This would be the perfect time to blog if I could narrow down the subject matter

But mostly I can't stop thinking about pearl cotton and how I'd like to sit in a corner in a quiet room and teach myself to be the best hand-quilter ever. I've recently filled an entire bowl full with these little jewels, and my head with dreams of perfect little bright stitches outlining this or that. And how that monotony would be so soothing and perfect. But love is patient, so we wait, the cotton and I. It sits there. I do anything but.

I'm feeling compelled to offer a bullet list here of what's been jiggin, but I shall resist. I do want to say a giant banner-sized (waving back and forth vigorously!) THANK YOU for all the love and sweetness and nice words in regards to my Quilt Market booth and the visits I had there. I am just humbled by the little niceties floating around in blogland about my new fabrics, book cover, etc. With every passing day over the last week, I was continually confronted with more mentions of the experience from so many great perspectives of everyone in attendance that I could barely add to it and do any real service. I will say that overall I had more fun in a booth than just walking. I felt at home. I also realized that all the hard work, frustrations, long hours, postponed outings are the price you pay for inspiration. Or maybe the price you pay for pushing a little inspiration all the way to its lavish resting spot at the end of a long path. And now. Sitting there. I feel inspired again. And here I go. Already working on things that I won't get to sit in the midst of for at least another 9 months to a year. But I'm a girl. I can handle cycles.

Ahhh. There. That feels better, I wrote something.

I warned you with that title, so no whining about the incoherence of this post, people.

Okay, more to share and say about some things I'm working on for YOU! But in the meantime, if you care to immerse yourself even deeper into the abyss known as Anna spilling her creative guts about fabric (which truly knows no end) go and visit the Boutique Cafe (such sweet girls!) link over there in the sidebar under More of Me (oh my goodness and they have their own song too!!). I had the pleasure of taping a handful of interviews from other folks too so, if you can stand it, I'll continue to direct you to them as they pop up. In fact I'll do it whether you can stand it or not.

okay. I'm hungry. I miss you guys. I can feel a regular pace coming on I think, so lets be friends again. xoxo, Anna

So Much

Soo sooo much. All of it. Too much to ever recount, both, the faces and the facets of this trip my love and I took together. Mostly today, I want to share what I was surrounded by for days, and what I almost grew tired of talking about. But really I didn't. It was a necessary thing to be in the physical midst of all the dreams, thoughts, drawings and stitches I've been working at for I don't know how long. Necessary. Because I love sharing all of it, and what better way?



The chairs? Exactly as I asked for. The walls? Exactly how I pleaded from my honey. The Drawing Room proved to be a fabulous place to chat with countless friends, both old and new.



Many of the items that were sewn up for the booth are the prototypes for both a line of patterns due out this fall and a few sneak peeks at book projects.



Speaking of sneaks, here is one corner of the Garden Party half of the booth. I'll be more ready to show the new quilting line in its entirety after just a few more weeks.



And while we're here, and since you can see a bit of it up there, and thousands of other attendees have already seen. Here it is. My book. Aggh. So much emotion over all this right now, dunno know what else to say. I still have so much unpacking and reorienting left to do before I can eloquate just exactly what I was doing for 6 days. OH, and there's a blue ribbon to be unpacked as well for the best booth display in my booth size category. Really didn't see it coming, but it was just enough to get Jeff to help me with this again, so very thankful for that.

More soon, but I wanted all of you patient pals to share in the visuals.
I hope you've been well in my absence!!!
love from here at home, Anna

So as it turns out, I do take advertising on my blog

I am not even going to list the number of things I have sewn in the last 4 days for Quilt Market because you simply would not believe me and you would be certain that I lie. (I should say too that I do not recommend hand sewing for 13 hours straight. I can't feel my right thumb but it looks like its still there.) And speaking of lies, who, praytell, was that person blogging here under my name 2 weeks ago that said there would be Drawing Room stacks for sale in the shop this week? And who said there would be full shots of the fabrics shown this week? That was the liar, and she's not allowed to post any more.

I have heard from tons of you (hi everyone!) that have seen both our Drawing Room ad and the feature that MEHC so kindly did on me in the June/July issue. Thanks for all the nice words I've received on both! There will also be a podcast that corresponds to the article uploaded to this page within just a few days as I understand it.

So 4am is our call to be up and get to the airport tomorrow and not back till next week. Sorry there's no time to post the fabric shots before I go as promised. Bur FreeSpirit has their gallery up, and you can glean a bit of scaling info from the fabrics shown in our ad above too. So far I know the fabrics are ready for sale online at JCaroline, Purl, and Contemporary Cloth. If you know of other shops that have it online, please feel free to post a comment with a link! I am more than happy to let all these kind folks beat me to the punch of selling the goods. I'm lined up to get some studio assistance once I return so we should have the shop stocked and humming here before long.

Oh, and before I forget.... Somewhere in all this there has been an amazingly patient and hard-working man who has single handedly built a fabulous booth display and is too modest to let me take his picture while he's working. So he'll just be my traveling companion of honor who will be sick of my thanking and gushing about 5 minutes in. However seeing as he's a running man I'm hoping he can take the time to visit Nike HQ while in Portland. Anybody know someone who works there? I think that you need to know a Nikeperson to get a tour. Please pass on if so!

Okay pals, I'll see ya in a week, and if you're at market please come see me at booth 1705-1707.

mm-WAH! xoAnna

handmade for mom

I think what I adore most about Mother's Day is that there always seems to be an ample supply of love translated through drawings, words, bean plants, handpainted ceramics, and the like. And I am so warmed by all the levels of artistic development in our little brood from scribbles to skilled. I want for nothing.



Mom, I made you this clutch bag, Happy Mother's Day! Sorry you're not clutching it right now, but you know how good I am with timing and mailing. Your love of every scribble, every humble piece of pottery and each and every misspelled, handmade card I ever gave you inspired me more than you can know.

Whether you receive or whether you give motherly love, I'm wishing you blessings today!

xoAnna

Showers and flowers

These are the invites I made for my friend Julie's baby shower that I hosted here on Saturday. I printed the card stock first then cut little fabric ovals, cut about a 1/4 of them out for the buggy shape and stitched them down to the card. Then I glued the buttons on for wheels.



I received lots of rsvps that were accompanied by squeals over the invites, so I highly recommend the process should you find yourself hosting a baby shower...or an announcement would be charming too. Weird. I never managed to do anything at all clever when having babies, just long afterwards now for other people. I know lots of moms who both have the baby and correspond in ridiculously adorable ways regarding the baby. I never managed a knack for both at the same time. I have however given birth faster than I glued on all those buttons. That's a knack, I suppose.



I sprinkled the house and patio with these "belly blossoms" before the guests arrived. I thought they evoked a sweet little in-womb view.



The day also proved to be a perfect excuse to buy this gorgeous girl-pink hydrangea when I was at Whole Foods picking up dinner Friday night. Not that I need an excuse, but I'm just sayin' - there was a real reason to buy it. Which always feels good.

Okay kids, back to work, more soon!

xoxox, Anna