Quilted by Design: Anna Maria
You grew up in such a creatively rich home—from your dad’s paintings to your mom’s handiwork. How do those early memories show up in your quilting and fabric design today?
It took years, and mostly likely until adulthood, before I realized that this was not how everyone grew up. So I have grown to appreciate these handmade beginnings to my life more all the time. That I was able to realize from formative years that I can affect my surroundings with my own creativity truly paved my path towards what I do today. I am continually drawing on the influences that the handmade items have offered me. In fact I just finished designing a new basics collection that is entirely inspired by my Greek grandmother's stitched table linens. Interestingly, quilt making was not a part of my family history, so I am very happy that has changed, and that my children and their children will have these items as part of their personal stories and histories. I love that one craft can inform another.
Your Bespoke #3 quilt blends bold florals with classic shapes in such a fresh way. What inspired this unique mix of traditional and modern?
The Bespoke Quilts are special in that they bring together a shared color palette from multiple collections, therefore the styles of fabrics are diverse. This always inspires an eclectic way of quilt making, which is of course my favorite! The main emphasis of the Bespoke #3 Quilt was to feature to luscious Honorable Mention flora print (from the Overachiever collection) as though it was a grand garden in the center of town. And the little folkloric houses in the Storybook print (from the Allegory collection) inspired me to make house-style large blocks that wrap around the garden providing a bold and interesting border for the quilt. Sometimes my quilt designs and my fabric collections are the result of a narrative that is swimming around in my mind.
Your fabric palettes are always so joyful and unexpected. How do you choose colors that sing together the way yours always seem to?
It might be to simple to say I put together what I love together, but it is really true. However if I offer a little more insight, there are two more key things that are true about my palettes. First, is that I was trained as a fine artist to understand how to create appealing palettes in terms of classic combinations and the like. This is something that anyone can learn with a little studying. But second, I also love experimentation. I am never sure exactly where I am going to land when I begin the coloration process. What happens if? I am never afraid to keep pushing a palette that I know works well into a territory where it might not work well by adding odd colors.Then I bring it back again... but sometimes not all the way. Interesting things happen on that journey, and the palettes I end up with along the way are what you see in my fabrics.
As a mom of seven and now the Design Director at Anna Maria Textiles, how do you keep your creativity flowing through all the busyness of life?
I have been fortunate to seek out my own artistic path in this industry alongside my family for more than 20 years now, and it is amazing to look back and realize that it was all leading to this. Nothing is more important to me than my family, but as they have grown (5 on their own) I certainly have a bit more space in my day to organize how I am going to pursue my creative work. I have never been short on ideas, only time. After years of juggling practice, I have learned that you cannot plan for exactly when inspiration hits, you just have to be glad that it does, and either get straight to it, make a note for later, or scribble a quick sketch if you can. Going from a single fabric collection a year back in 2005 to directing a full division is a big change, but my inspiration capturing process has stayed the same. Thankfully this opportunity came at the right time in my personal life in my development as an artist.
In a few words, how would you describe your design style?
Joyful and exuberant with an old soul. Or maybe that's me!