I was a Bad-Ass, Droid-Mechanic, Slave-Chick Scientist.
HELLO my name is Heather
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Conveyed, Potrayed, Hoorayed
I'm home! I've spent nine days travelling to, or through, five states: Texas, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut. It was a surreal to walk through a world painted autumn with my wool coat and ruffled scarf clutched shut. At home it's still flip-flop weather and it can be difficult to remember that the holidays are around the corner.
My trip was mostly business. Dinners, meetings, research, hellos. After I finished up in Houston, I headed to the east coast. Isaac flew in to attend a couple of meetings with me and then stayed for an extra few days to photograph the cover for my sister-in-law, Wendy Lane Bailey's, upcoming album. I haven't seen the photos yet, but I hear she went for elegant-country-gothic: bustier and gown, gothic architecture, overgrown garden. I can't wait to see the results — and to hear the album, my goodness.
Wendy collects fabulous photographs of Old-Hollywood starlets and has a serious thing for fashion, especially shoes. Beyond the regular good investment, she treats herself to an annual birthday-shoe-splurge – Prada, Blahnik, Vuitton. I suggest she photograph each new pair to one-day tell her personal history in a book of shoes, chapter by chapter. 2006, The Year of the Coral D'Orsays. 2007, The Year of the Red Peep Toes. 2008, The Year of the Insanely-Awesome Black Strappy Boots. And so on. Pcshaa!
If I'm ever a fiction writer, I might just borrow that idea right back.
Wendy also collects Art Nouveau era advertising. She has an incredible collection of paper fan advertisements, as well as soap labels, posters, postcards, etc. I'm on the lookout for the perfect hoo-hah present to send her way. Any suggestions?
Speaking of gifts. My mom deserves serious thanking. She trotted the kids to and fro and helped them get fed and to bed while we were away. And my sister too. Again, taking suggestions — any notable thank you gifts you've received? Or given? I've got some work to do.
Glad to be back home. I won't forget to post the dragon costume photos. Miraculously, I finished that bugger up just before leaving town. And it's a hoot. Or a roar.
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Fierce Determination
A work in progress. Here's where I'm at on Charlotte's dragon headress for Halloween — a 3D sketch. So far I've built, in effect, a dragon dressform from a foam alligator hat, a pumpkin head and a metal jug. Now to create a pattern and sew, sew, sew.
Fun to see the process, huh? Let's hope the finished result measures up. Of course, now that I've let you in on it, there's no backing down.
Little time, big ambition. I'm heading off for Houston in less than two days and there's no shortage of other work I have to squeeze in as well. Aaah!
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Bat Couture
Meet Cornelius. "Do NOT call me Corny," he insists.
Charlotte is obsessed with bats. Last year she was a bat for Halloween. This year she turned the hollow at the back of one of my dress forms into a bat cave. There's a street nearby where the bats cluster under the street lights for a bug smorgasbord. As such, it's our preferred route between Heather Bailey headquarters and home. Bats are a thing around here.
Looking for some Halloween fun? Download my FREE Betty Boo Sock Doll pattern — link posted in the sidebar under Free Patterns. This year I've added a new companion pattern, the Bat Couture Cape. It's FREE as well — link in sidebar.
All you need is a Halloween sock, some great felt, and a few bits & bobs. We have a bunch of bat kits put together if you're looking for ideas. Move the bow from any Betty's ear to the top of her buttons and she changes gender; voila, Candy becomes Cornelius. Simple as that.
The cape is quick and easy to sew, but oh so formidable. For my next cape, I'm going for colorful felt, then embroidering the back with a web and a spider.
Cornelius and his sister, Candy, are available as kits. Get a bat kit for free till 10-31-10 at midnight MST,. Details here.
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Jaunty Frolic
It's official. My first collection of home decor fabrics is in the works. I mailed out the artwork earlier this week. I'm so excited. And relieved. That last part of the design process is pretty grueling.
I can't show any sneak peeks till the copyright process is completed. I can let it slip that one of the prints is called Cakewalk. A great name with an even-better history. (There are no cake illustrations involved though.) I love learning about weird stuff.
Here's the skinny.
The cakewalk is a dance from the civil-war era. It was a tradition begun by slaves which developed into a parody of high society ballroom dancing and dandy mannerisms. Instead of taking offense, plantation owners encouraged the comedic dance. Many would host Sunday cakewalk contests to determine who could high-kick, saunter, curtsy, and tip his hat to best effect. The prize was usually a cake wrapped in cabbage (I'm guessing early Saran Wrap here). It is from this tradition comes the saying, "That takes the cake!"
