schedule

last friday, the class decided that the final project would be an exhibit. this would be done at the end of the semester. it would be the result of all the things we learned for the whole semester. i realized that even if it was announced as early as now, we can't really do it yet because we haven't learned everything yet. starting it now means we rely on our own understanding. it's like we're saying that we don't need to listen in class in order to create an exhibit. so, we're going to do it after learning what we need to learn. but, when i saw the schedule, at the end of the sem we have to prepare for our workshop, which takes a lot of preparation, and our case study, which takes time because we have to coordinate with another person. the only logical thing to do is to multitask, which is the most unproductive thing anyone could do.
this is the first semester where requirements pile up all from the same subject. it's the only semester i've had where i literally don't have a break. there's no room to breathe. instead of resting my brain, it goes on worrying about the other 5 requirements that i have to finish. it would have been better if requirements were done in class and not brought home. i calculated the workload for ct11 and it summed up to 10units. 7units for 7hours of lecture per week, and 3units for an unlimited number of hours of lab done at home. i have an impression that projects were required for the sake of producing an output. learning has become the last priority. there is a tendency to rely on stock knowledge because of the lack of preparation time. i really wish that the number of activities were reduced to only the essentials. not every topic deserves to have a major output.

putokapi

It's only lately that I've acquainted myself to the vocabularies of the fashion world (through conscious effort, and not for pleasure), but it's been a long time since I've gotten to know Carolina Herrera. I was watching Lifestyle Network a couple of years ago when they played a feature about her. I loved how her gowns are so feminine. I love the volume and the flow. I was still working on becoming a chemist during that time, but I did sew as a leisurely hobby. I sewed pants for practical (and financial) reasons. I hated how expensive clothes were and how uncomfortable they were, so I made my own. Eventually I evolved and started sewing dresses. This is the first dress that I've completed. I developed the design myself. I guess I draped it because I was not aware of the benefits of using patterns. I wrapped the fabric on myself and pinned it where I wanted it to have seams. I think I was successful in this project. I've used this dress in the past already, but it was floor length back then. I cut it short because I wanted to use it in less formal events.

It doesn't look like a Carolina Herrera dress but she really was my inspiration for this dress. I guess it's because the quality of my sewing skills is negligible back then. I might try making a new dress some time in the near future. I just hope I find time.

embroidery, applique, paint

It's the very hungry caterpillar! I embroidered it on my sister's apron, which she made herself. I love satin and chain stitches.

It would have been better if the output for each workshop is not required to be complete products. I wish that the development of skills were the main focus because finishing a whole product takes too much time and effort. It's quite draining. It's too much effort for a 3-unit subject.

And I hate multitasking. It's the most ineffective way of getting things done. (http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2001/08/multitasking.aspx and http://blogs.hbr.org/bregman/2010/05/how-and-why-to-stop-multitaski.html) Finish one task before you start another, or else the quality of work will suffer. And I don't think I'll be able to learn anything new if things keep piling up, so I chose to learn the simplest thing from the workshop. I forgot what it's called, but it's when a cord is stuck between those threads that bind the fabrics together. It wasn't discussed in the workshop. The details of the production process wasn't emphasized, but at least it was in the handouts.

My applique project is simply patchwork. I don't know if I could do anything with this. At least its done. In hindsight, I really wish the techniques were discussed more during the workshop. These are things that I really want to learn some more because this is the only class where I get to have the opportunity to learn. I easily get frustrated when I don't learn anything in class. It's like MY hard earned money is being flushed down the toilet. Not a pretty sight.

I was very pleased with the printing and painting workshop because it's something I'm really interested in but haven't got the opportunity to try out. It involves materials that are not easily accessible for me. These are reagents that would have to be acquired commercially. There are home-remedy types but might not be as effective. It was great that we got exposed to these techniques in the workshop.

Once again, I chose not to put too much effort to this project, unlike my earlier projects. I have to remind myself that even if my goal is to pursue excellence in all the things that I do, I have my priorities. I want to have time to do the things that would contribute to my over-all growth. There's more to education than academics.

Oh, right! it's cnidarina! http://oneonefour2012.tumblr.com/post/18596291171/si-cnidarina-ay-isang-dikya-na-may-balat-na-duyan and http://malayadesigns.blogspot.com/2012/04/jellyfish-gowns.html

designer

There are just people who were born with an inclination to art and fashion, and at the opposite end of the spectrum, you'll find me.

I am a firm supporter of art. I think that a world without art is extremely lame. But a world without empirical analysis is asking for chaos.

The difference between science and art is that science is mostly objective, art is mostly subjective. If i were to design an article of clothing somewhere in the world, at least one person will be complementing me, and at least one person will be thinking about throwing it out in the trash.

