My Sardinia Sweater

I don't want to take it off. The temperatures being what they are, however, I will be taking it off. While this is definitely a perfect Summer sweater, I wouldn't call it a perfect Summer in Tennessee sweater (not sure there is such a thing) until perhaps the evening hours or indoors only. But this is going to be a perfect year-round layer. Happy. Happy.


I made the medium size (pattern and yarn details here) and I feel like I could have made the small- though I wear a medium to a large (8-10) in most clothing items. I am pretty sure the linen yarn gives more, and therefore the overall is a bit stretchier and hitting longer than shown on the model in the book. But thankfully the open drop style and sleeve style lends itself to being really cool whether the fit is generous or abbreviated.



One sweater for me.
Check.
Now for those baby pants.
Amanda is currently setting me straight there.

xo, Anna

Sam & Sally said that you're, like, totally invited to my birthday party

And they know everything because they live on Eleni's thumbs.

About my birthday party: This Saturday July 31st, from 2:30-4:30, Textile Fabrics is hosting a book signing for my new book, Handmade Beginnings. When working with them to schedule the event, I scanned July, day after day, weekend after weekend, and realized that of course, there was nothing scheduled on the 31st. Why would there be? It's only my BIRTHDAY. (internal sigh.) But HEY. That's perfect. What better way to feel like a birthday girl than spend the day telling lots of people its my birthday. Now I know that you might already have your own plans of how you spend Anna Maria Horner Day, but if you could spare a few minutes, do come say hello. Let me sign your book. Let me give you cake. Let me kiss your babies. Let me sign your babies. Let me let you sing Happy Birthday to me. I am not excited. This is just part of my job. I do not like cake, but don't want my friends at Textile to feel bad, so I will probably eat most of it.

About Sam & Sally: Eleni sucks her thumb. Which I am cool with. She is not as cool with it as she used to be. I told her that her Aunt Eleni (my sis) used to suck her thumb when she was little too. And that at some point Aunt Eleni wanted to stop. It was at this point that my mom made her little thumb friends to wear to sleep. Aunt Eleni soon stopped sucking her thumb in her sleep. My little Eleni was very excited about the notion getting a pair of thumbsters to sleep with. And Saturday that little dream came true after cutting the thumbs off of some mismatched gloves and bringing Sam and Sally to life with a little embroidery thread. She said the boy should be kind of like a monster, and the girl should not really be like a monster, but a little bit monster-y with pretty hair. The wisdom of a six year old is astounding.

xo, Anna

Isabela's Argyle Block

This is the sewn up version of the Argyle Block that Isabela designed for our Rainbow project. Planning out colors carefully to make that cool overlap of color so often found in argyle patterns would make for a really amazing quilt- I might just have to make a whole quilt with this block and see that happen. So as promised to you and the kidos, here is the second installment of free downloadable block instructions to inspire your own patchwork-Isabela's Argyle Block Template. Have fun! I love this one, because its only one same triangle for the whole block. Some days that is all my brain can handle. Like today for instance. And yesterday. And, I'm just guessing tomorrow too. Anyway. Both this one and Joseph's Block are linked at the Rainbow page too. More soon!



And somewhere under the Rainbow we have a great writeup over at the Etsy blog. It is such a good, good article- my friend Linzee McCray (she blogs here) wrote it, and she is just a really talented writer. You often are interested in articles due to the subject matter, but that aside, she just makes the read informative, smart, real, thoughtful and such a pleasure to read. Take note editors- she is a gem! Thank you Linzee! Also woven into the story is another quilting effort headed up by Victoria Findlay Wolfe. There is just no shortage of kindness. Its always about connecting the dots. Connecting the generosity with the need. A beautiful thing! And I will keep saying thank you to those of you who have participated so far and who will be participating, or sharing the news or donating, or whatever, thank you. I am only connecting dots. That was always my favorite.

kisses, Anna

So, Roman is still just wearing diapers

Does that make me a bad mother? Its just that I got this book, and I got this yarn, and I can't put either of them down for anything lately. Just look how pretty that sweater is! I could really get used to this following-a-crochet-pattern-business, now that I found one that I actually like! Maybe I don't look hard enough, but I rarely find a book of patterns for crochet that I love- it's always shawls and granny squares (which I love, but don't want to wear), and not basic enough- there is so much more out there for knitting, and somehow that still hasn't gotten me knitting. This is why I normally make things up as I go along, and almost never make fitted items, because I am too impatient to sit down a make a plan before I begin. (Insert your crochet book recommendations here.)



