HELLO my name is Heather

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    Giveaway Day 23

    ByHeather Bailey

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    ScrapbookPrize_Warm4

    Tweedle-dee-and-tweedle-dum_post2I
    was up all night altering my son's band uniform. The only pair of pants
    they had on hand for a 6'4" kid were equally as big around—serious
    Tweedle-Dee pants.

    In the end, I removed 15 total inches from the girth of the pants,
    taking out 1" to 6" on five different seams: inseams, outseams, and
    center back. And I added two darts in the front to bring the suspenders
    closer together.

    I deserve a sewing badge for extreme alteration. That was some WiLd
    sewing. I've never modified a garment so drastically before. I'm
    stocking up on mama points this week. Going to cash them in for
    babysitting—starting tonight. Hooray for the weekend!

    BandBeforeAfter_470

    Today's giveaway is a collection of Heather Bailey paper-crafting supplies, including
    a variety of clear stamps, ribbons, die-cut felt trim, stickers, ink
    pads—all sorts of bright happy supplies. A $43 value.


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    Giveaway Day 21

    ByHeather Bailey

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    For today's prize, how about a little Christmas in the summertime?
    This way, at least one of us will be prepared when December comes along
    sooner than we expect it!

    Winner receives a party pack of Heather Bailey holiday supplies, including dinner plates, dessert plates, napkins, party cups—and lo! matching invitations. Everything you need to be polished and prepared for some holiday fun this year. A $54 value.

    We loaded our holiday invitations, photo cards and picnicware into
    the shop today. Please note that we're limited to supply on hand though,
    so snatch up these holiday items
    while they last. There's a part of me that wants to hoard the entire
    timeless supply for my own future use, but I'm talking myself through
    it. I'll design more. I'll design more. I can share.

    Day21_ChristmasPicnicwareB

    Speaking of sharing…

    Comment to enter. One entry per household. Be sure to include your email
    address
    so we can contact you if you win. You don't have to type your email
    address into the body of the comment if you entered it in the email-address
    field on the comment form; I can access it from behind the scenes.

    Today's giveaway will close at 11:59pm PST on Wednesday 8/21/13. Watch for the winner to
    be announced within the week at the bottom
    of the post. For more info on my August giveaway party, click here. Please
    share the word. Check back every day.

    Good luck!

    xo—Heather

    Read More “Giveaway Day 21”

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    Giveaway Day 20

    ByHeather Bailey

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    My day has gone to school meetings. Elijah switched high schools this
    year and we're working to get him established at a school one mile from
    our home. We were driving him 25 minutes away each day, back and forth
    for the last two years, often several times a day and this really put a
    pinch on our time at home as a family.

    This year, Elijah volunteered to change schools. He and his dad both
    seem okay with it. I'm still resolving my own feelings. He not only has
    no friends there yet, but the school is in a different school district
    and runs quite differently from what he is used to. And he had to leave
    behind one of the state's top marching band programs (the reason he had
    insisted on that school in the first place).

    Day20_Pig-Doll_300I
    hate that he's switching halfway through high school. Ug. I wish I
    would have pushed more strongly for this close-by school two years ago.
    I'm working to feel at peace with the mid-stream change. Today's
    meetings helped with that quite a bit. We brought in a list of things we
    felt would help Elijah transition well and the response was, "This is
    what we, here, call good teaching. This will be no problem at all." Just
    what we needed to hear! I liked his last school a lot, but the
    administration at the new school made a great first impression today.
    I'm one step closer to parental peace.

    Additionally, with the high school only one mile away now, I can get
    more involved and still keep my other two children on track. I'm
    hopeful, but I'm still holding my breath nonetheless.

    Day20_apronNeedless
    to say, my giveaway to-do list hasn't shed any pounds today while I've
    been out parenting. It's approaching evening time and I still have this
    giveaway to post and a number of winners to select. So, on with the
    show!

    With a $35 value, today's prize
    is a set of THREE Heather Bailey sewing patterns—Claira & Clancy Pig Dolls, Full Bloom Roses and the Daily Spice Apron—a variety of projects you can make for yourself or as gifts. Get an early start on the holidays. Or give the patterns as gifts.

    For more information on my piggie doll pattern (my personal favorite of the patterns we've published), click here. For my first preview of the Daily Spice apron pattern, head back seven years to this post. (It sounds like driving Elijah around was a part-time job even back then. Boy, how long have I been blogging now?) As for Full Bloom Roses, we may have only announced that pattern by newsletter originally, so get the details here.

    Day20_ThreePatterns

    Comment to enter today's contest. Be sure to include your email
    address
    so we can contact you if you win. You don't have to type your email
    address into the body of the comment if you entered it in the email-address
    field on the comment form. One entry per household.

