion more unfinished garments. Some projects are victims of startitis and some are fated to wait their turn while I finish and pay attention to more important things like Connor, family and friends, clients, the house and other things (in that order). Sigh. I shall get to it soon enough so I can give up wearing pants already!

Finally! Some progress (on sewing in general, that is)

2011-02-26T19:18:00.000+08:00

I decided to put the 1940's Swing Dress in the back burner for the time being, seeing that I have absolutely nothing in my stash to make it with. I figured if I was going to make something worthwhile, I am going to get material for it that I will actually enjoy (like Crepe, which I don't have enough of. I do have Crepe De Chine, but that's not the Crepe that I need at all)

So I shifted my attention to Simplicity 2549. It seems simple to do and I have enough leftover Duchess satin from an earlier project, so I want to give it a try. I'm doing view A without the bow and the gathered sleeves. I'm using the sleeves in the Views C and D.

All the cut pieces, ready for edging and sewing and whatever else I want to do with it. I traced the pattern on tracing paper so I won't have to destroy my carefully printed and rubber cemented e-pattern together (it took me FOREVER). I'm not doing a muslin right now because I feel like living dangerously today. We'll see what the future holds.

In other news, most of my time is taken up by this handsome boy:

And I don't mind it one bit. The older he gets, the more I see his personality and his quirks. He is a delightful person to be with. He has such a great sense of humor and his energy is boundless. I certainly have my hands full.

Need to focus.

2011-02-17T18:23:00.001+08:00

It's been more than a week (or feels like it) since I taped the 1940's swing dress pattern and all I need to do is cut the muslin. I have been busy with clients and other things and my workpile is mocking me.

YOU WILL BE MINE, RED SWING DRESS!!! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Yeah I know, this picture is not of the swing dress, but it's similar. Photoshoot peg, anyone? Mwahahahaha.

1940's Swing Dress (Part 1) =FABRIC!

2011-02-12T23:49:00.002+08:00

I just finished taping together all 45 sheets of Sense and Sensibility's 1940's Swing Dress Pattern. It wasn't very hard, just a little tedious. I also had to be a little more careful so each page lined up.

And now that stuff I'm excited about: FABRIC! Some of these are in my stash and some I bought recently. For once in my life, I went to my favorite fabric store and I knew just what I wanted. There was no waffling, or dilly-dallying or internal debate. I knew I wanted wildcat prints and I was determined to get it. I kinda felt like Cruella, with her obsession for Dalmatian fur. I have been compared to her several times in my life, but that's another journal entry.

My newest acquisition.

This is leftover from the S&M looking dress I designed for a fabric store a couple of months ago.

The picture does not do it justice at all. This fabric looks and feels so yummy.

Difficult to photograph red Crepe and its lining of red Geena.

And while I was browsing in my favorite fabric store (with wildcat fabric in one hand, already cut) I spotted this:

Dia De Los Muertos cotton!

This fabric is going to be a nice, fat bottomed kiss-lock purse one day. Or I could use round bamboo handles, time will tell. I can even use the patched scraps of wildcat print fabric to line it, who knows?

So now I'm torn. Which fabric am I going to use for this Swing Dress? Which wildcat print? Or if the wildcat print is not 40's enough or would not work at all, and I should just stick to the red crepe? Or should I get an entirely different fabric altogether? Decisions, decisions!

is excited

2011-02-10T02:09:00.000+08:00

My faux leather dress is being featured as the Member Project of the Week in Burdastyle!!!!

On My Want List: LEOPARD!

2011-02-08T23:52:00.005+08:00

Fabric from Golden Silks

I am so crazy about leopard right now. I have been for months and months and never got off my ass to get some leopard print fabric. It all started when I was doing a collection for my Illustration 3 class last July(?) that was based on Bettie Page fetish pictures. Who could forget that wonderfully incandescent woman with the bangs in the leopard swimsuit and the housecoat? I could not, for sure. I vowed to have at least ONE article of clothing, made by myself, in that beautiful pattern someday (like, tomorrow)

My sister Nuni and I have been talking about making the ULTIMATE leopard sewing project and we agreed that it was the jacket that Nana Oosaki wore during an impromptu performance on their dining table (and also in a flashback involving a cake and a stolen kiss) in the based from a manga movie Nana (2005) Can you imagine what a nightmare sewing that faux fur and lining it will be? HA! I shall prevail! But first, we have to get the fabric. We found a tiny little shop that sells it in one of our favorite haunts. Last we checked, faux fur like that was selling at about USD6.00 a yard.

Jacket for sale at Refuse To Be Usual on Ebay.

I even found a video of her singing with the jacket on! WHEEE! (It's starts at about 1:45)

ETA: I found this on Love.Design.Life and thought it was perfect:

Her Majesty's Airship Apoidea

2011-02-07T22:43:00.001+08:00

The Invitation

The Inspiration and Creation
Last July, our Advanced Draping class were asked to participate in an exhibit called "Pumapapel" at the Yuchengco Museum. We were each asked to make a dress made entirely out of paper. I wasted no time harassing my family and friends for newspapers, magazines and anything else they had laying around the house for me to use for my paper dress.

I had the idea of putting a story behind my design. I imagined the future as the Victorians imagined it (this time was also the height of my Steampunk obsession, by the way) With that in mind I thought, why not air travel? They would have loved that if the Victorians had it. They could fly from colony to colony. Then it hit me. BEES!

Victorian Hallowen Costume

Bees in an airship, flying from colony to colony.

So what would a futuristic Victorian flight attendant wear? She needed to be pleasant, corseted and wearing a shortened skirt. And she needed a bustle, arguably the most distinctive look of Victorian fashion.

The only sketch that I took a picture of. I had no idea where my camera or scanner went at the time.

After consulting with Miss Ish (my History of Costumes and Advanced Draping teacher) and Sir Dan (my Illustration teacher and advisor) I started work on the Bee Flight Attendant costume.

I decided to go with this kind of bustle instead of the fabric cascade from the earlier sketch. to make it look more bee-like.

Work In Progress - Back View

Work In Progress - Back Quarter View

Work In Progress - Front View

Work In Progress - Side View

I used newspaper (carefully torn out so only the text was used to give the corset a nice tweedy grey), craft paper that I use in school to draft my sewing patterns and Burgundy colored leather finish paper that I was lucky enough to find in a dinky little shop somewhere in Binondo.

The Finished Product

Photos by Fold C of The Kabog.

Photo by Fold

Photo by Fold.

The Bustle. Photo by Fold.

Corset detail. Photo by Fold.

The Advanced Draping Class Paper Dress Collection

The Writeup

"Fly around the Empire in style in Her Majesty's Airship Apoidea, the latest in navigable aerostats. Tea and cake will be served by our sweet and ever gracious Honey Bees while you lounge and take in the landscape thousands of meters below. Now with non-stop flights from colony to colony."

Opening Night

Me and my paper doll. I'm wearing an old black dress and a bolero I knit from yarn of unknown origin and fiber content.