I am making the Sardinia sweater which just happens to be on the cover. This brochure is filled with gorgeous patterns, I would wear every one of them. Seriously. I could be slightly swayed due to all most of the pattern titles being named after Greek Isles. ('Cept I think one is called Sicily. Close enough.) But they are all just so wearable looking which is key. I have to keep double checking myself as I go because the book is written with all the UK denotations, so I have to translate dc to sc, etc., since we Yanks insist on having a different name for everything compared the European stitch names (units of measure, size charts, on and on), but once the pattern gets going, its very simple.

About the yarn, Rowan's Lenpur Linen, which is a viscose/linen blend: the weight is such a dream- it moves like water after just a little cloth is crocheted/knitted up. Not too heavy, not fuzzy, not stiff, its perfect. I had a hard time choosing a color, because any of them would be beautiful, but I already have enough gray/purple sweaters so I went with Lagoon. (If you're still reading you might want to skip down to the bullet point version of this post.) I think the book recommends using the Cotton Glace for most of the sweaters, so I had to have Amanda at Textile help me convert the thickness factor (?), etc. (I really don't know what I'm talking about- she does- I just want to do the crocheting part- I figure if I keep letting other people figure these things out for me that I'll eventually learn what they're doing. That's a lie. I don't care. I just want to crochet.) This essentially meant I went down a size from what I was planning to make, and still I think it might fit slightly larger than shown. Which will still be pretty. Really super pretty.

Okay.

Bullet point version of this post:

*More sweaters for Mom
*Less pants for Baby
*More Lenpur/Linen for mom
*No tuition money left for Juliana
*Some sort of blanket apology here

xo,Anna

Where the baby wears about as much as the dog

I'll admit its been awhile since we did laundry. But when I changed Roman out of pj's this morning there wasn't really anything to put on him. He has grown out of so much, leaving only winter clothes, a bathing suit, and a handful of Onesies that still fit. And with his adventures in feeding himself, we go through the summer outfits quite quickly. The laundry just doesn't happen quite as fast as Roman happens. I think its time for more Quick Change Trousers, as he's grown out of all his pairs. I am thinking however that I'll make some of the shorts variety. Jeff refers to all the pants I make Roman as fancy pants. And he gets a teasing look on his face and a teasing sound in his voice when he says fancy pants. And I don't care.



And I will dress my baby in fancy pants.



And I will dress my doggie in a fancy collar.



And they will both be fine with it because I also give them treats.

There. Weekend planned. Fancy Pants and Dog Treats.

have a good one. xoxo, Anna

We made a movie

And we had a really good time doing it. Rainbow Around the Block is set to get some wonderful press over at the Etsy blog soon (I'll keep you posted) and they requested a photo for the interview. So I started devising a photo shoot that would include the kids since they've been such a help to me. Juliana, Alexia, and I were all working in the studio today as I started discussing what we could do, and this sorta just happened. Nicolas (12) helped me with the imovie details since I'd never used it before (I need to show you his skate videos sometime soon-he stars, directs, shoots, edits, etc.). After just about 3 hours we had ourselves a mini movie that we all had a hand in. Roman's hands were allover everything too, but they weren't especially helpful in this case. But he sends his love.

enjoy~
xo, Anna

(Music: "folding chair" by Regina Spektor sold here)

Humidity + and Humidity -

Humidity -
This heat and humidity makes my camera lens fog up! So if I need accurate shots I have to let my camera rest outside for about 3o minutes before I begin shooting. However, as shown above, taking a shot through the foggy lens can have a sort of beautiful result too, especially in early evening sunlight.


Humidity +
A most definite plus to the humidity is watching the golden headed boy turn into a curly headed cherub once we're outside for more than a minute or two. As if I needed another reason to dote. And I sweep him up and kiss the sweaty nape of his blonde curly neck. He must wonder why he gets kissed in the dreadful heat like this over and over again.

