Ann Williamson

Handmade Designer Women's Apparel

travel

Since the Baltimore Show

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It’s not unusual for people to need a bit of adjusting for the clothes they buy from me. Sleeves might be too long or too short. We may decide to take it in a bit or let it out. Some people like a snug fit, other loose. So usually, for a week or two after a show, I’ll take some time for altering.

I’ve cut back on special orders, but there are still a few that I do. Like this one. A customer asked for a jacket in black and white. What a cool idea! It’s finished and ready to ship.

I’m thinking I’d like to revisit this style again.

Below, a snap shot of the sleeve sections in process.

It’s not just altering and special orders, because, as I finish up from the show, I think about new work. I lay out fabrics that are calling to me.

These gorgeous fabrics are inspiring!

I’m also wanting to make a beaded jacket. This pretty blue shibori silk will be the base. I lay out beads of different colors, shapes and positions until I land on one that looks right.

I ended up with this, with the beads clustered towards the ends of the leaf shapes. A photo helps me to remember how I’ve laid them out.

And yes! Always a good idea. A break! Away from my studio for a short trip to one of my favorite places, Astoria, at the mouth of the Columbia River.

For this trip I was determined to focus on being there. “No photographs!’ I told myself. Just enjoy the moment.

But I could not resist the scenes down by the river front. This place is magic.

The mossy remains of piers. The miles wide Columbia river. The enormous cargo ships.

The ships wait for their turn to go up river to deliver and/or pick up goods from cities all along the river.

As I walked along the water front, I snapped a photo of a couple of coast guard boats heading out. Because the Columbia River Bar is so treacherous, the Coast Guard’s National Motor Lifeboat School is stationed here. It’s the perfect spot for people from all over the world to come and train for water rescue.

Check out this photo I downloaded from the Coast Guard website. Can you imagine the challenge of rescuing someone out of this?

And this excellent article in the New York Times about their water rescue training program.

Amazing.

All vessels engaged in foreign trade, like this one heading out, are required to employ a Columbia River Bar Pilot. The Bar Pilots guide the ships from the ocean to just past Astoria and back out again. Check out their website here.

I mean, the coast guard folks, the bar pilots, … Yow. I am beyond impressed. You guys.

It was only for a few days, but this trip was the perfect way to clear my mind, think about something completely different, change my focus, look in a new direction and start something new!

Trip to the Bay

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It’s been over three years since I’ve been to one of my favorite places. Covid put a stop to the annual San Fransisco ACC craft show and I haven’t been back since August 2019.

I’ve missed my annual trip there, so I was very happy to be able to go down for a short visit. This time, instead of August, with the perfect San Fransisco sun and ocean breezes, it was cool January with lots of rain, rain, rain. You’ve read about their flooding? I packed a rain coat and warm sweaters.

Happily, there were enough breaks in the weather for walks in the neighborhoods and visits to parks.

California is not Oregon. They have citrus trees. With oranges. Right in their front yards.

Definitely not Portland.

And lemon trees.

In Oakland, right next to the sidewalk and hanging over fences.

Lemons.

And magnolias blooming.

Portland has magnolias, but they won’t bloom for weeks and weeks.

There weren’t a lot of signs of the heavy rains, except I did see evidence in the lake at Oakland’s Temescal Park.

From all the run off, the water was a muddy brown color and over flowing its banks.

But still beautiful.

No fishing.

Most definitely required for me, a day in San Fransisco.

Did I mention it’s one of my favorite cities???

I still get a thrill when I see its outline cross the bay.

First stop, the Presidio. An army base until 1994, it is now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

The old army buildings are still in use, except now, instead of soldiers, they are leased to businesses and organizations.

I was there to see the most recent addition, the Tunnel Tops park.

The Presidio Tunnels Parkway, the southern highway access to the Golden Gate bridge, goes through two tunnels. On top is the Tunnel Tops Park.

Below is a 3-D map showing the park. That’s the Golden Gate Bridge in the upper right corner of the picture. Can you see the highway disappearing under the park?

