At Gran Moshi Koshi of Tokyo in Quezon City, a table of wooden flowers carried two kinds of Mother's Day plans. Some guests had come to make a gift for their mothers; others chose a flower for themselves. Nearby, returning builders unpacked their own kits and prepared to show what they had made since the last gathering. On May 9, Jill Ann Francisco's Philippines DIY & Crafting Club brought both groups together for an afternoon that felt as much like a reunion as an introduction.

At a Glance

• Where: Gran Moshi Koshi of Tokyo, Vertis North, Quezon City, Philippines
• When: May 9, 2026
• Host: Robotime community ambassador Jill Ann Francisco
• People: 20 in all—15 joining the Mother's Day pre-celebration and five past participants with their own projects

Flowers for Someone, or for Yourself

Jill's plan left room for choice. The fifteen participants in the themed session picked the wooden flower kits they wanted to build. A flower could become a personal keepsake or a gift, and neither choice needed an explanation. Five alumni came with their own kits, so the event did not divide neatly into a class of beginners and a row of spectators. Returning makers had projects to work on too.

In her community recap, Jill described a mix of newcomers and seasoned builders. Many people began as strangers. As they worked, seatmates started talking, helped one another, and celebrated each flower taking shape. The shared kits gave them an easy first question—what are you making?—and the work supplied many more. A delicate piece or an uncertain step became an invitation to lean across the table.

The Mother's Day theme gave the afternoon a personal frame without narrowing who belonged there. People could think about a parent, about themselves, or simply about learning to make something new. The photographs show hands holding kit boxes, works in progress spread across the tables, and faces turned toward one another. The room was busy, but the activity left space for a quiet exchange between neighbors.

When Returning Makers Took the Mic

The show-and-tell segment gave the five returning participants a different role. Jill invited them to present prize-winning builds and tell the stories behind the finished pieces. These were not anonymous samples placed on a shelf. The people who had made them were there to explain what drew them to the craft and what their projects meant to them. Jill remembered this as one of the warmest moments of the event.

That exchange gave a first-time builder a view beyond the step currently in front of them. A returning maker could point to a completed scene and also speak about the patience or enthusiasm behind it. Jill wrote later that it was fun to hand the microphone to the alumni and hear their stories. In a reply, she said she had invited past participants precisely because she wanted to connect with them again.

The group then voted for the most inspiring story and build presentation. Paula and Joy received the day's largest prizes, while the other alumni presenters were also thanked with special gifts. The vote was a way for the room to respond to the stories it had heard. It also made clear that the returning makers were part of the afternoon's heart, not an add-on to the flower-building session.

Small Surprises Around the Tables

Before the gathering ended, guests who shared photographs or a short account on Facebook or Instagram received Nanci Fruits blind boxes. Jill also used a Wheel of Names raffle for Nanci Milk Tea figures. The prizes gave people a reason to look up from their projects, cheer for someone else, and carry a small reminder of the day home with them.

Joy Licerio, one of the returning participants, later wrote that she almost never wins anything and was delighted by her prize. She called the gathering a perfect Mother's Day celebration and was already looking ahead to the next meetup. Gidge's response was just as direct: it had been fun, and they could not wait for another one. Gentoo Builds thanked Jill and said they hoped to see everyone again soon. These are brief comments, but together they show what guests took away besides kits and figures: the expectation of meeting the group again.

Jill's daughter also helped at the gathering, as Jill confirmed in a reply to another community member. It was one more family connection in an event built around Mother's Day. The afternoon ended with everyone coming together for a group photograph, many holding their projects up to the camera. By then the flowers, alumni builds, and prizes belonged to one shared story.

A Reunion That Made Room for Newcomers

Twenty people had arrived with different histories of making. Some were opening a flower kit for the first time. Others had returned with completed work and stories to tell. Jill gave both groups something useful to do and a reason to listen to one another. The special gifts and raffle made the day festive, but the deeper connection came from small exchanges: a seatmate offering help, an alumnus explaining a build, someone choosing a flower for a person they love.

Read Jill's original recap and photographs, and find more stories of people building together in the DIY Crafting Club.