Design

Conferences & Keynotes

Keynote Delivered
ByHeather Bailey September 23, 2013

I just returned from Utah where I delivered the keynote address at this year's Sewing Summit
in Salt Lake City. What a great experience. And what a fun respite from
the whirlwind of work I have this month. I was there for the entire
event which gave me the chance to get to know a lot of the
attendees—such an inspiring group.

And the Salt Lake City food! That was a surprise. It helped that I went out to eat with some local foodies. Take Note: Bruges Waffles, Settebello Pizzeria, Plum Alley, Gracie's Bar, Hatch Family Chocolates & Ruby Snap Cookies.

I'm back in the studio now and I have to tear right into my class project for Thursday's Creative Bug shoot. I haven't forgotten about the Lottie Da fat-quarters giveaway. We will go through those entries and select our random winner this week, then post it here on the blog.

I just wanted to pop in with a quick hello and an update. I'm excited
to tell you more about this great event and the thoughts and stories I
shared at the closing dinner after I get through this next swirl of
sewing.

Thanks to @cailamade and @hotpinkstitches for letting me snag photos from your Instagram feeds.

Read More Keynote Delivered
Conferences & Keynotes | Quilting

Pause. Wait. Go. Go Fast!
ByHeather Bailey September 16, 2013

Are you in Utah? I will be at The Material Girls quilt shop in South Jordan THIS Wednesday from 6pm to 8pm. Stop by and let's meet.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

I had such a quaint little weekend. I pieced a lap quilt, made cherry
muffins, did the laundry, went to a movie. I even slept at night.
Nothing nearly reflective of my high-energy obligations this week and
next. (High-energy is code for compressed and quickly becoming
stressful.) My True Colors fabric hadn't arrived yet for next week's Creative Bug shoot, so I made lemonade of the situation and relaxed. I meditated on this week's keynote and did some prep for next month's needs. And I completed an entire quilt top.

My quiet activities took place in a stir of remodeling. Isaac and
Elijah shuffled furniture out of our family room to make way for
wainscoting and new flooring. I have a number of great vintage pieces
that will need reupholstering or rebuilding in some way, but we'll deal
with the furniture and trimmings later. Certainly no sooner than
November.

My True Colors fabric was delivered this afternoon. The race is now on. I leave for The Sewing Summit
in Utah in two days and must resolve the Creative Bug project before I
go, get my kids squared away, and keep a number of other projects moving
forward.

Some of you have asked for an update on my upcoming embroidery
patterns. They will be ready soon. A few of these other obligations
pushed their way forward in line. The work is 98% complete on the
embroidery patterns, so my hope is to complete them once we've wrapped
up the Creative Bug shoot. If you follow me on Instagram, you'll know
we're making progress on that despite my hectic schedule. We had planned
to keep the embroidery patterns quiet till this Fall, but went ahead
with previews earlier this year when my Lottie Da fabric collection was
delayed for Spring Quilt Market. We had arranged a booth, but we weren't
going to have fabrics. So, embroidery!

Okay. Time for me to go, go go.

If you missed the announcement at the top of this post, I will be at The Material Girls quilt shop in South Jordan, UT this Wednesday night from 6pm to 8pm. Come by for a hello. And see Lottie Da in person.

Read More Pause. Wait. Go. Go Fast!
Quilting

Getting Going on Sewing
ByHeather Bailey September 13, 2013

It's a sewing week for me. For the last two years, I've spent most of
my creative time at the drafting table and behind a computer, catching
up on print and product design after having a baby. It's been great to
get reacquainted with my sewing machine and start playing with these
sunny new fabrics.

Angela Pingel of Cut to Pieces
kindly offered to put together the quilt top for my upcoming free
Lottie Da quilt pattern. She got right to it and had the top pieced in
no time—which means the pattern will be ready soon—once the quilt is
finished and photographed. Thank you, Angela!

With no corners to match up, the Lottie Da free quilt pattern is a
perfect beginner quilt. I'll get into that more once the pattern is
complete in the next couple of weeks.

For now, enjoy this sneaky peek courtesy of Angela. And stop by Cut to
Pieces for Angela's post and a bigger peek at the quilt top.

And don't forget to
enter the Lottie Da giveaway that closes Sunday night at 11:59pm PST (9-15-13) for a fat quarter stack of the entire collection—over a $100
value.