Left to Right: Ela, Paloma, Geoff, Lyra and Trisha. Picture by Miss Ish

The tiny feature in Philippine Town and Country Magazine

There's a hustle and bustle...

2011-02-06T02:23:00.003+08:00

As part of our lesson in Advanced Draping, we had to do a bustle. After I unstuck myself from the ceiling from excitement when Miss Ish announced it before class ended, I went straight to my DVD collection and watched Bram Stoker's Dracula. I knew exactly the kind of bustle I wanted to drape for this class. It was Mina Harker's dress embroidered with Laurel leaves.

I am going to make this dress someday.

I had to pause and rewind this scene so many times to figure out how to drape the skirt. I was still thinking about it until bustle day. Then the solution hit me like a ton of bricks five minutes after class started. Funny how things just fall into place at the last minute, or in my case, five minutes after the deadline.

I made a little dumpling shaped pillow/bustlepad/neck support for long car rides so my bustle would be supported on my dress form. It's wonderful that you can see how foundation garments really give you the silhouette of the era (or something close to it, at least)

I used muslin, twill tape and a ton of pins. The poufs at the back were not as hard to do as the swags in front. I would have wanted to do the pleated underskirt as Mina wore in the movie, but I didn't have time to make all those pleats.

I had a bit of fun with it after I got the poufs I wanted. Then Miss Ish wanted us to make sleeves. I picked Leg of Mutton and after looking at pictures in class, I decided to drape a Demi Gigot.

I added pintucks as an afterthought.

In the background is Trisha doing something fabulous.

Poufy on top, fitted at the bottom. Is this some kind of mullet for sleeves?

P.S. I just remembered that I did make a taffeta version of this gigantic bustle.

It's shiny blue blob on the right. Yes, I know it's a crapstastic picture. Shurturrrp. (The red coat-like thing on the left is mine as well) I WILL get better pictures, I promise.

IT'S ON!

2011-02-05T23:31:00.002+08:00

I just bought two really cute patterns from Sense and Sensibility Patterns and BurdaStyle. I just fell in love with the two patterns that I had to have it. Right that minute. Good thing both patterns come in PDF, right? You can print it in your own home and tape it up yourself. No more waiting a bajillion years to get it in the mail! YAHOO!

BurdaStyle's 10/2010 Full skirted dress with cut-out bustline

Sense and Sensibility Pattern's 1940s Swing Dress

Now to find the appropriate fabrics, lining and other notions. I can't wait to get on my Juki and sew new dresses! That is, after I get all of my responsibilities done (OMGCLIENTSSSYAY) I am tired of wearing jeans and looking like I just stepped out of a hellish pit of unruly five year olds. NO MORE JEANS! RAWWWR.

Still working...

2011-02-05T15:14:00.000+08:00

Taken with my Blackberry. Ahh, I love the contrast of technology and old-fashioned crochet.

Work on my grandmother's unfinished Marguerite bedspread continues. I had taken a break from it when Connor was born and worked on it a little bit at a time when he started walking. I recently rediscovered it and now find joy in following it's puzzle-like written directions. In my mind, it's like a crossword puzzle, or sudoku, only I have a small hook and very thin cotton yarn. It's complicated for sure, but very fun and satisfying.

I am nowhere near finished though. This bedspread may take a lifetime for me to do, but I'm not worried. I just hope that the person I will hand this down to (my son, a future daughter or a grandchild) will love it and look after it long after I'm gone.

Nuts About Lace

2011-02-04T22:47:00.002+08:00

Something like this, perhaps? I realize it's more like beaded fabric, but I have scalloped lace that behaves similarly. Dress by Adrianna Papell... I think.

I just realized that I have been hoarding a lot of lace. Now that lace is on the top of the trend cycle, I'm gonna have to figure out what to do with what I have. I also love the back detail of this dress:

Dress by Jim Hjelm

Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous. I love lace. I can't wait to see the dresses those yards of prettiness transform into.

The Failed Empress Theodora Barbie

2011-02-03T21:54:00.000+08:00

After the Egyptian project, we had a Toga party so that took care of the Roman and Greek part of the lesson. After studying about chitons and fibulas, we went on to the Byzantine era. The project for this part of the course was a mosaic which I did, but sadly did not photograph. I did another project for the heck of it, and that was the Empress Theodora Barbie.

The Empress Theodora is the Emperor Justinian’s wife and his ruling partner. Some historians depict her as vulgar and insatiable, shrewish, calculating and mean-spirited; others depict her as not only beautiful, but intelligent, witty and amusing. However historians see her, it is undeniable that Theodora is the most recognizable symbols of the Byzantine Empire. She represented the prosperity of their rule by combining the influences of the East and the skills of Byzantine artisans in jewelry making, embroidery and weaving (having developed a special form of fabric called samite)

MATERIALS USED: CRAPTASTIC, smiling tanned Barbie with hard to style hair, Chinese brocade, Black Satin, plastic gems that came in small packs of ten, assorted beads, assorted faux pearls, gold lace and trim, hot glue gun, fabric glue, Elmer's glue, needle and thread.

t took me two days to make the clothes for the doll. I had gathered the fabric and materials the day before. I picked Chinese brocade with a geometric, mosaic-like pattern (as opposed to flowers and butterflies) and black satin. It was sheer luck that I was able to find lace in my stash that resembled the gold embroidery on the hemline of Empress Theodora’s paludamentum and the gold, crown-like trim above it.

Drafting the pattern of the dalmatica was easy enough. Cutting the brocade was difficult for me, as someone with only rudimentary sewing skills at best (at the time) After much tucking and folding, the dalmatica fit the doll decently, I had to sew the dalmatica on it though. At the time, I had no idea how to put on any fastenings. The doll’s paludamentum was a little easier, I drafted a circle, cut a smaller circle in the middle and cut the fabric, following the paper pattern.

I used fabric glue for the gold embroidery lace, while the other trimmings were stuck on with hot melt glue. I styled the doll’s hair in braids wrapped around her head and made a crown for the doll out of gold trim.

This project drove me crazy. Styling Barbie's hair proved to be a lesson in futility. I had no idea that she came with a layered cut (serves me right for getting the cheapest Barbie in Toy Kingdom) There was hair everywhere and anytime I got one side right, the other side would self-destruct. Having lost steam with her hair, I did the rest of the work (like the her dalmatica and paludemantum) rather half-assed.

*GRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN*

You can see all the hot melt glue strings.

The Egyptian Collar for History of Costumes

2011-01-25T23:40:00.000+08:00

My first project for my History of Costumes class was to make an accessory inspired by Egypt. Our teach encouraged us to use unlikely materials and to make it look as true to the period (in this case, as true to the age) as possible.

Theda Bara as Cleopatra

Egypt’s Culture is so rich, so vast and spans several centuries that choosing a particular adornment was a daunting task. I wanted something distinctively Egyptian in form, but also very wearable. I also wanted to veer from garish adornments that have been copied and sold by tourist shops and featured in too many books and websites. I had the idea of making something an Egyptian common woman would wear. It could not too fancy, as her socio-economic status would not allow it. After several exhaustive Google Image Searches, I found this:

Broad Collar Egyptian Necklace from the 12th Dynasty.