Sorry I slipped away without a "hey I'm slipping away" note. If I could add tags to my last week or two with a few keywords they would be the following:

New York, TopShop, Balthazar, Purl, Brooklyn, Pratt, Williamsburg, Knoxville, fireworks, honey whiskey, family, cousins, swimming, sunburns, fireworks, needlework, slip-n-slides, gin & tonic, lime, lemon, yum,

Be back next week! put your feet up! xo,Anna

Rainbow Makers

Kids really have the most enthusiasm. After the flooding happened here in May, there were endless local and national news stories detailing not just the tragedies involved, but also the countless, selfless acts of relief going on all over town. Compelled by all they saw and heard, Nicolas and Joseph particularly were ready to rip out drywall and tear up floors anywhere they could if they were just given the chance. They complained to me that we had to find a way to help people. I was moved by their inherent compassion and it helped inspire me to create Rainbow Around the Block. And because of their hearts, I've wanted to keep them involved as much as possible.

Just as naturally as the compassion came, so did the excitement to help me with the quilting efforts. I got out a few different quilt books for reference, a stack of graph paper, colored pencils, rulers and we all sat around the counter in the studio and had one of the best nights of the summer. After they knew what we were making and why, they were so inspired and had so much fun. We continually stressed that they could design their square however they wanted and not to worry about color or lines. I promised to work each of their colrings into a block design that we could sew from. And the icing on the cake for them (and me) was the idea to share our blocks with you! It was interesting to see that some of what they dreamed up on their own were already very basic and traditional block designs. It was also joy for me to watch how each expressed their individuality (what I know well and love about each of them) through the language of color and geometry.

So here is the first installment of the Horner Family Blocks: The Joseph Block. You can click on the link to download an instruction page. His was a very basic square in a square block. I love this block, and have been making lots of them. I'll continue to add more in the coming weeks, and also linking them over at the Rainbow page.

kisses, Anna

One in a million

Out of a million things I could/should have done with the last hour or two I did this. I cross stitched and covered a button. I did not let the joy I took in doing this task distract me from how important it was that I did it at the very instant that I did. It. I had to. Do. It. There are certain endeavors that once you have the mind to do them, there is just no escaping it. Not sleep, not meals, not even 6 children and a design studio could keep me from this one today. If you have the mind and want to do: I used 14ct Aida cloth, Perle cotton-sz. 8, and one of the zillions of un-packaged not labeled or remembered needles sticking out of my pin cushion to be exact. The design was my own doodling on graph paper before starting. That part can help with the kids if you tear a sheet or two out for them to doodle too.

Oh- which reminds me! I will be back later this week with a Rainbow update, and some downloadable templates that I'm working from our own family block design time. We have been overwhelmed with gorgeous blocks & generosity over here so far!!

xoxo, AM

Dear Dad, I made you lunch!

Even though we're not together today, I thought I would make lunch for Jeff in your honor, so of course..... a tomato salad made the Dad way: fresh tomatoes (chopped in bite size pieces the way you like them, but sorry no one was patient enough for me to peel them first); chopped onion ; chopped cucumbers (the smell of which always reminds me of standing in the kitchen with you & a salt shaker, eating them fresh from the garden); Kalamata olives (the only kind of olives, as we know); a healthy dash of oregano; a heaping pour of the brightest, greenest olive oil (from your very own trees in Greece, naturally- I think we still have enough to get us through the year thanks to your winter oil visit); and plenty of salt (and even more when no one is looking, of course). Plus crusty bread and lots of people to help you eat it since you're not here. Thank you for teaching me the only way to make tomato salad and the only way to eat tomato salad (using the bread as a chewy, edible utensil).



I also decided that you would like some sardines straight out of the can with lemon, even though I could never personally manage to find that appetizing. I did however manage to find a very loving man to marry who happens to gobble this dish right up. He is a dream come true. (I can help with the cold beer, not a problem.)

I love you Dad! We're frying fish tonight and I'm about to start a blueberry pie......sure you don't want to take a little car ride west?

Happy Fathers Day! xoxo, chuffmuffin

Museum Tunic + instructions

Well I'm not sure what you were expecting. When I read my comments from the last post at dinner last night, I cracked up at the notion that some of you assumed that the flier image I showed in the post was the dress I was going for! SO funny! I guess you might think that at a glance. But come on, I only had about an hour! That would have taken at least an hour & 15 minutes (+ 2 days).



Anyway, I've had the thought to make this ultra simple tunic from the Square Dance fabric for a while, and decided at the last minute last night to give it a quick whirl. It is truly nothing but rectangles and 1/4" elastic. I have Here are some quick renderings of the simple process drawn up for you. but didn't have time to edit and upload today. I promise I will edit this post to add them this weekend. (Do I keep promising things?)



