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    NEW Pattern! Prize Bloom Quilt

    ByHeather Bailey

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    I have two new sewing patterns to announce this week, starting with the Prize Bloom Quilt. This three-dimensional floral design is a rewarding project. It gives you the opportunity to practice a variety of techniques (curved piecing, inset corners, appliqué), yet it is quick to sew. You complete one, large flower and a simple, pieced foundation, then put them together and you're done. Practically. There is quilting and binding as well, but those go quickly too.

    QP001PB_PrizeBloomQuilt_470w3The large, dahlia-like flower is gathered at the center and a round of three-dimensional petals is added. These details draw you into the design and add depth. The cover quilt is sewn entirely from my Up Parasol fabric collection. However, there are a number of sneak peeks of my upcoming Clementine collection all through the background of the image—hint, hint. 

    Use your quilt as a wall-hanging, a small lap quilt, or as a baby blanket. (I use mine for church. Our building is ALWAYS freezing cold. During the week, it decorates our wall on a petite curtain rod.)

    The pattern includes a full-color booklet of instructions, along with a cutable pattern sheet. This is our first pattern with full-color instructions. With the petal pieces in the quilt appearing similar in contour, I felt that color illustrations would be the best way to help everyone see which pieces are which. I'm thrilled with the results. 

    I hope you are too.

    Prize Bloom is shipping now. Ask for this new pattern at your local sewing shop. Or order a copy online today at HeatherBaileyStore.com. A full Materials List is posted on the product page.

  • Wednesday Quilt Inspiration

    ByHeather Bailey

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    At the studio, we are busy prepping for the quilt industry's fall tradeshow. We have a few new patterns coming out, as well as new fabric collection. I cannot wait to share more! With quilts and soft goods on my mind, I am sharing some quilt inspiration today. TrueColors_HeatherBailey_Craftbuds_410a

    This charming clamshell quilt was put together by Craftbuds.com for the True Colors blog hop a while back. I love how the simple, repeating design allows for playful eclecticism with the print combination. And the finished quilt looks great with rounded corners. Shown is a mix of Lottie Da and True Colors prints, along with three solid fabrics. Craftbuds' post lists some tips for assembling a clamshell quilt of your own, including links to an 8" shell pattern and a 12" shell pattern.

    I've been quite sick for the last few weeks. Feeling much better today, the first thing on my list is to visit here for a hello. I have big plans for this fall, with lots to share, including new fabrics, patterns, tutorials and tips. Expect to hear from me more regularly.

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    Heather Bailey Interview with Modern Sewciety

    ByHeather Bailey

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    I have been keeping this blog since 2006. Along the way, I've received several requests for podcast interviews. However, for one reason or another, the timing never worked out to schedule a call. Till now.

    Stephanie Kendron from ModernSewciety.com caught me at just the right time. Hear my interview in EPISODE 34 of the Modern Sewciety podcast, available now. Click here to tune in from your computer or download the episode and listen on your portable device. Stephanie and I discuss my fabric-design process, how I built my current business, my patented invention, my family and a lot more.

    Have a listen and comment here if you have any follow-up questions from the interview. I will check in regularly and reply.

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    Up Parasol

    ByHeather Bailey

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    Up Parasol projects are starting to show up all over the web. I'm excited to share many of them with you with links out to their makers. Before doing so, let's have a closer look at this new collection which is available now at independent quilt shops and online at HeatherBaileyStore.com.

    Up Parasol is centered around two prints from my previous Garden District home-decor collection—Cakewalk and Mockingbird. These two designs were repeatedly requested on quilting-weight cotton, so I heeded the pleading and pinned swatches of these two on my design board to let them seep into my subconscious. 

