DIY

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    Embroidered Jewelry — I’m on a Kick

    ByHeather Bailey

    HeatherBailey_GardenTiniesEmbroidery

    So, here's what I made in my time off last week — teensy little embroidered necklaces for me and my close friends. Well, and for you too. We made up a few dozen kits and posted them in the online store. There's a FABRIC SALE this week — through Friday 6-13-14 at midnight MST — with 15-40% discounts on my classic fabric collections (Freshcut, Pop Garden, Nicey Jane, etc.). We're making space for new fabric collections on their way.

    HeatherBaileyStore_EmbroideryIf you order $35 or more of fabric and other goodies, you can get one of these limited-edition embroidery kits for FREE with your purchase. Once you're done shopping, add the pattern kit to your cart, then enter the code FREETINY at checkout and the price of one pattern kit will be subtracted from your total. Details about what's in the pattern kit are listed here. All three designs are printed with heat-transferable ink and can be used multiple times to make at least a dozen stitcheries. Heat-transfer and necklace-assembly instructions included.

    I'm taking eight of these kits with me to Mexico later this month so I can teach my friends and their kids how to stitch up a necklace or two while we sit under umbrellas with our toes in the sand. I think I might bring my Foredom drill too so we can drill holes in sea shells and string them together into keepsake jewelry during siesta. Eight women and girls, 11 men and boys — we are going to have a blast. These little kits are the perfect portable vacation project. I'm so excited.

  • The Magic of Sleep

    ByHeather Bailey

    CreativeBug_HeatherBailey

    I made it through the Creative Bug
    shoot last week for creativebug.com. It was a close call, with only a few days to complete
    the prep—fabric was late to arrive. Ashley was out sick and Karen had
    other obligations, so I was short-staffed to boot. Mom to the rescue.
    She came over and cut out pillow pieces for hours. (Extra amazing, as my
    dad's in the hospital with a broken hip right now—yikes!) And I called
    in some freelance help as well for yet more cutting—there were lots of
    step-outs to prepare.

    We made it. I even got three hours of sleep. Let's just hope the recording doesn't pick up my puffy, bloodshot eyes.

    HeatherBailey_CourtneyCerruti

    What a delightful film crew Creative Bug has: two camera operators, a
    sound technician, and an artist's coach—to help me stay organized and
    coherrent. If only we could keep her around, right?  I wish I'd had the chance to get to know them all better. I
    did all of the talking for hours straight.

    CameraCrewCollage

    Perhaps we will collaborate on future online classes. Next time, with
    more sleep. You'll watch those ones and say, "Wow, Heather just got 5
    years younger in this new video."

    The magic of sleep.

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    Giveaway Day 7

    ByHeather Bailey

    Day07_GiveawayBanner

    ThreadRack_Final2

    Many of you sew. And if you don't sew yet, you need to give it a try already.

    One side-perk of sewing is a craft room stacked with pretty supplies. And today's HELLO giveaway prize will give you a serious boost in the pretty-supplies department. At my request, Coats & Clark has generously donated a 50-spool supply of their handy Dual Duty threads. $70 value.

    Day07_ThreadRack2

    This is your everyday, get-the-job-done thread. It's strong and
    versatile and is available in every color under the sun. The images
    above are from my own studio. Clearly, I have a lot of Dual Duty thread
    myself. And, it appears today's winner will too. Thank you, Coats and
    Clark.

    Day07_thread_kit3I'm
    am having a blast with these giveaways. I hope you are as well. There
    are some seriously great prizes on their way to the studio. I can't wait
    to share what we have in store for you.

    Comment to enter today's contest. Be sure to include your email address
    so we can contact you if you win. Today's giveaway closes at 11:59pm PST on Wednesday 8/7/13.
    Watch for the winner to be announced within a day or
    two at the bottom
    of the post. For more info on my August giveaway madness, click here. Please
    share the word. Check back every day.

    Good luck!

    xo—Heather


    Read More “Giveaway Day 7”

  • Smells Like Nobody

    ByHeather Bailey

    FinishedDresserHB

    Drexel Heritage makes a sturdy dresser. When you come across one for $40 bucks at a thrift store with dovetail joints and great lines, you might be tempted to take it home and doll it up with a new coat of paint. I was.

    WoodPuttyW Elijah did the sanding. Who knew a 14-year-old could be so useful?  I made a note. And Isaac used our paint sprayer for a quick and even finish. I had the best job as the lemonade-maker. 

    We’re debating whether to keep the finished piece in our living room or our bedroom. I really could use a new dresser upstairs.  The one I have now is a beautiful, refinished antique, but it’s teensy and smells like old people.

    Below is a glimpse of this spring’s hobo shanty town, though the photo doesn’t do it justice. Think mis-matched tarps tied up with zip-ties and held down with water jugs. Then imagine loosely-wadded tumbleweeds of used masking tape drifting through the scene. It baffles me that the HOA left us alone. (This dusty contraption was up for weeks.) They sure are on top of things when a visitor parks their car on the street for the evening.

    I do think we kept the neighbors entertained.

    StrippedDresser

    I know I’ve been MIA for the last while. I repent. I have a ton going on and it’s been all I could do to keep up with my deadlines and still get some sleep on occasion. Sleep is my new best friend — where has she been all my life?

    With the kids out of school now, let’s see if I can get back in the groove. I have at least two dozen posts scribbled down in my head — and lots of BIG news.