Last month was my birth month. Though we did not celebrate it because of the continuous rainfall in the Philippines, my husband agreed to take me on a “me and just me” date last August 26, amidst the call for a #millionpeoplesmarch against pork barrel issue. That “me and just me” date was stupenduous to describe it at the very least. I had several things I wanted that was given to me without second thoughts. It has never been my thing to ask for the things I want. I usually work hard to be able to get what I want and it is rather comforting to have a partner who recognizes my wants and provides them.
So one of those wants was my (not-so-secret) yearning to be able to do a bit of fashion design. It is a (not-so-secret) dream I had since I was young, when my concept of that is to become a sewer. I had several attempts in the past and I had also worn a number of my own creations. I can only force them on me for a number of reasons: (1) They take a bit too much effort to finish a piece of clothing (2) I do not reckon that a number of people share my own fashion sense and if ever someone wants the same piece, it would be too much effort to recreate another one and I would be too clingy to my work to even let it go.
The purchases includes:
(1) A book on “Combined Tailoring and Dressmaking Guide Book”. This book was too ambitious for me because I can never cut a straight line (as well draw a straight one too :D). So with all the instructions on how to properly create a pattern and the measurements to take to create one, I took the big leap of faith that I would probably muster enough patience (after pregnancy, mind you) to actually study this by heart and finally acquire the skill of becoming a decent pattern maker.
(2) Loads of 1 and a half yard of fabric (Just one and a half yard is enough to make a dress for small little me).
(3) The Pantone, Fashion Sketchpad. THE SKETCHPAD. THE ULTIMATE SKETCHPAD for me to answer my ambitious need to actually create a dress design.
You see this sketchpad has pre-drawn “croquis”. (It rhymes with “hokey). Which is the figure of a slender human that would later on be dressed by fab designs. It is this figure that I can never ever draw myself because I had always been more of a cartoonist than a “croqui-ist”. So my human figures always looked like anime with big boobs or a straight chubby figure.
Since then I had been actively sketching designs and this had been my de-stresser for the past weeks:
![The mesh sando would form from irregular or free-form crochet with the cropped pants built with continuous crochet motifs. The Doily skirt, which I have been yearning to create for quite sometime would be made from different doilies joined together by black thread.](http://ginantsilyo.com/files/2013/09/1231517_317614455050348_1712682886_n.jpg)
The mesh sando would form from irregular or free-form crochet with the cropped pants built with continuous crochet motifs. The Doily skirt, which I have been yearning to create for quite sometime would be made from different doilies joined together by black thread.
![Design focus: Ruffled Collar. The dress would be done in alternating motif and dc mesh :) with a drawstring to form the waist](http://ginantsilyo.com/files/2013/09/1235485_316258585185935_141283327_n.jpg)
Design focus: Ruffled Collar. The dress would be done in alternating motif and dc mesh with a drawstring to form the waist
![The mesh sando would form from irregular or free-form crochet with the cropped pants built with continuous crochet motifs. The Doily skirt, which I have been yearning to create for quite sometime would be made from different doilies joined together by black thread.](http://ginantsilyo.com/files/2013/09/1185350_316687865143007_1896431671_n.jpg)
The mesh sando would form from irregular or free-form crochet with the cropped pants built with continuous crochet motifs. The Doily skirt, which I have been yearning to create for quite sometime would be made from different doilies joined together by black thread.
![An idea to create an illusion of creating homogeneous design from brown to light beige of diamond stitches for shorts with continuous motif double functioning as belt](http://ginantsilyo.com/files/2013/09/1174980_323570097788117_972797816_n.jpg)
An idea to create an illusion of creating homogeneous design from brown to light beige of diamond stitches for shorts with continuous motif double functioning as belt
![Hexagonal Motifs + Bruge's lace. An attempt to create a colorful dress with a number of color switching created continuously. I have attempts to create the bodice of the dress but tooks too much effort so the dress has been set aside.](http://ginantsilyo.com/files/2013/09/1237793_319031538241973_1190683199_n.jpg)
Hexagonal Motifs + Bruge’s lace. An attempt to create a colorful dress with a number of color switching created continuously. I have attempts to create the bodice of the dress but it takes too much effort so the dress has been set aside.
And the first design I was able to procure is finally taking shape now:
The trickiest part for creating a design is the execution. But the design always gives you something to look forward to. Like a goal. It gives me direction on what to do next and keeps me focused on what I want to do.