Making me think today

But also making me sew, too. Of course. By hand. Juliana and I both shed a little tear with this story, only 5 minutes long or so. I think you'll agree how beautiful this portrayal is. What does this sort of thing do to you? As a descendant of this type of work, I feel. As a business woman, I contemplate. I would love to know what you feel or contemplate, even if it conflicts. Perhaps more than anything, as an artist, this makes me want to learn.

have a nice long weekend, make something beautiful, and then show someone else how to do it too. xo, Anna Maria

(Video compliments of my friends at Etsy)

Needleworks (!!!!!!!)

As many times as I have stuck myself with a pin or a needle over the past few weeks I am surprised that I didn't pop given the amount of excitement that has had me blown up like a balloon. Introducing Anna Maria Needleworks! (awh, phew, I can feel the air escaping out my fingertips as I type). I've alluded to it, shared some of the behind the scenes on projects, and geesh you've been looking at evidence in my blog banner for a while now too. But its almost here (as in a couple of weeks).

Now let me tell you what it is.

My Needleworks collection right now consists of two boxed collections of Pearl Cotton (Anchor's size 8, which is pretty middle of the road in thickness) divided into two color palettes : Geranium Wall & Reflecting Pool. Each box contains 9 skeins that each contain about 85 yds. I also have two envelope collections of 6-strand embroidery floss the Seafaring palette and the radiant palette. Each envelope has 12 skeins that each have about 9 yards of floss. All the packages are so beautiful, reusable and provide a nice portable storage option for all of your stitching adventures. (The floss envelope even has a large scale winding card for you!)

There is a lot in the Needleworks collection that will follow these beautiful threads, but what I thought I would do today is share some close up shots of some of my first projects with these goodies. I am also excited to direct you to my friends Kim and Kris over at the diydish.com where they've posted a video today of our sitdown time at Quilt Market. Its as good an explanation as any of how I've been using these threads, and what more we have to look forward to as I introduce all the projects and fabrics that I've been working on for you. They are also hosting a giveaway, and a free embroidery pattern from yours truly, so head over there to watch the video, then meet me back here.

(waiting. waiting. waiting.) Oh good, you're back! I'm sorry about all my hand motions, and that I need a haricut. I wouldn't blame you at all if you hadn't come back after that Crystal Gale lookalike you had to listen to. Anyway.



This quickly became a favorite pre-market project for me. It is simply a hand quilted pillow. I layered the pillow front, just like I would a quilt top, batting and backing sandwich, then pinned, basted, handquilted, trimmed and finally sewed into a pillow.



I would really love to do a whole cloth quilt this way, just following the pattern but also the colors of the print design. As I mentioned when I shared the other free-style quilted pillow, if you are new to hand quilting and want a great project to practice your stitch the pillow is ideal, because you wouldn't have to worry about perfecting how the backing side of your stitches look. (ohhh, ahhha. yes.)



This is the dress that Juliana is wearing in the video. Its another version of the Painted Portrait Blouse & Dress (available in July). The yoke features one of the 6 Loulouthi Needleworks prints which will be available later in the summer. These goods are no different than our printed cottons, except that the design work is all little cross stitch designs, and they are 60" wide instead of 44/45! Yay!



You can leave them as they are, or stitch over a little or a lot of the cross stitch pattern. I'll be sharing better views of those 6 pieces later this week. I used the pearl cotton for the above, but you could also use any number of strands from the stranded embroidery floss as well.



This little outfit generated lots of excitement at market, and I'll admit it was hard to leave it on the dress form when I really wanted to steal it each morning. The blouse is a sleeveless version of the Painted Portrait Blouse, and I chose to run embroidery floss stitches throughout the yoke for interest. (Fabric note, I used the quilting cotton for the yoke, and the rest of the blouse is from the voile- I love the scale shift.)



Here is part of the yoke a little closer up. The stitching was really pretty quick and I love how simple, but also sort of elaborate it is, and how the stitches interact with the print to create sort of a veil over it. Maybe like you're looking at a garden through a window screen or a fence.



Also on that little lady was a cross stitched, sewn belt with a stitched flower on the side. That was seriously fun.



This is a better view of the embroidery that I was sharing on the video as well. I embroidered each flower with a series of different stitches all on a cream colored linen. I then cut those out and hand stitched them to the grey cotton with a running stitch (actually I'm pretty sure my mom did the running stitches on two of those for me, and Juliana did the 3rd, but you get the idea). This piece will remain an artwork but there are so many different ways to use the same design work in other ways. Which I think might be what I love most about this hand work. Up to you.