One of the most notable and distinctive jewelry worn in Ancient Egypt are collars. They are also called usekh. They are heavily jeweled necklaces, created with beads made of glass, precious stones, gold, and a glazed pottery called faience. These beads were strung on multiple strings of varying length that were then bound to a ring around the neck to make a wide, semicircular collar that covered the shoulders and chest of the wearer with bright color.

Making The Collar

In 1999, I was presented with a bracelet made of safety pins and glass seed beads as a gift. I loved it so much that I wore it until the elastic that held it together disintegrated. As I was searching for possible methods to use to construct the collar, I encountered the pins in an old jewelry box. The construction was fairly simple: string beads on the business side of the safety pin, close it and make about a fifty more. Then string both sides of the pins together using elastic cord.

For more information and step by step instructions: “Make a Safety Pin Bracelet” About.Com. http://frugalliving.about.com/od/craftsgifts/ht/Pin_Bracelet.htm

The construction of the collar is a more complicated version of the safety pin bracelet, but certainly feasible to do. After several calculations, I ran to the craft store and bought 15 packs of green wooden beads (to emulate faience and to represent life and youth) and 100 dozen gold pins, size 30 bead wire and an 18-inch plastic coated stainless steel wire necklace with a barrel clasp.

Start by preparing the safety pins by stringing four wooden beads on the business side of the pin, adding a dab of bead glue and close it. Then string the beads on necklace wire until it fills the length of the wire. Loop the bottom of the strung safety pins with wire and the pins of the next layer. Repeat steps until you get the desired collar width (about 4-6 layers). Secure all loose wires by looping them inside beads and securing the hidden ends with bead wire.

The majority of the collar was made on the Saturday of Typhoon Ondoy’s merciless downpour. It is interesting to note that the safety pins that were originally very shiny upon purchase had tarnished significantly due to the amount of moisture in the air. I feel that it would not have resembled an unearthed Tomb artifact if it had not been exposed to waterlogged air during such unusual circumstances. However, I feel that the tarnished pins had added an authentic looking quality to the collar that I don’t feel as bad as I did when I found all the pins (strung up and loose) tarnished and muddy looking.

The Finished Product

MATERIALS: Safety pins, green wooden beads, bead wire and clasp.

I mounted the collar on an illustration board covered in real Papyrus that mom brought home from Egypt. Thanks, Mom!

Worn by Little Red!

I really enjoyed making this collar. My hands bled and there were pins and wooden beads EVERYWHERE but it was worth it.

So Much To Blog About!

2011-01-24T23:20:00.000+08:00

It just occurred to me an hour ago that I DID have a blog and I have been neglecting it. So here I am, shameless tea-drinking exhibitionist trying to figure out how to update my blog and cover the important events of 2010.

To start, Fashion School! I made plenty of projects to complete my requirement and I'm going to showcase them here. Some of my projects were surprisingly good, given my time and budget. Then there were others that I want to shove in a closet and forget about. I'll showcase those duds here too.

Second, my family is complete again! My husband flew in from the US to be with us and we couldn't be happier. Connor's demeanor changed overnight. From being withdrawn and silent, he's once again a happy, giggly, excited little boy who is starting to talk more and more and more.

Third, projects outside the school! I still can't believe it. People have approached me to design and sew for them. It is very exciting seeing that I've always bemoaned the fact that my style borders on the old-fashioned (i.e. Victorian, Edwardian etc) and can't really be as trendy or cutting edge as my classmates. No matter, no one seems to be complaining.

Fourth, new machines OMG! I recently got a nice, second-hand Juki industrial and edging machine. They work like a dream! My industrial sews well and sews through anything and my serger is so easy to thread! I still use my portable white Singer for decorative stitches and light sewing, but my two Jukis are such wonderful workhorses, so completely different from my slow and limited white plastic Singer Disc-o-matic. Did I also mention that I was able to restore my grandmother's sewing machine as well? It's all just awesome.

Fifth, costuming and my growing love and obsession for bustles and Victorian corsets. I could go on and on all day about bustles and corsets. I made some and I'm making entries about it in the coming days and weeks.

Sixth, (and most important) Connor Connor Connor! He turned three last December and he is growing like a weed. He is a tall and sturdy little boy who loves to ride his bike for hours and hours. He's less picky about what he eats and laughs and laughs at the silliest things. He is the reason why life is so good and getting much much better.

And for your viewing pleasure, a preview of some of the pictures of come:

Black Leatherette Evening Dress with Brass Rivets that I made for my Illustration 3 collection called "Her Majesty's Airship"

This dress was made before I got my Juki and I made this on my Singer Disc-o-matic using lots of baby powder and swear words.

I dream of a dress...

2010-05-10T10:03:00.000+08:00

A fabric store asked a bunch of us to design a dress for their big big sale and this is what I did. I used stretch Charmeuse in this funky cheetah print and blue black denim.

Just Breathe...

2010-04-19T20:17:00.000+08:00

I've been running myself ragged with Connor, school and the clothing line. It's very tiring, but all of these have been wonderful. I can now draft a pattern and sew a garment in a day. YES YES YES. But do I have anything to show for it for my wardrobe? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Hahahaha.

The Barbie is one of the many many projects I had to do for Fashion School. I had to style a Barbie doll as a Medieval woman. It was so much fun, I bought more Barbies to restyle. I haven't had the time for it though. Soon though, very soon.

More Projects. YAY.

2009-10-07T22:07:00.006+08:00

I need to do a Rococo Barbie Doll by the end of the month. It promises to be fun. I'd really rather not do Marie Antoinette as everybody in class would probably base their own dolls on her, so I'm looking for other icons during the Rococo period to emulate. Right now, Madame de Pompadour is looking good, but I'm bound to change my mind later.

Pictures are not mine. If you want me to take it down, I will.

My Mother

2009-09-26T21:31:00.002+08:00

She's the one holding the hairbrush. AWESOME. I want her jeans.

In other news, I am busy doing my Egyptian Project for the History of Costumes Class. I am exhausted, but absolutely enthralled with Fashion School. It's hard work, but it's work I LOVE to do. Pictures soon.

2009-09-08T22:34:00.002+08:00

I have been sewing up a storm! My sister and I are attending a Cosplay Convention and we're really excited about it.

In other news, I finally got my schedule for fashion school. I start on Monday with Sewing and Pattern Drafting. WHEE.

Closure

2009-08-06T10:09:00.007+08:00

Cuteness by my sister Nuni. That's me on the right, yo.

