The elastic band worked!!

Hello!

It's a few more days to the BIG MOVE!!

When I feel overwhelmed, my coping strategy is to stay positive and focus on everything I have to be thankful for and it's working :-)

I was backing up my stuff cos D lost his external hard drive last weekend... really sad, cos it had loads and loads of movies and music :*(... well, I found lots of pictures to share, so here we go!!

Here's my dear friend Lebs. She's such an amazing woman! I've been making clothes for her since about '08 and she just inspires me. She celebrated her 18th wedding anniversary last year and D even didn't believe me when I told him! I hope that I can be a babe like her when I'm in my 40s, wearing the same dress size as my children even though they are taller than me ;-)

Simple and sweet dress made out of woodin. Coil effect with bronze taffeta at the bottom :-)

Shirt dress with diagonal zipper in front, pockets and belt... I like this dress cos it's one of those 'I can't believe it's ankara' dresses :-D
She bb'd me this pic of her looking really lovely as she was about to step out. This was a lace 2 piece number I made for her in 09.

This next set of pics are of a blouse I made for her that pushed me to extend myself.

You see, I love working with ankara. I actually started making clothes cos I wanted to make ankara into contemporary pieces. When I see our bright patterned African prints, I immediately think dresses and not 'native'.... I can work with other fabrics, but ankara still remains my firm favorite. When she brought this fabric, I was like, "you know I don't enjoy working with silk and chiffon"... but trust Lebs not to let me off easily! She said she liked the chiffon dresses I had made for her and so she wanted a dress and a top made out of this fabric. So I set to work.

Here's what it looked like after I cut it, put the ruffles on and was trying to decide what to do to the neckline
Too much fabric there! Not what I was expecting.... hmmm.. what do I do?

Then the Holy Spirit gave me an idea. He always teaches me what to do. I usually say that the best friend any tailor can have is the Holy Spirit. I once said that to one of my trainees that was a Muslim and she asked, who would be her own best friend? I told her to ask Him to help her anyways... He always comes through for me. I'm sure He'll help anyone who asks.

I decided to make an elastic band around the neck.

Day 2, after we put the elastic band. There's a lil bit of gaping in the armhole...

Gaping fixed, Final result

I'm hoping Lebs would send me a pic of her wearing it. When she does, I'll share.

I'll be posting even more pics, so do drop by soon :-)

Thanks for coming by again and again.

May your dreams come true xoxo

Goodbye Gbemisoke Couture Nigeria

Hello :)

First I would like to say a BIG thank you for the show of love when I wasn't feeling well.I'm glad to report that I'm feeling much better now. I've not had much time to rest cos there's so much to get done. There are still a few loose ends to tie up and last minute errands to run as we get ready to leave naija next week. The scriptures say: He gives power to the faint and to them that have no might He increases strength.. That's my testimony.

I've experienced a myriad of emotions in the past few weeks. Closing down my business and saying goodbye to customers that have become friends and sisters over the years has been very emotional for me... Packing hasn't been easy either. I found fabrics that I have collected over the years, some that I bought up north during my service year, trimmings, buttons, all sorts that I bought from Tejuosho market before the 2007 fire incident. There's only so much I can take with me, so I've had to give out a lot of stuff and that's what made me realize how emotionally attached I am to some things. Giving away shoes and stuff like that wasn't hard for me, but I couldn't give away or sell my cutting table! We've been through so much together, plus it used to belong to my mum...It's got major sentimental value!!

Change is good. As I say goodbye to gbemisoke couture nigeria, I look forward to GREAT things.

I trust that as I follow God's lead, He'll do exceeding abundantly above my dreams and I'll testify.

Thanks for coming by again and again. May your dreams come true

xoxo

sewing like it's going out of fashion :-P

Hello People,

Your girl's been a lil under the weather :(

Since the photo shoot on Thursday (which went very well, thank God) I've been sewing like it's going out of fashion (pardon the pun) :-) One of my tailors called in sick on Friday and with so many last minute dresses to deliver, I've had to work extra hard.

I must have overworked myself cos I woke up this morning with a severe headache and a bad cold, my body's way of telling me to slow down. I spent the entire morning in bed and I'm glad to report that I'm feeling a lot better. Still a little woozy from all the medication though...

