Design

  • Heather Bailey Planners at Target Stores Now

    ByHeather Bailey

    So, guess what! I have a new collection of planners and calendars at
    Target stores nationwide. True story. And they're gorgeous.

    I worked with Mead—the
    company we all know for their awesome back-to-school supplies,
    notebooks, office organization, etc. What a great company to work with.
    It's business love.

    Mead_HeatherBailey_PlannersT

    If you’re getting organized for the new year, like I am, go get one
    of my new planners. There are a number of different styles and sizes,
    including prints and solids:  pocket planners, purse-sized Hbtargetplanners,
    desk planners, wall calendars. Several of the designs have a full-month
    view, followed by a week-by-week view—which is the bomb, as far as
    planners go.

    (There is one design which makes a fantastic daily journal. I'll take more photos and show you what I mean.)

    It’s months of work to put together a new collection like this. And then, BOOM!,
    one day the news explodes in a post. Like fireworks.
    Come to think of it, I started on this line before I was pregnant with
    our baby and the collection hit stores more than a year after he was
    born. In effect, birthing a new planner collection takes just about as
    long as it does to gestate a baby elephant.

    EmbossedDaisy_HeatherBailey_5up

    So, next time you’re at Target, go have a look. And while you’re in the
    planner section, straighten up the area for me, will you? And tell
    someone else in the aisle—“See this gal here, Heather Bailey, I know
    her.” Then, go suggest to your friends that they need spiffy new
    planners too.

    Thanks, friends. I’m getting fantastically caught-up on design work
    which means there will be news erupting left and right around here.

    To celebrate, let's do another giveaway. I have THREE undated
    calendars for three lucky fans. Undated means they can be used for a
    different year than 2013. It doesn't mean they're "Undateable." And you can use refills to keep these planners going after the current year is over. Leave a comment to enter the giveaway.

    I also have TWO more planners to give away for you Instagrammers. Post about the Target collection or upload this image—AND include the hashtag #heatherbaileyplanner to enter. In fact, you can use any of these photos if you like. See my Instagram page for a glimpse at the planners our Instagram winners will get to choose from (user name: @heatherbailey).



    CanvasPlanners_HeatherBailey

    I also have SEVEN of these adorable pocket planners below to hand out. These go to the first seven guests to place an order at www.HeatherBaileyStore.com and SIMPLY ASK for one in their Order Comments at checkout.

    PocketCalendars_HeatherBaileyB

    Giveaway winners will be determined sometime on Monday, January 28th. Good luck!

  • Live from Marie, It’s Freshcut TV

    ByHeather Bailey

    We have a winner. By random drawing, one shiny copy of Creative Spaces Volume #2 is on its way to Renee G. Giveaways are the best, huh? Let's do a lot of them this year.

    Marie-osmond-heather-bailey-s

    And, here is fun news. Apparently, my Freshcut flannel fabrics were featured on Marie Osmond's television show this week on The Hallmark Channel. Ellen March, host of Sew It All on PBS, joined Marie to make pajama pants. For more info on the episode and the free pj pants pattern they used, click here.

  • Pattern & Design

    ByHeather Bailey

    ColoringBook2

    If you're looking for a fun present for someone artsy in your life, check out this new coloring book from Jenean Morrison,
    another print designer who works with Free Spirit. She published this
    gorgeous thing herself. And it's just that—gorgeous. Every page is a new
    repeating pattern—there's 50 of them—on crisp, white paper, in a thick,
    substantial book—it's not one of those floppy, wussy coloring books
    with newsprint pages.

    I'm a big fan of artsy, craftsy gifts for kids especially during the
    holidays because they come with built-in entertainment. This makes the
    time off from school go more smoothly. And it's not TV or video games.

    I'm giving this copy to Charlotte for Christmas. So, I've gotta go wrap it up.

    If you want one too, as a gift—or for your own self—you can get your copies on Amazon.com. Here's the link. Support an independent artist while you're at it. They are only $12. And stop by Jenean's blog for a hello and a congratulations. Birthing out a book is no small feat.

  • Oh My Gouache!

    ByHeather Bailey

    StackedUp2

    Don't you just love when you're working along, having an
    normal-sort-of-day, and the postman shows up with a box of sunshine.
    Today I'm restocking my gouache supply. Not with onesie-twosie-tubes,
    here and there, but with all 84 colors in this particular range.