So we watched Nine Inch Nails live last night and it can only be described as AWESOME. Trent Reznor is amazing to watch live and we were close enough to see him really move. I could see his muscles tensing, I could see sweat and water running down his body, I could see how wet his clothes are and how supple his mouth is, I could see his fingers form the chords of those gorgeous songs (yes, yes, I realize I sound like a creepy stalker, but that's my hormonal teenage voice talking) I first encountered NIN in 1995. I was fifteen years old and to nobody's surprise, a very confused and angst-ridden little shit. Nine Inch Nails were one of the top groups in my long list of bands that expressed my teenage rage better than I ever could. This concert was something long overdue and for two or more hours, I felt like a teenager again, experiencing lust and giddiness for the first time.

We expected more recent songs to be played since we figured they were sick of playing songs from more than a decade ago. We were also told by American and European friends of a friend (*cough*Annelyn*cough*) to expect more recent work to be sung. But no! They played several songs from The Downward Spiral, it was more than we could have ever expected. I am ecstatic about hearing Dead Souls, Closer, Gave Up, Head Like A Hole, Hurt and I'm Afraid of Americans played live. It's even better when he is only a couple of feet away, my darlings. I will never forget this. It was amazing.

-On my bed, sore from all the headbanging, with an aching throat but enthralled as all HECK. STILL.

ALSO: Front rows tickets are always worth it. HA!

What I Did While I Was Away From Blogland...

2009-08-03T12:02:00.004+08:00

After I finished the other top, Nuni wanted one for herself.

I was able to finish this baby in about two weeks, which is a record for me. I was using really really thin cotton crochet thread and really thin needles so it took plenty of will to get this done. I would usually lose interest after three days and toss it, but I stayed with this one. I think my lust for THE CARDIGAN remains. I'm glad I did, the fit is great and it's very comfortable (Nuni and I have agreed to share. Haha) I have yet to wear this outside (see picture above in my pajama bottom glory) and when I do I'm wearing it with a cute grey circle skirt that I've had in my closet for a long time.

Now I'm knitting another top, a different pattern this time. We'll see how it goes.

Oh, I'm drawing again. Hurray.

New Sweater!

2009-07-19T14:35:00.007+08:00

Now that we have room, I've been busy knitting and doing things that I really love to do. The sweater is a top-down raglan sleeved hybrid made out of SWTC Oasis Soysilk yarn in Cream (which turned yellow when I put the white crochet trim on the edges, Ooops) I used US #6 needles and about fourteen vintage buttons bought from an Antique Mall in Evansville. I used Canon Crochet Cotton Thread and a number 8 steel hook for the lace trim.

I have to admit, I did not like knitting with the Soysilk at all. It felt nice in the ball, but it was not fun to knit with. The finished product was worth the trouble though, the drape is fantastic and it clings to your figure very nicely.

Many many thanks to Nuni for modelling it.

YAYYYY.

2009-07-08T19:51:00.004+08:00

We just moved into the new house in the province (I will be largely away from the city until I start school) and here is a picture of the beginnings of my office/craft room/work room. HURRAY!

I Can't Wait

2009-07-07T19:52:00.003+08:00

I have five rolls of medium format film that's waiting to be developed. I'm excited how it's all going to turn out.

I'm Being Avaricious Again...

2009-06-29T10:15:00.006+08:00

Sniff. I can't believe you're gone!

My Vivitar Ultra Wide and Slim was stolen a couple of months back and (almost) everyone knows that Polaroid has stopped producing instant film (and I have two cameras! ARRRGH.) I woke up this morning with an intense craving for a new camera. So I trolled ebay for a little bit and found this:

I love the white body and the fact that it takes credit-card sized photos. I'm also considering getting an Instant Back for my Diana F+ but I can't resist the look of this pretty camera. Ah well. We shall see.

====
EDITED TO ADD:

OH NO WAY. That is just so WRONG. It's Asian HAMBURGER Helper, not Asian Helper as I first thought it read. Asian Helper is bad enough, and where are you going to get Asian Hamburger? Bah. I can't stop laughing.

Oh My God.

2009-06-22T10:47:00.004+08:00

I'm in love with this Cardigan. I want to have its babies. I found it while looking at random blogs and I came upon this beauty. I love everything about it. The crochet lace, the shape, the contrast. It's fabulous. I'm running to my nearest findings store and see what I can come up with. Love it love it love it!

Edited to add: I wish Blogger had a reply feature to comments from other blogger users. :/

29 doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would.

2009-06-20T12:58:00.005+08:00

I am one of the fortunate ones. I have a wonderful family, good friends and a little boy who is my world. I have made some pretty awful decisions in my life, there are days when I feel like a total failure because of my poor judgment in character or just my lack of foresight. But I get out of the consequences of my actions practically unscathed. So thank you, whoever you are: God, Lady Luck, Buddha etc for the immense support you have given me by letting me be born into my family and in the same circles as my dearest friends. I honestly believe that without them, I would have been just another hopeless wreck.

Here's to being a step away from 30.

A Letter Addressed to No One

2009-06-18T18:01:00.008+08:00

S,

I stumbled upon your profile and seeing you again after all these years feels very weird indeed. I remember all the hurt feelings that I hid and all the things I made myself ignore to make the person I cared about at the time happy. I tortured myself thinking that maybe if I were more like you, perhaps that person will take notice. Perhaps if I had less respect for myself or if I weren't so bookish that I could take the crude "your mom" and penis jokes a little better. Or if I smoked pot (eww. What was I thinking?), I would be cooler in both your eyes. I looked at myself everyday in the mirror thinking of ways to be better, prettier. Maybe if I acted less intelligent, acted less "cultured," (and fuck you for making me feel bad about not wanting a tacky Louis Vuitton backpack and making me feel awful about reading more books that you) more abrasive, more skanky and more "laid back" (read: open to anal sex and being called a cumbucket)... hoping that maybe everything will get better. I couldn't do that to myself, and for a time you won. I died a little everyday after that. It did not get better until today.

And now I see you, after everything that has happened and I see that you are nothing. You're just an ugly, oily, wrinkled, brown piece of overtanned jerky who can't spell. You look sixty and you're only in your twenties. Your fiancee has dumped your skanky ass and you're still working odd jobs (a dinky tanning salon? REALLY? Is that why you're so jerky-like? You buy your own shit to boost your sales. EWW.). So much for all the talks of you being a successful executive and fabulous and better than me (even without a college degree or no known values? Hmmm.). I'm glad you are both out of my life. The friendship was never really good to begin with anyway. So I say goodbye to you now, happier about myself that I've been for over four years. I can't believe I considered you as someone worthwhile. I can't believe I thought what happened was my worst nightmare because you're better than me. You're not.

I wish you no success, because that would be futile. Keep away from married men because you never know who may want your head on a platter next and may your new job give you a really bad case of skin cancer.

With absolutely no love and only a lingering feeling of betrayal,

Lyra

Found it! WHEE!

2009-06-18T10:22:00.003+08:00

Left to Right: Joel, Me, Mariter, Michelle, Cholo. Taken during our thesis exhibit opening night. My hairstylist cut gave me bangs that night and it changed my life forever. Haha.

Currently Reading...