Maybe easier to see in this detail shot. There are two tunnels, you can see them better here.

My photo, showing the highway appearing from under the park and disappearing through the second tunnel in the distance.

This beautiful park has amazing views of the bridge,

and in the distance, the city. Can you see the pyramid?

Here’s a hint, for a relatively empty park, visit on a cool, cloudy day in January.

Next up, a short visit to the Japan Center.

Packed with visitors on a rainy Sunday, it really felt like Japan.

Restaurants displaying their menu selections with examples in plastic.

Rows of gorgeous papers in the stationary store.

And good wishes for a Happy New Year of the rabbit.

The year of the rabbit is the luckiest. It symbolizes hope and mercy, elegance and contemplation.

Which sounds good to me. I’d love a little more hope, mercy, elegance and contemplation.
I send Happy Year of the Rabbit wishes to you!

Trip to the Rogue River

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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.

Smithsonian 2022

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What a way to return to in person shows! The Smithsonian’s 2022 craft show was a rousing success. A gala party on Wednesday night, followed by four days of the show. I wasn’t the only one who was happy to get out and back to seeing people in person with no computer screen between. We were all in celebratory mood, like long lost family members reunited.

My booth, in storage for over two years, went up without a problem. What a happy relief to see all my work out of my closets, hung up and ready for viewing.

And what a place for my first show, the Building Museum is a magnificent space.

The ceiling is well over 4 stories high. Fantastic!

The entire show is a fund raiser for the Smithsonian Institute. The gala party on the first night was the perfect way to start things off with a bang.

Then the show. People coming in with friends, family, alone, and in a few cases, with their sweet little dogs.

I was delighted to see my pieced trench coat, sold right at the beginning of the show, back again several days later.

I love that my clothes are out and about, worn and used!

Another one of my pieces in use just days after the show. Nina, on her way to the opera and wearing her brand new coat. Looking fantastic.

I had appliquéd strips onto a very cool kimono silk with bold, oversized, abstracted grass forms.

Gorgeous!

I admit, I do love to spend time in my studio, so I haven’t been too terribly unhappy during our covid isolation. But boy, I did miss the shows. The Smithsonian Show was the perfect medicine.

Whew! What a rush. At the end, we packed up and were ready to head home.

But we still had a day in the city, the plane was leaving at the end of the day. Perfect! There was time for a trip to the Smithsonian’s, fantastic, magnificent, amazing and glorious National Gallery of Art. As with all Smithsonian museums, free to everyone.

Free!

I am a proud museum nerd. I can spend days inside looking at whatever is up and on view. But, wow, they do have some gems.

How about this little grouping? 4 Vermeers in a row.

With only a few other people there at any one time, I cold move in close and look as long as I wanted.

Jan Van Eyck? Another of my favorite artists? Sure. The Annunciation, right over here in this other room.

Standing in front and studying it for as long as I wanted. Painted around 1435. Gabriel’s rainbow colored wings, the wooden floor painted with old testament stories, the lily, the interior of the gothic church, the depiction of the textiles, Gabriel’s beatific smile, Mary’s ultramarine blue gown [at the time, ounce per ounce, more expensive than gold,] all perfect.

Look at the colors in the one below! And the strong geometric shapes and forms. Glorious!

By the ‘Master of the Osservanza’ and painted in the first part of the 1430’s, a tryptic of Saint Anthony distributing his wealth to the poor, leaving his monastery and meeting Saint Paul.

The attention to detail, the quirkiness [can you see the funny little dog [pig?] on the far left? Or the centaur behind the trees at the upper right?], did I mention the colors???

I just about lost it when I saw ‘The Cornell Farm,’ painted in 1848 by Edward Hicks, more than 400 years after the one above.

All the cows and horses, with the landscape behind. I absolutely love it!

Detail, detail, detail, I see a theme here.

So many. So many paintings to see and analyze, study and admire. And I was in just one part of one floor of one museum. If you’ve never been, you must figure out a way to get there. If you’ve been, then return to see all that you’ve missed or forgotten.