If you missed our Heather Bailey Store newsletter earlier this week announcing the Lottie Da collection… Enter promo code LOTTIEDA917 for a FREE full-size sewing pattern
with any purchase of $50 or more through 9/17/13 11:59pm PST. Add your
selected items to your cart to meet the order minimum, then add your
selected pattern, followed by the promo code at checkout.

Happy Weekend!
xo—Heather

Read More Getting Going on Sewing
Design | Quilting

Introducing Lottie Da
ByHeather Bailey September 10, 2013

Let's see some fabrics! My new collection, Lottie Da, started shipping
this week. I'm over the moon. And I'm thrilled to share the line with you
today.

With
a playful, 60's-mod vibe, Lottie Da combines dancing pop florals with
groovy go-withs—butterflies included. With strategic contrast
planned into the collection (value, hue, scale, and so forth), Lottie Da
is versatile and fun. Combine like-palette prints for a quiet,
sophisticated look, or incorporate contrasting colors and values for
greater pop. You can take this collection in so many different
directions.

Tweaks to my production process allowed me to experiment with colors I
haven't focused on in the past—violet, aqua and charcoal to be specific.

I started sewing with Lottie Da this week and I'm having a blast with
this zingy palette. I designed a foundation-paper-pieced project I'll
be sharing soon, along with a new free Lottie Da quilt pattern. I'll
show you how the prints can be combined for different effects. I'll also
post peeks at some original Lottie Da artwork and previews of projects
to come.

To celebrate the launch of Lottie Da, let's have a giveaway—giveaways are the best. I have a lovely Lottie Da fat quarter
stack for one lucky winner, including all thirty-two prints
in the
collection. Enter by Sunday, September 15th at 11:59pm PST by leaving a
comment on this post. Make sure you enter your email address in the
comment form so we have a way to contact the winner. One entry per
household.

But! Don't wait for news on the giveaway before stocking up on Lottie
Da. The first print-run of a Heather Bailey cotton collection tends to
sell
out quickly, so stock up fast and soon or risk having to wait a month or
two for the next shipment.

To see the full line of prints, click here.

For first news on upcoming products, sales, freebies and more, make sure to sign up for the Heather Bailey newsletter.

Watch for those upcoming Lottie Da project posts. And, send in pretty
pictures of your own Lottie Da projects. We love to see what you're
making—and to show you off.

Read More Introducing Lottie Da
Embroidery

One Thought in Front of the Other
ByHeather Bailey September 5, 2013

I'm getting things done this week. I just need to keep it up.

I've even sneaked in some time to embroider paisleys while cuddling
Evan at night. He giggles when the needle comes through the fabric,
chanting, "Here it comes, here it comes, here it comes…" I've got to get this on tape.

After the Sewing Summit keynote
in two weeks, I have a film crew coming to my home studio to tape an
online class. I am designing the project today, after I go over a
newsletter to introduce Lottie Da.
Of course, the fabric I am supposed to use for the class is not in the
United States yet (this is a different group of fabrics than Lottie Da).
And then the day after the shoot is my high school reunion in the San
Francisco bay area. I have to decide if I can fit that in. I don't want
to regret not going for the next decade. And I can't put off arranging
flights and hotel, so I have to decide this weekend without knowing how
I'll survive the next two weeks.

In
the mix, I would like to complete the embroidery patterns that I'm
anxious to introduce. And get things rolling along for a tradeshow in
October, followed by another fabric collection due November 1st. Oh, and
costumes for Halloween. You know that I can't let that slip. It looks like I better get some help on Lottie Da samples for Market.

As they say, one foot in front of the other. I'm not leaving my
studio much for the next few weeks. For me, it's one thought in front of
the other. So far, so good. We'll see how I feel in a few days!

Read More One Thought in Front of the Other
HELLO Giveaways!

Giveaway Day 31 – I Aim to Tease
ByHeather Bailey August 31, 2013

What
a month! And what a marathon of frenzied fun. I'm exhilirated to have
made it to the finish line. Today is the last day of my month of giveaways—every
day this August. I had an impulse to shower you all with presents as a
big Thank You Party for your love and support. And I ran with it.

I'm honored that so many great companies and good friends contributed
prizes. I was especially touched to read all of the sweet comments made
by Mary Engelbreit's fans on Day 24.
I hope that twenty or thirty years from now I will have maintained as
meaningful of a relationship with my fans as Mary has. That was
inspiring. Thank you for that.