2009-06-12T08:53:00.004+08:00

I was at Fully Booked yesterday and I picked up these books:

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

The Zombies book is going well. It's a light read and I'm enjoying it so far. This is a change for me, since I usually buy books that I have already read. I initially wanted to get some Angela Carter and Roald Dahl books, but the idea of reading new books prevailed. It has become an unhealthy obsession of mine to rebuild my fabulous library *sniff* after all my books (design, art, fiction, non-fiction, books from my childhood and teen years etc) drowned in a flood in 2006. Perhaps this purchase is another step to my healing (haha. Or not. I'm just an impulsive buyer.)

In other news, I got SIX (!!!!) letters and postcards in the mail today. That's the most I got EVER. I am very happy. Oh yes I am. Mwahahahaha.

Also, if you've noticed that I added you to my bloglist that's because you're fabulous and I love reading your posts (well, yeah). Thank you for keeping me sane and inspired. ;) I'm drinking tea in your honor.

Gehehehe.

2009-06-09T15:04:00.003+08:00

Please Don't Eat Sushi! Love, Mom

I wish someone would take notice and turn this blog into a book. I can definitely relate. Heehee.

I Fall In Love With You More Everyday

2009-06-09T08:28:00.006+08:00

Connor and his Nanny, Luisa.

It's funny how you're only a year old and all these girls are going ga-ga over you.I can just imagine how it will be a couple of years down the road. Looks like I need to arm myself as early as now.

My Time-Sucking DVD Collection and Other Vampires

2009-06-07T02:51:00.007+08:00

Spent the day with Connor and watched Nosferatu on DVD (among other things). Before that, my sister and I went to Megamall to see if any of the bookstore there had the watercolor book I wanted. No such luck, I did come out of Powerbooks with two lettersets.

I got Simon Thorpe's Vampires and Rachel Williams' Miss Anne Thrope. The best part? Each set was only about 1.50USD. AWESOME.

LOOT!

2009-06-05T20:48:00.012+08:00

I am a happy paper owner.

Had a wonderful time with my lovely friends Annelyn and Mahala the other day. We went to the Fully Booked at Bonifacio Global City and I found these gorgeous stationery sets by Galison. I got two sets, I wanted to get ALL of them though. I picked the William Morris Clover Set and the Cherry Blossom Set since both designs have special significance for me.

A closer look. So pretty!

AAAAAAAND! I got brown ink! The brand is Stuart Houghton Calligraphy in Sepia. You have to use a dip pen with it but that's what I wanted to do with the brown ink I was craving for anyway. WHEEEEE!

In other news, knitting has been a little slow going. I have a million projects that I want to do, but I need to focus on one project at a time (the LEGENDARY BEDSPREAD is a life project, so it doesn't count. Haha!) I'm currently knitting a Macbook cozy for Annelyn using blood red acrylic yarn.

In my pajamas, knitting away.

Sigh.

2009-05-22T10:40:00.004+08:00

Little Boy, you are so much braver than I am. I could take lessons from you. Your Lola's right, you are really our epitome of perfection.

I'm craving for brown ink...

2009-05-13T10:31:00.005+08:00

Image yoinked from melpens.com

Images from my Diana

2009-05-12T11:50:00.010+08:00

I am so glad I got this thing. It takes beautiful pictures and it's very handy. I used 100 speed Fuji film and it came out great! With this and my Holga 120GN, I'm quite satisfied. For now.

2009-03-05T23:19:00.001+08:00

Connor, all the bad melts away when I hear your quiet breathing.

Mwahahahaha!

2009-02-26T10:01:00.003+08:00

You will be mine soon, my pretty.

covets

2009-02-18T02:16:00.003+08:00

I want a Lubitel.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NUNI!

2009-02-13T02:00:00.002+08:00

You are the best sister that anyone can ever ask for! Mwah!

I Want My Long Hair Back

2009-02-12T01:58:00.000+08:00

Oh nooooo...

2009-02-07T05:47:00.006+08:00

I wish people would stop tearing apart old perfectly good typewriters to make jewelry out of their keys. It makes me unspeakably sad that they would kill such beautiful machines. It's the same sad feeling I get when I hear about elephants being killed for ivory.

There is nothing like clacking away at a typewriter. I have written so many good stories (in my opinion anyway) with a typewriter. There are just some stories that won't come out well written with a computer program, but write beautifully in an old typewriter with a slightly faded ribbon.

Mean Thought

2009-01-30T03:42:00.007+08:00

You know, I love Audrey Hepburn as much as the next girl, but holy shit. Will you fucking assholes stop it with the Audrey Hepburn already? "OMG! I lurv Audrey Hepburn! She's, like, my fashion guru." FINE. But before I take you seriously, will you please do your research and watch her movies so you can contribute to the conversation a little more intelligently?

SHEESH.

"She held herself very straight, like Audrey Hepburn, whom all women idolize and men never think about."
— Jeffrey Eugenides (The Virgin Suicides)

ETA: I have gotten some reaction with this post (Holy cow. People read my blog. Okay, people I know in real life read my blog. Haha.) Listen, I don't hate Audrey Hepburn. I don't hate people who like Audrey Hepburn. What I find annoying are people who name names to look/sound cool. Like people who wear Che Guevarra shirts and say that Che Guevarra's rock star (sad but true) C'mon kids, there's a whole world of information at your fingertips (and your local video rental place) Just saying.

Blogging at work

2009-01-27T00:35:00.004+08:00

It's kinda fun. I realize that I haven't posted here in a while, but that should change soon. i have several projects in the works. Some are languishing in a corner, somewhere in my house, victims of startitis. It's a New Year, and while I hate that cliche, I really am sincere in saying that my projects shall languish and be forgotten no more.

In other news, I don't feel well today. Bleh.

DUUUUUUUUUUUDE.

2008-10-20T19:10:00.001+08:00

I'm taking fashion. I'm so happy.

'Ello All...

2008-05-03T12:16:00.010+08:00

It has been a while since my last post. Real life has taken over much of my time and I haven't really thought much about knitting or crocheting. BUT! I went on a much much needed yarn crawl a couple of days ago and what made the day sweeter was the arrival of two online yarn orders. So yarn yarn yarn everywhere. That doesn't even include the yarn I boxed up when we reorganized. So I realized, to my delight, that I actually have a stash (albeit a small one). I've always had a project in mind when I buy yarn. I have never actually bought yarn just because. It's evident in the soysilk and sock yarn I bought. I have no idea what to do with three balls of squishy soysilk and I have never knitted a sock in my life. I will get there though, just you watch. ;p

My yarn crawl drawer (OMG! I just saw how dusty it is! Guess what I'm doing this weekend with a Swiffer?) The rest of my yarn is currently unphotographed.

I had started to work on Eunny Jang's Venezia Pullover [Ravelry] but the rising heat and the demands of my baby boy was taking its toll on my concentration. I hate being interrupted when I'm deep into something, so I had to set it aside in favor of something mindless, easy and cooler on the hands and lap. So I chose to knit a top down silk shrug out of the Debbie Bliss Pure Silk [Ravelry] scored on that lovely yarn crawl. It is gorgeous stuff and I would love to work with this yarn as often as possible.

