Crocheting is a labor of love, a meticulous craft that requires a lot of time and patience, where each creation gradually takes shape stitch by stitch, inch by inch. Despite this painstaking process, a crochet artist and her team were able transform spools of yarn into eight vibrant outfits for BINI in just four days.

As the "nation’s girl group" celebrated Grand Pantropiko Day on "ASAP Natin 'To" last April 14, the spotlight also landed on the handmade pieces from crochet artist Maricel Sombrio and her dedicated crew at clothing brand Cora and Cecilia.

“Ang sarap sa feeling na ‘yung artists na love ng marami, suot 'yung gawa namin,” Sombrio gushed with pride.

Established during the pandemic, Cora and Cecilia only preceded BINI – who debuted in June 2021 -- by a few months. It has since been a long dream for the brand to dress the girl group, especially since they have similar aesthetics.

“Ever since, dream na namin i-dress up ang BINI, bago pa sila mag-viral. Known rin 'yung brand namin talaga for floral, tapos ‘di ba yung BINI, flowers din, tapos Blooms 'yung fans nila,” she said.  

When the opportunity finally arrived, it brought along a set of challenges, from the creative aspects of the project to logistical hurdles and time constraints.

“Magandang opportunity 'yung binigay ni Ms. Ica kasi na-challenge talaga 'yung buong team namin na gumawa ng pieces na kakaiba,” Sombrio said, grateful to be tapped by BINI’s stylist Ica Villanueva.

“First time namin na grupo. Eight sila ‘di ba, kailangan cohesive sila kahit magkakaibang look… Mayroon na kaming nakalatag na designs, pero noong ginagawa na namin, mayroon kaming mga pinapalitan na colors kasi hindi siya ka-color ng iba. So may mga changes,” she shared.

MAKING THE DREAM PROJECT

The project was assigned to them seven days before the deadline, but the actual work could not immediately begin because they must first procure the materials, a daunting task that required flying in the threads from Metro Manila.

“Mahirap mag-source ng materials sa Bohol. Limited 'yung colors, type of yarns. Hindi kagaya sa Maynila na may supplier ka ng kahit anong texture ng yarn na gusto mo gamitin. Sa Bohol, very limited, at ‘yung price din, mahal,” she said.

Coincidentally, Sombrio, who currently lives in the capital, was scheduled to come home to Tagbiliran City, where the business is based, when they received the BINI project.  

She arrived in Bohol with luggage full of yarns four days before their deadline.  

“Okay din na umuwi ako dito tapos dumating 'yung BINI project kasi hindi ko siya kayang gawin mag-isa sa Manila,” she said.

The team was composed of 4 college students, including Sombrio’s younger sister and co-founder Maricor.

“‘Yung mga kasama naming crocheter ay mga college students. So kailangan i-work out namin 'yung buong sched sa mga vacant time nila,” she said.

They worked out a system so the crew could attend school, work on the garments, and still get enough sleep.  

“Nag-work naman ‘yung ginawa naming system na kung sino yung gusto matulong, matulog, yung gusto magpahinga, magpahinga. Pero sobrang nakakalokang time,” she said.  

“Mas naging close kami dito sa BINI kasi one table kaming lahat gumagawa. Masaya,” she reminisced.

THE START OF CORA AND CECILIA

While the BINI project marked their biggest undertaking to date, this was not the first time the brand dressed a celebrity. Before they started selling their works, they already caught the attention of the stars. For instance, one of their earliest pieces was worn by “Tawag ng Tanghalan” season 2 winner Janine Berdin.

Sombrio recalling reaching out to the singer to give her a crocheted daisy top. She said she wanted to cheer up Berdin, who was then going through a tough time.  

“The next day, nag-record siya ng video na suot niya 'yung top. Nilagay niya sa caption na ‘cute crochet top from Cora and Cecilia.’ Tapos nag-flock ‘yung followers niya papunta sa (Instagram) account namin,” she said.  