The dance hit the mainstream around 1890 or so — Victorian society was due for some silliness.
The high-stepping march of a band majorette stems from the cakewalk as well.
After discovering old-timey cakewalk footage on You Tube yesterday, Isaac and I took a stab at the dance ourselves. Right here in my office. Flag that one for the next church talent show, right? If you need a stress relief, I highly recommend it. Odds are you'll win a good belly laugh and burn off some cake while you're at it. Then again, you might need to be punch-drunk with exhaustion to fully understand.
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The Squeak Heard Around the World
Yes! Thanks for humoring me. Literally.
Perhaps most of us find a giant-mouse maxi to be a fashion turn-off. However, Thomas of WayCoolKid was inspired. Yep. Within a day of the post, Thomas hopped right-to and whipped up this adorable mouse jumper for his daughter. He describes the jumper as a fusion of "Little House on the Prairie & Swiss Modernism."
It goes to show, you can find inspiration just about anywhere. At least, Thomas sure can! I'm impressed.
As for the giveaway… I've had a difficult enough time narrowing the comments down to five, let alone one. So, more giveaways it is.
You guys are a hoot. In no particular order, a goody goes to each of the following:
- "Said in a deadpan voice… "Is this skirt cheesy?"" Hizzeather
- "I'd have to cut holes where the eyes are so my knees peeked through! Maybe then you could draw various kinds of eyes on your kneecaps…" Ange Moore
- "Ain't nothin' "Minnie" about me!" Angela H.
- "…you thought my hair was mousy." Leslie Plank
- "You're all so last season." Helen
Funny folk, email me your contact info & I'll send you a little something for your waggery. (info@heatherbailey.com)
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Rodent of Unusual Size
Nothing like a giant-mouse maxi skirt to freshen up an otherwise dull
wardrobe. This vintage get-up says something, but what exactly?"I am a professional."
"Beware the Rodent of Unusual Size."
Nail it & I'll send you a gift of some sort. I'm in the thick of fabric design and can use a good laugh — clearly.
I
missed the end of the auction while I was out of town or I might have
caved. I imagine wearing this number to the studio with a white shirt,
drippy earrings, and an I'm-dead-serious business-bun. There would be a
candy bar in store for whomever on my team snickered first.Missed opportunity : (
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The Creative Connection
I'm in Minneapolis, MN for The Creative Connection this week. What
an amazing crowd of bloggers and business women! All brought together
by Nancy Soriano, Jo Packham, and their fantastic friends and staff.It
is an honor to be invited as a speaker and panelist. They have put
together a perfect schedule of business-fodder, food, and fun, along
with an impressive Handmade Market.The event kicks off tomorrow
morning with a variety of classes for the attendees. At lunchtime, The
Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, will join in for some Q & A. Then MaryJane Butters and Amy Butler will speak at the kick-off
dinner. I have an autograph party tomorrow night and two panels on
Friday, centered on business development, with some meals and meetings
in there as well. Saturday morning I'm listening in on another panel,
then heading back home. It's a full schedule.I can't wait.
(It looks like the bio and pig-tailed photo of me on the Creative Connection site
are both several years out-of-date. Oops. (No, I'm not introducing my
first line of fabric this year.) Here's a more up-to-date portrait courtesy of Charlotte.) -
Fossil Creek Waterfall
Wow, so it sounds like there's a bunch of you looking for directions to
the Fossil Creek waterfall now. I did a little search in order to
provide a link, but I could only find maps of an 8 mile hike in the
area, with no information on the waterfall or how to get to it. That
won't do.Solved! Here's a quicky-map of the 1-mile trail from the
parking lot to the waterfall, with driving directions from Phoenix/
Flagstaff or from Mesa/Gilbert. Click on the image of the map to download.Please bring a real road map too — and sunblock. Be safe & have fun!
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Whaa-Hoo!
Who: The Baileys
What: Best idea ever
When: This week
Where: Fossil Creek
Why: 'Cuz it's dang hot outside
Isaac's
sister Evie and her daughter Maggie came for a visit this week. Beyond
shopping, and taking Maggie's senior pictures, their must-do list
included swimming in the Arizona heat. (Not enough warmth in Washington
this summer.)We packed up the kids and headed to our favorite swimming hole, Fossil Creek, about 2 1/2 hours north.
What can I say? I had a blast.
On
our way home, we stopped in Pine for pastries — a little ol' baker-man
braids bread inside a funny little grocery store — another favorite
stop. We still don't know the name of the place; though it's right next
to the Sidewinders Saloon if you're looking for it. We are
always too distracted by the pastries, I guess.