    Today's giveaway will close at noon PST on Wednesday 8/21/13. Watch for the winner to
    be announced within the week at the bottom
    of the post. For more info on my big ol' August giveaway party, click here. Please
    share the word. Check back every day.

    Good luck!

    xo—Heather


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    Giveaway Day 19 — Stella

    ByHeather Bailey

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    At Quilt Market last May, I met Nathan and Stacy Wiedenmann who were
    there introducing a new product to the world. And it was no elementary,
    homespun product either, but a multi-function task light of all things.
    Now how do you get that made?

    The inventor in me can't resist new gadgets. The business owner in me
    thrills to see someone tackle manufacturing with success. Isaac has two
    pet lighting inventions he wants to patent and market one day, so
    meeting small business owners in the lighting trade is extra fun.

    Day19_StellaLamp_Logo4

    Now, I'm going to butcher the Stella Lighting
    story, but as I understand it, Nathan was at a meeting at Starbucks
    where he and an associate were discussing a prototype of this lamp when a
    quilter approached them to find out more about it. After a
    demonstration, she insisted that she needed the lamp and she needed it
    now. And that other quilters and crafters needed it too. The punchline
    is: this godsend matchmaker hooked up a great little lamp with an eager
    audience and it was true love.

    StellaBlackRightSo
    what makes this light different? The Stella task lamp is stocked with
    21 little LED light bulbs, all rated to last for 50,000+ hours—we'll
    call that a lifetime of use. You never have to change the bulbs. With
    efficient LED technology, the lamp uses 10% of the electricity of a
    comparably bright incandescent light. And the light stays cool, so you
    can work right under it very comfortably. It is available as a desk lamp or floor lamp.

    It also has five brightness levels, so it can be adjusted to the task at hand. You can choose from three different light temperatures, including a warm light (very similar to incandescent light), a very cool light, and a bright, daylight-balanced light.

    For me and my purposes, the
    daylight-balanced setting is where it's at. Much of my work involves
    reviewing colors for accuracy. And having a Stella on hand allows me to
    work later into the day, after the sun has set—perfect for evaluating
    fabric strike-offs, painting new artwork, or choosing thread colors.

    The light is even and bright and the neck of the lamp can be bent in almost any direction. It's streamline shape allows it to peek in quietly over your work or move aside as needed.

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    Check in with Stella on Twitter and Instagram. Visit StellaLighting.com
    for a video introduction and more information about the product and the
    company. Art stores, quilt stores, needlework stores and more are all
    starting to carry this new light, so watch for the Stella at your local
    shop.

    Stella Lighting is generously donating one white Stella task lamp for today's giveaway. A $220 value.


     Comment to enter. One entry per household. U.S. shipping only on this one. Be sure to include your email
    address
    so we can contact you if you win. You don't have to type your email
    address into the body of the comment if you entered it in the email-address
    field on the comment form. Today's giveaway will close at noon PST on Tuesday 8/20/13. Watch for the winner to
    be announced within a few days at the bottom
    of the post.

    For the backstory on my August HELLO Giveaway project, click here. Please
    share the word. And check back every day.

    Good luck!

    xo—Heather

    Read More “Giveaway Day 19 — Stella”

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    Psst…

    ByHeather Bailey

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    I may have let slip that a certain someone whose name rhymes with "feather daily" is going to be at The Sewing Summit
    next month in Salt Lake City, September 19th through the 21st. The
    event has been sold out for a while, but a little birdie told me that
    the show coordinators are offering a handful of additional tickets for sale today, starting at 9:00am MST (maybe 30 tickets or so?).

    Feather Daily thought you guys might like to know—especially after you have a look through their site and see what a remarkable event it will be. These tickets are in hot demand, so act fast if you're interested. Great teachers, great classes and an incredible variety of subjects, ranging from quilting, crafts and garment sewing to fabric design, photography and social media.

    Get your calendars out, you might need to fly to Utah in a few weeks.

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    Giveaway Day 18

    ByHeather Bailey

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    We went out for my birthday on Friday night for Thai food and a movie
    with my siblings and their spouses, and my dad. It was
    great to get together after we were all scattered this way and that for
    the summer. And just the kind of birthday party I like—easy and low-key.
    I'm so glad they all could come along. If you ever visit Tempe, AZ, Yupha's Thai Kitchen is the place to eat.

    Of course, this year wasn't a 'big-deal' birthday. When the next one of those
    comes along, I'd like a Disco Dance Party with wigs required—nothing
    mellow.

