Cooking and Sewing With TPS: Filipiniana

Last Friday, Sharkteeth's school held the culmination activity for the Buwan ng Wika. From what I remember, it was only Linggo ng Wika before, but now, it's apparently a month-long affair that is combined with other Filipiniana activities.

Ang tagal ko nang tinatanong si S if she needs a Filipiniana costume, and wala naman daw sinasabi. Come Wednesday, "Mymy, I have bad news. We need a Filipiniana costume." Arrrggghh. "And Pinoy-themed food," she added. Arrrggghh. Arrrggghh. Kasalanan ko rin naman. Ever since she started school, lagi namang kailangan ng costume. Di ko na dapat hinintay pang i-announce. I initially thought of just buying a costume from the mall, but aside from the flimsy material and very common designs available, it's a bit expensive as well. An expense that is not only out of the budget but is also going to waste after the activity. Mag-re-rent sana ako sa Noelle West (a gown rental  boutique here in Visayas), but the remaining dresses are in black (di feel ni S ang color), green (same reason), or black and yellow (di ko feel ang color -- bubuyog ang peg?!). Idagdag pa ang Pinoy-themed food. I suggested we just purchase from Red Ribbon or Goldilocks, but S insisted I make pastillas. "But my classmates LOOOOOVVVEEED the pastillas you made last year." So I made pastillas. *Uto-uto* Hay, puro gastos. So I did what I'm good at -- improvise. I have a two-meter-long bolt of eyelet lace over sheer fabric that I was supposed to make into Roman blinds plus another cream fabric lying in my stash and turned them into this:

Not too shabby, right? I'd even dare and say that I did a good job sewing her Filipiniana dress. And I'm glad I did because nobody had a similar dress -- especially since S doesn't like having an outfit similar with others'.

Well done, me! *Hehehe, purihin na ang sarili. False humility what?!* 

Cath Kidston-Style Dining Chair Cover

I love Cath Kidston prints! They sell the most charming and adorable prints -- when I browse through their site, I feel like I can hear Diana Ross' Home in my mind. It's so homey and shabby chic, though medyo mahalia sya for my pocket -- chic nga, magiging shabby naman ang bulsa ko. Anyway, wanting to reupholster our dining chairs, I looked for some Cath Kidston-style prints and found some pillowcases with floral prints. As it turned out, the pillowcases fit the back of the chair perfectly.

   

I did a few modifications and it was good to go! I then removed the seats and just stapled the new fabric on top of the old one. I didn't sew the edge of the fabric anymore; I just folded it. So, heto ang finished product. Pretty, right? Parang mabango yung chair, di ba?

One Down, Three More To Go!

It was Sharkteeth's graduation last Thursday. The day started with a Holy Mass, and S read the first reading, flawlessly, if I might add. Spoken like a true blue stage mama. It sure was fun watching the kids. One was picking her nose. Someone near the altar was rubbing the crook of her elbow, presumably searching for libag [gross dead skin cells]. One was surveying the chapel, paying no heed to the priest saying his oh-so-lengthy homily. And yet another was picking her wedgie. Oh wait, I'm talking about only one girl...it was Sharkteeth doing all those things, well, except for the wedgie picking. By the way, have I told you about the time I was picking my wedg...oh, Kris Aquino moment*. Never mind.


After the mass, we went for some distasteful but unavoidable chores in Madrigal and Festival. We were waiting for our food when the earthquake struck---I wanted to just go and bolt, but TheHusband, the voice of reason in this relationship, MADE me stay. I swear, all I was thinking of was how I would say "I told you so" in three different languages to him should we get buried under the rubble of Festival Mall. [Un]Fortunately, I didn't get to say it.

We had to hurry back back, as the call time was 4:30 PM. Sharkteeth was very cooperative, letting me curl her hair and gloss her up, with only an occasional whimper when I pull and stretch her hair. While I don't like putting makeup on kids, I tinted and powdered her cheeks and glossed her lips. The latter I won't do again. It's much too adult for a child. Funny thing is I saw not one, not two, but lots of kids wearing blue eyeshadow. I (we) really should just let the kids be kids.


Notice the thin smile? She lost her four front milkteeth and is a bit shy showing the wee little ones growing. Too bad, it was so much fun seeing her big smile, gaps and all. Remember this last year? I miss that smile.


Last year, she said she wanted to get an honor because, well, they get medals. I was whispering to TheHusband, "can I just buy a Hello Kitty medal for her?" Hehehe! Mostly because of work circumstance rather than choice, we weren't able to give her the support she needs and went unguided. I felt terrible really, not because I want an honor for her, but because I wasn't able give her the tools to achieve what she wants. Surprisingly (or not), she was perfectly satisfied because she got the best in speech award, thus, she got a medal as well. So it really must be the medal per se that she wants, not the recognition that goes with it. I knew it! I should have bought that Hello Kitty medal I saw! I was teasing her that the school gives that award to the most talkative, to which she replied with dagger looks. E[k]s said that I'm underestimating Sharkteeth for thinking that there are only three more graduations to go for her and that she might go into masteral and doctoral. No, I did not. I'm just saying that if she wants to go into those things, she might as well pay for it. Mermaid College is not cheap you know. I had to sell my voice to Ursula. I digress.