At the end of the day, it was time to leave and head back home.

By chance, as I was heading out the door, I found myself in a room with a few paintings of women sewing.

The one above by Gilbert Stuart, painted in 1793. And the one below by Ellen Day Hale from 1893.

The third, by Joseph Rodefer Decamp from 1916.

The perfect way to end my visit to Washington, the whole reason I was there. All because of my journey with sewing, fabrics, clothing and love of art.

And how cool is this? So very, exactly, perfect. As I left the room with the paintings of women sewing, right outside, at the information desk, this woman was bent over, needle in hand, working on her embroidery.

Thank you Smithsonian Women’s Committee and everyone who came to support this wonderful organization! Not to mention all of the artists! We were finally, at long last, out and in public again!

Goodby Washington, I’m already looking forward to coming back again, whenever that may be.

Travel, Sew, Travel, Sew

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Instead of a trip to Italy or Japan, how about a trip around Oregon? One thing covid has taught us, we don’t always have to go far for adventure. During the last month or so, I was able to go back to some of my favorite places in my home state.

First stop, a visit to Mt Hood and a sweet little cabin by a roaring river.

Drive down a bumpy dirt road. Slowly, five miles per hour.

Past a rustic fence made with sticks, so cool.

And a yellow ‘Dirt Bike Xing’ warning sign.

At the end of the road, up stone stairs, to a beautiful old cabin. You can just see the roof and chimney. Gorgeous!

I was there for a whole week, plenty of time for hikes through the dense forest and past gorgeous rivers.

And trees so thick with moss, they looked as though they had been covered with fuzzy green pom-poms.

After seven days of long breakfasts, then relaxing, followed by lunch, maybe a nap, a slow walk through the woods and ending with a leisurely dinner, it was time to move on.

I packed up and headed to one of my favorite places, Astoria, not too far from where Lewis and Clark wintered after their long trek across the continent.

Astoria is a sweet little town right on the Columbia River, just before it empties into the Pacific.

The picture above was taken at the top of the Astoria Column. 164 steps up a spiral staircase to the observation deck and this amazing view.

Confession, these photos were taken during another visit. The day I was there it was raining sideways so not too good for photos. Still it was amazing! And I am happy I went up, even though I was soaked to the bone after I came down.

Later, when back down in town, a picture taken next to the Astoria-Megler Bridge. On the other side of the river, four miles away, you can see the state of Washington.

After my week on Mt Hood and four days in Astoria, I headed back home and my studio where I finished some jackets for a lovely mother of the groom.

Below, a gorgeous silvery tsumugi kimono silk over a sweet pink top with cherry blossoms. Pink and silver, I love that combination.

And another jacket, this one sewn from a fantastic blue silk jacquard, woven with traditional Japanese flower and leaf designs. Under, you can see the blue and navy top printed with villages, hills and forests.

A closeup shot to show off the beautiful fabrics.

And a hitoe, my unlined jacket/ blouse, this time in a black and white kimono silk with a design of fans. I used an abstracted pink and black landscape silk inside the collar.

And then! I had one more trip.

I turned around and headed to Oregon’s beautiful coastline for a couple of days in lovely Cannon Beach.

The place I stayed had this view! Amazing! It was cloudy and stormy, my favorite weather at the coast.

The view in the other direction.

This place was beyond spectacular.

Whew! Such a wonderful series of trips.

Back home in my studio, I was fresh and ready to work on new projects.

Such as cutting out new jackets.

And designing new pieces.

Sometimes I start with a sketch or a specific idea, other times I lay out fabrics and see where they take me. I’m thinking a full skirt and jacket appliquéd with little red bits.

And especially during covid times, when my online shop is so very important, I took some time to tidy it up. I removed sold pieces, added new, especially new scarves, and I rearranged and adjusted so that each piece would highlight the one next to it. It’s fun, not quite like arranging my work in a booth at a show, but the same idea.

If you haven’t been to my shop for a while, please check it out here.

We also added both of my little 30 second videos to my website. If you haven’t seen them, check them out at my website under ‘Videos.’