My Story, My Life

An open letter to my husband

Tagaytay Dinner

A Pre-Birthday Dinner Amidst the Heavy Downpour Two Years Ago

It is true, that most love stories are expected to begin with how they met, and ends with and they live happily ever after (which are usually highlighted by a grand cheerful wedding (or melodramatic)). But I would not begin mine with that, no. What I want to highlight is our life together as a married couple and what I love and hate about it.

Prenup

A Prenuptial Photoshoot at the UP Diliman Grounds

The first few months of being married to you, I felt like I was the most beautiful and amazing lady. You showered me with much attention as I want, with all the flirtations and adoration a young wife would love. Then I got pregnant almost immediately as you have playfully planned to. Though I plan to be a mother much later than what happened, the prospect of finally bearing your child inside me, and the twinkling emotion of motherhood brought a different kind of ecstasy as we shifted our attention from you and me, to just him, the baby.

A lot of unexpected twists and turns happened thereafter, alongside a roller coaster of emotions brought in by the rampaging hormones, unexpected misfortunes, some lucky circumstances, shifted careers, changing locations and another pregnancy. It changed us, a lot.
 
The shift in romantic nuances is very apparent, as we spend more time with just taking care of our kids than taking care of us, but amidst the chaos that parenthood is bringing us, I see you and me, a stronger couple than ever.
House

Before the House is finished, With the four of us :) Just Before the Fourth Member of the Family was Born

I miss the nights we spend just watching endless TV series, one season after another. I miss our coffee out together, as we have brought dining out, inside our newly built home. You love to tease me that you will never take me out for dinner again, as you have always enjoyed each meal I prepare you, and that they are as much as crave-worthy as what other’s offer. Though I sometimes see that as a stingy excuse not to treat me out, it somehow touches my heart in a warm, subtle way, that makes me eager and want to try another dish you might want to have in your plate for the next night.  There are times that I want to mock you for working so late in the night or going home with such dreaded exhaustion that you barely notice that I am as tired as you are, and yes, I would mind giving you a massage because I need some too, as much as you need it, but no, I cannot just say no because whenever I look at you with such weariness, my heart goes all out that all I want to do is to offer you just a bit more comfort as I could give, even in exchange for numbing fingers and wrist. That in several times that I want to revel because I have been devoid of my own personal time, I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude that you do not wish to have your own and rather want to spend every bit of your free time with us, with me, and with the kids. I sometimes push you to go out and see your friends, but I somehow feel happy that you insist on staying and play with us instead.
 
I have always felt these two opposing forces inside me battling between exhaustion and gratification but whenever you hold me, even if it’s just a mere second before you try and chase after our young boy, I feel immensely happy. I never thought I could love you this much and have the capacity to multiply this love to our children. I say this, even though I sometimes hate being neglected, still I feel so lucky that you are this amazing (though stingy) person.
All of Us

First New Year with the Four of Us :)

Today, though I no longer feel that very beautiful newly wedded wife that I was during the first few months of our marriage, I feel like I am the most wonderful wife and mother, (which is a more fulfilling emotion). And I have to thank you for making me feel that way. 
 
February 4, 2014

Musings on attempts for fashion illustration

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:

WANT WANT WANT! Fabric + Tailoring Guide Book + SketchPad

WANT WANT WANT! Fabric + Tailoring Guide Book + SketchPad

(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.

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

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.

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

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.

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:

Using continuous crochet motifs for the sleeves and upper portion and (ununiformed) mesh  for skirt

Using continuous crochet motifs for the sleeves and upper portion and (ununiformed) mesh for skirt

:)
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. :)

On claiming someone else’s work as your own

I have no intention to actually write this down, but i would like to be able to recollect this memory as something that is good enough to start a conversation among friends :)

A week ago, one of my friends mentioned this on a chat with me. Asking if I knew a certain facebook account, she sent me a link and I looked at it.

I immediately said no, before actually reacting to the content of the page. I noticed two of my works posted there :) And yes, with my half-body shot (:D During my maiden days!!! WAY WAY BACK!) and shrug it off at first but the thought that someone actually claimed my work keeps nagging at the back of my mind. I consulted some friends about this and most of them wants me to talk to the administrator of the page but I said, let it be, since it would not really mean so much to me, lest she actually claim that she made those. If she is just using them as reference for something she can custom-made for other people then I might ask how much would it cost her to make me one, as I am having difficulty recreating these myself.

Mine! Mine! Mine!

Mine! Mine! Mine!

Original source of images can be found here and here.

