Ann Williamson

Handmade Designer Women's Apparel

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Craft Council’s On-line Atlanta/SE Show

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Starting Monday, September 20th, the Craft Council’s on-line Atlanta/SE show will be live and open for members. If you’re not a member, please consider becoming one. It’s a great way to help support American craft.

On the next day, Tuesday, September 21, the show will open to all.

My new work will be there, new coats, jackets and scarves. All online. Shop in your jammies! The link to my shop here.

Below, my newest pieced coat on a beautiful model. I’ve paired it with my meisen striped skirt. The coat, called ‘All the Irregulars,’ [because, the irregular navy and white pieces of silk] will in the show. The skirt is now up in my web-shop.

A cape with appliqués will also be in the show. Worn loose and soft or pulled tight over and around your shoulders. Capes are the best! Perfect for all!

A brand new ‘Hitoe’ in an amazing black and white shibori. Each one of those little dots are tie-dyed.

Really!

Paired with a fabric with abstracted leaves for the collar and black sleeves with a woven tree design.

I’ve been busy piecing new scarves too. Like this one with cranes in beautiful forest-y greens.

The great thing about scarves, one size really and truly does fit all.

A bold red and black with oh so cool traditional Japanese designs.

The silks I use in my scarves are either from old kimonos that don’t have enough usable fabric for a whole jacket, but have spectacular bits that I can use in my scarves or they are leftover scraps from other projects. ‘Mottainai,’ waste nothing. And with these gorgeous fabrics, I absolutely will not.

We’re limited to 15 pieces, so as things sell I’ll add in new. Be sure and come back to see what’s new.

A link to my shop here. Open this Monday, September 20 through Sunday the 26th.

Photo Shoot in the Park

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As a participating artist for the upcoming American Craft Council’s online show, I received a request for a 30 second video about my work.

Video! Yes! I’d love to make a video.

So I gathered my clothes and accessories, a beautiful model, who was able and willing to come and pose for me, my photographer, iphone in hand, and we all headed out for an afternoon at our local park.

What I had not considered is that a public park is just that, public. People use it. And our chosen location, a long flight of concrete stairs, attracted runners. They’d jog up the stairs, sometimes pace and catch their breath at the top, then turn around and come back down. Minutes later they were back again, huffing and puffing all the way to the top, then back down. Over and over again.

I’m sure they were all thinking, “Why go to the gym and stay in one spot on a boring stair-master when you can go outdoors to a park, breathe fresh air and do the real thing?”

Why indeed?

We would wait patiently until they passed. We were usually successful, but did catch a few as they jogged past.

I’ll admit, I did utter a few, “oooh boy….” as we paused between shots….

The things you do not think about when planning a shoot. This is one I’ll pay attention to next time; stay away from a popular spot.

Still, over all we did very well. We had lots of good still and video shots. More than enough for a 30 second video.

We’re working on that video and one other and will have them up for viewing for the week of the show, September 20 – 26.

Stay tuned.

New Pieced Coat

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A brand new coat, finished just yesterday. Pieced from very dark, almost black, navy and white kimono silks.

These are ‘tsumugi’ silks, a gorgeous textured fabric. Unlike a smooth and shiny silk, this kind had a rugged quality that gives it more of a rustic look.

The detail below shows the weave. You can just see the slubs and rough surface. It’s not ‘noil,’ an inexpensive silk woven from the broken ends of the fibers. Instead, Tsumugi is woven from odd shaped and irregular cocoons, so the fibers are thicker and more uneven. It is stronger than the smooth silks used in formal kimonos and is prized for its sturdiness and strength.

The back.

I’ll be adding this coat and other new work, to my upcoming shop in the American Craft Council’s online show: Atlanta/Southeast Craft Week.

Online September 20-26. Can’t wait!