A few notes: I used what's considered a panel and a half of the Square Dance fabric (45" length). I started by cutting the panels apart into four pieces parallel with the selvages. In the sewing, I pressed open all seams, turned allowances under twice and topstitched them down on either side of the seam after step 2, step 3 and again after step 4. This way there are no raw edges anywhere, and you can catch the armhole and neckline openings in this step too. I used 3 rows of elastic about 1/2" apart from each other right under the bust for an empire silhouette. You just stretch the elastic as you zigzag it onto the wrong size. I find this so much quicker than the mock smocking technique with elastic bobbin. I also find it more reliable in terms of good stretch. And this fabric was so easy to follow a straight line because of the square print.



The front is exactly the same as the back, and equally flattering from the front and the back too! And oh my gravy so comfortable. Perfect worn over a nude colored slip, or really any slip. I was originally going to wear it with the belt, but I decided it was a little dressier without for the occasion.



The style could not be more simple, and it felt really appropriate to enter the amazing Golden Age of Couture show in something very simple. There is just no way to compete with the elaborate beauty that is on view now at the Frist Museum. Oh geez. SO gorgeous! I am gonna have to go over there several times this summer, to get a good look at everything. The hardest part for me was the urge to touch everything. Anyway, exciting news: the kind folks at the Frist have asked me to teach a workshop in conjunction with this amazing exhibit! I'll be teaching a sewing class at the museum at the end of the summer and all the info you need is here. They have a beautiful facility and it should be a wonderful inspiring time for me + 20 eager seamstresses!

Thanks for your enthusiasm yesterday about the dressmaking madness, and hope you try one too! xoxo, Anna

Cutting it Close

I am in rare but typical Anna form. Cutting and sewing something completely last minute for an event tonight here in Nashville. I think I just figured out why I rarely do my hair. I'm too busy making what I'm going to wear to any exciting event.



Anyway this is the tease. I have a few snips left and I think I will have myself a dress. Back tomorrow with the reveal (fingers triple crossed behind my back (impressive considering I'm also typing, right?)) and with more fun info about this amazing show that is here this summer!

Will she do it?

Will she be wearing a handmade dress to the museum tonight?

Check back tomorrow, same bat time, same bat channel!!!

xo, Sew Girl

Sewing Secrets

Did you know that the Roundabout Dress & Slip pattern has a slip? You'd think it should be obvious from the title of the pattern, but so many people are like Oh there's a slip pattern too! Yes there is. And an option to make it a camisole too. Bias cut, both of them for a sweet fit. (Not to mention a blouse option for the dress. I know, its very generous of me.) And if you are super crafty you can add a panel of fabric around the bottom of the slip for this lovely number. Instant summer happiness. My favorite new go-to-gorgeous dress. And by far the most talked about piece of clothing in my Quilt Market booth a few weeks ago. It's always the thing that you did last minute and took you 1 hour, no? Today we launched a new Pattern Pack section in the store, and we'll be adding to it over the coming weeks to give you some more varieties.

And that is the mailing list news that I spoke of yesterday, just too pretty of a photo not to share here too. This is how you hang all your clothes at home, right? Right.
Have a wonderful weekend!!!
xo,Anna

Summer inside & out

A long, challenging (because of all the humans here), loud, interrupted, rainy, busy day of work in the studio left me with these lovely slips and camisoles. (Mailing list subscribers will hear more about this tomorrow! The sewing, that is, not the chaos. Who would subscribe to that? Well if you're reading this then I guess you would.)



A simple walk out the front door at the end of day left me with even more beauty.

Of the two endeavors, walking outside was lots easier.

Just sayin. Anna
(who apologizes for the recent summer-length posts....I'll get wordier here soon, then you'll be sorry.)

Today's Lesson

If at first you don't succeed, you can always find your sister and play Go Fish. I am certain that if my sister didn't live hours away, that an occasional hand of Go Fish with her would solve every kind of woe, big and little. In fact, just listening to the giggley rounds of these two playing seems to have done the trick on this rainy day.

summer advice from your pal (xo) Anna

A Managed Mess on Monday Morning

There are few sewing situations that put my studio in a bigger mess than spontaneous quilt block making. Its like painting and cooking. I am so very messy at both of those things too. I cannot stop to clean up while immersed in inspiration or the fear of screwing up (same thing?). But these mindless organic creative processes bring me so much joy. The mess is just part of what makes it feel comfortable and at home, and perhaps unfortunately also makes it feel very me. Ask my mom or my sister, they would agree with that. Me. Mess. BFFs.