Fashion design is both an art and science, but mostly art. Designing clothes involves a lot of creativity, artistry and some knowledge in anatomy and the science of textiles. But we can always neglect the hard science portion and go for common sense. You can always hire someone to develop textiles for you, or tell you which fabric best suits your design. there are consultants for that. but the general aesthetics of the line should come from the designer. the image and the type of products must come from the creator of the products. this is why a fashion designer should know a thingnor two about branding, management and product development. even without the hard sciences, fashion design involves several branches. that's a lot of behind the scenes work for something that can be classified as luxury.

stab and pull

i realized that embroidery is really easy when you have a loop that holds your fabric taut. So, i rushed to the mall and bought one that's really cheap but still serves its purpose. i also realized that there are a lot of stitches that can be used but a lot of embroidery involves satin stitch and its variations because it gets the job done fast. It uses up a lot of thread, but it's alright with me. Several other styles of stitches, like the cross stitch and its variations, are used to fill in spaces. In the future, i might try to explore other techniques.

here's a picture of the very hungry caterpillar. Eric Carle is the illustrator of the popular children's book. He makes use of tissue to create very interesting textures. Now, I'd like to interpret his work as embroidery.



Hopefully by tomorrow my artwork will be done.

shoes

I can never understand why some people get addicted to shoes. These are the parts of clothing that are often neglected. I showed my friends some pictures. Then I asked them what the model in the picture was wearing. They remembered the top, and the bottom, but they couldn't remember the shoes. I understand shoes for athletic purposes, but I don't understand the cult following.

I like shoes that are comfortable and shoes that serve their purpose. But I also like these because they're works of art. I appreciate them, but I will have to be paid if I had to wear them. Art, and that's it.

the handbag

amazingly, there is a psychology behind every fashion decision a woman makes. this website: http://sheconomics.blogspot.com will tell you all about it. One of the interesting articles I found was this: http://sheconomics.blogspot.com/2012/03/psychology-ofthe-handbag.html it discusses how handbags are the go-to thing of shopaholics. it's more than just a bag, it's a status symbol, it's an addiction.

I don't want my bag to be just that. I want my bag to be more than a costume or some props. It's something that will actually be used to store and transport materials. I just realized that women in general may not be my possible clients. I guess I have to focus on males because they usually prioritize function, which will be the main focus of my project. And because I'm a student, I guess an easy target will be male students and function oriented females (because I know a lot of guys who don't bring bags at all).

Small Bag = ballpen, wallet and the works = compartmentalized (because one of my guy friends requested that I make a male bag organizer)

Big Bag = small bag + laptop or change of clothes or anything that they don't normally bring = big bulk

That's it for now. More thoughts later.

macrame earrings

Macrame, yes, it's the technical term for those friendship bracelets. Who would have thought there's a science to friendship bracelets. I didn't realize that there's more to it than just knotting thread around and making patterns. There's a whole culture revolving around sailors who didn't have anything to do but macrame.

all the accessories i could ever see myself using are bags and earrings. I just like earrings because it's so effortless. just put them on and forget about them. maybe it's because I don't like giving emphasis to my thin wrist and fingers, and because I had a bad experience with double-layered necklaces that I just gave up on them. I love earrings because I make beautiful earrings (or at least my friends tell me that I do. pls refer to http://malayadesigns.blogspot.com/2012/03/earrings.html).

I learned about friendship earrings from my sister. She saw a tutorial on http://craftgossip.com/ and shared it with me. Now, I can add it to my portfolio of accessories. I might try playing around with patterns, but for now, the inverted chevron will do.

I want to be able to make a whole collection of macrame earrings, I just don't know if there's any sense in doing that. I get to spend a lot of time making them that I get so attached. I have a hard time giving them away to friends or to clients. Sometimes we have to learn how to let go of our babies. Aww...

bag what?

i'm trying to make a list of the characteristics of an ideal bag. so i asked my friends what they want to be able to put in their bags. here's what i got

laptop
celphone
wallet
keys

these are the essentials. the rest could simply be dumped in a general compartment. compartments need to be interchangable or removable. we don't always need our laptops with us so we have an option to make it smaller. so there will be two main forms of the bag: the big bag and the small bag. everything in between will pop up during development of the prototype. i just hope my sewing machine comes out of the sewing machine hospital alive.

wearable bag

So I saw a vest that converts to a bag. I wanted to post a picture of it but I can't find a way to save the picture. Maybe saving is restricted for that site, or maybe I'm just not used to my gadget's functions, but the picture may be seen here -->

http://projectfidgetyfingers.blogspot.com/2011/05/another-convertible-bag-for-when-you.html

I've always thought that the straps of a bag looks like the straps of a shirt. The designer of this convertible bag was able to make both a garment and an accessory in one. Because sometimes we don't need a bag until we get to the place where we're about to shop. Now, we don't have to bring an empty bag, we just have to wear it, then assemble it when we need it. I love it!

