I Want This House!

I've loved modern architecture for several decades.  My own home is a mixture of very modern furniture, traditional architecture, textured fabrics, African and contemporary art and sculpture, and mid-century pottery.  Hardly minimal.  But I so love this home featured in Home DSGN. The mixture of natural surfaces and elements makes it very rich in its minimilism.  I wonder where the sewing room is.....

Sip & Stich--The Classy Clutch

 

The second in my series of Sip & Stitch classes was held this past Thursday evening at the Beehive.  It was SOLD OUT.  How exciting is that!  I had seven ladies who ranged from confident beginners to my friend and fellow Beehiver Jessie who is a master sewist (and creator of Bubby's Handmade).

They followed a very simple but fabulous clutch tutorial I created and made some gorgeous clutches.  My next Sip & Stitch classes at the Beehive will be held November 17--The Mod Quilted Trivet just in time for Thanksgiving, and December 15--the Modern Christmas Stocking.  Go register for the next one!

In the meantime, check out some of the very lovely clutches made at last Thursday's Sip & Stitch.

Candler Park Festival (part 2)-- Disturbing Flattery

So I've been debating whether to post part 2 of my Candler Park Fest experience.  It's been sitting around waiting for a few days. This retelling of my "disturbing flattery" story will be familiar to all of you fellow small business owners/designers/creators/makers/sellers who show at festivals.

It was a very happy afternoon at the Candler Park Festival this past Saturday.  I love meeting and chatting with folks, who not only come into my booth to buy, but also just to say they admire and chat with the artist.  Heck, I admire and chat more than I buy when I go to festivals... so I was very pleased to do so with this very pretty mom, transporting a toddler on her shoulders, and her 9/10 year old little girl who had a very big impressive digital camera in her hands.  (Nothing like my point and click pocket camera that suffers greatly when I try to take product pictures with it.) When I commented about it she explained she loves to take pictures and I approvingly told her it was a great skill to master at such a young age.

So her mom and I began to chat.  She asked where I bought my fabrics. We talked about a creative seminar that she had been to with Denyse Schmidt and Anna Maria Horner among others.  I was intrigued!  Wouldn't you be?  So, I asked, "So, what do you do?"  I mean, come on!  Who has the $$$$ to attend  exclusive seminars hosted by America's top fabric designers.  Really now!  She hesitated. " Really, you can tell me," I coaxed, "it's OK."

She did not tell me her name but said that her new line of children's clothing with a national retailer is coming out this week.  How cool was that!!......   At that moment I realized her daughter had been taking pictures of my stuff.  And it had not been evident but stealthily-- and they walked off.  I wasn't going to tackle and accuse a child,  and another person walked in my booth, so I didn't stop the mom.

Usually, I'm not so "dumbstruck".  Please tell me this was all my hyper-paranoia at work.  But you know, I'm going to go with my gut on this one and remember to put up a sign that reads NO PHOTOGRAPHY PLEASE (especially by cute little girls with $1000 cameras).  OK, I am over-thinking this. How does any designer/artist protect their work?  I'm done now.

Candler Park Festival (part 1): Hits and Misses

The Big Red Cape was a smash at the Candler Park Festival!

The Candler Park Festival in Atlanta on the 14th and 15th was two days of gorgeous, sunny, dry, 80 degree weather, lovely people, adorable kids, eclectic arts and crafts, and great music.  I've done the festival for several years, but for a second time I shared my booth space with my artist friend Shannon Goines who paints very colorful expressive animal portraits--cows, pigs, bunnies, horses, squirrels, etc.. you get my drift.  She painted a fantastic squirrel for me last year--golds and greys. Beautiful!

I introduced several new pieces for the fall line that did very well--and one style in particular that was loved--not so much. The Big Red Cape was a smash!!! The Peplum Skirt sold well, especially in the sweet grey giraffe colorway.  The  Pear Button-Up skirt was well received. The Lazy Daisy embelished cotton tops almost sold out.  But the pin-striped culottes got a resounding big ole raspberry!   Or at least that's what I swear I heard from everyone who passed right by it on the rack. Can't win them all!  I loved my culottes when I was eight.  I need to offer them to a new generation of active, stylish and girly girls. Back to the drawing board on those.

The Peplum Skirt with the giraffe print was so adorable.  

The Lazy Daisy Long Sleeve T in various colors almost sold out!

The Fab Market Tote Sip & Stich

Last night I held my first in a series of Sip & Stitch classes offered at the Beehive!  The Fab Market Tote Sip & Stitch was such a blast.  A great big thank you to the ladies who came to sip, stitch & chat.  Everyone came away with a fabulous unique tote.  What a great girly evening!  The tutorial for this will be up soon!

Don't Box Me In

I came to a detour recently while traveling on this particular path I've chosen these past few years. My dad who is 86 and suffering from Parkinsons was diagnosed with dimentia as well.  Since July, I have been one of his caretakers.  I thought I could do it all!  Take care of my family, my home, my business, and him, while being creative all the while! Without being verbose, I must say I have NOT been able to do it all. What has suffered most has been my business, my creativity and my health. No (creative) Work and No Play has made Anna a very tired, stressed and anxious girl.  I tried too hard to make myself fit into the various situations and boxes of my life--but there is only so much of me. So I'm making some serious changes to the boxes!

One of the most productive and long-needed changes was the location of my studio.  In my home was fine for a while, but there are too many distractions and too many reasons not to focus on sewing.  Kids, husband, father, homework, meals, cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping..... I felt like the proverbial headless chicken! I could hear all the lovely fabric bolts that recently came from Free Spirit, Michael Miller and Art Gallery calling me, yet I was not able to tear into their plastic wrapping.  I have had ZERO motivation--I have been so pooped!

So I packed up and moved my sewing "box"--thanks to Malene, my ever-supportive friend and owner of the Beehive--who invited me to share her studio.  The act of moving, starting something fresh, literally changing my (work) station in life, to a beautiful white space has been the most freeing, calming and inspiring thing I've done in a long while.

SEPTEMBER IS NATIONAL SEWING MONTH!

Do you adore fabric? Do you love creating with fabric as much as I do? There are quite alot of us out there.  So many in fact, that in 1982 President Ronald Reagan declared September as National Sewing Month stating that,"Tens of millions of Americans sew at home. Their efforts demonstrate the industry, the skill and
the self-reliance which are so characteristic of this Nation.”

Since 2008 National Sewing Month.org has sponsored a sewing contest in September.  This year's theme Sew for the Love of It is quite apropos for all us lovers of the craft!  Sew what you love and enter the contest. Find rules here.

I'll be busy sewing for my fall collection and for the contest all this month.  Much will be revealed in a few weeks!