So, my friends, you have covered a lot of territory with LaRueSews quilting.  Now what?  I guess it’s really time to decide whether you want to hand piece or machine piece.  Most of what I have talked about so far can apply to either technique.   With a few exceptions,... [More]

Hello Everyone,             Now that the trip is over with, my bags have been unpacked, the laundry done, and things are settling back into the humdrum everyday life, I had to make some decisions about this next year and what I will be doing. First... [More]

  Everyone is busy on so many counts at this time of year.  Some of you are changing over the house to have that warmer cozy look, others are visiting family members and still others are involved in a wide variety of political activities.  Whatever it is, it is keeping everyone busy ... [More]

Today wraps up AnnTheGran.com’s 12th year “on the air.” With all the excitement about our new digital scrapbooking area, and all the time I was spending getting my own products ready for the store, I completely forgot until I looked at the date. It’s been a long journey and m... [More]

Everyone is interested in ‘being green’ these days.  Preparing for the Holidays, I plan to go g [More]

     Individual characters (letters, numbers and punctuation marks) from my alph [More]

As you can see, I found the gaggle of travel drives and software security devices that I THOUGHT I had inadvertently left at home when I flew to Kentucky last week. Of course, as soon as I get home, the first place I went was to the computer bag from which I had transferred my laptop for travel. I f... [More]

So are you hanging in there with me?  Together we can get these gifts done early!  Last ti [More]

Hi Everyone, I hope you all enjoyed the writings about thread, I do realize that it was a little intense. So I decided to keep it light this time and give you some fun things to ponder. I know some or most of you know that I was a bit "out of touch" these past days. I suddenly realized th... [More]

To begin this time, I want to relate a very “telling” experience.  This experience told me that you very well can become a really good quilter if only you practice, practice, practice.  My husband and I went to my daughter’s house last weekend to attend our grand daughter... [More]

With the Holiday Season right around the corner, everyone will be creating new and following old tra [More]

Not sure where the last two weeks have gone but it seems like it is time to check in with you all,  again.  I have recently been to Des Moines, Iowa for two reasons.  The first was so I could film a video for a new feature on www.allpeoplequilt.com (part of Better Homes and Gardens) a... [More]

Well, this is a first for me. I’ve frequently thought that if I didn’t get something finished before leaving on a trip I could do it in the airport or on the plane, but I’ve never actually done it. Until today.  As we were leaving for the airport I turned to Bill and said, &ld... [More]

    Hello Happy Stitcher's!   I am going to cut right to the chase here today, as I have been wading through 35 pages of information on thread!  Yes 35 pages!  I understand, Wow! So I am going to give you some things you will likely want to print out and ... [More]

As I start this out today, there are so many things Zinging around in my head, it’s hard to tell which way this edition of LaRueSews will go. I’ve heard writers say that sometimes they start out with just an idea and then just let it roll. I think I’ll tell you a bit about the qui... [More]

I have had it in my head for weeks what I wanted to do this week on the blog.  But, as many of you can probably relate, I backed myself into a corner with my schedule and wasn’t able to create the vision I had in my head.  I’m right in the middle of two of my busiest weeks of t... [More]

TALL , GRACEFUL AND ELEGANT- GIRAFFES The Giraffe, the tallest animal in Africa is both elegant and graceful. Its height allows it to keep in contact with other giraffes over large distances as well as spotting predators from afar. It is not uncommon to see other animals following a giraffe using i... [More]

Some words cause us to think Luxury, and Pashmina is one of them.  Pashmina is the Indian/Persi [More]

Hello there folks…. I am sitting here in my sewing room, yes I do have one and just so you feel better I can tell you that it is total disaster area at the moment.  I am actually sitting with my laptop on my ironing board and writing to you as my Quattro is humming along.  You migh... [More]

  HELLO HELLO WORLD ME’ers!!!!! Here it is…HOT OFF THE PRESS….drum roll please……AnnTheGran MAP – Level 1 In a nutshell I’ve heard from ME’ers from 39 US states, 1 territory and 16 foreign countries so far. THANKS again for your input!!!... [More]

We have found that by making our cross stitch designs the centerpiece of a quick-to-quilt piece, a lovely finished result is achieved. Many embroiderers also love to quilt, so combining the two “media” seemed like a natural! Cross Stitch designs, especially the small ones, can be use... [More]

Hello everyone! I’m Susan from AllAboutBlanks.com and we work with the folks here at AnnTheGran.com to offer you some of our best-selling embroidery blanks right here on Ann's website.  What a nice surprise it was to be asked to participate in the world of blogging here at AnnThe... [More]

  Here it is, the second day of Fall, and it’s already cold in the mornings here in Orlando. By “cold” I mean 68° (20° C) which, for me here in Florida, is sweater weather.  It doesn’t usually cool off until the middle of November, so this is quite a treat ... [More]

         Hello all of you Happy Stitcher's! Wow, can you believe it? This is the 5th edition of this blog! It is hard for me to imagine that I have written 5 already! It sure doesn't seem like it at all. I guess that must mean I enjoy what I do and sharing this ... [More]

Sometimes we quilters and ME's want to do what we want to do. We buy books with patterns made by somebody whose tastes are similar to ours, but we want to do it our way. How can I arrange my favorite quilt blocks in a new and different way without taking hours with graph paper, a ruler and color... [More]

Embroidery has always been evolving and creating so many beautiful stitches and it is hard to keep u [More]

Do you have your binoculars ready, camera and  hat? Remember, keep your hands inside the jeep. While on this visual African Safari  remember the animals are not in cages, do not pat or feed them and most importantly remember you are a guest in thier environment!   You can expect to ... [More]

Everyone is an expert at something. This is something I have always believed, and continue to believe. Sometimes that expertise extends to a broad subject, like embroidery or cars or lawn bowling, and sometimes it's very specific, like telling "Knock-knock" jokes, or knowing how ... [More]

Not sure where someone got the idea that we are already making an upgrade for the new Quattro....not true!  Trust me, I would know.....I still reeling from what it took to get this one done.  Nite all!

Well ladies, there certainiy has been lots of discussion about what to pay for a machine.  I have to say once Brother sells the product to the dealer, it is up to the dealer to set a reasonable price. They do that based on many things.  The most important thing for all of you to remember w... [More]