My goal for this photoshoot was to make clothes for Ola and Tasnim that worked together. I wanted photographs of these two beautiful sisters wearing outfits that harmonized and complimented each other.

This set started with an orange skirt. I had sewn it from a fabulous kimono silk that was printed with designs of pools of swirling water. It had originally gone with a jacket, now gone. I loved this skirt and wanted to make a new top to go with it.

Plus color! I was ready for something bright and colorful. What goes with an orange skirt? Purple! and gold! and more orange!

Inspired by the amazing design on the skirt, the top has appliquéd overlapping swirling lines of bias tubes.

Below, a detail. You can just see the beautiful weave of the orange blouse.

To go with this set? A deep aubergine trench coat sewn from a gorgeous kimono silk of woven zig zags. ‘Vegetable dyed’ said the label. I added a little padding and quilted the zig zags on the coats bottom panel.

The deep color of the coat sets off the bright colors of the vest. It’s pieced from silks in pretty spring colors of pink and orange, green and coral.

Beautiful Ola and Tasnim in my pieced navy suit and appliquéd circle vest.

The skirt, pieced in sections then joined together, is almost, not quite, a full circle. Below is a picture of the front half.

The original kimono silk design of streams of flowing dots is easy to see in the jacket. In the skirt, the dots are cut into pieces and scattered across the panels.

More circles in the vest. The shape of its peplum is a true, full circle.

Onto the peplum are appliquéd circles. I stitched each in place with a bead and left the rest loose, so they flutter like petals of a flower.

I like the idea of a blanket sized piece of fabric wrapped around the body. Even better if it’s pieced and appliquéd, like a cozy quilt pulled over and around your shoulders.

I sewed my very first cape when I was in high school. I had asked for a poncho for Christmas and instead of that, my mom bought me a yard of fuzzy wool, a pattern and an inexpensive sewing machine. It was step one onto this path I am following. [Thank you Mom!]

Now years later, I’m revisiting the form. A cape, a poncho, a cloak, this shape has many names.

Below, an in process picture. It shows how the irregularities of the hand painted kimono silk are emphasized by the piecing.

Next, I laid out the little squares, basted them in place and then hand stitched around each square.

A detail snap shot of the squares basted and ready to be stitched down.

Finished, the front, arms out to show off the design.

With arms down, this amazing fabric wraps in close to the body and folds into an origami shape.