Her simple yet heartfelt act sparked an interest among Berdin’s fans. Inquiries if the sisters are open to creating more crocheted tops poured in.  

And this sudden demand pushed the growth of Cora and Cecilia from a humble "crochet diary" to a community of almost 19,000 followers, with star-studded customers.

Sombrio has since connected with A-list celebrity stylists including Villanueva, Perry Tabora, and Patty Yap. Their brand had adorned Kapamilya stars Belle Mariano, Kim Chiu, and Dimples Romana, as well as beauty queens Celeste Cortesi, and Megan Young. They even have the stamp of approval from American socialite Paris Hilton, who couldn’t resist commenting on Kylie Versoza’s butterfly crochet ensemble.  

“Hindi ko naman intensyon na mag-business. Ginawa ko lang ‘yung page para i-dump ko lang 'yung crochet projects ko doon,” she added.

Sombrio shared that she opened an Instagram account as repository for the crochet projects they made to pass the time during the COVID-19 lockdown. The name Cora and Cecilia originated from Maria Corazon and Maria Cecilia, the names their mother initially considered before opting for Maricor and Maricel.

The sisters learned to crochet as kids because their “strict” mother would rather buy them yarns, beads, and other crafting materials than let them spend school breaks playing in the sun.  

“Noong pandemic, nagkaroon talaga ng time para balikan ang hobby. Nag-start lang ako ng 3 boxes of yarn, pampalipas ng oras,” she said.

Their decision to pick up the crochet hooks again to escape pandemic boredom eventually allowed the older Sombrio to quit her sales engineering job and devote herself entirely to the flourishing venture.

Cora and Cecilia sells products at the following price range:

HATS: P450-P1399  

BAGS: P2,800-P3,200

TOPS:  P1,599-P3,200

TERNO, DRESSES – P4,500-P8,000

Sombrio admitted the price tags may seem steep, but she said they only reflect the time, effort, talent, and idea that went into making each handmade art.

“Ina-advocate ko talaga na pagdating sa handmade, hindi mo siya kailangan ibenta na cheap. Mahirap e. Puhunan mo oras mo, pagod, talent, idea. Kapagod mag-crochet... ‘Pag sinabing crochet, hindi mo siya basta-basta makukuha, so dapat ipresyo mo siya sa naaayon na labor na binibigay mo,” she explained.

FUTURE PLANS

The brand now enjoys a steady stream of orders and has become a stable source of income for the Sombrio family. It also currently employs Maricor’s three school mates and two single moms – one based in Manila, and another in Mindanao.

But the dream does not stop there. Sombio envisions a bigger future for their business and their art.

She hopes the business continues to grow and be able to provide livelihood for more single moms and other crocheters. “I really wanted to help single moms, kasi single mom din ‘yung nanay namin,” she said.

While she is not sure yet if she wants to have a physical store for their crochet works, Sombrio is determined to build a yarn cafe in Bohol for two reasons -- to address the lack of crafting materials in their hometown, and to solidify their brand as rooted from Bohol.

She also said, she is striving to improve their art and remain a source of unique and eye-catching fashion pieces, citing a bad experience of their design being copied.  

“Gusto talaga namin laging fresh yun gawa namin. Na-try na kasi namin na may kumopya ng butterfly top namin... Ngayon, gumagawa ako ng abstract na crochet. Mga puzzle na ipi-piece mo into one. Artsy na siya, hindi na siya one whole design. Mix of everything.” she said.  

Apart from that, Sombrio humbly shared that they keep a checklist of celebrities they want to outfit in the future. They may have ticked off BINI on the list, but she still harbors aspirations to dress the beloved girl group again in the future.

“Siyempre, sana mabihisan ulit ang BINI. Pero, Ms. Ica, next time sana mga one month na, kasi parang ayaw ko na ng 4 sleepless nights ulit,” Sombrio said.

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