Sketchy Stories: Fine Feline

Now that I have time to study the Pret-a-template a bit more, i’m discovering aspects about it that are super cool!

One of those features is being able to upload a print to use as base fabric, and sketch based on that.

There’s a feline-skin fabric that I have in my stash and has been there for quite some time now, so I decided to use it as inspiration for this sketch.

Since the fabric has a lot of personality, I decided to make the design a bit more classic and subdued. So, it’s a form-fitting shift dress, but I made the neckline circular in shape, with the same circle pattern echoed on the hem.

This sketch doesn’t feature the back, but my plan for that is a reverse of the circle, and a slightly longer hem. And because I’ve always been drawn to velvet ribbons, I decided to add one here as a belt.

On paper, this whole thing looks very fine. And I think if I give this project to Joy, she’ll make it even prettier!

Oh, Carolina’s!

It was disheartening and sad when Carolina’s Lace Shop started shuttering their mall outlets.

First to go was their branch in Glorietta, followed by the one in Megamall - which left me aghast! Then, their branch is SM North EDSA disappeared, followed by their Greenhills branch.

Despite those, I thought, “There’s always the main branch in Dian, Makati.”

When I went there last year, that, too, was closed. And all hope was lost. 

Or so I thought.

Apparently, they just moved their branch somewhere in Pasay, along Buendia Avenue. I’ve been hearing about that branch a lot, but never got around to going there. Until this morning.

Taking advantage of the holiday, and the traffic-free streets, I took a bus to Buendia and found myself here less than 30 minutes later.

The reason, I had to get velvet ribbons for Prichy’s dress. And Carolina’s was the only place I knew which had velvet ribbons in different colors. (Strange, but true. Not even Michelle’s in Divisoria. Not even in Divisoria for that matter.)

Their Buendia branch is the same layout and selection as their Dian branch. There were ribbons galore, all the notions you can think of, baubles and beads of every style and color, and of course, the lace. After all, you can’t be Carolina’s Lace Shop without an impressive array of lace.

Talking to the sales people there - some of whom i’ve known from Megamall, Glorietta and Dian - rising rents and being asked to transfer to a sub-par part of the mall are some of the reasons why they started disappearing from malls. But I found out that they still have the Market, Market branch open. Which is a welcome relief.

But next time i’m looking for lace, something tells me i’ll still end up going to their main branch in Buendia. It might be a bit further, but it’s worth all the lace i’ve seen.

Fabrication

Whenever I get that feeling that I want to see pretty fabrics, one go-to place is Fanbi in Greembelt 1.

Ever since I was working in Makati, this was a haunt whenever my Mom and sisters needed fabric for a gown or party dresses. Compared to other shops, they always had a wide selection of luxe fabrics - think flows silks and jacquard. And what made it even more amazing were the prints. Yes, their prints are just tres chic!

I dropped by Fanbi this weekend, and it did not disappoint. Immediately, I was drawn to this printed jacquard with a beautiful nature print,

I'm going to think if something to make out of this fabric. Then, I'm buying it!

See you soon!

Green thumbs up!

Yesterday's rocking horse pin was actually just a detour during my Divisoria trip.

The main event, this gorgeous gaggle of greens!

Once these get the thumbs up, I'm turning these into something beautiful.

Go for Brocade!

There are some fabrics that make you just stop and gawk. Fabrics that you see from the window display, and it gives you the urge to go inside, examine it closely, and marvel at how awesome it is. Suddenly, you find yourself buying a few yards because you can't, just can't, leave the store without a piece of it.

This beautiful, blue, bird-print brocade (so many Bs) is an example of that. It called out to me from Fanbi, and I immediately heeded the call.

I just had to have it. And I'm so glad I have it. And I know exactly what to do with it.

Oh, lace!

Carolina's has always been a go-to when it comes to lace. After all, their full name is "Carolina's Lace Shoppe," which immediately underlines their strength.

What's nice about the store is that it has more than the usual corded, chantilly, French and Belgian varieties. They have lace fabrics that I haven't seen in my other fabric haunts like Divisoria.

Two examples of super unique lace fabrics:

First, this printed, crochet-looking lace with a baroque pattern. Very old-world chic!

Second, another printed lace, but the pattern is made up of interconnected circles. Ultra unique and modern!

These pretty lace fabrics will definitely become even prettier dresses by the time we're done.

Everything's coming up (black) roses

Found this guipure lace with an interesting rose and web pattern.