    I'm amping up for major output this year.

    BoxedUp

    In my years of ordering art supplies online from all over, I don't
    think I've yet seen such meticulous packaging. I tore into the bundles
    like it was Christmas. It took me a good 20 minutes to free the tubes.

    Gouache
    Yum,
    yum. Now where to keep them? I have a little baby here who would just
    love to sink his teeth into each one of these tubes, take the lids off,
    bust open the tails and squirt color everywhere.

    Come to think of it, that sounds just about right.

  • |

    Monster Bash

    ByHeather Bailey

    MonsterBibApplique_HeatherBailey

    I'm heading to Denver tomorrow to tape an episode of Sew It All for PBS. We're making baby bibs. I don't know when the episode airs, but I'll keep you posted. Should be fun!

    If the fates allow, there will be time left to bake cookies with my
    kiddos tonight before I go. And time for sleep—that's always nice. I'm
    terrible at sleeping before a trip. Even a quick little one-day
    appearance.

  • Applelicious

    ByHeather Bailey

    RobinBobbinApples

    With kids heading back to school, sales of our popular Fresh Picked Pincushions sewing pattern always make a discernable spike, as do our apple kits. An apple for the teacher — I love the cheek of it.

    The two apples above were made by Robin (Robin Bobbin on Flickr) for her daughter Sophie's preschool teachers.

    I'm making a bushel of these for my kids teachers. I figure if they
    don't sew, they can use them as decorations. Ones that won't shrivel and
    bruise.

  • Color-Yum

    ByHeather Bailey

    FeltforSale_HeatherBailey

    Some color-yum for you.

    It's not often I get to help out with orders. But, every once in a while, I sneak my way into the warehouse and join in on prepping fabric, assembling felt and gathering stationery and other goodies for you, our awesome customers.

    My favorite is gathering up your selected felts and rolling them
    together. I love to see the resulting color palettes. Often, they are
    truly unexpected and transfixing. Sometimes they remind me of a familiar
    era or theme. Take this roll here, it makes me think of Sky King Tricycles, Radio Flyer Wagons
    and other classic American toys. These colors make me want to sew up
    some felt cars and trucks or something. They get my wheels spinning.

    I'm often tempted to pin on a note that reads, "Ooo, wow!" or "So
    delicious!" or "Please send me pictures of your finished project!" It
    drives me crazy not to know what folks are making with these varying
    color palettes. Same goes for fabric, really. Hm, what about including a
    text-field at the end of ordering that lets the merciful 'tell Heather'
    what they are planning to make. Or I can just resist hanging out in the
    warehouse, right?

    I do try.

  • Any Guesses?

    ByHeather Bailey

    SneakyPeek_HeatherBailey

    I have been immersed in designing a fantastic new collection for a great company with a great product. The big announcement goes live on their website today. Once they spill the beans, I'll come back and add some salty photos and spicy details to the news.

    It's exciting to be able to share a project with you so soon after I completed the artwork. Usually, I have to wait a miserably long while—at least that's how it feels. But not this time! Just a few more hours. Till then, here's a teaser photo.

    Update: The word is out. Read more about the big announcement here & here.

  • Working Girl

    ByHeather Bailey

    DressFormArmscye3

    I'm designing new aprons today for Peking Handicraft. It's the first time I've worked with my dress form in many months. Usually, she just stands in the corner observing my everyday life, patiently waiting for her turn. Today, she is proudly of service, helping me sort out patterns and proportions.

    SlipcoverDressFormwI gave her a brand new cover so I wouldn't run the risk of of tearing her brittle linen any further. True, I have three other dress forms in the workroom, but I'm partial to the old lady. The original, weathered linen is still there, under the new linen, preserved for her moonlighting job as a prop and a display.

    It was surprisingly easy work. I draped the form with muslin, following the seamlines of the original cover, to create pattern pieces for the new cover. I sewed the pieced front and back together at the shoulders only, then whip-stitched each side seam together once the cover was stretched taut on the form (photo below). I then replaced the metal caps at the arms and neck. Finally, I wrapped a piece of grosgrain ribbon tightly at the waist and secured it with a pin at center back.

    If you have a delicate old form, consider taking a couple of hours to clean her up so you can stop being shy about putting the ol' girl to work.

    WhipStitchDressForm