Gift for Mom

By Ann | Published: May 6, 2012

What do you think? Does it show any, even a little bit, of promise?

It’s a present I made for my mom, back when I was little…, 5 years old? Something like that. My first sewing project.

I still remember the neighbor lady inviting us over for a sewing lesson. We drew a picture on a wash cloth and then embroidered it, a gift for our mothers.

There’s still time to make something for a mother in your life.

Next Sunday, May 13th.

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Craft in America: Threads

By Ann | Published: April 29, 2012


I know where I’ll be Friday, May 11 at 9:00 pm. I’ll be in front of a television watching Craft in America: Threads. It’s the award winning documentary series exploring the history of craft in America.

This one has a special place in my heart, it’s about four textile artists who use fibers and threads to create beautifully relevant and meaningful pieces of art.

And, I am delighted to report, one of my very favorite people will be featured;

Randall Darwall, who, along with his life, design and business partner, the amazing Brian Murphy, will be offering insights into their gorgeous weavings, clothing and quilts.

Also appearing; the fantastic quilters and installation artists; Faith Ringgold, Terese Agnew and Consuelo Jimenez Underwood.

This has to be great! Don’t miss it!

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Spring and Inspiration

By Ann | Published: April 22, 2012

We have it! It is here and it is so beautiful.

Spring! It’s all about new beginnings, when anything is possible and all options are open.

I’ve been thinking about new work, about color, shape and patterns. It feels like I could do anything. So many ideas. I look in any direction and am inspired.

Thin bias tubes of fabric, they look alive. They’ve been in a box all winter. Don’t they look like they’re ready? Ready for some fabulous project. Use us! Use us!

Or these gorgeous fabrics. Piled on a shelf since last winter. Talk about alive. Look at those colors! That pattern!

12 months ago I put these together and thought, I’ll make something with these, they are perfect for spring. And look, one year later and here it is again. You miss one time, but it’s OK. It will come back. Start anew; ready, get set,… Begin!

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Beaded Cuffs, Finished!

By Ann | Published: April 15, 2012

A while back, when this top was in process, I posted pictures of my inspiration; women with bracelets and more bracelets worn together in a glittering mass.

I lined up the beads in rows, on the cuffs and at the neckline, to look like strands.

It’s a blouse with its own built in bracelets and necklace.


A closer look, with a view of pants to go with. Another theme I’ve been thinking about; pants with stripes down the sides. This time with beads.

We love it, don’t we? A little sparkle and glitter, it’s active, it catches our eye, so pretty!

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Connecting

By Ann | Published: April 9, 2012

One of the best things about my job? The wonderful people I meet: the collectors, the special occasion, one time only buyers and the stop by to say hi and see what I’ve been up to folks. I love getting to know each and every one.

Then there are my fellow craft show artists. I’ve met some of the most interesting and amazing artists working, working anywhere!

I’m adding a few new names to my blogroll, so please take this as an introduction to a few of my favorites.

To start and in no particular order:

Amy Nguyen, who makes some of the very best dyed, pieced and manipulated textiles, then sews them into gorgeous clothing. Traditional techniques updated for now. Her work is amazing! Beautiful!


Kathleen Dustin, one of the best polymer clay artists anywhere. Her gorgeous bags, like little sculptures and her fantastic jewelry. Remarkable attention to detail. Absolutely gorgeous!


Valerie Hector, bead artist extraodinaire. Beautiful jewelry made from beads. Beads! Sewn together and made into fantastic jewelry! So cool!

Do you see a theme? I love a unique view realized with exceptionally fine workmanship and attention to detail.

There are so many fantastic artists making amazing things. I’ll be adding more links from time to time. Keep checking my blogroll!

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Beading for a Mother of a Bride

By Ann | Published: April 1, 2012

I’m working on a pretty Mother of the Bride jacket, sewing little glass beads onto a gorgeous kimono silk. It has a traditional garden design with Japanese houses and buildings tucked in, under and between flowering trees. The beads add a sparkling, 3 dimensional edge. Beading is a long process, but welcome. I find it very relaxing, thinking about the placement of each bead. I take a stitch, add a bead, take a stitch, add a bead,….. it’s a meditation.

 

Can you see it? The way the design flips every few inches? See how one house is right side up then the next is upside down? It’s because of the way kimonos are sewn. There are two main pieces of fabric that make up the body, one for the right side, one for the left. For each side a width of kimono silk is run up, over the shoulder and down the back. If the design went in only one direction, half of it it would be upside down. With a design that flips there is no right side up. Clever, don’t you think?