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    What was born of this pairing is the new Up Parasol collection. I added many all-new prints of various scales and themes, including an extremely useful pinwheel blender named Devon Check, a vintage-flavored mum print named Mum Toss, a modern little flower repeat that looks a bit like a tiny umbrella named Stella, a fresh and trendy lattice print named Trellis, an inviting Summer Plaid and another super-useful two-tone print named Lulu. Among these is my favorite new print which shows a wood-cut style bird with flowers on his wings alighting from a branch, Meadowlark.

    UpParasol310BI'm not sure if it's my favorite new print because of the finished look or because I had such a happy time creating this particular design. Again, of course, there's the mother-hen in me who believes it's just not right for me to pick any favorites. 

    I do really love how these prints work together. They are cheerful and buoyant while also sophisticated and chic.

    I had the pleasure of creating a couple of Up Parasol quilts for the industry trade show, Quilt Market. One quilt will be out soon as a new pattern—so I'll wait just a few more days to share the details of that design. And the other is a large crazy-quilt-style design where I mixed Up Parasol with my basics collection, True Colors, as well as a couple of hand-selected solid colors for punch. This freely-pieced quilt is shown in the photo above on the turquoise quilt rack.

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    Crazy-Quilt How-To

    Each block was started with a five-sided semi-pentagonal shape that was free-style cut with a ruler, but without set dimensions or proportions. I then pieced wedge-like strips around this center piece the way you would with a log-cabin block, trimming excess fabric from each newly-attached strip to keep the edges straight and ready for the next strip to be added.

    As each block became bigger, I used a 12.5" square ruler as a guide to keep my piecing on track. Once the whole stack of blocks were made and I had arranged them into a layout, I used the same ruler to trim all blocks to a tidy 12.5" square before piecing them together. 

     

    If you can make sense of that, then you can make a crazy quilt too! Let me know if you have any questions about how to put it together and I will be sure to answer those here, or in a follow-up post. 

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    Meanwhile, visit your local quilt or sewing shop to get your hands on these delicious Up Parasol fabrics. Or visit HeatherBaileyStore.com if you don't have a sewing hub nearby. Remember to include some True Colors and Lottie Da fabrics for an expanded variety of compatible designs, perfect for your modern quilting and crafting projects.

    Pick up a copy of my Blooming Borders embroidery pattern while your at it. There is a border print included that features the same two birds shown in the Up Parasol Mockingbird print. Just imagine pairing your beautiful embroidery work with coordinated fabric in your next project—yum. 

     

    RELATED POSTS:

    BirdEmbroidery150

    NEW Embroidery Patterns 

    		   GardenDistrict150

    Garden District

    		   TrueColors150

    Introducing True Colors

     

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    Embroidered Jewelry — I’m on a Kick

    ByHeather Bailey

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    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.

  • Tuileries

    ByHeather Bailey

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    We did it. We made it through the party grinder and survived to tell the tale. Nothing like a streak of over-abundance, coupled with a steady drip of sugar to make you crave a detox.

    My back has been on the fritz for months and finally started to show improvement this weekend, so I went right out and re-enrolled at my favorite gym—the one with indoor and outdoor lap pools—as soon as Charlotte's party was over on Saturday. I can't wait to get moving. 

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    True, I run, and that's definitely a form of moving. But, I've been on a workout freeze the last few weeks while trying to heal. I'm going to try some less-jostly activities for a while and see what happens. I'll get back to running once my butt butts out and stops pulling my back out of place. Yes, this is what appears to be happening.

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    Enough about me and my back. How about this amazing quilt!?

    Amy Gibson of Stitchery Dickory Dock put this Tuileries quilt together as part of the True Colors blog tour this January. She mixed True Colors with Lottie Da and wrote about her process here—with many more photos. Amy is an avid quilter, a mama to four kids, a teacher, and more. She teaches a Block of the Month class on Craftsy (it's free), so check that out while you read through her beautiful blog.

