The end of the year is the time to take stock and reflect on the year and what a year 2017 has been! I stumbled into the start of the year not quite knowing a new year has started as I continued to plow through projects started in 2016.
Contributed to my friend, Betty’s, art installation “The blue who swims all this way” at National Gallery in time for the Children’s Biennale launched in May. I loved seeing the results of that handmade wall, a cumulation of a few artisan-friends’ handiwork. But it was also bitter-sweet because by the time the installation was up, it was time to say goodbye to Betty who moved to her new home half a world away.
close-up of the feature wall
I also completed the project, “Draw a Friend for Pip”, for Pip’s Playbox at Esplanade. As I got more familiar with basic plush-toy constructions, it got easier… much less of a struggle as compared to when I first started the project in 2016. I now have a new-found appreciation for well-made plush toys. truly, truly.
half of Pip’s new friends!
Aside from art installations, last year I found commission work in the form of a cookbook. No, I don’t cook. But I do embroider! I created small motifs of herbs to complement the book, Daily Nonya Dishes, published by Landmark Books. It is quite a feeling to see my name in the credits page of a real book!
With projects done and dusted, the middle of 2017 was lull period for me and I pondered what is next. In the process, I lent my hands to the big soup kitchen of Willing Hearts. The mess I created confirmed that cooking really wasn’t quite my thing. So I went back to my sewing: making special edition siamese cat brooches to be sold for this heart-wrenching cause.
our limited edition Siamese cats which were all sold!
Speaking of cats, I will miss the resident cats of Dulcetfig and The Company of Cats! 2017 saw the ending of some business relationships as our stockists called it a day.
But all is not sad goodbyes as I was introduced to some amazingly passionate people this year. It was a year of collaborations. Working with two separate children clothing brands in different ways, my embroidery has worked their way into little bubs’ everyday wear 🙂 Children clothing is not an area I would have expected to delve into, so I am very grateful for the opportunities.
Chubby Chubby x Momshoo Collab (Personalisations of baby onesies)
We didn’t leave the adults out either. With our hand-embroidery on clothes workshop with Fashion Makerspace, we taught participants how to add little selfish details to their clothes. It also spreads my message of and making ‘heirloom’ clothing pieces that will be treasured and not thrown away the minute the next fashion trend catwalks in.
embroidery samplers done by the participants of our workshop
In the same thread, I was invited to work with one of my favourite clothing brands, Uniqlo. We brought our pocket workshops to their Singapore Flagship store and created a modified Uniqlo clothing for their anniversary celebratory exhibition. I am very happy with the results of my boro-inspired, patchworked dress! it came together quite organically and I planned the underwater details as I stitched pieces together.
my piece “Glimpses of the Sea” for Uniqlo Live anniversary exhibition
On the travel front, we took Momshoo for another ‘business trip’, to Taipei in April as part of Pinkoi’s Good Goods Market. I was very excited as Taipei is my favourite crafty city and what a welcome we got! Aside from the rain and wind, we felt the warmth of the Taiwanese people 🙂 It was a short but memorable 4 days.
Momshoo at Pinkoi Market in Taipei
In October, we visited North Vietnam with the old town of Hanoi being our base. From Hanoi, we traveled out to world heritage site, Halong Bay where I got a taste of cruise-life. It is an experience to watch the ever-changing views of the islands in the bay from our hotel room balcony and waking up to the sunrise on the bay? Unforgettable. We also took long car rides to reach the mountainous town of Sapa where the rich culture of the various Vietnamese hill tribes thrives. I enjoyed a glimpse into their traditional textile craft processes from plant to cloth.
We came back from the trip to news of my grandmother’s passing. It was a whirlwind week that happened in a blur; we held her wake and funeral while still trying to recover from the buzz of experiences that was our Vietnam trip. But it was during this week I unearthed many interesting stories about my grandmother and her life, bit-by-bit relatives shared their memories of her. After the funeral, my father managed to gather his thoughts here, which gave us all some closure.
And with the usual busy end of year (thank you for choosing to support Momshoo!), we have reached the end of 2017. It was a marathon of experiences and I am happy to have gotten to know all the people I met along the year. Thank you for being so generous with the opportunities you have given me and Momshoo! Here’s to whatever 2018 will bring!
ramblings. 