the current state of affairs

May 6, 2011
by annwood

overgrown

Besides this blog, lots of things around here have been  neglected and are in need of attention ( including email – if you’re waiting to here back form me hang in there – I’ll be catching up this weekend). My little victorian fishbowl terrarium ( a truly inspired gift from my sister becky) has slipped into  chaos and disarray. Maybe I have a little too – we are definitely both a little extra dishevelled.  I’ve collected some moss and tiny plants and will  correct the terrarium situation this weekend.  Next week I’ll be back with some new boats and owls and spiders and other stuff in progress.  For now here are a couple recently finished things pictured with the gowns they are made from and inspired by:

queenie and french

queenie and french

And constance and o.

constanceollie

And be sure to checkout BHLDN’s new decor line – it’s beautiful and  I’m flattered to be included.

miss tulip gown

March 4, 2011
by annwood

tulipgown_sm

This dress turned up here in brown pieces –  I’m not even sure how it really goes together. I soaked it for days and days and then had lots of  fun pinning it into a dress shape. The under and over skirts are weighted and the overskirt has a lovely tulip shaped hem.

tulipdetail_smI’m making some things from it now – I’ll show you next week. I’m also working on a new kind of little boat -they’ll be finished and in the shop next tuesday .

little boat work

paper mache teacup pattern

February 24, 2011
by annwood

A paper mache teacup pattern to  mark the 5 year anniversary of my blog, my experiment.   A  perfect time to say thank you and give you a present.

There is a template you can download here.

And lots and lots of photos and instructions.  If you do make teacups I’d love to see and you can use #annwoodpattern on instagram or leave a link to your photo in the comment section below.

ann wood teacups

What you need:

  • Click here to download the template
  • paste –  I use golden harvest wheat paste ( wall paper paste)
  • light cardboard – cereal or frozen pizza box is great and a bit of thicker cardboard for a base
  • newspaper – it’s nice to have different colors
  • scotch tape ( not the invisible gift wrap  stuff- the shiny sticky stuff)
  • glue – elmers, glue stick, hot glue  – whatever you like
  • pencil, scissors, exacto knife, and paint and brushes, glitter, fabric – whatever you’d like for decoration.

Click the photos for larger images.

Cut out the templates for the teacup, handle and bottom  and trace them onto your cardboard. I had the best results with a Kashi frozen pizza box.  Cut out your pieces and  very lightly and  gently score the the teacup where the dotted lines are on the template with the BACK of your exacto knife.

Make a very  tiny snip  – really tiny -just a 16th of an inch or so where the sections meet. Next bring the bottom sections together one at a time and tape together on the outside (the printed side). Then turn it over and taper the bottom inside.  Do this for each section – always taping both sides…….

Read More

treasures from sri

February 15, 2011
by annwood

Stephen Szczepanek of Sri Threads sent over another surprise package of magnificent things. Exquisite, inspiring things, thoughtfully chosen and gathered and kept for me that  just  magically appear on my doorstep.  Here are  a few  highlights.

japanese garment fragments

There are fragments of garments with wonderful surprise linings.
lining

sri garment 2

And beautiful wear and eccentric mending.
eccentric mending
I already have owls in progress and I’m thinking about using the blue silk bits below for spider bustles and some new flowers I’ll show you soon. Thanks you, thank you Mr. Szczepanek!

silkblue

velvet

January 26, 2011
by annwood

I like velvet and have been on the lookout for it lately. This antique jacket came with the bonus of owly eye buttons. Lots of them. There are 6 on the back as well. You can click the image for a better look.

velvet jacket

It looks like it has come for a visit – lounging on the couch. My BRAND NEW couch that I will go on and on about later, it’s been a saga ( you can see a bit more of it here). I like the lining fabric too –  there  is some wonderful mending I will preserve  however I use it.

mending

shadow land

January 20, 2011
by annwood

This was a wonky little experiment, something I made to entertain myself one evening lat year.   I came across the photo while doing some organizing last night.  Here is a look at the shadow casters:

making shadows

deconstructed gown

January 14, 2011
by annwood

girl in progressI’ m making some one of a kind fancy girls from this antique  ball gown. I used most of the large sections of lace for the pip and estella set and it’s almost gone. Now I’m using the chiffon and appliqueing  tiny motifs I cut from the lace that is too damaged to use.

lace detail

The under skirt of that gown was kind of a surprise, after several days of soaking years of grayness away  it’s a beautiful pale pink and blue  floral tulle. I’m making a little  troupe of blue ballerinas from it.

blue underskirt

Filed under WIP

tatters

January 12, 2011
by annwood

tattered skirt

This wonderfully tattered and incredibly fragile antique dress arrived last week.  All the silk is shattered, but beautifully shattered – almost as though it’s transforming itself.

tattered antique lawn gown

lawn gown detail

goodbye 2010

December 30, 2010
by annwood

I hope 2010 was a fabulous year for you and wish you a happy 2011.  I’ll end the year with photos of  a few favorite treasures I discovered on deadhorse beach this year.

A tiny perfume bottle  and a bit of sea green net,

deadhorse perfume bottle

a wonderfully detailed little spaceman,

deadhorse spaceman

and a  pretty ceramic shard.

deadhorse shard

Happy New Year!!!

(and thanks for showing up)