Meet Annaliese
My mission is simple: to help quilters turn their works‑in‑progress into finished, huggable heirlooms. Whether your quilt is an everyday throw, a memory project, or a treasured family piece, I’m honored to help bring it across the finish line.
I’m grateful for every maker who chooses to collaborate with me—from right here in Virginia to across the country. Your quilts matter, your stories matter, and it’s a privilege to be part of them.
Quality over volume
As a one‑person studio with a full‑time 9-5 career, I intentionally limit the number of projects I take on so each quilt and customer receives the attention they deserve.
Craftsmanship with heart
Quilts are both functional and deeply personal. I treat every project with the respect it deserves.
Education and encouragement
I love helping others grow creatively, just as so many people helped me.
Collaboration
I work closely with clients to honor their vision, style, and budget.
Sustainability
I’m committed to thoughtful, sustainable practices and continually look for ways to reduce waste and give back to the community.
What I Stand for
My mom, my sister, and I working side‑by‑side on a charity quilt, a reminder of how much community and family have shaped my quilting journey.
These moments together are the heart behind the work I do in my studio today.
My Story
Quilting has been the one constant thread through every chapter of my life.
I grew up watching my mom sew—Halloween costumes, little projects, the kinds of handmade things that quietly shape a childhood. She learned from her mom, and she passed that love of making on to me. I stitched alongside her as a kid, drifted away from it during my busy teenage and college years, and then, after graduation, found myself searching for a creative homecoming. Sewing and quilting were where I landed.
In the early 2010s, during the big wave of craft blogs, I started writing and sharing my projects online. I chose a creative pen name inspired by the acorn I received at my college graduation—a symbol of growth, potential, and the small beginnings that lead to something meaningful. That acorn has stayed with me through every move, every new state, every creative community I’ve joined. It’s now part of the heart of my business: Pewter Acorn Quilts.
I’ve moved many times over the years, but no matter where I’ve lived, quilting communities, both online and in person, have welcomed me in. Those makers inspired me, taught me, made me laugh, and helped me grow. I try to pay that forward now by supporting quilters and creatives at every stage of their journey. Whether someone is piecing their very first quilt top or preserving a family heirloom, I want them to feel encouraged, respected, and understood.
My younger sister Jess is a big part of that spirit. Even though my mom has passed on, quilting is still a family affair. Jess often helps with the business, and our “sister sewing weekends” are some of my favorite creative memories in the making.
Journey to Longarming
I rented time a local shop to quilt this pinwheel top for my sister. I learned so much there!
Like many quilters, I started on a domestic machine - and like many quilters, I quickly discovered how challenging it can be to wrestle a queen‑sized quilt through a small throat space. When I lived in Oklahoma, I found an incredible community of longarm quilters who helped me finish a few of my own projects. I fell in love with the process immediately.
I began renting time on a longarm in 2019, and after my mom passed away, I took a “life is short” leap and invested in my dream machine - an Innova 26" on a 12' frame. It’s the same machine I use today, now with thousands of stitches and hundreds of hours behind it. I’ve taken dozens of classes, workshops, and courses to expand my skills and bring out the best in every quilt top that comes through my studi.o
By day, I work in a scientific and technical role - a field of precision, logic, and structure. Quilting became my counterbalance: a place where the creative and the artistic parts of me could flourish.
Outside the studio, you’ll usually find me on a trail with my husband and pup, in the garden, or exploring some nature‑nerdy project. Curiosity drives me, and I bring that same spirit into my quilting practice.
That blend still shapes my work today. I love seeing how quilters bring their own backgrounds - engineering, gardening, teaching, gaming, caregiving - into their creative choices. Every quilt reflects the maker behind it.
When you trust me with your quilt, you’re not just getting stitching, you’re getting partnership. I know what it feels like to hand over a quilt top that’s irreplaceable. I know the relief of finally finishing a long‑awaited project. And I know the joy of seeing a vision come to life under thoughtful, intentional collaboration.
Let’s Connect
Interested in working together? Fill out some info and I’ll will be in touch shortly. I can’t wait to hear from you!