But lo and behold :) another friend sent a private message to the page administrator asking if the blouse from the image was actually made by her and she replied yes! :) I cannot help but laugh when my friend related to me how she reacted 😀 and that is what i want to share as a good conversation starter:

Private message

Private message

Private message part 2

Private message part 2

Private message part 3

Private message part 3

😀 If i have it my way, i would have asked her to ask the price and make an order 😀 but i guess, being my friend, she cannot help but be a bit harsh and rude at the same time :)

so my suggestion to people who will claim someone else’s work as your own. Be careful. :) Social media is a powerful tool nowadays.

I do not wish anyone to claim my work as theirs. I, too have a hard time buying crocheted articles or even handicrafts as anyone among my circle would always claim that i made them. So it would do me less harm if i say “No, i just bought it, or found on the net” straight forward than someone being able to claim it otherwise.

I also find it difficult to post any other works online on my own page or my website because they also think that I make those things, so i always put in the tagline that it’s a work of a friend or something like that, because it is a shame for an artist’s pride to be shamed about your work and also be praised for a work that was not yours.

Yes, I do pride myself as a wannabe artist, that is why i uphold an artist pride. Lesson to other people, if you have pride, please be wary on claiming other people’s work as your own.. Specially if you are a wannabe/self-proclaimed artist as I am, because your pride is the only thing you have.

 

 

 

Heartwarming post

It warms my heart every time my friends love my work.

A friend tagged me in her photos and I was really taken by the striking scenery of waves and sand that I fail to find a reason why I was tagged.

Then I realized that she was wearing the crocheted shorts she ordered me a few months back :)

This actually made my day :) Hence I got inspired to create a new tagline for my facebook page.

Thank you Maya. :)

Here is my new tagline for my site:

Ginantsilyo: where being fabulous starts with a stitch

Ginantsilyo: where being fabulous starts with a stitch

 

 

A gift of ginantsilyo

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine, Gina, presented me her latest project. A crocheted woolen skirt of deep purple and black. She had intend to sell the skirt and asked me for marketing help. But when I saw the skirt, I immediately wanted it. Not for me, but for my sister, who has been asking me for something crocheted.

Ginantsilyo ni Gina

The skirt has relatively simple stitches but the execution was clean and pretty. I am not really good at making decent even stitches but I always try and I know that it is very difficult to do. I have to make repeats of rows just to maintain the evenness and this is what she was able to procure.

Read more about the dress at her blog entry, here.

To make the story short, I purchased the skirt from her after some negotiations about the size and the (ahem) price. I received the skirt a week after in a wonderful packaging:

Beautiful packaging

Beautiful packaging

 

The gift finally reached my sister who was very happy receiving and even wowed at the box, which I added some crocheted flowers on top as accent:

My sister finally receiving her gift of ginantsilyo

My sister finally receiving her gift of ginantsilyo

And the best thing about this is I was able to market the skirt to another client. :) Gina will be busy crocheting in the coming months :)

Fancy giving your love ones, a gift of ginantsilyo?

Introducing Gina’s first Ginantsilyo. Available for sale. Fitted Skirt – Acrylic – wool blend
Php 1,200 for size small – medium [waist 24- 27].

Add Php 200 for every size increase
(Large: Php 1,400 waist is 27-32)
(XLarge: Php 1,600 waist is 32-36)
(XXLarge: Php 1,800 waist is 36-40)

Crocheted Swirls Headband

You know when inspiration suddenly kicks in and you just have to get up and quench that lingering thirst to create? It happened to me, a few nights ago. When I came up of a better way to create the swirls I have been wanting to create using padding cord and sc. I pulled out a thick and soft yarn from my stash and crocheted. This the only way I can sleep, when I have proven that what my mind is thinking would be right.

Here is the finished hair accessory, the metal floral accent complements well with the soft pink thread.

Hot Pink crocheted Swirls with metal floral accent

Hot Pink crocheted Swirls with metal floral accent

And here is the concept behind the stitch. I have observed this when doing Irish Crochet motifs. When you crochet over padding cord and you have to push the thread tightly together to establish a round curve on the next layer. So with this I was able to create a twisting swirl by crocheting multiple sc’s over the padding cord, pushing the stitches tightly together so that it will coil by itself, crochet more until the coil would form tightly enough it can stand on its own. Do this on both ends of a short padding cord and stitch the two ends together by tying a knot.

Ginantsilyo - Hair Accessories

Ginantsilyo – Hair Accessories

The attempt was successful enough to create my next design of hair accessory. This took just half a day to finish and I sew it on the headband (wounded with woolen black yarn) so that it would be affixed permanently and then I applied white glue on the back, just enough to provide a subtle stiffness to the swirls.

