Appliques and Beads

For the last several weeks, I’ve been bouncing around with various projects. Here’s a couple that are finished and ready for their debut.

This green shawl collar coat uses two amazing shibori silks. [you remember shibori, Japanese tie dye?] Beautiful greens that just seemed to be made for each other. There was just barely enough of the darker for the main body. The lighter one worked perfectly for the collar.

I appliqued large and small squares in the centers of the grid design. The larger squares are from the leftover bits from the darker silk. I added tiny black ones for a bit of pop.

I love this coat design because the collar can be opened up and spread out over the shoulders or folded in tight around the neck, like a scarf or a shawl.

On another note, I’ve had this beaded vest hanging in my studio for a while. It is a preowned piece, never worn. It needed adjusting and I had been putting it off.

Finally! I spent some time taking it in and changing the shoulders for a more attractive look.

I’m showing it here over a white kimono silk blouse with a woven marbled pattern.

The vest is a black sheer silk with a cloud design that I appliquéd with my narrow strips. Every few stitches I added a bead.

I lined it down to about hip level, then left the bottom section one layer. You can see the sheer fabric, woven with a cloud design, along the bottom panel. The dress form is visible through the silk. Just barely, you can see the striped fabric I used for the lining under the top part.

I almost always have a hand sewing project, appliqué and beading are my favorites. Quiet times, TV times, podcasts or audio books, I like to have something to work on.

I’m in the middle of this one, sewing beads along the front edge of a jacket. It’s an amazing fabric with metallic gold/green squiggle designs woven in.

The beads weren’t dense enough the first time, so I’m adding in more until I get it right.

Stay tuned.