PR: Know Thyseslf

The challenge:
It's the design-your-own-textile challenge!  With Mondo!
I love the textile designing.  I have lamented in the past the boring and uncolorful designs people have come up with.  I always hope they'll do something more vibrant, and bigger, meaning not the tiny, dizzying, or haphazard designs we usually see. 
The designers' friends and families pop in with slide shows, not so much to soothe and inspire as to distract and rattle, from the producers' standpoint.  That cynical view aside, I do enjoy learning more about the designers and seeing how the reminder of their past creeps into their work.
We see some colors this year!  Some of the images are still really tiny on the fabric, and thus kind of dizzying.  I wish Gunnar's print had been bigger. I really like Melissa's and Fabio's, though.  I'm intrigued by what Dmitry is doing.  I have no idea what Tim is thinking with Ven's look, describing it as an homage to a menstrual cycle...that's one of those things where Tim should probably have checked his reaction and said, as he does, "Shut up, Tim." 
It actually reminded me of a dear poet friend of mine whose work in workshop was often described as sexual, much to her bewilderment.  It became almost an expected reaction, even though the poems had little to do with sex.  Unlike Ven, however, she didn't change the poem just based on that reaction.

The results:
Sonjie's pant was reminiscent of Mondo's.  They're a little crispy, but still kind of fun.  I love the top she did, with the draped back.  I want that top.
I was actually kind of intrigued with Elena's top.  I liked the style of it, and the pockets.  The skirt was ho-hum, though.
Christopher dodged a major bullet this week.  His print was too muted by the organza over it, and the dress was kind of ill-fitted, especially in back, where it looked like it was sagging.
Ven also dodged a bullet; yes, the flower is part of his culture, but it's not that interesting a rendering of the flower, and the dress is not up to his usual standard, even though it uses his usual technique.  It was kind of obviously a backup plan.
I wasn't enthusiastic about Fabio's look at all.  The print is way too muted with organza over it, like Christopher's, and so little was used in comparison to the rest of what he made, which was blackblackblack.  It disappointed me.
I wish Melissa had made a sassier dress.  I like her print, and the dress is certainly passable, but she's capable of a much more interesting style.  There was a little too much of the sleeper in the dress this week.
Gunnar.  Oh, Gunnar.  I knew when it came out that he was in trouble.  I like his print, actually, though I do feel it's too small, but the jacket and dress reminded me very much of patterns one could get in a Simplicity catalog.  I was actually more interested in the first jacket he was working on.  The workroom consultation problem strikes again.  Second guessing everywhere!
Dmitry took some risks with the jacket.  Why isn't anyone doing that clear strip thing?  I love the floating bits in there because it's unusual and looks extra-skilled.  It was also a risk because it covered his print (which was too bright for me), though it was at least a little coy about it.

In the end, the judging results were unsurprising.  On to the next!