Today is the first day of the rest of your life....often said and always true but today it feels a bit different. Today is one of those days following a long list of events and happenings that take place after much planning, much longing, much deliberation and preparation by many hands. Today I feel space in my head where so many lists have been ticked off. There are of course new lists forming already but the big ones, for the moment, are the whisper of memories and very sweet ones at that.
Flash back to the early days of MO...10 years back when I opened a box from XLN and pulled out Anna Maria Horners first range of fabric Bohemia. I knew then what I know even better now...she is a magician with color and design. It is one thing to be able to create a fabric range but the ability to deliver collection after collection of heart touching beauty is another thing altogether. We started communicating back then. I wanted more of what she had because her fabrics made me want to MAKE!
So here we are, 10 years later making memories in real time with others that have fallen in love with Anna Maria. It was such a wonderful pleasure to gather together quilters that have supported her collections and followed her blog story of life for as long as I have.
As always, when we at Material Obsession gather the team for a workshop we relish the opportunity to meet new people from near and far. This past weekend we were able to connect with many friends from the internet and surrounding areas in the workshops. Here we have Jodie Godfrey from @talesofcloth from Newcastle working with Anna Maria in person after making samples for her market booth!
The workshops were full of Plot Twists...this is the baby version of the most loveable, organic design.
and Cross Country adventures. I appreciate that Anna Maria takes the time to really think through what she is doing and these quilts, all named in reference to her trip to Australia are the result. Safe Passage... Cross Country and Plot Twist all reference elements of her journey down under which has been many years in the planning.
Hands, hearts and minds collided all over the place as everyone dove into the concept of taking elements of the designs and just plain going for it with the fabric. The latest collection, Luminous II was massively popular for delicious backgrounds that add line and interest. The prints were divided up among the shapes adding color and texture. All in all there was no way to go wrong!
In between the creative moments were lots of silly ones...and breaks for social media...and well sharing.
One new thing for me is a desire to dive into the world of stitchery. Watching the workshop on Sunday morning really made my fingers itch to at last break through the barrier and try some embroidery style stitching. The designs in Anna Maria's patterns are magnetic and usable in so many ways to decorate and personalize home dec items and quilts.
I wanted to share this event before the magic wore off. Having a woman of such character, professionalism and talent around makes me want to reach higher, be better, examine the details of life more closely. Learning from the best is a good way to go. I'll share a little secret, there are no chinks in her armour...she is the real deal. Full of positive energy, strength, compassion and life in a way that any encounter will leave you wanting more.
So, if you are out there crying that you missed out on the fun stay tuned. All of Anna Maria Horner's new patterns will be available at MO soon. There are templates in both acrylic and mylar on the way as well as stitchery patterns. We are ready and willing to help you get started on your next project.
Speaking of that, classes at MO for 2017 will soon be opening. Keep your eye out for the email with the calendar and look forward to a few evenings with bubbles and sales coming up. We thought evenings might just be the way to enjoy a bit of twilight Christmas shopping...dates coming up. Also coming up will be a post on Carolyn Friedlander who also delighted us this weekend.
so...might take a little nap now...enjoy! Kathy
This is one of the most moving and inspirational pieces that I have ever read. Thank you for sharing the event so beautifully. Hope that I get to meet both of you in the future!
Posted by: Kim Gordon | Tuesday, 29 November 2016 at 02:18 AM
Electrifying! Can't wait to see the patterns & templates - love templates! Your samples look divine. Such a great post almost felt like I was there. Cheers, Sandra P
Posted by: Sandra P | Tuesday, 29 November 2016 at 03:22 PM