I am absolutely ready and eager to start a piecing project. I want to pull scraps from my stash, cut fabric up and start rearranging, sewing and creating something new.

But when I wander into my studio, instead of piecing, I find myself working on appliqué projects.

For example, this coat. I found this amazing kimono silk and wanted to appliqué skinny gold strips to emphasize the wandering steam design. No waiting around, no first I’ll piece a new jacket. Nope. Instead it was Appliqué.

Now.

Below, the strips pinned in place and ready to be basted.

Just before the black and white stream piece above, I was working on another appliqué piece, a wide shawl collar for a coat. It’s is from another amazing kimono silk, this one a shibori design in red and white.

Shibori, it’s the impressive Japanese tie-dye. In the detail you can see where the threads were tied tight around each of the circles. The little squares I’ll appliqué are also from a shibori, this one with tiny circles instead of big.

The woven red silk I’ll use for the coat has a classic design of overlapping pieces of fabric.

If you are anywhere close to Portland, I hope you or any other fellow fabric fiend will come to our big fabric sale. Several friends and I will be going through our stashes and offering fabric, notions and other sewing related things to sell at greatly reduced prices. I have way too much! And will be selling silks, wools, a few cottons and even some of my kimono silks that I can’t use. In addition to fabrics there will also be Elisabeth Gillem’s shibori pieces and Marla Kazell’s sample garments. And lots more!

Next Saturday, June 24th. I hope to see you there!

And one other thing. A friend sent this link and I can’t stop thinking about it. It is so cool.

I have never paid any attention to fancy watches. I knew they existed, but never had a thought about them, until I saw a little video about the making of a Patek Phillippe Grandmaster Chime watch. I was mesmerized. The craftsmanship is so impressive. Check out the video here.

Next up for me? For real. A piecing project!