The hair accessory was very simple yet there is something to the swirls that wants me to not let go of the project. But an order is an order, so I must comply. I did not feel any regret now, as the client was very happy with what I was able to deliver.

Happy Client with Ginantsilyo Hair Accessories

Happy Client with Ginantsilyo Hair Accessories

Thank you jen, for buying Ginantsilyo. I am not really sure if you like everything I created because they are too preppy and feminine :) But I am so glad that you did!
 

Designing a pregnancy dress

Howdy. It’s been a long time since I last wrote a blog.

Right now, I got inspired to design the pregnant me, a new dress that I hope I can finish this year. The dress will be crocheted using a linen thread I recently bought from China. The thread has a silver hint on it and very soft, that is why I picked it up for my project.

Linen Yarn

Linen Yarn

I very much hope I can create this dress the way I have imagined it to be. This is the design I sketched:

Lacy Pregnancy Dress

Lacy Pregnancy Dress

The design is very lacy and feminine. I like frills and flowers and ribbons and lace.

I have already picked up the design for the lace. It’s a beautiful lace I have long admired from the works of a fellow crocheter at http://crochetology.net, if i am not mistaken. The lace is from a Duplet magazine I am studying for my other project. So goodluck to me! 😀

Open Lace Work

Open Lace Work

Three years and Counting – a Naruto Themed Anniversary Gift

Last week, I suddenly felt the overwhelming need to create my husband a gift for our anniversary this week. I have always made gifts for Mike since we started going out as couple and I stopped when we got married. Mike doesn’t want anything but service like a massage, a different food experiment, a coffee concoction, even a haircut. So I indulge him by providing him massage and cooking food for him. But then I realized that these things have been an ordinary token of love that I just have to make something not ordinary.

Since my husband is a very simple guy, it is harder to think of something that would really make him like, you see, he is very content and happy but I just want to see that hint of surprise in his eyes.

Mike always love Naruto. He is the one who even introduced the anime to me. So we used to spend days watching the series repeatedly.

And it is from that concept that I felt I have to do something inspired. But remember that I have already given him a Naruto crocheted coaster a while back? Doing something like that would not have anything “special” to it, so I have to think more.

Then I thought of the whole characters in Kakashi sensei’s team. It was a feat, of course as I only have five days to make the gift and I cannot crochet when he is around and I have work.

But I was able to finish the gift! And seeing him very happy with it filled my heart with delight :) I cannot remember now the day I woke up in the morning to crochet endlessly 😀

Here are the pictures:

Naruto Team 7 - Kakashi Sensei, Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke - themed crocheted pillow

Naruto Team 7 – Kakashi Sensei, Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke – themed crocheted pillow

Naruto Team 7 - Kakashi Sensei, Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke - themed crocheted pillow

Naruto Team 7 – Kakashi Sensei, Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke – themed crocheted pillow

Naruto Team 7 - Kakashi Sensei, Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke - themed pillow

Naruto Team 7 – Kakashi Sensei, Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke – themed crocheted pillow

Mike holding the pillow with glee

Mike holding the pillow with glee

We celebrated our third year anniversary yesterday! Three years with a new baby in tow 😀

Happy Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary!

A try on Irish Lace, Bruge’s Lace and Filet Crochet

Last week, I was fortunate enough to have all the time in the world to just crochet to my heart’s content. I want to share what I have come up with.

First is a Bruge’s lace concept idea that have been running on the back of my mind for a long time now. I had the chance to jot it down, and I want to share this with you.

Bruge’s lace is easy to start but is rather complicated to work around. I have tried to work on a bruge’s lace project before that did not succeed because I forced to finish this during a travel wherein I wasn’t able to gauge the right size. Hence, big fail.

Bruge’s lace has many facets, such as any other crochet tecnhiques, but I am able to try the basic one, that which forms a continuous vertical strip you turn to form a round corner to adjust the width of the lace:

Attempt on Bruge's Lace

Attempt on Bruge’s Lace

This pink project should have been a pair of shorts. :) I failed to make the right size for the crotch area and I have to unravel the whole lace strip to correct it so i decided to just let it be.

But this kind of lace amidst its simplicity is so alluring against the skin that I know I have to do something like this again. And yes, since then, I have been conjuring a basic design I could probably make in the future. And here it is:

Bruge's Lace Conceptual Design with Hexagonal motifs

Bruge’s Lace Conceptual Design with Hexagonal motifs

The Bruge’s lace part here is already in the works but I haven’t gotten the time to actually photograph.