But these processes of mine also reach a breaking point where I have to regain some order. And that's when I devote myself further in my relationship with color. I look, listen and answer each fabric with a position in a stack. Some are obvious, others joyously perplexing. All of them back in their place and my inspiration is saved once more from the edge of chaos. Just barely. (This collected chaos could likely describe so much about me if you are in the dark. In fact, refer to this post for all future questions about me.)

Now, to remake this mess into another. And another. And another.
More on all that soon.
xoxoxoA

Rainbow Around the Block

Off and running! After weeks of dreaming about it, it only took a few more days of planning, htmling, designing, phone calling, writing and editing, but we have our Rainbow Around the Block quilting effort ready for you to join us! And my favorite part now is the quilt block sewing!



In case you're not up to speed with the giddy-jabber-along, Rainbow Around the Block is a project that I dreamed up to have quilts made for as many families as possible who lost their homes and belongings during the flooding that happened here in May. I recounted my personal experience of those first days of flooding here. As more days passed, I felt compelled, like so many, to find a way to help. Our schools were canceled for a week due to roads and school buildings being too damaged and so rather than have some time to get out on the front lines of cleanup, I was mostly taking care of my brood. Just giving monetarily feels insufficient somehow when the devastation is quite actually in my backyard. While many have the means, the insurance or FEMA to help them rebuild a home or buy necessities, there was so much lost that can't be recovered. Items of great sentimental value washed away. That's so much harder to ever get back again.



I decided that I'm not alone. I know there are so many of you that are just exactly like me who have a little time, a little material, and a little know-how to make a small block of something beautiful. And if we put our pieces together we can rebuild a little bit of what was lost. The hopes and prayers that we stitch into these little blocks can help to restore some of those memories, sentiments, and warmth that drowned in the unbelievable rains those two days. Money can only replace money. But giving of our time and talents will replace much! I will be so honored if you help me!



All the knitty gritty details of the project are located here at my website and we have all summer to sew. You were going to do that anyway, right? (Not to mention there are ways to help even if you don't quilt.) From that webpage you can link to the Flickr group that we have set up, already sporting members and some pretty blocks too! This is a 200x200 icon that you can post in your sidebar if you choose, and link to either the webpage or the Flickr pool. We also have all the info written up in a simple one page pdf that you can print out, take to your quilting groups, local quilt shops, etc. And thank you, so, so, so much from the bottom of my heart for doing so!

lots of love from sunny, hot Tennessee! xoxo, Anna & family

(p.s. The whole family sat down with graph paper, rulers and colored pencils last night and each dreamed up his or her own 12" block. It was loads of fun, and I'll be sharing each of their designs in the coming weeks. Today I sewed up Joseph's square within a square block design. He is beaming. Now they feel part of the effort. I'm beaming too.)

Year One

With Roman turning one the very day that he flew to Minneapolis with Jeff and I, you might imagine there was not too much fanfare. The night before we left, we went out for a family dinner and gave him all the bites of cheesecake that he wanted, which weren't too many. We gave him books, which he liked immensely. And on his actual birthday I took photos of him sitting in the plane looking out the window. While sweet, of course, the photos themselves felt insufficient somehow to capture his first birthday but more his first big adventure, I suppose. Right around the time that a baby turns one, the number itself seems to stand as a warning to you for the rest of the years that will come. Its the first time that you set this whole number to a child and not the fussy monthly marks. One. It is the first indication of the baby days dwindling. You can be certain now that they will not be babies forever, if you've disillusioned yourselves thus far. You can stop that now.



So clicking through many photos taken over the past few weeks, in search of a Roman-turns-one-photo I kept going back to these that I spontaneously took of Juliana and Roman on Mother's Day. It goes without say how much it reminds me of myself and a baby Juliana eighteen years ago exactly. But more, it marks in time the difference of their ages. Which is so often how your mind goes back in time to remember any of the children at a specific age, right? You think about the relative age of them to the rest too. And here they are together during a time while they are both settled in the family nest. One just getting to know the dwelling and the other getting her feathers all ruffled for a flight.