  • True, True

    ByHeather Bailey

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    It's party month at the Bailey's. With two birthday parties to throw for my children in January and my younger brother's wedding coming up next week, my personal creative time is fully spoken for. This hasn't kept me from dreaming about what I'll work on next, once the storm of confetti has blown west. I have new fabrics to work with—stacks of True Colors and Lottie Da are sending out a pulsing beacon from just about three feet behind me to my left. Boop, boop, boop, boop.

    TrueColors_DesignRollI guess it's a little odd to segregate my personal creative time from my professional creative time. I create for a living, so I should be satisfied with the dozens of hours I'm spending on new print designs and other products during the week. Really, what's the difference? Perhaps it's the element of play. Or maybe it's throwing obligation to the wind and just creatively goofing off for few hours here and there. I'm aching to 'play' with these new fabrics some more. There just isn't time this month. Hm. I guess I could show up to my brother's wedding with an odd assortment of experiments and call them "decorations." Here you go, Ryan, some quilt-block tests for your hors d'oeuvres table. So glad I could be such a help to you this week!" Or perhaps not—something about throwing them the wedding that they want.

    Till February, I'll get my fix through you guys. I love watching what pops up on your blogs, on Instagram, on Flickr, etc. If you post a project with my fabrics or my new embroidery patterns, let me know. And send me links to others' projects you come across.

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    In fact…in fact! There is a sweeping True Colors blog tour going on this week and next, all over the web. You'll want to check this out.

    The amazing bloggers below are working with Free Spirit's new True Colors collections, adding their personal flair. There will be inspiration galore and a bunch of giveaways. The fabulous bloggers that will feature my own collection are highlighted in 'radiant orchid.' The other wonderful blogs will be working with Anna's, Joel's and Jenean's True Colors prints. Should be a serious shindig. Don't miss the first two who have already posted.

    1/20 Sew4Home (Blog-Tour Kick-Off)
    1/21 Stitchery Dickory Dock 
    1/22 I'm a Ginger Monkey
    1/23 The Sewing Loft 
    1/24 Ellison Lane 
    1/27 Diary of a Quilter 
    1/28 Material Obsession 
    1/29 Craftsanity 
    1/30 Stitched in Color 
    1/31 Craft Buds 
    2/1 Jaybird Quilts

    And! I nearly forgot. Here is video of the four of us discussing color and these new True Colors collections. I'm a little shy to share this as **I have never been so sleep deprived** as I was the day we filmed this video. I had something like six hours of sleep over a four-day period. And it shows. Thank goodness for CreativeBug's fantastic filming skills. I only wish they had included my little soapbox moment on the importance of "UGLY COLORS" Maybe my bleary-eyed, tongue-tied self did not communicate the idea as eloquently as I remember. Anyhow, Anna has similar thoughts on "muted" colors. I ditto what she says. 

     

     

    If you're stopping by from the blog tour and new to my blog, be sure to sign up for the Heather Bailey newsletter. And I'm a big fan of Instagram and Twitter, so come say hello there too. I'm @HeatherBailey on Instagram and @_HeatherBailey on Twitter.

  • Giveaway Day 27

    ByHeather Bailey

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    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.

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    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.

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    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.

    ShopRucheImage300LToday'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”

  • Quilt-Store Dreaming

    ByHeather Bailey

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    Have you ever dreamed about being on the front lines of the sewing movement? Talk about jumping in with guns blazing. Fabric Nosherie, one of the coolest quilt stores around — is for sale.

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    If you have a hankering to live in the friendly midwest and you have
    what it takes to command and inspire a growing community of modern
    stitchers, have a closer look at this rare opportunity. Classes are in
    progress, fabric is on order, customers are bustling in. The business
    has grown beyond what Shannon can manage while also raising four very
    young boys. She's decided to auction the store so it can continue to
    grow while she re-focusses on her family.

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    For more background on the store and its founder, Shannon Robinson, click here. For details on the auction in progress—ending March 25th—click here.

  • 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.

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    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.

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    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).



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    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.

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