I'm glad I was able to join Sunday service online at wwww.daystarng.tv :-D

My church is one of the things I'm going to miss about Lagos. I love how the word is served in such practical and easy to apply terms. I've been a member for quite a few years, I even met my husband and got married here. I love the people, I love the music, I love the children's church, I really love the pastors too. Rev. Sam and his wife, Pastor Nike are loving and warm. I've made some dresses for Pastor Nike over the years. Here's a pic I found in my archive

It's made out of black and white lace and black taffeta..

Thanks to facebook, I found these

I remember when Rev. Sam came to Houston last year! I had been away from Nigeria for about 5 months and was homesick. I had just dropped Nathan off at daycare that Monday morning and was driving past Dominion International Center on Beechnut when I saw the billboard advertising the conference my pastor was speaking at. I was ecstatic!!! It was in my neck of the woods and I was able to attend two of the sessions. Thank God I can join the services online...

I'm waiting on the amazing photographer, Babasola for the pics of the photo shoot.

Here are a couple of pics I took on my phone. I'll post the official ones as soon as I get them.

Here's me with a LOT of make up :)

Thanks for coming by again and again.

xxx

PS I'm so excited that three bloggers Ibhade,Dee and Beautiful nominated me for theStylish and Versatile blogger awards *grinning from ear to ear*... I only just started blogging and I'm humbled by the love and acceptance I have received from seasoned bloggers. Thank you soooo much. I've been unable to follow the rules and tag others cos I haven't been feeling well :(..... However, I promise to get to it sharp-sharp!!!

Smoking hot!!!

Hello!!

As I was getting ready for work this morning, I got a BB message.. "You should see the patchwork dress on me!!". It was from one of my new clients, Duupe. She publishes the wedding planner magazine. You can join the facebook group here.

What a great way to start my day! Just knowing there was a woman somewhere who was rocking a 'gbemisoke' number was enough to make my day.

She sent me a pic this evening and I'm so thrilled to see her looking so good in this shift dress, I thought I should share it with you :-)

You can order one for yourself. Drop me a line at gbemi@gbemisoke.com and I'll give you details. It's made out of ankara and dry lace. I cut the different fabrics in 5 inch wide strips and joined them vertically, then I used black dry lace for one side in front and also for the pockets. She wore hers to work, I wore mine to church last Sunday. You can dress it up or down, depending on the occasion. You can be sure you'll stand out and feel special in it...

My friend , Tinuke who is a jewelry designer has asked me to collaborate with her on a photo shoot on thursday. I'm very excited about working with her because she makes such lovely jewelry. I don't have enough time to make anything over the top, cos of the big move, so we are going for simple dresses that would complement the pieces she has already created. We have two models and I'm making three dresses :-)

I'll share the pics soon, so watch this space...

Meet Tinuke of The Wright Jewelries. She's wearing a monostrap dress I made for her this Christmas. The top part is ruched, ever so slightly. I used black raw silk for that, and the rest of the dress is made out of french lace. I love it :-)

You can join her facebook group here

Here's a purple dress I made for a dear 'big sister' of mine, Tobi who lives in Croydon. It's made out of dry lace and purple satin... Watch out for her on the UK red carpets anytime soon :-)

Here's me @ work earlier today. I spent most of the day making patterns and cutting up fabric. Hectic but fun!

and guess who came to visit mommy @ work???

Alexis!! She's such a big girl now.... :-D

Thanks for coming by again and again. May your dreams come true xoxo

Happy new year!

Happy new year good people :)

Is it just me or did this week legitimately FLY by!!!

I've been working non stop since Tuesday and it's been C-R-A-Z-Y... I'm reminded of how important it is to follow you passion, cos I find that I just have the strength to keep going, even when I'm extremely tired. Thankfully, my nanny didn't go on holiday, so I've got help with the munchkins, but my maid hasn't come back from what was supposed to be a week long visit to her family... I hope she comes back this weekend though, cos her school resumes on monday... While I sometimes feel I shouldn't have such a young maid, I know sending her back to her folks will mean that they'll just send her off to someone else, so I made it my responsibility to ensure that she gets an education. I really hope her parents let her come back cos they might send her off somewhere else if they will get more money, so I might never see her again. *sigh* Well, she can rad and write now, which she couldn't do before I met her.. I pray she'll be ok.