Speaking of you, the free Loulou Bouquet Embroidery downloadable pattern is available for your pleasure over at the diydish, so get down and load it. We'll have it on the make page soon too.

Phew. And that's not all, but this is me sliding in my bookmark, and resting my wrists for a bit.
(And did anyone catch that fun little announcement towards the end?) More soon.


xoxo, Anna

It could have happened anywhere

As long as I had placed a bowl of pearl cottons between any two chairs in any corner of our home I imagine this scene might have eventually produced itself. Often after Roman is in bed, and the rest of the children are settled into what will be their last task or play on a Sunday evening, I sneak off to set my mind onto Monday. Usually at the computer, just for a few minutes, to organize my thoughts about what I will wake up to. It might sound like weekend work (gasp), but it actually helps me enjoy the rest of the evening that will follow if I feel like I've peeked into the next week a bit. Anyway.

They marched in with purpose, and headed straight to the window seats with their little sewing bags ready to whatever together. Eleni making a pouch for Juliana, because she thinks Juliana needs a pouch for all her stuff. And Isabela, just making a handbag that will be for she doesn't know who. Just making it.

Its just that tonight, they have no idea what they're making me. They are making me peaceful in my heart, relieved in my mind, and thankful through out as they stitch together the raw edges of their day, when they had every other endeavor to choose from. So simple.

Needle.
Thread.
Cloth.
Evening.
Light.
Sisters.
Good.
Night.

xoAnna

Boy Turns 2 (or Boy Turns On His Mother, just depends on how you look at it really)

Guesses his birthday bib is pretty cool, erhh that could be the lollipop talkin'.



Thinks, yea that is a really good lollipop. Mmmm. Likes turning 2. 2's his favorite.



Bets you wish you had a lollipop.



Yep. Its not a big deal, but its pretty good. Bib is okay, he guesses.



(.0002 seconds later) NO NO NO NO, I hate it, I hate the bib, bibs are for babies, what do you think I am, A BABY?



Mom. Chill. What the heck. Don't need a bib. I'm 2.



2-ness aside, Roman's mom would like to share some more wishful thinking for you. These are the Loulouthi laminate prints for willing babies, toddlers and general all around people everywhere. We hope you love them (at least for a minute or two).

Back to the other 207 pictures I took during 3 minutes with one bib, one lollipop, and one very grown-up (sniff) 2-year-old boy. Happy, happy birthday to my sweet boy.

xoxo, Anna

Voile (and) Ahh

Voiles. 6 of them this time around in colors that I feel like wearing these days. The scale on the "Clippings" (rose, butterfly) print is about half the size that it is in the quilting cotton varieties. I think its nice to have it smaller particularly for clothing.



Here are a few shots of Eleni wearing the "Clippings" print in Sherry as part of her Easter dress that I am (finally) managing to post. This quick little design is sort of a glorified pillowcase dress with a solid voile lining and the beautiful embroidered ribbon for the front fixed sash.



We thought it would be extra chic to have the draw-thru shoulder ties only bow up on one side. Oui. You'll see these fabrics in action more when I share a new sewing pattern called Painted Portrait Blouse & Dress that I'm working on.

Here is the official write-up for my Loulouthi inspirations:

Loulouthi is a treasure box of all that I love about flowers and fabric coming together in form and inspiration. The word loulouthi simply translates from the Greek as “flower”. But in an ongoing story, my cultural heritage has enlivened these fabrics with visions of needleworks in progress, the gentle tending of village gardens, and the luxury of living alongside everyday works of art. The language of flowers and floral handiwork has spoken to me since before I could thread my own needles, and this collection is my reply to all that beauty.

Tomorrow, some laminates. All of the cottons, voiles and laminates are now on view at the freespirit site here. If you're a numbers and color name type of person. (I am assuming that everyone who is reading this is.?.)

Oh, the Ahh part of this post is that AAAAHHHHHhhhhhhhh, I'm home. Market was so, so fun, and hugely exciting with all that I got to share. Booth pics will follow all the little collection release shots here soon.

smooch, Anna

Just art today

Juliana palette



Isabela Palette



Eleni Palette

Wish I could manage some lovely words to go along with the layouts of Loulouthi quilting cottons today, but am about to hop in the shower and then head to the second day of Quilt Market here in Salt Lake.

Wish you were here, hope to share more later so that you can feel like you are!

xoxo, AM