And it's on sale! At Carolina's!

To buy, or not to buy.

Lace your expectations

Going to Divisoria to find lace is just like going to Disneyland to find happiness. Disneyland is the happiest place on earth, and Divisoria is the happiest place to find lace.

Decades ago, it was so difficult to source lace in Manila. To get really nice lace, you had to import it from Europe - particularly Belgium and France. Also back then, lace was super duper expensive! That's why people would use lace in dresses in sparse amounts.

But with today's technology and inexpensive labor, lace has not only become commonplace, it's now cheaper! And with modern techniques in design and embroidery, the patterns are beautiful, intricate and mind-blowing.

Nowadays, you can expect to find the prettiest lace at a price that won't break the bank!

Today, I went to Divisoria to look for lace for Kris' wedding, particularly for the Mothers. And it was so difficult to choose because there were so many beautiful options around!

Finally, after poring through dozens and dozens, I was able to shortlist it to these two beauties:

Now, the difficult task of choosing "the one" begins.

Material world: So solihiya!

Growing up, we were always surrounded by solihiya furniture - whether it was our old house in Morato, the beach house in Bacacay, or the Regalado's ancestral home in Malinao. My recollection of the solihiya was how comfortable it was, but also how it would leave a weird pattern on my skin after sitting on it for an extended period of time.

There's something beautiful about the solihiya. The intricacy of the pattern, the masterful weaving, and the interplay of circles and geometric shapes - they all add up to a look that's simple, elegant and unmistakably Pinoy.

A few weeks ago, I saw this fabric that reminded me so much of the solihiya.

It has that same geometric orientation, coupled with some circles included in the pattern. It was such a beautiful fabric that I had to buy a few yards of it.

 

And it turned out to be a lucky purchase. According to the store owner, she only had 6 yards of that fabric and it was just a sample from the supplier. She's not even sure if this fabric will be carried here in Manila!

Just looking at the fabric, I think I know what this will turn out to be.

Material world: Flight of fancy

It's been a while since I passed by Fabric Warehouse. After all, there's always Divisoria for fabrics.

But just for the heck of it, I dropped by today.

I'm glad I did because I discovered this beauty!

This material is gorgeous! It's a textured and patterned wool that looks like feathers from afar.

Now, my imagination is flying as to what to create with this.

Suki's Surprise

This morning, I dropped by Divisoria to buy some more of the printed fabric that I got 2 weeks ago. It was this white fabric with red poppies, and the design was so graphic that it was uber cool.

Arriving at the fabric store, I started looking for it. After a few rounds, I realized that it was nowhere to be found. Then, the manong who usually cuts my fabrics appears, so I ask him about the design I was looking for.

MANONG: Naku, Sir, ubos na ho. May bumili ng wholesale.
ME: Ah, okay. No problem po.

While walking towards the exit, the owner greets me:

OWNER: O suki! Anong binili mo ngayon.
ME: Bibili po dapat ako nung printed fabric na binili ko the last time, pero ubos na daw.
OWNER: Talaga? Sinong nagsabi?
ME: Si Manong po. (Pointing to Manong.)

What she did after surprised me:

OWNER: Nasaan na 'yung hinahanap ni suki?
MANONG: Naka-kahon na po, ayun. (Points to a sealed box.)
OWNER: Naku, buksan mo 'yan, bigyan mo si suki kung ilan ang kailangan niya.
ME: No, okay lang po.
OWNER: Naku hindi. Kung gusto mo nung telang 'yon, ibibigay ko sa'yo.

And with that, I went home with a few more yards of this fabric:

Being a suki has its privileges.

Material world: Bollywood!

Ate Bullet said she had another upcoming wedding in April, so it was off to The Stash to find something that we can work with.

Here's what we found!

It's a very Bollywood combination of gold, beaded lace, magenta satin and tulle, and a string of jewels for good measure.

I think I know where this is going.

Material world: Sari Saree

 

Hang on a bit. There was another thing that I bought when I was in SG! 

Saree fabrics!

One Sunday, I found myself in Mustafa Center. Yes, that black hole where you can spend hours just browsing through floors and floors of knick-knacks and bric-a-bracs.

I've always visited Mustafa Center for their fabrics, so my first destination was the basement. Again, with the intention of just browsing and not buying.

But there were so many beautiful sarees that I couldn't resist!

First, a vision in maroon!

Then, a fantastic fuchsia fabric with gold trimmings.

And this beautifully beaded wonder!

