so tired

xkcd

http://xkcd.com/1141/

encouraging the discouraged in textile

cramming at its best. here's my take on how to revive the philippine textiles industry. my homework for ct 109 ^_^

The status of the textile industry in the Philippines is very discouraging. It is a product of poor planning and pressures brought about by globalization. Common economics knowledge dictates that those who can produce should produce, and those who can’t should simply buy. If it is cheaper to import goods from other countries, we shouldn’t be wasting our resources in it. Rather, we should simply turn our energies towards products that we are capable of excelling in. The Philippines is a miniscule country compared to first world countries. Opening ourselves up to globalization just caused our local industries to admit defeat to multi-national companies, leaving us dependent on imported goods.

It is too late to say that we shouldn’t have let USA bully us into accepting our 3^rd world fate. Our current status is probably better than being ostracized, because there’s nothing worse than being labeled as a terrorist country and be bombed constantly just because. All that we could do is conform to the economic system and analyze how we got to where we are, what we could have done to prevent our unfortunate status, look for ways to mitigate loss, and act on possible solutions to our problems.

It is only the government who is capable of causing a country-wide change with just the country’s interest in mind. There has to be a serious, honest to goodness re-assessment of the status of the country because we can’t just keep on producing stuff that will not contribute much to our economy. We can put extra efforts in cultivating crops that can be our star fiber producer or develop new and innovative ways to synthesize fibers for fabric manufacturing. This way, we can easily market ourselves better because we can offer the world something that is not available anywhere else. We can treat the industry like it is just in its infancy stage and train a new work-force for research and for production. As clothing technology students, we can be pioneers in transforming the textiles industry into something that the country will be proud of.

There’s a lot that needs to be done before we can be anywhere near a thriving textiles industry. The government would have to eliminate corruption to ensure that the budget for research and development of our textiles really gets the funding that it deserves. Government institutions should find better motivations for their employees. Unlike private companies who require their employees to work quickly and efficiently, government offices are not pressured to present outputs immediately because income is not part of the picture. There should be a more effective rewards and recognition system to hasten developments in our technology. Education will also play a big role in helping our country. Values such as patriotism should be instilled in each and every citizen of the country. We must work hard with our country’s status in mind, and not just for our personal gain. Knowledge is also important in improving the textiles industry. A good academic foundation is crucial to ensure that all these efforts are taken care of by capable thinkers.

The presence of more than one fashion school in the country means that the Philippines is still willing to keep the clothing industry alive. We, clothing technology students, have the most exposure to critical issues. We are expected to contribute a lot more for our country especially because our education is subsidized by taxes. We should make it a point to pressure ourselves to give back to the country as early and as much as we can not just because we are expected to, but because studying in UP made us think this way. We must never forget to think and act, and never stop seeking solutions until the textiles and garments industry of our country is back in its full glory.

workshop part2

we had 4 workshops. we were the first with weaving, then pegs with fabric manipulation, then embellishment then tie dyeing.

for embellishment i added sequins to a plain white shawl. it adds texture to it and makes it a little more interesting.

for tie dye, i brought an extra large white shirt. I dyed it with pinks and blues for an interesting contrast. when i find the time, i might turn it into a summer dress that i could wear to the beach.

workshop

for ct11, we had workshops that were headed by each group. our group was assigned to construction techniques, but we focused on weaving. we used knit shirts as starting materials then cut them into strips. this is my product:

it's a multi-layered necklace that I might embellish with a brooch, depending on the occasion.

for the next workshop, we had fabric manipulation. I made a flower by cutting chiffon into squares and gathering them at the center to make it appear like they're petals. i burned the edges to keep it from fraying. i glued it into a hair clip.

make-up

it was my first time to have lessons on make-up. i realized that the make-up that i have is not adequate for the class. i needed stuff for color correction, highlights and contours. i don't think i will have any need for these things anytime in the future except for school related projects. i don't think it would be worth my money if i buy these things.
the class that we had was very informative. i learned a lot of things that i would not learn by trial and error simply because the only face i put make-up on is my own. because of the experience, i promised myself that i will not use liquid foundation if i had a choice. learning about make-up emphasized the fact that it's fake. it's like temporary plastic surgery. i don't mind light make-up -- powder, lip tint and a little eye shadow, but i don't find the need to do all out make-up on a daily basis.

the difference in the before and after photos are not obvious because the lighting is different. photography did not do justice to the make-up, but either way, the difference really wasn't that obvious because it's a day look. maybe more practice would make a difference.

Compass ring - project3

I made the band of the ring from a thick wire thing that i salvaged from one of the computer components. I love the copper color, and i love the way that the conductive material is visible, but not obvious. I glued in a compass that i got from a broken flashlight, then wrapped a pink wire around it. The pink wire is from the power supply of a friend's old desktop. I can't believe how much wire there is in a power supply.

The idea of the ring is to destress. Stress usually comes about when you don't know what to do from the dozens of requirements, which is one of the problems of CT students. By looking at the compass, it amuses the student and reminds the student that they just need to find the right direction and leave stress behind.

ukay

i rarely buy from ukay-ukays. Previously owned clothes are not my thing. I normally buy stuff from ukay-ukays for the fabric and not for the garment. I don't like the idea of having clothing donations from the USA being sold in the Philippines for a price. It may cover the cost of transportation and the sales people's salary, but i do not feel like it's fair that clothes that should go to the needy (when they are in need) are being used for profit. I also think that the presence of ukay-ukays do not help the clothing industry in the philippines. Instead of buying from local garment producers, filipinos would resort to buying cheap imported clothes.

There's an issue with the fit of clothing of imported clothes. Their standards are based on western figures, which we are not. We are smaller and slimmer. The weather in USA is also different from the tropical Philippines. There are clothes that might not suit the needs of a filipino.

The class activity did not change my mind about ukay-ukays. I enjoyed it, it was fun, but i won't do it again if it's not required.

shawls

http://pinterest.com/nagpapataba/

beaded earrings

http://pinterest.com/nagpapataba/