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No Skirts?!?

By Ann | Published: March 25, 2012

You know how predictions for the future are a fusion of what might happen layered on top of the way things are now?
We see the new and guess how it will impact tomorrow. But it’s not really the future. It’s today with the new added in.

In particular, you see it with fashion. The clothes in “the future” look a lot like what people were wearing when the prediction was made. These images from the Smithsonian’s blog Paleofuture are perfect examples.

 

Hot air balloons for instance, here’s how they guessed they might be used in the distant future [.... 2000!]. Made smaller, one per person and worn with corsets and leg ‘o mutton sleeves.

Or flying machines, during the early years of the 20th century they guessed that in 2012 they’d be used for shopping trips. Shopping, with long dresses and big hats.


I love this one, the city of the future will be under one roof. No need to leave, everything will be right there. And of course, the women are in dresses, high heels and hats. Who would have ever imagined otherwise?

 


In the future, woman will be taller and larger. It made sense if you looked at the way things were going. And yes, maybe even very short dresses. But pants? No,… no,…, never that.

 


Except for this prediction, from a wonderful 1930′s film guessing what fashion in the year 2,000 might be. Amazingly here is a woman in pants! The voice over says, “This designer goes so far as to predict that skirts will disappear entirely!” What? No Skirts?!? Too bizarre.

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I love Meisen!

By Ann | Published: March 18, 2012


Meisen silk trench coats.

I love these silks!

You remember how they make ‘meisen’, that amazing Japanese silk?

First they weave the fabric, then they print the design. Then, unweave [yes, UNWEAVE] and then REWEAVE.

The reweaving is always slightly off so instead of a design with sharp clean edges, they are fuzzy.


Meisen kimonos were especially popular during the 1940s and 50s, so many designs have that uber cool midcentury look.

My twist; I recycle these old silks into that so very classic American/European shape, the trench coat.

Posted in jackets, kimono silk | 2 Comments

Kimono Silk Jackets

By Ann | Published: March 11, 2012

One last look, a few snap shots of  jackets I sent off at the ACC Baltimore craft show.

“Leaf”, sewn from two different kimono silks. I sewed on the little coral beads as though they were veins in the leaves. The natural coral looks like tiny irregular sticks.

Pink and grey, I love that color combination!

A fabulous shibori for the collar.

‘Stripes’, a jacket made from a wonderful splash print. How about the subtle staccato feeling created by the narrow strips of the black and white flower print? I do like the irregular cropping that happens when you cut into a print.

I love applique, I love the work of it and I love the look of it. Little invisible stitches holding shapes in place.

A turquoise kimono silk jacket with appliqued, cloud blue colored squares.

A pieced ‘Jet’ jacket, sewn from an amazing woven kimono fabric. This particular one broke my silk only rule. It is a light weight wool.

But how could I resist? Look at that design! A fuzzy grid. The woven grid adds a very cool, extra feeling of movement to the diagonal design.

Posted in applique, kimono silk, piecing, shows | 1 Comment

Fantastic Show! Baltimore 2012

By Ann | Published: March 4, 2012

Baltimore 2012, what a fantastic show! I had a wonderful time, visited with old friends, made some new and sent many of my jackets, coats and separates out into the world. A good thing!

 

I shot these pictures before the show started, everything is in place and ready to go. Like the table before the guests arrive.

Can you see the scarves in the right far corner? They are new, made from my leftover silks, from the small pieces, too beautiful to throw out.
 

I took this picture before I left, 5 scarves laid out on my table.

Lying next to each other, they look like a quilt. [... another idea for my silk remainders...]

This is a theme for sure and I am all for it; Cute Dogs. This is Blue, who came with Sharon.

You know, I was pretty busy, helping people and chatting up a storm, so wasn’t able to take any pictures. But when Blue walked in, well, I couldn’t resist. So sweet.

It can be pretty stormy in Baltimore in February, even snow and ice. But this year was the exception. Beautiful blue skies, balmy weather. Gorgeous!

The view from my window, looking out over the parking garage to the skyline and the famous Bromo Seltzer tower.

After a wonderful week in Baltimore, I climbed back into my economy seat and flew home.

You know, in the flying world people are divided by their seat preferences: window or aisle. And I am in the window seat camp. Totally, window seat, nothing else will do.

So imagine my surprise when one of my windows was missing! Just a blank wall!

 

Oh,… it wasn’t that bad.

If I turned my head just a bit more to the right, I had my window and my view.

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