quilt fabric

  • Meet Nicey Jane

    NiceyLogoGraphic

    She's gussied up and ready for her big debut. Meet Nicey Jane™, my
    new fabric collection for Free Spirit. Nicey is sassy, sweet, and ready
    to sew.  In other words, check your local fabric store, as Nicey Jane
    arrived this week. 

    These new prints are available in two color palettes. We'll call the pink/olive/tangerine palette Kissing Booth and the blue/gray/gold palette Porch Swing. Along with florals, geometrics, and stripes, there are also a handful of Nicey Jane cotton solids — which are batting their threads at me now, calling, "Sew with me, Heather. Forget that computer and run away with me."

    NiceyJaneLaundry

    In a couple of weeks, there will also be eight 58" wide laminated
    cottons (similar to oil cloth, but light-weight and super-duper supple
    — must touch).  I'm excited that the finish is light-weight enough to
    be gathered.  Once I finish up my stationery design work this month,
    I'm going to sew up a Smarty Girl book bag with the laminated cotton and give a full report.  I also have some raincoat plans and a kid's booster seat to make.

    NiceyJaneBasketW (I never did show off my birthday bicycle,
    did I?  Nicey is doing the job for me now.  Yep, that's my
    pinkity-pink-ol bike there.  I never would have guessed I'd go for a
    pink bike.  Would have guessed orange.  Or khaki.  Or bright yellow.  I
    love it though.  Wait till you see the bicycle saddlebags I'm planning
    to make out of this print — but in laminate.  Oh yah.)

    Back to the fabric, shall we?

    The collection tells the story of small-town girl, Nicey Jane. Nicey
    heads to the city on Friday nights to swing dance with her beau — but
    not before hanging the laundry to dry & enjoying an afternoon
    picnic on the farm.  The prints are named for Nicey's story: Hello
    Roses, Hop Dot, Swing Toss, Wash-Day Ticking, Welcome Road, Picnic
    Bouquet, Slim Dandy, Dream Dot, Church Flowers, Pocketbook, and Lindy
    Leaf.

    (The Lindy Hop is my mom's favorite dance.  She tried to teach me some moves on the family room rug when I was little.  Tried.  The Lindy is dang-tricky.)

    NiceyJaneBike

    Now for dessert, a little Nicey Jane video.  Be patient with the resolution;  I uploaded this piece to YouTube instead of hosting it on my own site so it can be shared, embedded in other blogs, watched a gazillion times, etc.  I have Isaac to thank for the wink — you'll see.

    For second dessert (what would a Hobbit
    call a second dessert?), I believe I'm in the mood for a celebratory
    giveaway.  New fabric has arrrived — and it's Christmas time — a dangerous combination.  So, three prizes!  One $50 gift certificate  and two $25 gift certificates to The Heather Bailey Store
    To enter, leave a comment. Tell us something fun, or interesting, or weird, or clever, or
    something kind someone has done for you.  Something like that.  I do read all of the
    comments.  I'll go first (see comments).

    Happy holidays, my friends.  I'm off to stir some hot cocoa with a
    candy cane and find myself a pair of slippers.  It's cold outside.

  • |

    Re-Entry

    I'm back from Market and restoring sanity at home — and
    cleanliness. My kids kissed me awake yesterday like two little pecking
    chicks. It was a contest.

    Market photos are still on the road
    with Isaac, so I'll save the reporting till he rolls in later today.
    I'm excited to be home and thrilled that my long-awaited
    bicycle-weather has arrived in AZ at last. It's gorgeous out today.
    We're packing a picnic to the park, for sure.

    DooHicky

    Also, here are a couple of discount codes for you, to shake things up and keep it interesting at The Heather Bailey Store.

    • 20% off of all Trash Ties™ with code "TwitTies" (posted on twitter first)
    • 25% off of Freshcut™ fabric with code "FreshOut" (Freshcut is no longer in production, so get it while you can.)

    Discounts available through Monday, October 19th. Both codes can be used on the same order.

    It has been a wild few weeks — since Creative Escape,
    really. I'm ready to move forward, with lots of design work up next (my
    favorite!) — after filling these kids up with love and attention,
    picnics and parks, movies and popcorn, haircuts, and a few home-cooked
    meals.

    Now to resolve my hopelessly-clogged kitchen sink. Next
    time I'm tossing the old spaghetti in the trash and not down the
    garbage disposal.

  • Is it Monday again?

    LanternBloom1
    I'm
    wrapping up an assortment of projects to clear my plate for August's
    design marathon.  I hope time slows down a bit for the next two weeks. 
    Elijah is starting junior high school and I'm – just – not – ready.  

    LanternPillowA Perhaps waiting for my new to
    birthday bike
    arrive will do the trick.  I haven't been this excited about a
    birthday present since I-can't-remember-when.  She's vanilla with pink
    rims, a rattan basket & a wooden rack — my creamcycle cruiser. 
    With a drink cup and bell — vrrink-vrrink.

    LanternBasketT And guess whose birthday was just yesterday? Laura. Laura of Lantern Bloom. I am mesmerized by her new fabrics. The mill did such a fabulous job
    recreating the moody depth of Laura's paintings;  it's hard to believe
    these are flat, smooth fabrics. Stretch one print across a canvas and
    it's instant wall art.

    I'm so proud of her. Laura has developed
    a unique painting style over the years. One of the last things we did
    together before she moved away 4 years ago was experiment with textured
    canvasses. Now she's a master of texture. Laura has a collection of art prints heading to Crate & Barrel and a rich, new collection of fabrics as well.

    Wish
    Laura a Happy Birthday, will you?  At a mere 2 weeks older, she paves
    the birthday way for me each year.  I hear birthday sirens sound long
    about July 26th, when it's time for Laura's slice of cake.  "Brace
    yourself, Heather, here it comes."  I ordered my bike today, so bring
    it on.

    Watch for Laura's Lantern Bloom fabrics too — definitely
    a collection to see in person.  You can even make out bits of canvas in
    some of the prints.