Well done, you. So proud si Mymy and Deden.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Pwedeng may-Kris Aquino moment? Please? I just don't wanna make another post for this. Well, I made her graduation dress. I won't dwell with the details 'cause I really don't have any---no patterns, no plans, no revision(s) to the plans, nothing. I all had were the fabric and my imagination. Days leading to the graduation were particularly stressful...I don't have much free weekends now (Mudra is sick, another story), and when I went to the fabric store, I didn't even have any design in mind. I kept going from one store to another---until I chanced upon a silky bolt of fabric. Turned out to be duchess silk. Upon questioning, the attendant replied that it's easy to sew. (It's actually not---the weave unravels easily. Mentirosa.) So the fabric became the basis of the design. I thought it would hold folds and pleats well, and it did. This dress is much simpler in design compared with last year's, but this one's so much more difficult to make. Probably because of its simplicity, any "cheats" would be easily visible. Last year's had more leeway because I used eyelet with lots of shirring and it was adjustable at the waist. But this one? This one had to fit, and fit well. The skirt was the easiest to make as well as the neckline, but I had to sew, unstitch, and resew the sleeves. Thrice. I even hand sew the lining to the sleeve just to make sure the folds are perfect. In the end, after much tearing of my hair, and threads, the dress did become perfect.

TheHusband is partial to this dress because of its classic cut, or so he says. How about you, which do you prefer, this one or last year's?

*Kris Aquino moment: Butting in a conversation with seemingly related personal anecdotes, and in the process, steals the limelight from the other, who was the bida of the conversation in the the first place.

Sharkteeth's Wraparound Dress

 

This was the dress I made for Sharkteeth's second culmination activity last Thursday. The very first "real" dress I ever sewed using my new sewing machine.

Thanks, M!

This came in last week. It's a gift from a dear friend from way, way back. The friendship, not the gift, silly. Think post-shoulder pads, but pre-grunge. Ah, the Giordano polo shirt+ jeans period. Yes, that long ago. I was really touched because not only does she know what I like but also what I dream of---she knows of my desire to learn sewing and design, and she gave me this Gianna Rose Atelier soap in the shape of a dressform. Now I'm torn whether I should tear it up and use it or just look and smell it. Ah, the agony.

Thanks, M!

Hamper Lining

This palm leaf-rattan hamper is one of the numerous things we bought in Baguio, and I intended it for our dirty clothes, but the entwined dried palm leaves are not suitable for clothes because they snag fabrics. So I decided to make a lining.
I initially thought of making it in full canvass, but the inner girlie-girl in me insisted I put in floral trims. Good thing I'm a hoarder because searching a bit deeper in my stash of fabrics yielded me my long-forgotten floral fabric I intended to use to reupholster our dining chairs. Anyhoo, this is a fairly straightforward measure-cut-sew job, so I won't post the instruction anymore. But if you do need it, you know where to find me, right? So there, I added a few ribbons to secure the lining and a floral lining on top for good measure.

As usual, my Sharkteeth wants to be included in the picture, so please bear with my daughter's camwhoring.

My Little Gossip Girl

Gossip Girl is one of my guilty pleasures, and I watch it not really for the plot but for the clothes and accessories. When I saw the characters' uniform, if you can call it that, I promised to make one for Sharkteeth. I already made one for her when she was a year old---just a red plaid skirt with built-in shorts, but as with any other infant/toddler clothes, she outgrew it in a matter of months. I made another one a few months back, but I wasn't quite satisfied, so I made a new one. Ah, this skirt is one of the things that added to my already-shooting-through-the-roof stress level last week, but it was so worth the puyat! It was just pretty straightforward cutting and sewing for me. I merely cut a rectangular cloth (waist size + half), pleated one end thrice, lined the waist, hemmed the bottom, attached two strips of ribbon, added two bows, and sewed two buttons inside. I didn't bother cutting the fabric into pieces; I just placed two tucks round the hips to give it some shape. The rest of Sharkteeth's outfit is from the nation's prime capitalist, SM, where else?!

Dress for Sharkteeth: Part 1

I've been trying to finish a dress for Sharkteeth, but when I ran out of thread, I conveniently forgot about the project. So why am I posting this? I'm posting this so I'd feel a bit pressured to finish it. So you can remind me, gently, to finish it. Maybe in time for her "moving-up ceremony" on Sunday. Maybe. Maybe not.

I Love You Sew!

As I stated in Quince, I love sewing, a skill I learned at a young age, around 10, I think. Barbie's clothes were a tad expensive back then, still are, in fact, and I didn't think tears would help me in my pleas for her wardrobe. So, I figured, why not make her clothes? So, I did, and lots of it. And for someone as hyper-uber-critical as my mother, she was quite impressed, and she particularly admired the details (e.g., collar of a preppy polo shirt, beading of a wedding dress), where I put a lot of time on. That is how I started, thanks to Barbie! And, oh, thanks to my mom! I still sew whenever we go to my parents' house and I have time, though these two are so hard to come by these days. Recently, though, I found myself at the old house with a few yards of different fabrics and plenty of time, and here it is---an A&E-esque skirt for Sharkteeth. Isn't that pretty? Oh, let me toot my own horn, wouldja please! I am still consumed by details, and if you'd notice, the bias ruffle(?) has a lining, which is of the same fabric as the belt. The inside of the waist (not shown here) and the pockets were also lined with this floral fabric, which I think lends a bit of sweetness to the otherwise staid khaki. A few stitches were crooked, but after removing and restitching, the darn stitches were still crooked, and the fact that it was close to midnight made me accept the stitches, crooked and all. It took me around 5 hours, lots of imagination, a ton of will to go on (my old ningas-cogon attitude tends to resurface at times like this), a few grunts of support from TheHusband, and a lot of squinting at the eye of the needle.