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Ann Williamson

Handmade Designer Women's Apparel

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Retired Racers 2023 Calendar

November 6, 2022 4 Comments

A few weeks back, Holly Andres, photographer extraordinaire, asked if I would participate in a fund raiser for our local greyhound adoption organization, I enthusiastically answered yes!

When greyhounds can no longer race, often between 3 or 5 years old, they are retired. The Greyhound Pet Adoption NW organization helps to find homes for these beautiful dogs.

The idea was to photograph the dogs wearing ‘Elizabethan Collars.’ Not those cone shaped collars that dogs wear after surgery, instead, they wanted fancy, Tudor inspired collars.

Holly gathered 12 local designers and asked them to create their own version of an Elizabethan collar. The photos would be for their 2023 calendar.

What to make? I still had a headpiece for the ‘bride’ in this photoshoot from a few years back and thought it would make a good starting place.

It wasn’t quite Tudor size, so I added bigger bias loops. And in honor of Elizabeth I, it needed more pizazz and sparkle, so I added some good sized beads.

A detail shot.

I handed the collar over to Holly who photographed it and the 11 other contributions.

The final photo, on the beautiful Zia, looking glamorous and fetching. And oh so sweet.

Miss November.

The calendar is available at the Greyhound Pet Adoption website. Only $19.99! All proceeds go to the adoption, medical, transport and housing of these retired racers. Check it out here.

The backside, so you can see some of the other photos. I am always blown away by how different the results can be when creative people are asked to complete one task. Amazing!

Please check it out. And consider helping out this wonderful organization by buying this calendar!

Trip to the Rogue River

October 23, 2022 4 Comments

Such a great break, a short trip to the beautiful Rogue River in Southern Oregon.

You drive straight south, through the Willamette Valley and up over the mountains to the Rogue Valley.

To the charming Weasku Inn.

Built in 1925, this log cabin lodge was a favorite of Clark Gable, which feels exactly right. Most certainly a place that a 1920’s movie star would love to visit. It is secluded and far from any pressures or commitments.

You can stay in the lodge or rent one of their cabins, all with a beautiful view out into the forest. Not a bad deal at all.

And a short walk to the Rogue River. I’ll have to agree with Clark, it’s the perfect getaway.

Mid-October, summer was over and fall was in the air. The grasses were done.

And the trees were starting to change.

But still warm enough for this guy to fish.

And for this guy to try his luck at a little gold panning.

Such a nice break. A few days of nothing but quiet walks, long breakfasts, naps and lots and lots of deep breathing.

Perfect.

Two New Coats and How They Came to be

October 9, 2022 13 Comments

People ask, “Where do your idea come from?”

Sometimes they are from something I made before and wanted to do again, only in a different way.

For example, I’d been wanting to revisit this piece I had made years ago. It was a white on white wrap top. Sewn from a matte silk crepe and appliquéd with satin bias tubes.

I liked the subtle textural contrasts and have been wanting to do something like it again.

This time, instead of concentric spiral shapes, I decided to do something with more energy. In my pile of old drawings, I found a sketch of a skirt with scribbly, graffiti shapes.

I went with a gorgeous tomato red kimono silk for the base and used a slightly redder, shinier fabric for the appliqués.

Below, in process, pinned and ready for basting. The back and sleeves have the same designs.

Now it’s in my hand-work queue.

Stay tuned.

Another coat, from over a year ago, made with the fabric below. I was surprised to discover that the Japanese weavers wove the plaid in a random, totally laissez-faire way. It is not at all what I think of as ‘plaid,’ where all the stripes are the same distance apart and you can line them up so ‘the plaid matches.’

I laid out sections of the fabric next to each other and in most areas there was no way to line it up. It was one step from impossible to match the plaid. Can you see how the horizontal lines are close at the top, then shift so much that they are completely out of alignment at the bottom?

Although I had to go through the whole bolt, I was able to find enough areas to at least, kind of, match the plaid.

Below, the front of the finished coat.

I didn’t even try to get the sleeves to line up. If I had, my head would have exploded. But, I did manage to line up the sides and pocket pieces so they were close enough.

After I finished that coat, I thought, I’ll use the rest of the fabric and make another piece where absolutely nothing lines up. I’ll work with the uneven, totally random, ‘plaid-like’ fabric. Everything will be totally out of order and it will become a piece about a plaid that absolutely does not even try to line up.

On my wall, in process.

Below, Finished!

Nothing lines up and it is not supposed to.

One last thing, as requested and in order to make my blog more readable, we’ve adjusted the font so it is darker and thicker. After all, my whole goal here is to tell my stories. Legibility is definitely the way to go!

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New for Baltimore Craft Show @craftcouncil Coat p New for Baltimore Craft Show
@craftcouncil 
Coat pieced from kimono silk scraps
Booth 215
#annwilliamson
New coat for Baltimore @craftcouncil March 3-5 A New coat for 
Baltimore @craftcouncil 
March 3-5
Appliquéd Japanese kimono silk.
Booth 215
#annwilliamson
Full skirt pieced from vintage Meisen kimono silk Full skirt pieced from vintage Meisen kimono silk with matching jacket.
#annwilliamson
An Elizabethan Collar for Ms November Greyhound P An Elizabethan Collar for
Ms November 
Greyhound Pet Adoption fundraiser calendar for 2023 
Check out the video of the project at: @gpanorthwest 
Looped bias tubes and beaded collar for sweet Zia.
Photographer @hollyandres 
#annwilliamson

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“I measure the success of my clothing by how it looks and feels on the woman who wears it.
I want each piece to flatter and enhance the body it adorns.”

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