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 :)

identity

I got the love for sewing from my grandmother, maybe. I'm not sure because she never taught us how, and I rarely saw he sew, but I remember a couple of years ago, she would take our measurements (all female grand kids) and in a week, we would have the same style of pajamas, then the same style of jacket. I rarely used them, and didn't really appreciate them. They were not my style, plus I've never been great at following orders from authority. I wanted to be an individual who had her own voice. I didn't want to be caged by what society dictates as who I should be. Thank goodness for my mom, she wanted to expose me and my sisters to all sorts of things. She bought us a sewing machine with 15 styles of stitches. It was ok. Again, didn't bother using it because I didn't want to feel compeled to do whatever my mom wanted me to do. But eventually, things changed. I started to embrace the fact that I do not belong to an ordinary household and I am not an ordinary person. Now, I realized that I don't have to tell the world that I am unique, and that I do not wish to conform to norms. It's very obvious from my actions and from how I look.

I still mind if people judge me and assume that they know me just by looking at me, but a certain point, I get why they assume these things. My social skin is different from the popular skin and I can't help it. And if people have eyes, they can't help it either. I just wish they realize that this is not all that I am.

not guilty

Clothing makes an impression. Nothing wrong with that. I just don't like it when people think that they know a person just by looking at them.

"hindi porket naka-dreds ay adik na"

It takes a long time for some people to dress up in the morning because there are a lot of factors that we have to take into cosideration. Trends are a big factor because it dictates what is available, or abundant in the market. Unless a person sews their own clothes, their attire would have to be available in the market and would conform to certain trends. Other factors would be the weather, the activities that a person is involved in, mandatory uniforms and etc. There are reasons for dressing up a certain way, which is why i hate it when people assume that they know exactly who you are just by looking at you.

I find it offensive when people try to put you in a box. I know someone who immediately hated a guy just because he didn't look pleasing to her eyes. He didn't have to say anything, and there's nothing he could do to change her mind. Really judgemental.

Sometimes I wish that, for a moment, I could live in an alternate universe where everyone wears the same thing. That way, people could see beyond clothes and be forced to get to know each other before they make conclusions based solely on physical appearances.

clothing: my definition

From what I understood in class, clothing is anything that alters the physical appearance of a person. It could be something that's so tiny that it may not be immediately noticable, like a toe ring, or it might also be something obvious like garments or even hair color. Clothing, in the most general sense includes accessories and body modifications, and not just the shirt and pants you're wearing.

The definition of clothing according to the dictionaries that I've consulted does not explicitly indicate that clothing is not limited to articles that are sewn and then used to cover up, but if you ask an ordinary person what they are wearing, they wouldn't include their earrings or tattoos. It's a little confusing. Language may be to blame for confusions regarding definitions that are generally accepted by the public but does not coincide with technical definitions or the accepted definition of the industry.

This issue is not the same for the filipino language. /damit/ is anything that we wear to cover up. /burloloy/ can describe jewelry and embelishments. just saying.

I don't know how this could be resolved, or if there is a need for a resolution, but we can't change the fact that whatever we wear is the first thing that the public can see. Our clothes are our social skins. It takes some people a great deal of effort to choose what to wear. Image can be big business. For people who constantly face harsh public scrutiny, tiny details matter. This is where image consultants and fashion stylists make their living. It's a fabulous job to be rubbing elbows with the elite. I bet there would be lots of people who dream of becoming this, but i would rather be part of the public, screaming at the television during fashion disasters than be the one to be blamed.