It makes use of zippers. I really need to get to know zippers some more because I really think it's one of the best inventions ever made.

handy

i think my arm has had enough manual labor. i'm having a hard time lifting it. my biceps are tense and has some sort of tingling sensation going on. i think it's just tired... i hope it's just tired so that it will be better tomorrow when i wake up. :-D my world will shatter if i loose the ability to move my arms. maybe i should have them insured... hmmm...

oh look! glowing people!



this is what tutoring a kid with adhd does to you. zzzz...

what? where?!? zzzzz....

insomnia

don't sleep the whole afternoon if you have an early class the next day. my hormones are really tripping. i really wish i get my period soon because my pms is not helping my productivity. at least i was able to finish my earrings. will make one more tomorrow using macrame. or maybe i'll try making something else.

it really is weird that i'm studying things that i've known since i was in elementary. (maybe it's because i'm the grand daughter of martha stewart). i can't wait for the workshops about things i've never done before. that way, i'll feel like the tuition i've paid goes to good use.

woven earrings

I really wish I had a loom, then I'd make my own shawls. For now, I make earrings!



It's made using cotton crochet thread, and woven using a plain weave. Only the warp being seen because of the way I pulled and pushed the weft. I might try weaving with a design in mind, but I'd rather train myself and master the technique. We have to crawl before we can walk.

molded metal rings

Metals are fascinating because the ability of their electrons to fly around all over the place. This makes them conductive, malleable and ductile. But instead of using them for electronics, we can actually use them to adorn ourselves and make ourselves feel good. Because what's outside might eventually diffuse into their whole bodies. I don't really care. I just like these because they're pretty and they're small. Everything is just fascinating when they're miniaturized. You can't do this with wood, right? I love metals ^_^

fashion

It's what's in. It's what sells. It's a million dollar industry. And the wonderful thing about fashion is it'll be here as long as people choose to express themselves through clothing. If you want to make a living out of clothing, it might not be a sure shot. History has proven that the poor will still be the ones clothing the rich, with a few exceptions. But if you insist, there's a way to hack the system. Learn how to predict the future. Learn the trends. Learn the factors that affect the needs of consumers, or create a need that they've never realized they needed. The good thing about fashion is that it's never totally different. The past will always have a role in the creation of the present.

I love the way fashion is like a window to the past. Things that are valuable during a period is shown in the way people dress. The ideal figure changes through time. Even the materials that they have invented is reflected on clothes.

Everything is connected. The easiest way to classify groups of people is by the way they look. Civilizations can sometimes be identified with their clothes. Uniforms are ways to identify members of an organization.

Fashion is everywhere. It haunts us. It's immortal.

convertible bag

I'm planning on making a bag. This type of bag would be the only bag I'll ever need, most of the time. It's going to be the only bag I'll ever use, until it breaks. So it's just going to be an ordinary bag that is fully customized for me and for people who wish to have a bag that adapts to their lifestyle. I'll call the bag my polymorphic bag.

I'm not a genius, so I guess I have to understand how some bags have survived their transfiguration. Here are some convertible bags that I've seen on youtube so far.


I love the way this bag works because there is a drastic change in the capacity of the bag. The mechanism is just simple. Although the conversion takes time, it's still worth the effort. I'm fascinated by the way zippers can be polygamous. As long as they're the same size, they'd fit!


The Chouette handbag is very promising because it boasts of 19 unique designs. I like the idea but I think they're kind of exaggerating the number for the sake of marketing. I'm planning on designing for function and most of the styles demonstrated here aims to change the way the bag looks rather than create something that has a different function. But I think I will still use it as an inspiration for the mechanism of the bag that I would be designing because they are simple and I already have clips available that I could use for a prototype.


This one is a more workable design for me. It's sort of modular, and I think I can make something like this that I could adjust to my needs. I like the way the straps move around, although I don't think I'd go into introducing smaller bags that go inside a larger bag. For now I think I'd like to focus more on the larger bag design.

distressed

I made a leather pouch. I gave it a little personality by sanding it and applying acrylic paint. Distressing fabric is an interesting technique that requires little technical know-how. Just scrape the surface with any abrasive device, in my case I used scissors and sand paper, until it's just right. Just make sure that the fabric is strong enough to withstand the torture.



Just like in life, we have to be strong enough before we should expose ourselves to possible danger. The only way to be stronger is by training and working hard. And that is why I'm practicing my sewing skills :D yey!

still playing with yarn

finally done with my bag project. I think I have to cut the strap short because of the lack of yarn. I'm planning on sewing on a lining, for practical reasons. I wouldn't want my ballpens and coins falling out of it at random (true story).