Not having domestic help is one of the things I'm going to miss the most about naija.... I'm sure I'll be fine, cos I know people who are doing such a great job holding down a job, school and being good moms. God's grace is sufficient for me. I was just telling D the other day that I'm sure God knew that there would be no amount that would suffice as payment for parenting, that's why He made it voluntary... All the munchkins have to do is smile, and no matter how tired I am, I find that I can still go on. I'm so thankful to God for the privilege of being a parent. I'm far from perfect (you should hear me scream :oP), but I would gladly be cook, maid, nanny, driver and everything else my kids need me to be :)

Work has been hectic and fun! Just before Christmas, I worked with a bride with a really small budget. She reminded me so much of myself when I was getting married, I was glad to help her out. I went with her to the market to buy the fabric for the traditional marriage ceremony and I made her a 2 piece outfit. Most people wear Iro and Buba, but she wanted a skirt and blouse and I was glad to oblige.

She's quite busty, so I boned her top to give her support. She didn't need to wear a bra.

I don't have a better pictures cos I couldn't attend the wedding, as I was neck deep in work. I got these thanks to facebook.

So, her husband called me on the morning of Tuesday the 21st asking if I could make a wedding dress for their wedding on Thursday the 23rd!!! 'What happened to the dress your brother was supposed to bring from London?', I asked. He said the dress didn't fit and she didn't like it. They brought the dress over and it wasn't so bad. She just didn't know how to lace it up properly. I laced it up and it was ok, in fact it really cinched in her waist and was very flattering. The only snag was her boobs were spilling over the top!! There was the option of making a bolero, but I didn't want her to spend the whole day pulling a jacket together, besides why cover the lovely dress? Time for some Gbemisoke magic!!! Thankfully, I found a piece of leftover beaded lace from a wedding dress I made in 08 and guess what? It was the exact same colour. I made a 'blouse' (I'm not sure exactly what to call it) and she wore the dress over it. It turned out quite well.

She was full of smiles....

As a full figured woman myself, I know firsthand how challenging it can be to find clothes that flatter the curves. I love creating pieces that solve problems for real women. Making patterns and building corsets require more time and effort than making basic pieces, but I find myself drawn to the more challenging process cos I love the final results. I'm experimenting with draping and I like the results I'm getting. Here's a pic of one of my experiments.

I'll post a pic of the final result soon. It's amazing what the right construction techniques can do to the female form :)

I've got so much going on right now!

I'm working with my jewelry designer friend, Tinuke on some designs for a photo shoot on Thursday. I'm also making a few ready-to-wear pieces. I'll put some pictures up soon. I'll have some stuff for sale, so you can buy yourself (or someone you love) something special ;)

It's about three weeks before we move and so there's a lot of last minute stuff to do... God help me!!!

Thanks for coming by again and again. May your dreams come true xoxoxo

Upsy Daisy and the carpenter. What would you do?

Hello!!

I'm positively thrilled by the feedback from everyone. Thank you for coming again and again.

I just got a call from my friend. Let's call her Upsy Daisy. I can just picture her going.... what's that, how can you call me Upsy Daisy??!!

Well, while you might not look like Upsy Daisy, you've got her happy, optimistic attitude, so babe, it's a compliment :-) and if you're Upsy daisy, then I'm Iggle piggle hehehehe

Just in case you don't know who Upsy Daisy and Iggle Piggle are, allow me to introduce them to you.

If you're thinking warrisdis??? Like you, I had no idea who they were until Nathan came along, now they are a very significant part of our lives as well as Sponge Bob, Dora, Diego.....I digress..

Ok, so I found like 10 missed calls on my phone after leaving it on my bed while fixing dinner and I was thinking "why does this phone ALWAYS ring when I'm not there??" I returned the call and it was Upsy Daisy. "Which number is this that you used to call me oh, madam" I asked her. She said she had turned off her work phones so her office wouldn't be able to reach her. They had a way of always finding an excuse for her to be at work on public holidays, so she made herself unreachable. Hmmm... You see why I have the phone numbers of spouses, partners, neighbors and sometimes mothers of my staff.... so when any of them wants to be "Upsy Daisy" smart, I'm a step ahead of them... *insert wicked laughter here*. I digress... again...

