Ann Williamson

Handmade Designer Women's Apparel

jackets

Looking towards Baltimore

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It’s coming up! The ACC Baltimore Craft Show, with its new name, American Craft Made.

I am buried in my happy place. Kimono silks flying, ideas bubbling, sewing machine buzzing, zeroing in and focusing on new work.

Such as this pieced trench coat. All in blue and white kimono silks from leftovers of previous projects.

The back.

But wait! Before I focus completely on new pieces for Baltimore. I want to take a last look at a couple of jackets that found their way to their new homes.

Like this pieced jacket in bright colors set off with white. A few weeks ago I posted this one in process. All the fabrics are from my never ending piles of leftover scraps. No new silk was cut for this jacket.

Actually, it’s a theme for this whole post. These three jackets are all from remainders. Fabric pieces from previous projects.

The back.

This one was also sent off to its new home, sewn from the last bits of this gorgeous brocade, a red and gold kimono silk with peacocks and peonies.

And the back,

From now on, all my new work will be for the Baltimore show. It’s the first weekend in March. That will be March 3-5.

Can’t wait!

New Skirt and Jacket

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My left over pieces of kimono silk are too beautiful, too amazing, too gorgeous to throw out.

Especially the bits and pieces of meisen silk. Meisen, a fabric that is woven, printed with a design, then unwoven, and then, rewoven again.

Yep, rewoven.

When it is rewoven, the threads do not line up back to the way they were. The printed design looks soft and out of focus.

My scraps and leftover bits pile up until I have enough for a new project. This time it was a full skirt with a matching jacket. It’s is all meisen, mostly in black and white with bits of red and, for a little extra, navy blue.

A detail shot. It’s not an out of focus photo, it’s the fabric.

I build my full skirts in sections, piecing each panel, one at a time, until I have 16.

Here they are, laid out on my floor, ready to be sewn together. There’s not enough room to lay it out into a full circle, so I spread it out into a giant ‘U’ shape and remember that the two sides will be next to each other in the final version.

A close up of the jacket. They wasn’t quite enough of the ‘dotted’ fabric, so I added in the stripe, sort of like a peplum.

This skirt and jacket, lots of scarves, other jackets and tops are listed in my web-shop.

Check them out here.

Beaded Jacket Finished!

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Whew! This jacket was completed in the knick of time. I promised ‘the end of summer,’ which technically won’t be until September 22nd, but because I think that Labor Day is the official end of summer, Labor Day was my goal. I was on a mission to finish. And Hooray! I did it!

I usually keep a hand sewing project next to my comfy TV chair and work on it slowly without a concern or thought for time. It takes as long as it takes and I don’t pay attention to the clock or the day or even the month. I had zero idea how long it had taken me the first time to make this jacket, so it was a surprise to realize how many hours I had spent.

It was a while,….

But I’m on the other side now. Done! Such a good feeling.

Next up, a video. I’m going to be participating in the American Craft Council’s online craft show this October, ‘The American Craft Made Pop-Up Market.’ They sent out a request for a 30 second video about one of the pieces that will be available for sale.

They’re fun to make so we’re on it. Scarves do well online, so that’s my subject. All about a scarf in a 30 second video.

Wish us luck!

Happy Happy Happy Labor Day to you and all my wishes for a lovely Fall, when ever you decide that it begins.