My current project, my sketchbook and currently rereadingThe House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende.

Also also, I've been tagged by DreamingKnitter of I Knit My Dreams (Thank you! That was really nice of you to think of me during Bobmas) and I have to tag six other bloggers. Err, I don't really have a lot of contact with other knitters so I tag anyone who reads this blog. ;p (Yeah, the thousands of you)

Anyhoo:

Six Things I Like to Do (In No Particular Order):

1. Take Care of Connor. No, really. It does get tiring and it does get frustrating, but I really do love taking care of my baby. I love rocking him to sleep, feeding him, dressing him, playing with him... etc. I love being his mommy and the drooly smile I get when I do something that makes him happy does funny things to my heart.

Any excuse to show my baby, right? Haha.

2. Draw and paint. I've been drawing for as long as I can remember and painting for more than half my life. My earliest childhood memory is being on the floor with paper and lumber crayons my Dad got from the Sugar Factory he worked for.

3. Design. I went to school for Interior Design and I loved my stay there. I love drafting floor plans, coloring perspectives, sourcing materials and the construction of your ideas etc. I love the process of it, how it changes and how inspiring and expensive it all is. Now I'm getting into Fashion Design on top of Interior and Furniture Design. So I know that my wallet is REALLY in trouble.

4. Knit and Crochet. I think I mentioned it on this blog that I find it amazing that I can take humble materials and manipulate it to form something useful and pretty. This is my own form of meditation or reflection. Every stitch I make is part of an idea brewing in my head. I feel calmer and more sane when I knit or crochet. I also produce more art that way. Yeah, I play with yarn so I don't kill people, I think I saw that on a shirt or something like that.

5. Read. I LOVE books. I love looking at them, smelling them, touching them and most of all, reading them. I'm the kind of person who can't bear to throw books away, no matter how craptastic the writing is. I'm also the kind of person who reads everything from cereal boxes to billboards. That eccentricity drives my husband and siblings crazy, but I can't help it. I can't turn it off and I don't really want to.

6. Shop. From the time I learned how to use a credit card, my parents have called me "Buy-ra" for my compulsive shopping habit. I LOVE buying things. I love buying yarn, books, dvd's, antiques, stuff for the house, stuff for the car, stuff for my baby, makeup, shoes, art materials... anything that makes me take my credit card or cash out of my wallet. I have fortunately learned to curb my obsessive shopping impulses now that I'm married with a baby and a real budget to follow, but I know that monster is still inside this shameless consumer's heart, waiting for me to win the lottery (like that's ever gonna happen. Pffft!)

Good Grief! It's been a while!

2008-04-10T00:20:00.006+08:00

I have been so busy with Connor that I have neglected my poor knitting blog *pets knitting blog* Anyhoo, I do have some finished objects to show for. I had to choose very easy projects so I could put them down in a moment's notice when Connor needs something (he's asleep in his swing right now).

So here's what I have to show so far (the rest haven't been photographed):

Silk Granny Square Baby Blanket

Yarn: Amerah (Ravelry) in Lush, 10 balls. I didn't really like working with this yarn, but the results are WORTH it, ohmehgeh.
Pattern: Regular Granny Square. One square per ball of yarn. (I made nine square and used one ball for the edging.)

The Mutant Tiramisu Baby Blanket

Yarn: Cascade Sierra (Ravelry). I looooove this yarn. If I had more money to burn I would buy a whole truck of this in all the colors and bury myself in it (that and Malabrigo). I have some left so I think I'll make a nice cardigan for me to wear on our flight to the Philippines (airports DO get cold).

Pattern: I based it on the Tiramisu Baby Blanket from Posie Gets Cozy. Instead of single crochet stitches that the pattern calls for, I did it in double crochet. Quick quick quick.

In other news, I just bought yarn to make something for myself. I've been looking obsessively at the gorgeous colorwork stuff on Ravelry and I decided to make one for myself. Sooo, I picked Interweave Knits' Venezia Pullover because I'm crazy and I want to make myself crazier. I'm using Kauni Effektgarn 8/2 (Ravelry) in the Rainbow colorway (EQ) and Knitpicks Palette (Ravelry) in Black.

Okee, I have to leave now. Crying baby. Toodles. Mwah!

Back Again After A Long, Long Break

2008-03-30T13:27:00.002+08:00

Hello Dear Readers (Uhm, anyone?)

He's Here!

2007-12-20T09:57:00.001+08:00

Connor Joshua Manuel Weigle. Seven pounds, fifteen ounces, twenty one inches long. Born on the 12th of December 2007 at 11:01am.

He is in the Women's Hospital NICU right now with an infection. He's doing very well and he's eating a lot. Prayers would be appreciated so we can take him home in time for Christmas.

RANT

2007-11-27T04:56:00.001+08:00

Excuse me? Do I know you? What gives you the idea that my belly is public domain and free for you to fondle? FUCK OFF.

Long Overdue Post.

2007-10-24T07:17:00.001+08:00

I was done with the Short Sleeved Cardi that I loosely based on the Anthropologie Inspired Capelet. I lengthened the body and used a cute clasp that I found at JoAnn's. It was a fun and fast knit. I think I finished it in less than a week. I wore it twice already (without blocking it.. shhh!)

It's really pouring down here in Evansville. I am so happy that it cooled down and I absolutely love the rain. I love knitting or reading next to a window while sipping hot milk tea. Just perfect. While I'm enjoying the rain and the nippy air, I'm working on this:

The Cardigan is my own design. I wanted a nice empire waist, bell-sleeved garment that I can wear during the fall. I already bought three sets of clasps from JoAnn's put on the upper part of the cardigan. This is my fourth attempt at it and I hope it works this time. Phew!

New Project! Woohoo!

2007-10-12T00:44:00.001+08:00

You can just tell what my current addiction is, no?

I picked up four more hanks of Malabrigo Worsted in the Oceanos colorway. I love it. I'm using it now to make a modified Anthropologie-Inspired Capelet which I will probably turn into an empire waist cardigan. Only time will tell.

In other news, it's getting chilly! Hurrah! No more walking around wanting to take my clothes off (probably not a very good idea in Evansville, or anywhere actually...) and I can finally wear something pretty and wooly and maybe retire my sandals until next summer.

Also, I finished another sweater for Connor. I modified the Malabrigo One Skein Baby Cardigan pattern. I didn't use the textured stitch pattern, I opted to do a one inch garter stitch hem and did the rest of it in stockinette stitch. I also didn't want to do another cardigan, so I worked the front as I did the back and just made a split in the middle. I used a metal Levi's button cut out of my husband's old pair of shorts and crocheted the loop and the trim on the neckline. It was so easy to do and I love it! I even have quite a bit of yarn left over for maybe a hat or a pair of bootees.

