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I am mid-thigh deep in Quilt Market preparation, layered in with book completion, final new pattern tweaking and what feels like everything else. I am only now getting sample yardage of my newest fabric collection, Field Study , which was suppose to be here in its entirety about 3 weeks ago.  So sewing it up in all that we had planned for booth samples has been interesting to say the least, as we have changed plans about 82.3 times now.  With less than half the time to sew that  I normally have, I've pulled in twice the help and every day there is some new plan about what exactly we are sewing depending which of the 36 total quilting fabrics has arrived.  Because there is such a rush, the mill is sending them piece by piece, sometimes 6, sometimes only 3 prints at a time.  It. Is. Kooky.  But somehow, it is keeping all the creating spontaneously chaotic in an entirely good way.  Like this little skirt might not have come together just like this yester...

Biltmore's conservatory.  What an indulgence it was for me to be able to take my time and just snap, snap, snap. Maybe these little souvenirs will hold you until you get the chance to see it yourself one day.  This is likely enough inspiration for me to draw pictures of flowers for at least a decade.  Sigh. Thanks for the workshop sellout that happened pretty lickitysplit today.  I am so honored that there is that interest out there, and I promise to be a good hostess to those of you joining.  I simply cannot wait.  If you missed this one, let me know, and I'll add you to an interest/wait list for the future. In other news: :: My husband can not stop making tofu scramble like this . :: I cannot stop watching/listening to this . :: Somebody help me. :: I can't get sick of it. :: Tofu scramble on the other hand.... xoxoAMoxox

I adore the nickname given to the Biltmore.  The structure is really quite stunning.  And it does seem to be a graceful lady of a house.  You feel permitted to love it as you tour the inside, because you learn of George Vanderbilt's legendary kindness.  So you can unapologetically love the beauty of it all.  Anyway.  I took so so many photos.  Not so many of the house exterior (you can't photograph the interior), but the several of grounds as I have for you below. I took even more of the conservatory and dozens of intoxicating greenhouse blooms which I'll share next. I could have kept snapping for another few hours. Above is me with mom, and Eleni, my sissy. Enjoy the rest. If you've been waiting for more in depth info about the fall needleworks workshop, here's a pdf: Needleworks Nashville The info pdf is also now located at the shop page where the event will be on sale Wednesday morning. xoxo, Anna

Of course I agree with them. Eastern Orthodox Easter is one week later than Western Easter this year, so in addition to getting all your Easter candy on sale (thanks for leaving some), I also have an extra week to absorb some really good egg dying ideas.  In addition to our traditional solid red eggs, as soon as I saw my friend Alicia's botanical eggs, I was dying to do it (pardon the pun).  Falling in line with their typical kid selves, the children did not trust me when I explained the process.  There were smirks, huhs, quizzical brows, rolled eyes, and every manner of mom-yer-dumb looks on their faces.  Then I pulled up Alicia's post on my laptop and a chorus of aaaahhhoooOOOHhh came over the room.  Why do I always have to prove myself to this bunch.  Hmpf.  This is one rare occurrence where I am totally happy to give someone else the credit (even if those stinkers shouldn't need proof).  (Anyway, Alicia, and then they kept reading your blog w...

* hihowdyho *I'm sorry this post title sounds like a surgery documentary that I would cover my eyes through. *That Anna (the other one) is too nice. What started as her making fun of me to my face (which is what helps her keep her job) ended with her saying very nice things on my blog. *She was promptly scolded for that. *Kidding. I wuvher. *If you were to photograph the inside of my brain right now, I am certain it would look exactly like the above. *That is my book cover. *Kidding again. *Last night I walked by Isabela hunched over the dining room table trying to draw something with her left hand and I overheard her mumbling I wish I was both-handed . * Good thinking , I told her. Then I spent five minutes staring at the ceiling and wondering if I were both-handed would I also then have enough coordination to be able to type with one hand and sew with the other? Which would do which? Hm. *I am so looking forward to getting on the other side of my book deadlines for many reas...

Ever since I started blah-blah-blahing about the mess I am making in the front yard, I have patiently worked little by little to transform roughly 1500 sq ft of former grassyland into mulchyland. Its been over a month now since I began the process of killing grass with plastic sheeting, pulling up said plastic (whilst holding my nose), cutting and layering cardboard over the dead sod, shoveling 10,000 lbs of topsoil (one shovel at a time) over that, and finally laying 15 cubic yards of mulch over that (that was me + a shovel too (I am 5lbs lighter and super strong now)). That blue vintage iron bench would be my cherry on top. The bench is Demacopoulos family vintage, as in, I grew up with it on my back porch. Now its blue. And is inspiring lots of plant choices for the whole garden. A few things that I learned about this process is that you absolutley HAVE to avoid any slits or cracks in your cardboard or by golly those little crabgrass stinkers will creep right though. Though ...

I tended to two gardens this weekend. Only a tiny bit more of this, indoor, patchworky one (oh, but the joy found there). Much, much more time spent on the outdoor gardens. And not the charming kind of tending either, more the chainsaw, electric trimmer, 2000 sq ft of black plastic kind of tending. We've needed to trim back trees and wayward undergrowth from trees for a while, as well as hedges, limbs and all that. I also decided that I was finally going to do what I've been wanting to do forever with our front beds and that is increase them by about ten times. I currently only have narrow borders about 3 or 4 feet wide along the front walk and house perimeter, and I find that perennials just overtake one another, and quickly get shaded by the flowering trees, etc. I just need more space. Everything needs digging up, dividing, and replanting in a more thought out arrangement. So the process has me trying to kill about 1500 sq ft of grass without using chemicals. Withou...

... I married my very best friend on a sweltering summer evening. It was such a beautiful day. It started with my clock radio actually waking me up to hear none other than "goin' to the chapel" playing bright and early. I can still remember smiling at the very idea of that being on the radio before waking up completely, rubbing my eyes and realizing that it really was on the radio. It was just a perfect an unexpected little detail that has been followed by so many others. Falling in love with my husband was the easiest thing I've ever done, only followed in ease by learning to love him more. We are still just getting to know one another in some ways, and in others, the familiarity is the most comforting place we have at the end of the day. Those unexpected details unfold before our eyes and become our dialogue, our plot, with all of its twists and turns, filled with so many characters that all continue to write the story of us. I walked out the front door the ...

I would take the day off and work in the breezy, sunny garden all day long. Like that weed down there. I would pull that weed. Pull it with joy and thankfulness. Yes I would. If I only could. (thanks for all the boy congrats~ we are so excited to even the score around here~ 3 & 3 ) good weekend, xoAM