For this bag, I used a ball of cotton crochet thread and a 5/0 needle. I started off with a long chain, then three triples plus a single chain on the next layers. It's a variation of the granny square, which I learned from my mom's Coats newsletter way back in the 90's. Once I was done with the length, I folded it in half and connected the back and front with chain stitches, with slip stitches every 4th on the spaces.

I love crochetting because I get to create some sort of skin for my projects with just a ball of thread and a handy needle. It's more portable than a loom, and more decorative. There's an instant texture that varies with the type of stitch used. The usual stuff that could be made using woven or knit fabric can have a unique personality once they are made by crochetting.

Here's one of my first few crochet projects that I wear as a bra or as a bikini top. I've made at least a dozen of these, but I gave them away or sold them. I even made a bandeu style that didn't work. It lacked support. Function over aesthetics, right?

playing with yarn

I'm half way through my project! yeah! everything will seem slower from this point onwards. I think this is what you call relativity.

nerdy tutor

nerdy tutor by laya-uichanco-canals featuring graphic t shirts

I'm a nerd at heart. I love science, and I'd rather spend time in the library than go boy hunting at the lobby. I know that not everyone could relate to my interests, but I can't help it if I'm weird.
 
This is what I normally wear whenever I have tutorial sessions with my beloved students. I don't really dress up, but I make sure that I'm wearing pants. Anyway, it's not the clothes that matter. It's what's in my head that counts.

gathering fabric

I enjoyed gathering fabric because I love how simple stitches could change the feel of the fabric in such a drastic way. Adding texture somehow adds to the thickness of the fabric. This, along with the thread that runs across and through the fabric reinforces its strength and makes the final output a little more durable than it originally was. I noticed that once the fabric has been gathered, it somehow imitates nature. Small pieces mostly remind me of petals, and long rows resemble waves. Combining different techniques could bring about a million or more possibilites.

I was surprised by the variety of products that our class was able to come up with.

I'm so proud of my classmates :)

top 10 fashion rules (for now)

I don't mind if I'm not fashionable at all. If I was in charge, I wish that I could wear anything anytime. There was one time that I went to class wearing the clothes that I wore to sleep. I just washed my face, took the jeepney, attended my hour-long class, went back to the dorm, then went back to sleep. Practical, right? That being said, here are my mandatory fashion rules for myself.

comfort over fashion
I wouldn't want mobility to be sacrificed just to look a certain way. If I have to change the way I move just to pull off a certain top, then I would have to alter the piece to adapt to my lifestyle.

flats over heels, open never closed
I never wear closed shoes unless I can wear socks with it. Because of that, I only wear rubber shoes when I'm jogging. Heels are reserved for formal events and for dates with my boyfriend.

shorter than longer
Shorts were meant to be short. I wear pants only when I have work to look semi professional.

bifurcated for the better
It's always easier to move around in shorts or pants than in skirts.

circles over pencils
It's easier for me to move around in circle skirts than pencil skirts. And I love the way it flies up then I twirl.

don't show your panties. don't show your bra
Undies were meant for support and protection, not meant to be seen.

don't show your midriff
An exposed bellybutton is just not me. I don't like feeling cold.

flaunt it if you have it, hide it if you don't
I'm talking about cleavage here. I don't have it so I hide it.

don't have a signature look
I love mixing up stuff. I don't like being known for having a certain look but I can't avoid it when work has some sort of uniform. Even with restrictions, there are still ways to make clothes look different everytime. My favorite are my shawls.

6 month rule
Clothes have feelings too. If they're not formal wear or key pieces, and I have not used them in the last 6 months, they have to be worn or else they have to be given away.

So there. These are not really rules. More like guidelines. I made them, so I can break them. And I encourage myself to brake them every once in a while, just for fun :)

pink by laya-uichanco-canals featuring a lace dress

tutorials: fabric manipulation

A basic way of manipulating fabric is by turning a flat fabric into interesting textures through gathering techniques. Here are some tutorials that helped me with my projects.

http://duringquiettime.blogspot.com/2011/06/ruched-happy-bag-pattern.html
http://annekata.com/2010/06/summer-flower-tutorial-grow-your-own-hybrid-in-5-minutes/
http://darlinganddash.com/bonnetcardboard.html
http://sewing.about.com/od/embellishment/ss/basicyoyo.htm
http://kindawonderful.typepad.com/pink_paper_peppermints/2008/06/rounded-petal-fabric-flowers-31-crafty-flowers-in-31-days--day-23.html
http://justanotherhangup.blogspot.com/2010/04/gathering-fabric-muslin-pillow-tutorial_20.html
http://www.roserushbrooke.com/how-to-ruche.html

I'll post pictures soon :)