Finished Object, Work in Progress and My Growing Addiction

2007-10-06T04:47:00.002+08:00

This was a fun knit. Though you do get apprehensive that you would run out of yarn one inch away from finishing the last sleeve. But I had none of those problems. In fact, instead of using a button and loop for closure, I crocheted two ties instead.

Pattern:
Malabrigo One Skein Baby Sweater
Size:
0-3 Months
Yarn Used:
Malabrigo Worsted in Verdes
Needles:
US Size 9

And I'm working on another one! I originally wanted to make a hat out of the skein I had of Malabrigo Cypress, but I changed my mind. I'm not really a hat person anyway.

And dude, Ravelry is seriously like crack.

Waaah. Why is she doing this to meeee?

2007-10-04T22:56:00.002+08:00

Look how gorgeous that top is!
And I have the just the yarn for it too.

SQUEE.

2007-10-03T23:15:00.002+08:00

I had a wonderful time yesterday knitting with Chris, Royale, Erin and Barbara at Panera yesterday. It was absolutely inspiring to see what those lovely ladies had on their needles. It really helps to be in the company of people who know what you're talking about and want to talk about. No more glazed looks from my long-suffering husband when I talk about how soft and vividly dyed my new cake of Malabrigo is. These ladies know and its veneration is like a naughty yarn lover secret. Hee.

Speaking of Malabrigo, I bought my first two hanks of it last Monday. I was desperate enough to ask Royale to take me to a yarn store so I could get the emerald yarn I was craving for. Now I'm pacified and absolutely in love with what I have.

The Current Work In Progress.

I am working on a One Skein Malabrigo Baby Cardigan in Verdes. I also bought Cypress, it is dyed such a deep green, it's almost black. Don't let the picture on the website fool you, it's much much more vivid in real life and so so so so soft! I have worked with wool, and most (if not all) of the wool I worked with felt scratchy or icky regardless of how expensive or popular it was. But this one feels like butter in your hands. If I had loads of cash to burn I would drown myself in this stuff.

I love it so much that I even scanned it. I'm so lame. Hahaha.

I had a doctor's appointment after the Panera Knitting session and an already wonderful day was made perfect when we were able to get to see his face clearly for the first time:

We couldn't believe it. The first sonograms showed that Connor looked like his dad and now with this, he looks exactly like me: nose, eyes and all (I just hope he gets his dad's height). We're so happy and excited. Now I'm even more inspired.

Gah. I am completely enthralled.

2007-10-01T06:38:00.001+08:00

I just purchased the pattern for the Orchid Crocheted top over at Lily Go's blog. Ack. Another project lined up for me, but I don't care. It's gorgeous and completely doable in a short period of time since I crochet faster than I knit. Now to get the buttons! :D :D :D SQUEEHEE.

Ooh, the Sage Cardigan is also very pretty...

Punk Baby Hoodie

2007-09-29T05:06:00.001+08:00

At my husband's request, I made a punk-ish baby hoodie for the baby. It's made with Lionbrand Microspun in Ebony and Lime. I THINK I used US 4 needles (I may have used a smaller size. Hoh well.) Again, I winged the pattern.

In other news, I miss the Philippines.

Say hello to my baby!

2007-09-25T05:04:00.001+08:00

Connor Joshua. Or at least that's his name until his dad changes his mind again. ;p

My startitis strikes again. The idea of knitting Sahara doesn't really appeal to me right now. It's not because it's not fun to knit etc... but what's the point of knitting something you can't wear anyway? Hours and hours of work will be wasted. SOOOOOOO, I decided to to put the project on the backburner for a while (or completely frog it and use the yarn for something else) and concentrate on making baby sweaters etc.

So this project is what is on my needles right now: The Bunny Hop Side Wrap Kimono. I thought it was adorable and the pattern sounds super duper easy. I did want to do something like The Harvey Kimono from Natural Knits for Babies and Moms by Louisa Harding, but I'm too impatient and I want to do work on something RIGHT. THIS. MINUTE. But this baby sweater is a good substitute (and it's free!)

Hmm... is it strange of me to crave emerald colored yarn?

Casting on (again): Stitch Diva's Sahara

2007-09-13T04:10:00.001+08:00

I have decided to frog my second attempt at Sahara and have a third attempt at it. While the pattern is easy to knit, I keep forgetting to take certain (very important) things in to consideration. Liiiiike, I was too excited to swatch when I started knitting it the first time and it ended up looking like it would fit three of me. The yarn I used is also not the recommended yarn in the pattern, I used four strands of number 10 bedspread weight cotton. Two strands in a variegated violet and two strands of white. It looked gorgeous, but like I said, it would have been too big even though I've never been (or felt) bigger in my life.

For the second attempt, I forgot to take into consideration that, oh yeah, this top is rather form fitting and what's my condition again? Heavily pregnant. Arrrgh. So with a bit of calculating and remeasuring, I tweaked the Sahara pattern to accommodate my huge pregnant belly.

So we will see how this goes...

What I've been up to...

2007-08-24T08:37:00.002+08:00

I had to quit my job a few months after I found out I was pregnant. My doctor told me that I have a heart-shaped uterus (also called bicornial... or something like that) and because of that little difference I am apparently more prone to miscarriage or early delivery. My job required me to stand up for long lengths of time and sometimes I would have eleven hour shifts. I would start spotting and cramping after the end of every work day. It was definitely scary during those few weeks of all that. My parents urged me to leave work and take it easy, so I am taking it easy and enjoying things I know I wouldn't be able to do or enjoy for a while after this baby is born. It sounds completely scary, but I am absolutely excited about having this little one.

Tea and crochet. (The infamous Marguerite pattern.)

The most basic baby jacket and hat ever. Done with two strands of number 10 crochet thread and US size 2 knitting needles. I mixed a variegated yellow with white and the color turned out to be a cute baby duck yellow. Thanks for sending the yellow thread from the Philippines, Mom!

Another variation of the super-duper-no-brainer basic baby jacket pattern, only I used acrylic baby yarn and US size 6 knitting needles (I think). I was also playing with some watercolors that day (if you notice my Sakura Koi paints on the upper right hand side of the picture), but that's another entry.

I'm currently working on Opptuna by Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton in her Noro Collection Book 2. I'm using Caron in Autumn Red and US Size 7 knitting needles. The pattern is also very very easy. I can't believe I had second thoughts about tackling this project.

I'm now five months along and I'm more than halfway done! The baby is very active, and from what we saw in the sonogram two days ago, very healthy. He gives me spin kicks a couple of times a day and absolutely wriggles in delight when I demolish Banana Cream Pie Blizzards. Hoh yeah. What more could I ask for?

Oh man, has it really been more than a year?

2007-08-24T08:11:00.001+08:00

A lot has happened since I last posted here. I went back to my husband in Evansville and subsequently got pregnant. :D Now life is filled with joy, anxiety, excitement and baby knitting.

MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!

Back In Evansville

2007-02-06T01:49:00.001+08:00

Hoh my God, it's so c-c-cold!!!!!

Pfft.

