The Debate, Poll watching & the Vote

The BIG DEBATE~ Do I go with a magenta Sharpie or a black Sharpie to sign all the books that'll be flying outta here any day? Oh, the agony. The books are getting here sooner than anticipated, and some people are already getting theirs from Amazon and Barnes & Noble ahead of the official publication date. And not that I'm a poll watcher or anything (that would be my husband) but Seams To Me has been the #1 seller on Amazon in the sewing category for several days now. I can't believe it! Wowwee. N'kay, nuff book bragging, let me brag about something else....



The BIG VOTE~ A group from my Garden Party Home Goods collection has been nominated for Best New Color Story by Textiles Today TiA Awards. So power to the people! You can go vote for my collection here (or one of the other nominees if you so chose...but, come on).

So what debates, polls & votes did you think I was talking about?
(although, doesn't watching those other debates make you want to play with Sharpies!?)

good weekend pals, lots of sewing to do here!
xo,Anna

I can't believe it - it's just like a book

It's here. At least a few advanced copies. It's just exactly what I thought it would be, and then its a surprise all over again. I wrote all this? Seriously? Actually no, I wrote WAY more than this, and this is to represent the best of all I wrote. And drew. And photographed. And designed. And dreamed. And cried. And lived. For days on end, and nights alone in the dark in the studio with a quilt on my lap, a plate of something encouraging, and very often a beer, or two, keeping me company until 3 or 4 in the morning, until I started the countdown of hours till the feet would be stomping all over the house, and called it a night. Or a morning. The two or three hours of sleep left to me after a night of writing and rewriting, were never enough to warm my icy right hand that had to stay out of the warmth of the blanket, extended out on the desk and clicking on the mouse. My computer table is against an outer wall and above the garage which is not particularly well insulated, so its a risk to work late in the winter.

But today, the warm Autumn sun is rushing itself through all the studio windows making a sunny comfortable place for this little project of mine. So I sit and I flip and I flip again and again. And I'm terrified and thrilled that so many of you will do the same. And I hope that you know that through many of the struggles with this book, I thought of the collective you. I thought of how if I could just sit you down here and we could make all this stuff together over stories and shared experiences, then the risk wouldn't feel so great. It would feel like just having you here for a sewing day and so much more. And in the end, that's what I feel like this book became. Something I made for and with you and something that I hope warms at least your hearts when you take on any of its projects knowing that all of it is inspired by my desire to share. And to celebrate. And to teach. And to care for this gift that was given to me by the all the talented women in my family. Thank you for all the encouragement that you leave here for me everyday. Its proved to be a soft handknit glove that kept my little hand warm and clicking away.

All emotion aside (as if that's possible), what are you doing between now and November 14th? Well you could be entering your chance to win a sewing machine, the book, fabric, thread and so on! My publisher has set up a landing page for the book here, and it includes a gianormous sweepstakes thanks to Wiley Publishing, Singer, FreeSpirit Fabrics, Coats & Clark. And you can enter once a day and you don't even have to buy the book to do so. Exciting stuff!

Wishing you the best weekend, and I'll be sitting on the floor with that stack again now.
love from here, Anna Maria

Ahh, Shoot!

Lots of photo shoots to wrap up this week in prep for market, then on to lots more sewing etc. While the pace doesn't look just like above all the time, it certainly feels just like this. I always snap a few of my models entering and leaving the scene, and I always love how those shots end up.

This here is letting one little kitten out of the bag. I'll be introducing four new sewing patterns at market, and its been an awful lot of work getting everything just so. But in a lot of ways, after the book, one sewing pattern doesn't seem quite the work it once did, its just a different format altogether-one that allows a bit more space and explanation for a given project, so it feels luxurious as I write and illustrate.

Speaking of the book, I am overwhelmed at the amount of people who have pre-purchased a signed book from my shop. Thank you soooo much! You have no idea how much that means to me, especially when me and my small business can't offer the same price breaks as the big guys. Just knowing that you want to bring it into your sewing room means a great deal, no matter where you buy it! Oh and there is going to be a big publisher-size sweepstakes very soon that I can't wait to point you too!

More kittens escaping here soon!

xo,Anna

Whats gray & cream & pumpkin all over?

The newest instalment of my Quilt Market furniture is in progress! I'm sure you remember the fancy chairs from Spring Market, which I hope are still being enjoyed by their owner (hi, Rhiannon). It was so fun to connect with a fabric lover to achieve those chairs that I've decided to make it a market tradition.



This fall, however, as Houston is our market-hosting city, and with all that city and that part of the country has been through....it felt only a little odd to blog a title such as "Hey Houston I know you don't have power or anything but who wants to upholster a couch for me?" Yea, see, not so good or thoughtful, really.

BUT, it never feels wrong to bother a friend or a family member, so in that annoying spirit I called on my friend Caroline, a Houston native and the proprietor of JCarolineCreative.com. And might I say she rocks upholstery, and she does it herself!! Anyway, she scored this lovely traditional sofa (digital mock-up above) for 15 smackers at a garage sale, and had yet to decide what to do with it. I decided that for her and she was totally game. What a girl.



I went to my fav local fabric shop to find a posh piping fabric, knowing I wanted something pumpkin-ish, and was pointed to this fine wale corduroy, which I think is perfect. I love how light hits fine corduroys and matte velvets making them milky from one angle and deep and rich from the other. I think it will catch the light beautifully as edge piping for the sofa and give it a warm, cozy detail. Oh, and I did offer to cut the bias strips before I sent them, as I know most people hate doing that. Enjoying bias strip cutting is strange fact #241 about me.

One market couch, check. One husband on board for booth modifications (while I stand and stare), check. Lots and lots going on, and can't wait to share a few things that I've had up my sleeve for a while now.

Happy October, people. xoxo, AM