Tuesday, January 28, 2014

38 Roots Sewing Series: Philippines


Heidi of Elegance and Elephants has created a new sewing series to showcase several bloggers' cultural inheritance called, Roots
Have you been following? 
Oh.My.Goodness.
From Finland to Japan, what a trip it has been! Now let's hop on over to a country of over 7,000 islands and over 170 dialects, the Philippines. When I initially signed up, I had wanted to include my husband's Chamorro (aka: Guamanian) culture, but as I got deeper into research, I decided to just focus on my Filipino heritage (hey man… I'm the one sewing!). 
When it comes to Filipino traditional dress, there are several depending on location, but there is one that is significant to my heritage and it's the kimona and the patadyong. This outfit originated from the Visayas (where my family is from), first worn by women during harvest season, but soon became more common in everyday wear and even in formal settings. The kimona is a sheer blouse made from pineapple fibers, to be worn over a camisole. The patadyong is very similar to a sarong in which a cotton rectangular fabric is wrapped around the waist. The outfit is often accessorized with a "scarf" which is a small rectangular piece that rests on one shoulder.
Via internet
I wanted to make the outfit modern, wearable and most importantly comfortable for Lala. In my search for fabrics, I found this gorgeous white cotton fabric with floral embroidery at JoAnn's. It has just enough sheerness to give the option of either layering with a camisole (tank top) or not.  I drafted a pattern using pattern K from Happy Homemade Sew Chic Kids as my foundation. I omitted the front and back yoke, widened the neckline wand added a light gathering, extended the sleeves and moved the opening to the back side. 
I am in love with the sleeves. So light and wispy!
For the patadyong, I needed this to be "Lala friendly", meaning that it had to be uber comfortable and easy to put on or take off (yeah… we're still in the potty training phase). My original thought was to make a wrap skirt, but my niece (who was happening to hang out with me at the time) said, "Hey Auntie… why not make a skort?". Brilliant! Using the same sewing book, I used pattern D as my base and added a flap to give it that "sarong" look. Traditionally, the patadyong is made with a floral or striped fabric, but to give it a more updated look, I used Parson Gray Vagabond for Free Spirit. It still has that ethnic vibe, with a modern appeal.
Elegance & Elephants
And so the journey through my heritage ends here. It was a lot of fun to reflect and learn more about my culture through this sewing adventure. I am so-so happy to have shared this with you and I hope it inspires you to create something for your little one, and if you do, Heidi has a sew along link up along with an AH-MAZING giveaway HERE.
Check it out and good luck!
***

Thank you, Heidi for having me!

38 comments:

  1. Venus, what an absolutely adorable outfit. Lovely!!

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  2. Venus, this is AMAZING! That blouse is gorgeous, and it suits Lala so well. LOVE this.

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    1. The blouse was really easy to make and it's Lala approved! Thanks, An!

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  3. This is so beautiful, Venus! That sheer white fabric is perfect for kimona (it is similar to "kimono" do they have some connection?). And the outfit looks adorable on Lala :)

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    1. Funny, I was thinking the same thing. I was trying to find out more about the kimono, but I could seem to find anything. ??? I'll definitely let you know if I find out more. Thanks, Shino!

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  4. SO beautiful! I love the sleeves too and the gorgeous fabric.

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    1. Would you believe the fabric is from JoAnn's?! Gorgeous fabric… thank goodness it was on sale! ;)

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  5. beautiful outfit and interesting cultural history there! Well done!

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    1. Thank you, Orejak. The Filipino history is so vast with SO many influences from other countries. I have so much to learn about my own cultural heritage.

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  6. Wow, that is just gorgeous! It is both similar to the traditional garment, as well as modern, as well as wearable. (Girls love skorts. Skorts = cuteness of a skirt plus practicality of shorts.) Plus both your fabrics are wonderful.

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    1. Skorts are awesome!!! Thank goodness, my niece recommended it otherwise I would've gone with a skirt. The short will definitely get more wear. :)

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  7. This is very beautiful, Venus! You transformed the traditional outfit perfectly into a modern look! And I love how serious Lala looks, like she is trying to make her ancestors proud ;-)

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  8. So interesting to learn more about the faraway Philippines.

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    1. This is just a tidbit of my culture. There's SO much I have yet to learn myself!

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  9. Venus, when it comes to traditional outfits, I also wanted JC to have dress for daily wear and what a coincidence I used pattern K from the same book too! :). Lala's outfits looked comfy, beautiful and modern without leaving traditional feel.

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    1. Oh how funny!!! That's a great book. Great minds think AND use sewing patterns alike! Thank you, Yeka. :)

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  10. So lovely, Venus! Growing up in L.A., I had a lot of Filipino friends and I remember seeing pictures of the traditional garb in their houses. I love your interpretation!

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    1. Thank you, Sanae. I remember seeing both my grandmothers wearing this particular outfit everyday when I was little. It was so nice to make one for Lala. Add another Filipino to your friend list! ;)

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  11. I looooove this. The blouse is stunning, and looks fantastic paired with the skort.

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    1. You'll be seeing different versions of this blouse as we get closer to the warmer season for sure! Hopefully I can keep this white one stain free! Thank you, Marisa!

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  12. Lovely outfit, beautifully made! I too love those sleeves!!

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    1. Lala likes to pretend she's an angel or a bird when she wears it. It's so feminine and flowy. Thanks, Annie!

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  13. Such a beautiful outfit, Venus! That delicate blouse is just divine! Thank you so much for participating in the Roots series. :)

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    1. Thank YOU! :) It was so nice to see other cultures and see another side of these wonderful bloggers. You have to do this again!

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  14. A cute outfit for an adorable little girl! The skort fabric is so neat. Great job Venus!

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    1. Thank you! The fabric is really cool, hopefully I have enough left to make a top for me. Speaking of fabric… your choices blew me away!

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  15. I really love this too! It's gorgeous! Filipino culture is so interesting to me - seems to be a huge mix of a lot of different things but very unique too!

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    1. There's A LOT of different influences. Thanks, Kristin!

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  16. Thank you for sharing a little more about yourself :) The outfit is super cute and definitely wearable!

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    1. Hi Jenya! I'm kind of a private person, so it's not often I share anything more than crafting. I'm so happy I shared this. Thanks!

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  17. Gorgeous Venus!! Australia is a bit boring in terms of national dress!!

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    1. Lala likes to pretend she is flying when she wear this top. I have to make more, for sure! Thanks, Magda!

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