2006-08-31T18:52:00.001+08:00

Guess who just came out of the hospital? That's right. After two weeks of fainting, puking and generally feeling awful, I'm finally back to normal and looking forward to resuming my busy busy life. I want to go back to work, read, draw, crochet, knit and sew in my spare time (see, this is why I'm more tired during my off days than I am during my normal work week. I do more during the weekends, but it's a good kind of tired) My doctor did tell me to take it easy, take my meds and eat well. I don't ever want to go back to the hospital again. I don't think my nerves can take any more needle poking, blood letting, rather flavorless hospital food and middle-of-the-night nursing student rounds where nursing students think they have the right to shake you awake in the wee hours of the morning and ask you if you've pooped and peed today. Geh. That was the lesson, I'm not going to get sick, not if I can help it.

Anyway, this is what I was up to while I was waiting to get well. They fortunately did not have to stick me with an IV, so the left both my hands free to finish my friend's variegated green halter top. I unfortunately do not have pictures of the finished product because I already gave it to Ross. Perhaps she'll model it for me one day. It turned out great and it was the greatest feeling to see her really happy when she got it.

This is my first attempt at doing "Marguerite," my Grandmother's unfinished bedspread. The flower turned out pretty nice and I'm rather proud of it. I'm a real doofus when it comes to reading patterns, but I was able to figure it out and get it right the first time. Yahoo!

This is proof that I have the capability being innovative (heehee) I was having a hard time crocheting with a spool of thread in while I was laying down (reclined more like), so I used one of the hospital bed posts as a holder for my spool. No rolling around, no hard pulling, just a nice even feed when I need it. Lovely. The staff didn't mind that I did it and they were even nice enough to ask me questions about what I was doing. It was great to talk about it with nurses who also knew how to crochet, so that made my stay even more cheerful. Nevermind the cons I listed earlier.

2006-08-17T14:16:00.001+08:00

My little brother is the cutest thing. He's only three and he follows me everywhere I knit or crochet, wanting to learn it. So I gave him some leftover yarn from the Cataract doily and my shortes pair of knitting needles. He gets impatient when I try to teach him the way to do it, I think he enjoys seeing the movements and tries to copy what I do. I maybe teach him real knitting when he's older and still interested. Right now, it's enough that I have a very cute knitting/crochet partner who adores me just as much as I adore him.

I bought these balls of yarn in Hobby Lobby Evansville some time ago. It's called Sinfonia, a sportweight cotton yarn from Mexico. I completely adore this yarn and I bought loads of it (in cream and variegated green) though I had to leave most of it behind. There was a limited number of the variegated green yarn and the dye lots are different, so I've been thinking about the possible projects I could do with it. I decided to make something for one of my adored best friends (who celebrated her 26th birthday on the 15th of August: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ROSS!)

It's a crocheted halter top for the next time she goes to the beach. I figured a plain bikini top would be too revealing (personally, anyway. I bet Ross has no such hangups. Heehee.) so I decided to make it into a sexy, not-quite-openwork halter. Hope she likes it (and actually gets to use it, but knowing her, it probably would be. She loves the beach.)

This blue thingie above is the Cataract doily I made for Deborah (wildthing1058 on Crochetville) She was assigned to make a doily for me, so I thought it would be a nice gesture to give her something back for her hard work. I already sent Madonna (tween on Crochetville) her two doilies, the champagne-colored one and the big purple people eater. I hope she likes it. I wasn't able to block any of the pieces as we have a set of three year olds running around, pinned doilies somewhere in this small condominium would be disastrous if/when they get to it. So I hope those lovely ladies don't mind.

And finally, a random photo of moi.

HA! DONE!

2006-08-04T22:13:00.002+08:00

And guess what? I'm working on yet another one. Mwahahahahaha.

Today's my day off (oh yeah, I forgot to mention, I got a job. YAY.) and I spent the whole day watching DVD's and finishing a doily using variegated blue thread. Beautiful. The doily is called "Cataract" and I think the variegated blue thread is definitely a fitting color for it.

In other news, I miss my husband. He left for Evansville last Tuesday to take care of things back there. He'll be back this January for good, so it's okay. It seems so long, but I think with this job and all my hobbies keeping me busy, time will be pass quickly. He will be with me again and I can hug and kiss him all I want. I am definitely looking forward to it.

2006-07-23T11:35:00.001+08:00

It's a beautiful, ovecast day today. It's definitely going to rain. I would have wanted to go out, but reading (while eating hot puto* smothered in butter) next to a window while the rain is pouring outside is also wonderfully appealing. I'm definitely done with the Champagne-Colored Doily, all I have to do is block it and post pictures. Now I'm working on this:

See, this is why gauge is very important. This purple "doily" is turning into a huge people eater. I barely started with it and it's already more than eight inches wide. I just hope the lady who gets this for the Doily Swap will like it and will have somewhere to put it. I mean, it looks fairly impressive (READ: hella big) from where I'm looking, but I would also want it to be useful. Form follows function and all that.
People always ask me why I'm so crazy about crocheting and knitting. I can't say I'm crazy about it, but I definitely see how amazing it is to turn a pretty ball of yarn into something complicated. By manipulating string using a hook; twisting, turning, building it stitch by stitch, you come up with something that showcases its beauty even more. This is especially true when you make doilies. Not to mention, crocheting doilies is an exact art. Each stitch has a purpose in the whole scheme of things. If you miss a stitch or you put even one extra, it won't look right.

And finally, what bigger joy is there to know that you are capable of creating something beautiful with humble materials, that you speak and understand a code only a limited number of people in this world can know, and that you are helping carry on something that is thought to be a dying art? The knowledge is satisfying and wonderful, I wouldn't trade that for anything in the world.
*Puto is a kind of steamed cake made of rice flour. It's usually eaten in the morning with cheese or butter or both. It's wonderful with coffee or hot chocolate. Just thinking about it makes me gain five pounds. Mmmmm.

Current Work In Progress: The Champagne-Colored Doily

2006-07-19T11:44:00.001+08:00

I found this beautiful Champagne-colored thread while browsing at my favorite craft store. It's the color of old parchment (or natural linen) with a gorgeous sheen. I fell in love with it the first time I saw it. I got the pattern from (again) Madonna Crochet Magazine Number 6. The pattern was fairly easy and I whipped through it like nobody's business.

It's obvious where I like to work, no? Now you can see what my sheets look like.

I'm going to work on another doily, or maybe a larger centerpiece after I'm done with this. This could be for the doily swap, or I might decide to keep it, who knows? The larger doily is definitely for the swap. The lady I'm making the doily for likes purple and I found the perfect shade of purple in my stash. It's the closest thing I can get to Cadbury purple, only the thread is a little richer in tone.

In other news, it's so HOT! I'm planning to frog the Klaralund sweater I did back in Evansville. It's too large for me (wow, who would have ever thought that was a possibility?) and I spent too much money on the Kureyon for it to be shoved in a closet, never to be used.

So much to do, but I'm definitely not complaining!

*Pretty Oddity*