Now the other obsession is my liking for irish crochet. I have been trying to create something using this technique but if the project is too small to satisfy my obsession, I haven’t created anything that is really successful. My first project on irish crochet resulted in creating Big and Fat Silver Earrings, and the Lacy Headband. This time, while trying to create another lacy headband, I realized I could take the time to create an Irish inspired blouse. :)

Passion Flower Design from Priscilla Crochet Collection. Lifted from the book,

Passion Flower Design from Priscilla Crochet Collection. Lifted from the book, “Irish Crochet and How to Make it”

I started with my most favorite design of Irish Crochet, the Passion Flower. I love the complexity of the stitches and the simplicity of the actual output. It looks dainty and one can be immediately curious about the cylinders of rolled over threads in the center of the flower. With this motif, I learned how to make the roll over stitch.

Working on irish crochet

Working on irish crochet

Initially, I thought I can crochet in between stitches and mend using a hook rather than a needle. This proved to be very difficult and time consuming so I took the bother to find for a tapestry needle. It was a wise decision. :)

Motif Construction

Motif Construction

As this was my first successful attempt in pursuing this kind of crochet construction, I was quite proud that two days passed without me, giving up. :) I knew I just have to finish the irish lace front and do some filet mesh on the back.

Irish Lace Front - Filet Crochet Back

Irish Lace Front – Filet Crochet Back

Currently, everything is still a work in progress. Work suddenly has to catch up and I have to rest my projects for the meantime. But I am eager to come back to these every possible time. I hope I can show you the finished blouses soon!!

Inspirations and Irish Lace

Irish lace technique provides numerous opportunities to create fantastic projects.

All you need is a little knowledge on various motifs (searchable on the net) and a dose of inspiration (which for me) comes in the form of vibrant colors and soft textures:

Colors and Textures

“YARNS”.

Violet Yarns from Yarn Source Manila

Violet Yarns from Yarn Source Manila

One time, i went upstairs to grab a spool or two and noticed my violet shades – can’t decide which I like better so I grab two.

And come weekend, I crochet, nothing in particular to create. I used the lighter shade of violet. I started with a swirl, added a flower and leaves then finally…

Handmade Lace

Handmade Lace

I was already creating an accent, which is fortunate because I have an order for a hairpiece. This effort strikes two goals – pouring out creativity and earning a profit.

I do not know what the stitch counts of my motifs. I just crochet them as I go. The leaves are the popular iris leaf and the flower is just chain in rounds with alternating sc – 5ch ch with multiple sc’s to form the petal… You do not have to mind how many petals you can create, just pour out, your inner creativity… The swirls – i love making them, the folds differ each time i create a new one… depending on where i decide to put more “sc” on a ch.

But what get me inspired to make it was the vibrant color of the yarn. It was nothing special, just acrylic but the color is yummy purple, like the color of the ube jam from Baguio. Mike even said that I have a yummy shade on top of my head.

Handmade Lace Hair Accent

Handmade Lace Hair Accent

I showed this to my friend and it got sold immediately. I am 50% happy and 50% unhappy. I want her to like it and I want her to not like it too 😀 because I want the headband by myself. But now, come to think of it, I am happier that she liked it and really liked it. :) This way I get to know that what I do gets appreciated and I earn a little bit too, to fund my next yarn purchase.

And then! Speaking of yarn purchase, Another came yesterday and oh my! I immediately love two yarns among the lot!

Blue and Pink Jeans Cotton Yarn

Blue and Pink Jeans Cotton Yarn

These two cotton yarns are like jeans. I think they are the strands of thread that makes up jeans fabric. Literally. The shade of pink is so soft and cute and the blue, I just know I have to make a band! and since I no longer wear any accessory I asked another friend if I could make one for her, and she happily obliged!You see, she likes to call them armcandies and has a blog about all the fashionable stuffs see here –> http://brandsforgrabs.blogspot.com/

So with her in mind, i keep thinking of something bold but still pretty simple accessory. The jeans should be the backdrop. I added some leather braids and created some puffy flowers and before I knew it, my hand is covered with eeky super glue. Good thing I have some left over “jewelry findings” i never threw out, so I can make the clasps.. I realize, i miss creating accessories. I had fun during college when I do earrings and (name it- accessories) to fund my physics conference trips and my next week lunch 😀

Lady Blue Jeans Wrist Wrap

Lady Blue Jeans Wrist Wrap

And yes, I am also putting this up for sale for made to order basis, just so I have something that is for sale 😀 hehehe..

Ahh.. now, I have to end this blog because of work.

Tata!!!