"So wassup babe" I asked? "I just did something crazy and I'm sure you would be proud of me" she said. "Crazy ke?! me I'm not there oh!" She went on to tell me what happened. Some carpenter guy on her street had taken her 2k and had refused to do the job she paid him for. He started to avoid her and eventually became rude, walking out on her once when she was talking to him. She decided to forget about the guy (and her money) and she paid someone else to do the job.

She didn't go to work today cos of the holiday, so she passed by the guy's place and remembered her money. She first thought that she should free the guy...shebi it's just 2k.... Then she had a lightbulb moment!!! She thought what would Gbemi have done?

Now in 'Gbemi' mode, she was greeted by some guys on her street that helped her when she was moving in. She usually just says hi to them, but it occurred to her that they could be useful. She reported the carpenter to them. She was surprised to see the carpenter come knocking on her door, begging for forgiveness a few hours later, saying he was now ready to do the job. When she told him someone else had done it, he offered to refund her money. She was surprised! Those guys took his phone from him and were only going to return it to him when he refunded the 2k. He offered her 1k, saying that that was all he had and he promised to bring the remaining 1k to her later. She told him to give the money to the guys, making him realize that what she was angry about was that he attempted to rip her off because he felt she couldn't do anything to him. So when he gives the guys 2k, he'll get his phone and the guys get to keep the money.

She's so pleased with herself, her BB status is "I had the last laugh".

Would have done the same thing? YES, cos I really really hate it when someone tries to take advantage of me cos they feel there's nothing I can do. Without a justice system to resolve such issues, people like that carpenter get away with stunts like that all the time. I usually hate to let it slide cos I believe that the reason it has become a part of our culture in Nigeria is because nobody does anything about it. The risk is that I could get hurt (thankfully, I haven't) or misunderstood (that's unavoidable and I really don't mind), but the story of Uzoma Okere comes readily to mind. You probably remember how she was beaten up by some naval officers.

She was awarded 100m in damages in January. The case is still in court though, you can read more here

I'm not sure if I would have had as much guts as Uzoma to stand up to those guys in uniform. I would probably have let it slide as I tend to choose my battles carefully. Unlike Uzoma whose father is a colonel, my parents are singing with the angels in heaven, so I'm not sure there'll be anyone to defend me in a country where the justice system favors only those who 'know' people. Me, I only know God oh! I hope Uzoma remembers to share with me when she gets her money though, because I went to one of the rallies organised in her defense :-)

I got thinking, Shouldn't Upsy Daisy have been thinking "what would Jesus do?" and not "what would Gbemi do". I had no idea I was such an influence on anyone, that they'll think of what I would've done before making a decision. I know I haven't always been a good example, so I hope and pray no one is making any life altering decisions based on my bad precedents.

Have you ever stood up to anyone who tried to take advantage of you? What would you have done in Upsy Daisy's shoes? Please share. Thanks

Mr X versus Mrs X...The conclusion

It's a great season to be alive!

It's so good to wake up the day AFTER Christmas, knowing that the birth of Christ is as relevant as it was yesterday!

I learnt something new today. Whatever position or condition you're in, there's someone somewhere who is wishing they were in your shoes. There's someone who would forever be grateful to God to have what you have now. So let's quit complaining and be grateful, because it could've been worse!

I promised to let you know how Mrs X handled the coil drama I shared in an earlier post.

She told Mr X that they should let her sister (whose opinion he respected) be the umpire. Her vote was to be the deciding factor. She told me when they were leaving, to Mr X's hearing (and pleasure) that I should be prepared to remove it if her sister sided with him. Now why am I not surprised that I did not get that call??? Mrs X surely knows how to run things ;-)

Naijamum's solution is the closest to what actually happened. Win-win solutions win any day!

Here are some dresses I made last week.

Pu'a looking yummy. She still doesn't look like someone who had a baby some weeks ago.

Dramatic sleeves for my big sister

same sleeve, but here the other arm is sleeveless

Thanks for coming by xoxo