There is one more proper August prize to hand out. But, truthfully, I have more prizes to give away than I have days in August.
In fact, there are some gorgeous prizes associated with my new fabric
collection that will be offered up next week when I officially introduce
the line.

So, though we've completed this month of daily giveaways, the giveaways will keep on coming
at a steady pace, mixed together with new designs, inspiration and
behind-the-scenes peeks at artwork and new products in development.

I know you are all anxious to see the new fabric collection—only a
couple more days to go! As such, I've decided to tease you with my Day
31 prize. The image above is proof positive that a new line awaits, but
it sure doesn't reveal much of the artwork or even the color palette
involved—considering that you're only glimpsing a portion of the line.
Here is an appetizer. I am wildly excited to share more.

Today's winner will receive a thirty-piece design roll from my new Lottie Da fabric collection—to
be revealed this coming week. Each piece is 2.5" x the full width of
the fabric. Great for a variety of projects—and for project-planning.
Comment to
enter. One entry per household. Be sure to include your email
address
in the comment form so we can contact you if you win.

Giveaway closes at 11:59pm PST on Monday 9/2/13. 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.

Watch for more exciting giveaways next week.

Good luck!

xo—Heather

Read More “Giveaway Day 31 – I Aim to Tease”

Read More Giveaway Day 31 – I Aim to Tease
Books | HELLO Giveaways!

Giveaway Day 30
ByHeather Bailey August 30, 2013

Today, I had the privilege of flipping through an early copy of Kerry Goulder's new book, Sewing Tales to Stitch and Love. The release is set for mid- October, but I got my hands on one of the only two copies Kerry has seen herself.

That's right, Kerry (aka Kid Giddy) sent me one of her only two copies so I could share the book with you as part of my August HELLO Giveaways celebration. So exciting! Thank you, Kerry.

My first peek at this charming project book was earlier this year
when Kerry asked me to write the book's foreword. Over the course of
several emails back and forth and a couple of phonecalls, I got to know
Kerry and her concept. Each project in the book is tied to a story and
centered on four themes, taking us "from a fairy woodland, to the
coastal waters, to the arctic, and back."

Kerry
lives in Maine with the ocean as her neighbor. One of my favorite
projects in the book is her Pinchy the Lobster character. Coming from
the land of paisley turtles and floral elephants, there's something about a calico lobster that certainly works for me.

I also love her station wagon and hipster-camping-trailer pattern
above. Not only does it wax nostalgic, but here's one car toy that won't
split your eyebrow open when your toddler attacks. That's a true bonus.
I've had more than one request from my family to design some soft
boy-toys suitable for snuggling. Our Evan likes a big reaction. This often translates into experimental hammering on his siblings and parents—especially at bedtime.

Beyond these great projects, Kerry has also included a dolphin
pattern, an orca whale, a row boat, a hot air balloon, a teddy bear, and
an igloo—to name just a few. A wide variety of projects for one book.

Join me in congratulating Kerry and KP Craft on their lovely new book. Watch for Sewing Tales to Stitch and Love: 18 Toy Patterns for the Storytelling Sewist to reach your local bookstore or fabric shop this fall and go get yourself a copy. Also, keep up with Kerry on her Kid Giddy blog (she's just beginning to post reveals of her gorgeous new sewing studio), and on facebook, twitter, pinterest, and flickr while you're at it.

Today's giveaway winner will receive this early copy of the book—signed by the author and me. Invaluable 🙂 Comment to
enter. One entry per household. Be sure to include your email
address
in the comment form so we can contact you if you win.

Giveaway closes at 11:59pm PST on Sunday 9/1/13. It's
a holiday weekend and the final stretch of my giveaway marathon. As
such, I'm giving you through the weekend to enter so everyone can have a
decent shot—even those who have found time away from the computer with
their families! 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. See you again tomorrow. And Happy Labor Day weekend, everyone.

Good luck!

xo—Heather

Read More “Giveaway Day 30”

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HELLO Giveaways! | Tools

Giveaway Day 29
ByHeather Bailey August 29, 2013

I take a sketchbook with me everywhere I go, even if I'm just heading
to the gas station to refill the tank. I had lovely thoughts to share
about keeping a sketchbook and how pivotal this is for anyone with
artistic ambitions or creative hobbies.