So this, with my oldest and my youngest, is the portrait of Roman being one. The year that his sister can just walk down the hallway from her room sweep him up for a giggley hug and kiss on her way to wherever she goes. And he can crawl after her, even attempt a few steps, once the door is closed behind her. She can teach him to say phrases like oh, wow. He is very good at knowing when to say oh, wow. And still being here, for a few more months, she can nibble his elbow whenever she wants. Because he is here too, and very edible at age One.

xoxox, Anna

Catching Up in no particular order: Prom

Kicking off the I-can't-believe-it category of events this spring was Juliana's Senior Prom. So many little details I didn't expect to fall over myself to photograph. The corsage was one of those details, but I love that photo and so glad we have it.

We had a blast shopping for her dress, just the two of us. Of all places, we decided to walk into the Jessica McClintock store which gave me such a nostalgic trip! I had several Gunne Sax formals (I'll bet you did too) until I started to make my own. It came down to deciding between this darling confection and an equally cute but slightly more sultry black corset dress. I told her that she had the rest of her life to wear a sultry black corset number but a limited amount of years to wear layers tulle. Surprisingly, she agreed.

She is so good at keeping her jewelry understated when she dresses up. She wore her favorite star studs that we gave her for Christmas last year. But she can't help herself when it comes to shoes. My feet hurt looking at that full shot of her with the shoes.

I adore the photo of everyone in the foyer waiting for her to come out. Waiting on a girl. The little girls were beside themselves with giddiness and wanted so much to be a part of every detail. They were right on her heels as she rushed around getting ready and whispering little giggly secrets to each other once Nathan arrived to pick her up. It's fun I imagine to see such a grown up girl get all dressed up like a real live princess in your own house when you're as little as they are. Must give you some reality to fuel your daydreams.

And then they went. And so did prom.
xoxo, Anna

Back Around Again

Goodness.

Life really takes the life outta you, ya know? Having just returned from Quilt Market I am awash with things that I want to post for you which is piled up on top of the stack of things I wanted to post for you before I left, and I am standing underneath, looking up at a very threatening pile of prettiness.

Before I left I had imaginary posts about prom, charity quilting, new studio pics.

As I left there were imaginary posts about Roman turning one, stuff I was sewing for market, the process of shipping 2000 lbs to Minnesota, and a few other things that are escaping me now.

While I was gone there were imaginary posts about everything we did, said, saw, heard, ate, laughed, hoisted and sang while we were gone. And the cute shoes I was wearing. And all the places Jeff photographed Roman around Minneapolis which are all logged in a phone that he left in a plane. And fun book parties and book signings where there was a drink named after me (quite strong and pink, thank you) and where I signed someone's book Anna Market instead of Anna Maria. There is alot of talk regarding just how much I can juggle between work and family, yet I want to redirect that conversation into how much I cannot write and talk at the same time.

Now that we're back posts are mounting on the imaginary blogpostpile about family, Juliana's graduation, wonderful reviews of Handmade Beginnings to point to, lots of market pictures to upload, and there are most certainly people that should be slapped for being so wonderful and nice. I'll get to that eventually.

So that is the tippity toppity of the stack and all that I can see in it from where I'm standing down here. Now the task of pulling one thing out at a time without being buried by it all.
It will be fun. Thank you for waiting and so much more very soon! xoxox, Anna

Roman would like to say a few words

But I am the only one who can understand his limited vocabulary so I'll say them for him. Roman and I have a date we'd like to announce! We'll be signing books in the Twin Cities next Saturday and if you're anywhere within a 500 mile radius you are expected to be in attendance, no exceptions! Here's the details:

Handmade Beginnings Book Signing at Treadle Yard Goods
Saturday, May 22nd from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
1338 Grand Ave St Paul, MN 55101, (651) 698-9690



And since Roman will be my date for the evening, (along with his dashing father) he might even let you tickle his little chubby toes. Roman that is. Which is very generous when you consider that he's also allowed me to publish his crib quilt pattern.



He has his own copy of the book that I let him rough around a little bit, but I try to intercept before a page gets torn. Its quite sweet to watch him stop on pages of items and people that he recognizes. My little bundle of book inspiration. Sigh.

Now I have a date with some Perle cotton and a new quilt. I am hoping it will be a 48-hr date, but I know better.

xoxo, good weekend, AM

ps! the flood relief quilting plan is still hatching and we'll break it all to you here soon- thank you for your support!