Ann Williamson

Handmade Designer Women's Apparel

piecing

Smithsonian Show! Coming Up!

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Here we go! I can hardly believe it. April 20 – 24 is almost here. I’ll be packing my suitcases and heading to Washington DC in one week! After over two long years, exhibiting at an in-person show is a very big deal.

I have a lot of new work that I’ll be bringing. For example, this pieced jacket I started in January. It’s sewn from left over scraps from other projects. Here it is finished and ready for its close up.

Piecing on the sleeves too, a side-view.

I love the deep blues and bits of bright, the colors of an early evening, night sky.

The back.

Below, two kimono silks that compliment each other, pieced together in various widths. Although the strips are laid out horizontally, their ‘mis-match’ at the center emphasizes the vertical.

I sewed beads along the seams to add a little pizazz.

Years ago, my friend Junko gave me a kimono sewn from this fabric, a gorgeous silk brocade. Sometimes I like to let a fabric sit and age awhile, like a fine wine. This one waited patiently until now. Such a beautiful design! Wow! It’s woven with gold peony flowers and peacocks. Can you see the peacock tail feathers on the sleeves and center front?

The back, a peacock in plain view.

Thank You Junko for this amazing silk!

I have more coats and jacket finished and ready to go.

If you are anywhere near Washington DC, I hope you’ll come by to see them all!

A Little Light

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There are some frightening things going on. The war in Ukraine is beyond upsetting. It’s challenging to focus and think about pretty things. I’m on the other side of the world from the people who live there and cannot imagine their terror. My heart goes out to all Ukrainians, their families and loved ones.

I do what little I can and then turn to my work. I cut and sew, piece and stitch, and make things with the hope that they might somehow bring a little light to the darkness.

With that in mind, I’m posting pictures of some of my more recent pieces. Three jackets finished and ready to be shown at the Smithsonian Craft Show, April 20-24.

A new jacket, inspired by this beautiful black kimono silk with a woven, gold cherry blossom design. I’ve added gold appliquéd squares and beads.

I highlighted the design with the beads, trying to keep them at a minimum so as to not distract. Then I added the appliquéd squares to balance out the patterns.

The back. Depending on how the light hits, the gold glimmers between a total gold and a subtle green.

I think I’ve mentioned,… that I love these fabrics. I see the evidence of the human hands that made them. I save all the little leftovers from every project, then use them in new.

A jacket, pieced from the remainders from a couple of projects, including the first jacket in this post.

I enjoy the process of laying out the pieces, balancing the colors and patterns. This one used fabrics from two different kimonos, each with its own family crest. You can see one of them below.

And the second one in the center of the back.

Lastly, from a gorgeous kimono silk with an oh so cool woven pattern of river rock shapes.

A few of the amoeba-like shapes had little pink dots around them, I added beads around all the others.

A detail for an up close view.

And the back.

These and others will have their first viewing at the Smithsonian Craft Show, this April.

I am so looking forward to being there and seeing my friends and customers, old and new!

Gift of Time

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Because the Baltimore show was cancelled, instead of one week to get ready for the next show, I have eleven. Not a bad thing, not bad at all. Eleven more weeks for new work.

I’ve got a number of pieces going, including this new pieced jacket. I’m starting with scraps and leftovers from previous projects, including tiny bits of bright turquoise. It was such a gorgeous piece, I saved even the smallest scraps.

And a new beading project. I love the way the black beads add an edgy quality to the pretty pink jacquard. This is on its way to becoming a jacket. It’s one side of the the front, now onto the back, sleeves and collar.

11 weeks! That gave me enough time to take apart several kimonos and ready them for their next life. Each one of these beautiful silks has a traditional Japanese design; chrysanthemums, criss-crossing blades of grass, swirling streams and bold peony flowers. Gorgeous.

I’ll finish these and others in plenty time for the Smithsonian Show, April 20 – 24.