    Day18_Blog_KarenBag5

    This giveaway circus is keeping me plenty anesthetized from any potential
    birthday blues. It's quite a project behind the scenes to make sure
    everything is reported accurately and the winners are chosen fairly.
    (Random number generator, after duplicates and late entries are
    subtracted.)

    I hope you're having as much fun as I am. I feel like
    a game show host at this point, "Step on down, take a spin, survey says
    — you win." I need fine, feathered 70's hair and a sparkly dress.

    As soon as today's giveaway post goes up, I'll get to work drawing
    winners for the last few giveaways. Expect those updates by midday
    tomorrow.

    And remember that our Day 16 giveaway for a Cricut Expressions 2 electronic cutting machine ends at 11:59pm PST tonight. So, there's still time to enter.

    Day18_Blog_GiveawayContents

    Without further ado, today's giveaway prize is a sewn book tote from FamLee Treasures, made with fabrics from my Garden District collection, as well as a Heather Bailey planner, a chevron note pad and a pack of personal stationery. A $73 value.

    FamLee Treasures
    is my office manager Karen's Etsy business. Her adorable totes also
    make perfect craft totes or church bags. Karen was excited to get
    involved with our giveaway party—and it's her birthday this next week
    too. That's another vote for Birthday Month. Happy Birthday, Karen!

    Comment to enter. One entry per household. Be sure to include your email
    address
    so we can contact you if you win. You don't have to type your email
    address into the body of the comment if you entered it in the email-address
    field on the comment form. Today's giveaway will close at NOON PST on Monday 8/19/13. Watch for the winner to
    be announced early next week at the bottom
    of the post.

    For more info on these August HELLO Giveaways, click here. Please
    share the word. Good luck!

    xo—Heather


    Read More “Giveaway Day 18”

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    Giveaway Day 17

    ByHeather Bailey

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    How about a splash of fashion to keep the giveaway world in proper balance? Today's HELLO Giveaway is sponsored by Urban Attic Boutique, a great online store with a bohemian-chic point of view. Find tops, dresses, pants, skirts, and jewelry, all reasonably priced and right on trend.

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    Urban Attic Boutique is curated by sisters, Jenna and Tauny—who
    have an eye for bold prints and statement pieces. And I would say, as a
    group, the items in their shop look comfortable. Comfort is my ultimate
    measuring stick for everyday fashion, so this is a big one for me.

    Day17_UrbanAtticNecklaces

    Go have a look. But, don't beat me to that seahorse necklace!

    Keep current with the shop on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram, where you'll be the first to hear of new items, sales and Urban Attic giveaways. Today's lucky winner will receive a $25 gift certificate to UrbanAtticBoutique.com.

    Day17_UrbanAtticNecklaces2

    Comment to enter. One entry per household. Be sure to include your email
    address
    so we can contact you if you win. You don't have to type your email
    address into the body of the comment if you entered it in the email-address
    field on the comment form. Today's giveaway will close at 11:59pm PST on Saturday 8/17/13. Watch for the winner to
    be announced early next week at the bottom
    of the post.

    For more info on these August HELLO Giveaways, click here. Please
    share the word. Good luck!

    xo—Heather


    Read More “Giveaway Day 17”

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    Giveaway Day 16 — A Big One

    ByHeather Bailey

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    When I say that I'm friends with some cool people at some cool
    companies. I mean, wow. I put out some calls, told everyone I wanted to
    have a big Thank You Party for my readers, and look what's coming in.
    Today's giveaway prize is another big one.

    Day16_Insta_CricutExpressions

    This incredible machine here is called the Cricut Expressions 2.
    It is an electronic cutting machine. Digital designs are plugged into
    the system on cartridges and out come perfectly-cut pieces. Pieces of
    what, you say? Pieces of cardstock, chipboard, sheet magnet, foam, felt,
    balsa wood, vellum, cling vinyl, fabric and more. That's a lot of
    creative possibilities.

    Day16_Insta_CricutFlowers2_300This
    Cricut is a free-standing machine that is easily operated using
    touch-screen technology. You don't have to have a computer. From what I
    read, this is one of the easiest cutting machines to operate and there
    are a number of video tutorials and reviews posted online if you're a
    visual learner.

    Included with the Expressions 2 machine is their Cricut Essentials
    cartridge which includes hundreds of designs and a Cricut Alphabet
    cartridge. Beyond that, Cartridges galore
    are available separately from a variety of designers. The machine
    features a cutting area as large as 12" x 24" and it will arrange
    multiple items for you in order to prevent waste.

    Great for crafts, party decorations, card-making, scrapbooking, fabric
    applique, product packaging, valentines. I can think of so many fun
    things to do with a cutting machine. What incredible technology to have
    on hand.

