Don’t Look Back kite made from silk scraps and hand dyed silk shapes to create a galloping, determined horse/donkey/dragon creature for sky flight
"get-rich-quick, a product of our time" jerkin that zips in the back, made from antique table runners hand embroidered with the words get-rich-quick on the chest and a product of our time on the back collar reaching to the right shoulder, hand painted false back opens with a poached vintage zipper, hand finished with tags and date.
Two apocalypse fish stuffed animals for the worst case scenario. Hold the part of yourself that fears the imminent collapse of all you know. These were gifted to my aunt and a good friend and artist in New Orleans, Elizabeth Shannon.
Archival piece from Ella’s collection: a lucky, protective talismanic top made from vintage silk from a 1930s table runner. Vintage velvet edging hand stitched to frame the upper bodice. The ruffle is polka dotted upholstery silk. The neck piece is made with hand pieced lace flowers and a reworked lace cuff. The collar is made of transparent cotton selvage from a 1920s dress. Ella hand embroidered an angel with a shelf on her right side filled with different symbols: a rooster’s foot, a thread, etc. The silhouette reimagines Victorian mourning garments and is a freestyle design, made without a pattern.
2020
A simple silk bralette that was dyed by iron found on the streets of New York City. Silk gifted by icon Susan W.
2021
Made from vintage shibori and kinsha silk from the 1990s.
2021
Made from vintage chirimen and kinsha silk from the 1990s.
2021
Vintage banana hammock made from vintage kinsha silk with rope and hand-painted tassel detail with green and white spackle design. Lined with incredible new white crepe silk and finished with vintage chartreuse dyed lace. Messy silk tapes enclose the finest elastic.
2019
A vintage corset from the 1940s handworked with an oil spill. All hand stitched.
2022