My Sewing Studio

Well it would have been impossible to finish all those dresses without my small sewing studio, uhmm it is not actually a studio, it is just a corner in our lower bedroom. This is where I convert my idea into reality. It is my haven in my chaotic world. I love everything in this corner. I love my sewing /embroidery machine, thanks to my sister who sent it to me from Boston because this model is not yet available in my country. I love my Singer Edger, a birthday gift from my supportive hubby. I love my gold boxes, my sewing books and of course my collection of fabrics. If I can stay in one place for a day without getting bored, I think this is where you will find me.

My First Entourage

These gowns were very special to me not only because these were my first entourage gowns but also because I made these gowns for my dearest friend, Grace. She got married last April 2009 to a very handsome and loving man, Em. Their wedding was held at General Santos City. Unfortunately I was not able to attend her wedding but my gowns were there to represent me.

The hard thing about making these gowns was that I never met the girls in person. They just sent me their measurements via email. Good thing the gowns fit them perfectly. Truly a labor of love for my college bff Gracie:) I miss you and hope to see you soon.

Panel Dress

Dressing up my friends is becoming a habit now. Above you will see my friend Trina wearing a panel dress I specifically designed for her. The combination of red and black cotton span fabrics created an illusion of a slim silhouette. A style that is suitable for a voluptuous body.

Blue Version Beaded Dress

You must have seen the red version of this gown from my previous post. Well my friend loved that dress so much that she wanted me to make one for her. Unfortunately the red fabric was no longer available so we opted to use the blue counter part. And as expected the blue turned out to be a very elegant and very sophisticated gown perfect for my friend's personality.

Chiffon Dress with Beaded Neckline

I have always been excited every time I get an invite to a formal event. This gives me a reason to dress up and showcase my talent. Above is my orange chiffon dress with beaded neckline and matching beaded belt. Believe it or not I made this dress in less than 24 hours. The skirt is a double layer circle style while the bodice is a typical shoulder princess cut. The belt is a pre-beaded ribbon sewn to a brown taffeta fabric and a beaded neck piece, available in a local fabric shop called Carolina's, was attached to the neckline.

I just saw this picture last week,March 2011. I was surprised when I saw Eva's gown because the turquoise and orange combination of the gown was very similar to my gown above.

Elegant Tube Dress

A very good friend of mine wearing one of my creations. I made her a tube dress using a dull satin champagne hue fabric. And as for the belt, I used a pre-beaded turquoise taffeta fabric. She looked stunning with her matching bag and elegant pair of stilettos.

Avant Garde Red Dress

I made this dress two Christmases ago for a dinner party with my college friends. I love the super size sleeves and the neckline detail.

Frill dress

My husband and I were malling one time when we came across with this very exquisite dress.
It was a Marc Jacob and yes it was very expensive. It inspired me to create my own version of this dress and I came up with my masterpiece above. I always get a compliment every time I wear this dress, in fact this is my favorite creation so far.

QUORUM JACKET

A sorority of soon-to-be lawyers asked me to create a jacket appropriate to their image - intelligent yet fashionable. I think the end product suited them well.

My Gown for Lora's Wedding

This is my latest and most expensive project yet! Pre-beaded embroidered fabric is really quite expensive, but definitely worth it since the wow factor comes even before a single stitch is made :-) I chose a pleated cowl neckline for the front and a cowl neckline for the back. Tapered bodice, up to below the knee. Underneath is a separate bustier dress with straps. This gown started totally different, but I'll just save that design for my next big occassion.

headless knockout

I loved the blue bustier evening dress I made (my 3rd paid job) that I decided to make a black version of it for myself. I'm headless in the photo though because I didn't consider myself camera-ready at the time but I just had to take the photo after I was finished on the last stitch :-) But I included my body in the photo. Does that mean I consider my body camera-ready??? Hehe :P

my 3rd paid job

This gown is another order from another friend of a good friend. She needed a fabulous outfit for attending a strictly formal familly event. This also ended up not needing any adjustments, and she loved how backless it was. And how un-store-bought it looked on her. I love the fabric and the color. I priced this very low because I loved the idea of having someone want to pay real money for something I made. The design by the way was a collaboration of mine with my fashion savvy client.

high waisted skirt with removable 'suspenders'

This skirt i made for a paying customer--a friend of a good friend . A very nice law student actually. And she loved it. It looked amazing on her. No adjustments necessary. However, before I ended up with this product, I made a mistake on its pattern, making nearly all the measurements wrong. That first version ended up as an entirely different dress, so no fabric was wasted in the making of this skirt :-)

Monique Lhuillier Spanish Lace Gown

I haven't posted anything in SO LONG! Ironically I've done the most number of projects on this non-blogging period than I did before. I guess I'm being more efficient in my planning and sewing. This gown I made is my best yet. I wore it to my friend's very grand wedding :) Inspired by a Monique Lhuillier gown in black, I chose a color in the motif of the wedding I was to attend with my husband Robert. Here's a picture of it, worn by arguably my prettiest model.

Attorney Gallardo, in Not-so-Courtroom Colors

This client, (my sister in spirit) Iya, wanted a creation inspired by a Chloe Sevigny dress, with touches of Breakfast at Tiffany's and 80's flair. This is the result, which she was very happy with, for attending a grand June wedding. She's family, so I'm most happy to create for her. You look great, future Attorney at Law Valdeavilla-Gallardo! Stay fabulous!

Lady in Red

Happy birthday to me! just turned 28, and was just so happy to debut my lovely red dress. Who doesn't look good in RED?!?

Fancy Print and Beadwork Detail

This dress is the third product from the Barbie dress (check it out, in one of my past entries) pattern that I just love. It flatters my shape and is really wearable. This time it's in a japanese cotton print with black hearts. To add more detail, I experimented with top stitching, something I don't usually do, and I used beading on the neckline to make it less simple. Perfect for a night out.

Cowl neckline dress with bow sleeves

This is the dress version of the grecian blouse I made before, but I made the bodice a bit body-conscious and more serious. I had the idea of using two big bows on each shoulder instead of real sleeves for a bit of fun. I love this fabric! It's actually a different color of the pink one I used for the grecian blouse. It's likewise a sheer material with a subtle metallic sheen, so I had to wear a tube dress underneath for coverage. I just love how this turned out! A bit too dressy for the mall, but definitely becoming and appropriate for an intimate dinner with a very appreciative hubby :)

Dr. Co's Pantsuit

This is the formal pantsuit gown I made a prototype for (see below)... I used Italian Silky Duchess Satin, and it featured a heavily hand-beaded halter collar and a custom shrug in a cotton stretch print. It turned out quite well I think, and my client and her family seemed very happy with the result. She happens to be one of my close friends so it was a pleasure doing this for her, even at slightly short lead time. We agreed on this shrug for coverup (and color) but she ended up braver than she thought she was, and went bare-shouldered for her school event : ) Congratulations to the new Dr. Co!

First Pantsuit -- Prototype for a Special Client's Order

This is the prototype I had to do for a pantsuit gown order that I got. In order to make sure I was using the right cut for the look, and the most flattering style, I tried it out on myself first. I wore this to the beach on a family outing on my hubby's birthday. It features no cut on the waist like other styles of pantsuit, thereby reducing tummy bulges and unflattering ripples on the fabric. I used boning for the bust line to further improve the shape of, and the hold at the chest. I love this Amy Butler fabric! It's a lot of fun!