    Day16_Insta_CricutWickedTee2Oh! And Cricut is also including a bundle of iron-on vinyl in three colors—winner chooses the colors.
    Wait till you see what you can do with this iron-on vinyl. Holy cow.
    You can customize tee-shirts, pillows, shoes, sports jerseys, hats,
    handbags, Christmas stockings—anything. To see images of this
    heat-transfer film in use, visit Cricut's iron-on vinyl product page, then click on each color of vinyl to pull up project ideas.

    With so many functions and uses, it's quite impossible for me to cover it all in this one post. I recommend you visit their "New to Cricut?" page, the Cricut Blog, and the Cricut Forum if you want to delve in to the details and see all that the Cricut Expressions 2 can do. Cricut is also on Facebook (a great resource), Instagram and Twitter, so go say hello.

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    All in all, today's generous prize is a $345 value. Thank you, Cricut! To enter for today's
    giveaway, leave a comment here on this post. One entry per person.

    Be sure to include your email
    address
    so we can contact you if you win. You don't have to type your email
    address into the body of the comment if you entered it in the email-address
    field on the comment form; I can access that info from behind the scenes. Today's giveaway will close at 11:59pm PST on Sunday 8/18/13.
    (This is a big one and it's Friday—so I'm giving you all weekend to
    enter. This means it will overlap with Saturday's and Sunday's
    giveaways.)     Watch for the winner to
    be announced early next week at the bottom
    of the post.

    For more info on these August HELLO Giveaways, click here. Please
    share the word. We have lots more in store for you this month.

    Good luck!

    xo—Heather


    Read More “Giveaway Day 16 — A Big One”

  • Giveaway Day 15

    ByHeather Bailey

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    I've been asked to be the keynote speaker at The Sewing Summit
    this year. We just firmed it up this week, so watch for an announcement
    on their site soon. As a bonus, I'm going to fly in for the entire
    event and well, hang out. Which means I'll have the chance to get to
    know some fabulous people who will be there with me.


    MelissaE    One of those fabulous people is Melissa Esplin, who is scheduled to teach at the event. I'm excited to meet her. Melissa not only sews and maintains a beautiful blog, but she is also an incredible calligrapher. And she teaches calligraphy online. Yes, you can take classes without having to leave your desk!

    Calligraphy is gaining attention from today's style stars as a
    back-to-crafts artform. Beautifully-lettered posters add a personal
    touch to a home or office. And personalized calligraphy is a great way
    to enhance a wedding or baby announcement—or otherwise stand out in a
    mess of computer-generated communication.

    Take a look at Melissa's incredible lettering on her website and blog. See Melissa's classes on her site, I Still Love Calligraphy, where you can learn from the best. And don't miss her beautiful, free printables and tutorials as well.


    Day15_CalligraphyPrize
    Today's lucky winner will receive five ready-to-write cards and five envelopes, all hand-lettered by Melissa. Talk about putting your best face
    forward. Your mail and affection will look like it came from the queen
    herself.

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    The hand-lettered kraft-paper cards feature "5 Things" prompts such
    as "5 Reasons Why I Love You" and the blue envelopes read, "Kindly
    Deliver to" or Please send to." They can be used together or separately.
    A $35 value.



    Day15_CalligraphyCards_squareWT    Melissa
    does custom calligraphy for families and businesses. She designs logos,
    tattoos, greeting cards and more. But, calligraphy isn't her only
    passion. If you like to sew, then you must swing by Melissa's blog to
    see her sewing acumen as
    well. She is teaching at The Sewing Summit afterall. When my
    fashion-fabric line hits next spring, I have a secret wish that we'll
    get to see Melissa work her magic with the collection.

    Okay! Exciting. Let's get this contest going. To enter for today's
    giveaway, just leave a comment here on this post. One entry per human.

    Be sure to include your email
    address
    so we can contact you if you win. You don't have to type your email
    address into the body of the comment if you entered it in the email-address
    field on the comment form; I can access that info from behind the scenes. Today's giveaway will close at NOON PST on Friday 8/16/13. (Extended deadlines here and there, depending on when I get the post up!) Watch for the winner to
    be announced within a day or
    two at the bottom
    of the post.

    Day15_Calligraphy_melissa2

    Follow Melissa on all over the social media scene, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest and send her a love note while you're at it, "Melissa, your work is beautiful!"

    For more info on these August HELLO Giveaways, click here. Please
    share the word. Tomorrow's prize is the biggest one so far, so don't forget to check back in.

    Good luck!

    xo—Heather


    Read More “Giveaway Day 15”