“Wednesday (aka Wendy) was full of love. She loved to cuddle for hours. She was blind in her right eye and so it was slightly smaller than her left eye as a result.”

I love hearing about my customer’s pets, because it’s always a love letter 💌 Anyone can see what a love bug Wendy was, so I added a little heart to her small, blind eye. And when our pets pass on, our grief is just love with nowhere to go. Hopefully this handmade pillow will give them something soft to cuddle, and give them some comfort ❤️

Whang-od Oggay is the oldest traditional Filipino Kalinga tattooist. She’s a legend, a national treasure, and, I’ll say it, a total babe! To anyone who says tattoos don’t look good when you’re older, I present Oggay. “Tattoos here represent beauty. A tattoo turns a girl into a woman, and the more tattoos you have, the more beautiful you are.” (@atlasobscura)

In western culture, tattoos can be a form of rebellion, an expression of individuality. Filipino tattoos symbolize unity with your tribe. They show who you belong to, which resonates with me. Both of my tattoos are memorials for my grandparents, who came from northern Luzon, the same island as Oggay. I have a tattoo on my right arm for my grandpa, and one on my left for my grandma, which gives me the feeling that they’re on either side of me going forward.

Oggay says, “When you die, a tattoo is the only thing that will remain on your body, so it is a treasure, a treasure that lasts.” Nowadays, more young women have taken up the ancient art under Oggay’s guidance. “The women have more interest and passion in carrying on this millennium-old technique,” she says, “And they are patient. Men cannot be as still and precise for long periods of time as a woman can.”

I’ve been thinking about what embroidery shares with tattooing. There are hours of repetitive motions that can be meditative, there’s the use of a needle to apply color, and of course, there are a thousand little stabs (the literal definition of Japanese sashiko). In the Philippines, we have our own embroidery styles, which you are familiar with if you’ve ever seen a barong tagalog - @kampeonco makes a great modern baro with embroidered bolo knives! I think many types of women’s labor are art in this way. Nail art for example is so precise, so creative, and also adorns the body like tattoo and embroidery. You’ll see on my nails the Kilamkam nail wraps from @prizm.nails. It is “one of the oldest Kalinga woven cloth designs and originates from the word kamkam, which means to pick. This design is made by picking of the warp in a particular pattern to come up with a different design. They are used as canopies during Bodong (peace pact) celebrations."

Death is natural, skulls are beautiful, and this one is wearing a delicate flower crown. Swipe to see the teeny tiny size - about the size of the head of a pin!

As seen in Martha Stewart Weddings

Photographer: Elias Kordelakos

Before colonization, our ancestors had their own concept of heaven and the underworld. I learned about this from @igorot.sky and I recommend you follow them and @maharlikanchronicles if you want to learn more!

From @igorot.sky: “In the Forgotten Children of Maui, Wilcken (@lanewilcken) explains that to our ancestors, “All the celestial bodies arose from the east and traveled through the Heavens in the morning. At night, all these heavenly bodies descended and were buried in the earth in the west, or in other words, the Underworld.” In a nutshell, Heaven was in the East, where the sun came up from heaven and the West was the underworld, where the sun sets.”

Make of that what you will! 😉 I really love this cosmology and I love the beautiful geometry that this view of the world makes. I’m kind of obsessed with this layout - swipe to see!

Lola is a term of endearment that we call our grandmas in the Philippines. Here is the Lola of @ate.ethels.fond.memories looking stunning in her red plaid gown. Remember, our ancestors were all young once, and probably have some really fun stories to tell us!

Megan is a Latina entrepreneur, a Fat Activist, a Makeout Enthusiast, a Plus Size Brand Consultant, and a total BABE😍 All her pictures are gorgeous, but her wisdom and intelligence, her defiance and bad-ass attitude make her an icon! This picture grabbed my attention because it’s so sensual and delicious, and it’s a vision of women living our lives, free from judgement, doing whatever the fuck we want! It’s a powerful and sexy antidote to every stock photo of “woman laughing with salad” we’re always shown. A detail I love is her beautiful tattoo peaking out of this crop top - gorgeous placement! Please follow her, support her financially, and learn more about her because, in her own words, “My weight is the least interesting thing about me.” She has so much wisdom to share with you!

I remember being a fan of this total icon when I was little - she was a cool babe, she was the front of the band, the boss of the boys, and she sang about getting what she wanted and then ditchin’ ya! One way or another! This is a tribute piece to her, inspired by the following photo (swipe). I’ve incorporated a few other stitching styles in this one including the chain stitch, a French knot, the brick stitch, and a bold satin stitch reimagining her with stark red nails and lips💄

Photo by Kendall Price: kendallpricephotography.com

BFF embroidery! C & B are Best Friends Forever

Linen pocket squares