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Showing posts from November, 2009

Sees. Wants. Gets.

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A pattern he is likely to repeat. (like me at the pie table.) hope everyone had a relaxing weekend with those you love~ xo,Anna

Coupla things & Happy Thanksgiving!

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Its gonna be a short work week & I wanted to stop in first and share a few things, and if you're on the mailing list, sorry for the overlap in info, suffer through it or click through pilgrim! * First and most important, I fully intend to wear one of two things over the next several days : an apron : or : a pile of yarn- under which I will be making things I don't need and maybe a few gifts for people who don't need things either. * I have a new collection of aprons and dishtowels in the shop and I am super excited to say that included in this group are some fun little girl aprons~My girls are always tying my half aprons up to their underarms, so they are giddy with anticipatory-holiday-baking excitement over these! * Overwhelmed with thankfulness for all that we have, I know I'm not the only one who'd like to spread a little love around at this time of year. And without a doubt there are more families in need these days than ever. We will be donating a porti

And you thought the mountains were for hiking

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The mountains are for shopping! Between studio sessions of my class last weekend , the girls and I were able to get in some very enjoyable (a little too enjoyable) shopping. While almost every shop in Gatlinburg boasts an amazing supply of leather, fudge, knives and swimwear , and other's are called Cooter's Funhouse , there manages to also be some serious little jewels among the shopping venues. I found myself in the Arrowcraft shop/gallery 3 times within 4 hours in one day. I could not get enough. The only thing that kept me under control was the fact that we only had two cars to get everything home. First this gorgeous little vase, is my personal token to remember my time spent at Arrowmont. At the risk of sounding entirely too Zen, it is just so completely what it is. A pure example of gorgeous handcrafted, handglazed pottery of Southern Appalachia. You can't grow up in East Tennessee as I did and not be aware of the craft history and inherent traditional art d

Mrs. Horner teaches a class

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I had the privilege this past weekend of teaching a fine art studio class to art teachers from around Tennessee at their annual TAEA conference at Arrowmont School for Arts & Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tn. Thats right. I taught teachers . I know. Who would think they would need me for that. Well, my own former h.s. art teacher roped me in to be an instructor for the second year, and it was again, so, so enjoyable. I couldn't have had a more eager group of smart and fun people to work with, eager most likely bc they seldom have the chance to make their own art and naturally they seemed at ease to not be in charge of a bunch of kids for a change. Somehow, I could relate. The basis for my two-day class was "reinventing textiles" through painting, drawing, and collage as shown in my piece above entitled "remedy". I got to share my fabric scraps (which they devoured like a bunch of students ) and then got to watch lots of interesting things happen. The studi

Little Folks~Dobby Dots

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I am in love with sewing again. I never stop liking it, but honestly I am lurving it again. Plugging my own fabric aside (just slightly), it is just so refreshing to hold new fabrics in my hands that really feel and drape differently than anything I've ever designed myself. I will confess it feels a bit empowering, too, to think it up, do it and then have it in my hands and set into crafted reality what was just a musing of the mind last winter. More than just the fun, textural, little, nubby dots that run through these 4 "square dance" prints and 8 "pastry line" prints, the joy I am taking by playing out all the uses for that block design in "square dance" is just so satisfying. The goods are 55" wide, and the block is printed in two sizes, on the yardage. 4 of the larger blocks spread side-by-side from selvedge to selvedge, followed by two rows of 8 smaller blocks below and then it repeats. And the yardage is also designed so that either

The Color of Stew

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I have been so busy finalizing the new patterns and getting them off to be printed, sewing some beautiful clothing with the new fabrics for the girls which will be used for some print ads and just simply trying to keep up with laundry and this house. Normally I don't even include any housework in the list of things I am trying to get accomplished, so even mentioning that here means things are finally starting to slow a tiny little bit after what seems like months of non-stop non-stopness. Today I insisted upon a slow stew. Which included a slow shop around the grocery with coffee in hand and a sleeping baby in the cart. (Can you think of a better way to shop?) After the ingredient chopping was complete and the bubbling was just beginning, I also insisted upon a slow walk around the yard with my camera. Everything I found through the lens plus the warm smell of beef stew that hit me once I came back in the door reminded me why I seldom feel the need to leave this house. Espe