So, even if I didn't have any luggage space, I bought them anyway. (I just hand carried them.)

These will be equally beautiful dresses soon!

Material-ism

Less than 2 weeks after I found that interesting material, the final dress is finally finished.

Presenting Ate Bullet's wow dress!

The material was so rich and ornate, it didn't need a complicated design. Everything was kept to a minimum, and the result is this jewel-necked shift dress.

Wanting to keep the rich details of the fabric, the design was kept at the center, and I told the dressmaker not to put cuts or pintucks at the front and back. The result is a seamless pattern that makes it look oh so chic! We even kept the hem design intact, creating that irregular baroque shape.

Finally, I asked the dressmaker to ensure that the pattern at the back won't be disturbed or derailed by the zipper. And she did just that.

Ate Bullet loved the dress the moment she fit it. She said that the lace was so elegant! And I concur.

Now, all she needs is an event to wear the dress in.

As promised

Remember the white lace fabric from last August?

Here's how it came out!

Yup, it's not just one dress. But two!

This is how all-white can be all right.

Material world

Found this very interesting piece of material last weekend. It's a delightfully detailed fabric - a combination of tulle, lace embroidery and sequin. At first thought, this trifecta sounds like a recipe for gaudy excess, but as this fabric proves, they can work harmoniously. And chic-ly.

This material will be an awesome dress soon!

White lace and promises

Nope, this isn't a post about that very famous song by The Carpenters. That's more of Friday Magic Madness fodder. 

Then again, The Carpenters can be enjoyed any day of the week, so here it goes:

This post is actually about a piece of lace fabric that I found while fixing "The Stash" this week. The original intent was to fix how everything was folded and make space for some newly bought fabrics. While digging through yards and yards of silk, jersey, chiffon and dupioni, I discovered a few yards of white lace at the bottom of the pile.

It was a few years old, but thanks to the magic of black plastic bags, it still looked pristine and very useable. This was guipure lace, and it had this floral motif which is once again very much in vogue.

While double checking the fabric's overall condition, I thought that it was about time for it to be made into something. After all, fabrics like these shouldn't be left stuck at the bottom of a pile, wrapped in a black plastic bag.

I have an initial idea of what this will come out as. But I think I'll hold on to it for a few more days and find a place where there's room for it to grow. (Sorry, I couldn't help myself from making that Carpenter reference. Harhar.)

Lacy days and Mondays

Whenever there's a need for lace, the usual go-to places are Carolina's and Fabric Warehouse. They have an impressive selection of lace - particularly Carolina's. After all, the company exports lace fabric to fashion houses such as Armani.

If you have a penchant for adventure and don't mind crowds, Divisoria is another good source. There's a place in 168 that I frequent, and they have nice Prada lace that's 50% cheaper compared to mall stores.

Yesterday, another lace source presented itself. While looking for buttons for my old suit in Cubao, I chanced upon this fabric store that specializes in jersey and sports fabrics. But in one corner, they had a few bolts of lace. And they were really, really, really, really nice lace.

Of course, I couldn't resist to buy a few yards for future use. Particularly, this rose gold lace with a very elegant design.

This is going to make an equally elegant dress.

See you laser!

A few months ago, my sister's friend asked me whether I knew what a "laser cut" fabric was. Apparently, she had a daughter studying design, and she was asked to look for one. The problem was, she didn't know what "laser cut" fabric is. 

I told her that it's a type of fabric with a very intricate design, usually lattice work. This design is perforated from the fabric, using a laser. Thus, the name.

The explanation had to be repeated several times before she got it. On hindsight, I should've just showed her one of Ate Bullet's laser cut dresses for her to understand it better.

As you can see, it has a very intricate design, similar to lattice work.

In laser cut dresses, the fabric and design are everything. And this dress captures those qualities perfectly.

And that, my friends, is a laser cut dress.

A (lace) pattern forming

In the continuing saga of lace...

Most people think that lace is all about random floral patterns. But there are rare occasions where lace has this more systematic and rhythmic pattern that give it a different feel. Instead of being too frilly and girly, it becomes more architectural and art deco.

Just like this pattern. It's bereft of flowers or frill, so it's not the conventional lace.

This very unique lace fabric is from a dress that was part of Vania Romoff's capsule collection for The Ramp.

Everything about this dress is perfection. The fabric is unique, the silhouette is classic, and there's even a touch of yellow velvet to keep the look from looking flat.

It's a combination that can make non-lace believers embrace the lace trend.