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!