But then, my husband went outside to change the brakes on our car,
leaving me to write out my lovely thoughts in the midst of a storm of
children, which storm has blown my concentration right out the door. The
teenager is writing a physics paper and packing for an overnight field
trip tomorrow. The middle child is sick and needs medicine and love. The
baby has torn his diaper off so many times, that I am now letting him
sit naked on my lap and watch Jay Jay the Jet Plane while I type.

I may not retrieve those lovely sketchbook thoughts till
another day. Just know that the thoughts are there. I am passionate about
sketchbooks. You must, must, must have a sketchbook—so I went and got one for you, along
with a big pack of pretty, colored pencils.

It doesn't matter if you can draw. You need a place to capture your
creative brainstorms. Write it down, draw it out, or risk losing it. I
also picked up a colored pencil blender pen for you, a solvent-based marker meant for blending wax-based
colored pencil pigments. This is something I have never tried before, so
I got one for me too. We'll find out together.

If
I'm preaching to the choir, and you're already amply equipped with
sketchbooks and colored pencils of your own, take a shot at this
giveaway anyhow. If you win, then you can gift the prize to a creative friend who
needs to hear the gospel truth about sketchbooks.

As you know, I have some big introductions to make this week. I
tidied up my sewing area this morning to make way for a full weekend of
projects—assuming the baby keeps his diaper on and no unexpected
strike-offs arrive at the door.

Just going with the flow. I'm grateful to have that flexibility.
Speaking of flow… I better go put a diaper on this kid. I'm testing my
luck at this point.

Read More “Giveaway Day 29”

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Design | HELLO Giveaways!

Giveaway Day 28 — There Will Be Fabric
ByHeather Bailey August 28, 2013

There are strike-offs everywhere at the studio today, looking better
than ever. They tend to show up with only a moment's notice and require a
fast turn around. Reviewing fabric samples takes daylight though—and
therefore a reshuffling of the day's top projects. If it can be done in
the dark, it gets bumped.

Over my years designing fabric, I've learned that the sooner I hand in
my color notes, the sooner I get finished fabric in hand. When
strike-offs arrive, our little ant hill stirs into a frenzy to get the
job done and set the world straight again.

All stirred up and settled back down again. Daylight has faded, but
the job is done. Even better, we don't have to wait till this collection
is ready for production before… there… will… be… fabric.

In fact, we don't have to wait long at all. There is a tower of boxes a
few feet behind me—just delivered today—that house a brand-new fabric
collection. The only thing holding me back from tearing into the
shipment is getting today's giveaway posted while it's still the 28th!

So,
let's hop to it. You enter the giveaway, I'll open the boxes. And as
soon as daylight rolls back in, we'll take some pictures, sew up a few
little ditties and set the pretties before you within the week.

With a new fabric collection close at hand, I figure a $50 gift certificate to the HeatherBaileyStore.com would make someone's day.

Comment to enter. One entry per household. Be sure to include your email
address
in the comment form so we can contact you if you win.

Today's giveaway will close at 11:59pm PST on Thursday 8/29/13. 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 28 — There Will Be Fabric”

Read More Giveaway Day 28 — There Will Be Fabric
HELLO Giveaways!

Giveaway Day 27
ByHeather Bailey August 27, 2013

Who is ready for more retail therapy?

Today's prize is a $50 gift certificate to ShopRuche.com, a gorgeous and varied online retailer, carrying everything from women's apparel, shoes and accessories to children's clothing, home decor and books. Ruche even has a bridal section. And you can shop a selection of stylish 'curvy plus' items as well. Explore their online store for luscious photos and fantastic finds.

Founded in 2008 by husband and wife team, Mai and Josh Olivo,
Ruche is a vintage-inspired boutique with a modern perspective. In
short, they describe Ruche's aesthetic as "feminine, flirty, clever and
cute, yet subtly sophisticated "

Like any happening company these days, Ruche can be found all over the social media world. Follow Ruche on facebook, twitter, tumblr, pinterest and instagram. And don't miss their gorgeous videos on you tube.

Comment to enter today's giveaway. 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 Weds 8/28/13—which means it
will overlap with Day 26's giveaway
which ends tonight and Day 28's giveaway which will go up tomorrow, so
don't miss those. We want you to have plenty of time to enter. 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 27”

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