Quilt Market

  • Texas Two-Step

    ByHeather Bailey

    We're back in the studio after another great tradeshow in Houston where I introduced two new fabric collections: Lottie Da and True Colors. It's always a treat to catch up with shop-owners, designers, editors and friends. It's even more fun when there are new fabrics to share.

    HeatherBailey_2013t

    Our booth took the first place prize, which put a pretty blue ribbon on a rough ride to get there. On my way to the airport, Isaac called to say that our van's new transmission had died again. He wasn't far from town, towing our booth to Market. With only 15 minutes to discuss our options before entering airport security, I closed the call with "You better just go buy a new vehicle and get back on the road. Have fun!"

    BoothT

    Hours later, when I landed in Texas, I learned I was a truck-owner—Isaac's dream truck—a big ol' Ford F150. Isaac glowed right through the phone. Talk about the stars aligning for the man. Your vehicle breaks right when your wife is about to board a plane, leaving you just enough time to hear her say, "Go buy something." Then, with blanket permission to do as you wish, you get to choose your dream truck without even having to field her questions. And on top of that, she's glad. The problem is solved.

    Makes me smile every time I step up into my shiny new truck.*

    * I'm told this is my truck.

    NewTruckT

    This transportation trip-up put us a full 24 hours behind schedule which left me unexpectedly stranded in San Antonio, three hours from Houston. (Isaac was originally going to get me at the airport on his way through town.) What was to be a full work day, finalizing the tradeshow booth in Houston became a mini vacation day in San Antonio. I booked myself a hotel, got some much-needed sleep, and spent the next full day touring The Alamo, enjoying the gorgeous downtown Riverwalk and weeding through Lucha Libre masks and Eukeleles for some Christmas presents at the Mexican Market. Isaac and the new truck arrived by nightfall in time to grab some gourmet ice cream and hit the road for Houston.

    SanAntonioT

    What a week. We pulled out of that tailspin and kept on trucking. It cost us needed sleep when we finally made it to Houston to set up—and some dignity—while we scrambled to set up the booth in a quarter of the time we had planned.

    Some blue ribbons mean more than others.

  • One Thought in Front of the Other

    ByHeather Bailey

    PaisleyEmbroidery_HeatherBailey_c2

    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.

    PaisleyEmbroidery_HeatherBailey3In
    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!

  • Remember Boredom?

    ByHeather Bailey

    It's been another whirlwind of a month. I start every-other post along these lines, don't I?

    You'll know I've made some big changes around here if the general
    flavor switches to "Not much going on right now," "Nothing new," or "I'm
    bored."

    Remember boredom? I have a faint, nostalgic sense of it from deep
    within my childhood memory—right next to a yellow Plymouth Reliant,
    parachute pants and Monchhichi dolls.

    PlymouthReliantK80s_MonchhichiDoll

    I'm back from Quilt Market in Portland and busy wrapping up a new
    product line launching in July. I am dying to share it with you.

    I'll have photos soon. Call this a whisper. I'll be back with a shout—just as soon as we send the final artwork on its way.

  • |

    “Car. Beep-Beep.”

    ByHeather Bailey

    OldDeliveryTruck2_Hellomynameisheather
    It's
    Quilt Market season at the studio. We're in a bi-annual bustle to prep
    for the show. Today, I met with another local stitcher who will be
    helping out with samples. I'm skirting around that misleading 'sewer'
    word. I think we just need to come up with a new spelling. Same word,
    new spelling: sewwer, sewur, sew-er, sew-erer, sewurr, seweur
    (french-ish)…

    What a fun afternoon. Fun I have no business having. Fun I have no business without.

    I was up with the baby till 4am last night, nursing him through a
    105º fever. I finally climbed into the tub and poured water over his
    back while he slept against my shoulder. It was so sweet. But, man am I
    tired!

    It's 7pm now on Friday night and it feels like my day is just getting
    going. I don't think date night is gonna happen unless Isaac wants to
    help refine pattern covers, book flights, schedule meetings, or sew.

    ** I let the baby pick a photo and title this post for me. **

  • Growing Things

    ByHeather Bailey

    PepperCrop2

    Wow, is it already the end of
    May?

    Last week I was swept away by a birthday blizzard on one
    side and a
    Spring Market squall on the other.  My brother's birthday is the 16th,
    Isaac's is the 17th, my sister's husband's is the 18th, and my mom's big
    day is the 20th.  Add to that a trip to Minneapolis last week from
    Wednesday through Sunday and a father in the hospital. (He came home on
    Sunday too — after two weeks.  I won't go into it without his consent. 
    He does seem to be doing much better now.  We were worried.  Love you,
    Dad!) 

    I have a book-contribution to photograph, fabric to finesse, patterns to polish, kids to cuddle.  (Now I'm
    just having fun with alliteration.)  Mayday, Mayday!


    FencePlayW     Minneapolis,
    what a beautiful city!  I don't know what I was expecting exactly, but I
    was pleasantly surprised.  The weather was great, the city was clean
    and lively, and the public transit system was fantastic, and there was a
    Target right downtown.  I picked up some flip-flops and chocolate on
    Thursday, grabbed apples and couscous on Friday, and made a last-minute
    umbrella-run for Saturday's rain.  This is exciting stuff — as on most
    of my city-stays, I lack some mundane object I have left behind;  there
    was no want this time. 

    I love to catch up with everyone at
    Market.  Friends everywhere with new patterns, new books, new fabric,
    new fabric shops, new wallpaper.  Some with launch-parties, some with cake-parties.  I forget to work.

    Minneapolis was great. I feel
    completely refreshed right now.  And I'm happy to be home to my little
    green garden of growing things. 

    TinyappleWI have a number of outdoor
    projects to scoot-to before the coming heat scoots me back inside: work
    tables to build, chairs to refinish, a storage unit to clear out, a new
    garden to tend.  Truthfully, I can't even start on this list till a
    whole different work-list is checked.  We'll see how it goes.  The blaze
    is on its way.

    I've got some fresh energy so I'm hopeful.  I'll
    keep a camera handy.

    And school is out tomorrow!  My kids are all
    mine again. This makes me squishy.  I go.

  • Is it Monday again?

    ByHeather Bailey

    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.