quilts

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    Nicey Jane is Back!

    ByHeather Bailey

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    NiceyJaneLogo_325I have exciting news to share! The beloved Nicey Jane collection has bee re-issued by Free Spirit Fabric in response to your begging and pleading. So, good work, everyone!

    The re-issue includes twenty of the original fabrics and is available now by the yard, or in fat quarter stacks, design rolls, 10" charm packs and 5" charm packs—while supples last.

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    Please note that in addition to the re-issued collection, we also have a limited supply of ten Nicey Jane prints from the original release which we have been holding onto for dear life till now. These ten fabrics are stocked in the store and available while supplies last. That makes thirty Nicey Jane fabrics in total—as of today.

     

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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

     

  • 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. 

    TrueColors_StitcheryDickoryDock470g

    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.

  • Late Night Sewing

    ByHeather Bailey

    It's the season for late-night sewing. With two collections to present
    at Quilt Market next week, there's some serious sewing going on around
    here. All of my clothes are covered with thread. Every surface is
    stacked with odd cuts. The studio floor is littered with scraps.

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    In all the excitement of the last couple of weeks, I certainly
    haven't forgotten about our Lottie Da fat quarters bundle giveaway. This
    glorious stack of fabrics is sitting on my desk waiting for a new home.

    Thank you, everyone for your enthusiasm for my new collection. I hope
    you will take a trip to see the fabrics in person at your local fabric
    retailer. Nothing beats mixing and matching prints in the wild paintbox
    of a quilt shop.     I am on the edge of my seat to see what you will make
    with the new line, so please share. My Facebook page is a great place
    for that. And I'll be prepping a Heather Bailey Fabric Flickr group soon
    as well. On Twitter, catch me at @_HeatherBailey and on at
    @HeatherBailey on Instagram. Hashtags help everyone else find the
    images, so don't forget #heatherbailey and #lottieda.

    Now, onto the fat quarter bundle winner ˆ-ˆ-ˆ-ˆdrum roll ˆ-ˆ-ˆ-ˆ… The Lottie Da fat quarter bundle goes to Denise Clason,
    Lucky #168 ("These prints are so fresh and cute, with a little vintage
    flare! Love it!") Denise, we will email you and get these goodies in the
    mail. Thank you, Random.org for making the selection for me.

    By the way, it looks like Denise is sharing in-depth notes on the various classes she took at The Sewing Summit last month. Read through
    her notes on Personal Branding,  Pitching Articles to Magazines, Blogging, HTML Basics, and so
    forth. It's almost like being there.

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    Introducing Lottie Da

    ByHeather Bailey

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    Let's see some fabrics! My new collection, Lottie Da, started shipping
    this week. I'm over the moon. And I'm thrilled to share the line with you
    today.

    LottieDa_305With
    a playful, 60's-mod vibe, Lottie Da combines dancing pop florals with
    groovy go-withs—butterflies included. With strategic contrast
    planned into the collection (value, hue, scale, and so forth), Lottie Da
    is versatile and fun. Combine like-palette prints for a quiet,
    sophisticated look, or incorporate contrasting colors and values for
    greater pop. You can take this collection in so many different
    directions.

    Tweaks to my production process allowed me to experiment with colors I
    haven't focused on in the past—violet, aqua and charcoal to be specific.

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    I started sewing with Lottie Da this week and I'm having a blast with
    this zingy palette. I designed a foundation-paper-pieced project I'll
    be sharing soon, along with a new free Lottie Da quilt pattern. I'll
    show you how the prints can be combined for different effects. I'll also
    post peeks at some original Lottie Da artwork and previews of projects
    to come.

    LottieBolt470_HB1_VertTo celebrate the launch of Lottie Da, let's have a giveaway—giveaways are the best. I have a lovely Lottie Da fat quarter
    stack     for one lucky winner, including all thirty-two prints
    in the
    collection. Enter by Sunday, September 15th at 11:59pm PST by leaving a
    comment on this post. Make sure you enter your email address in the
    comment form so we have a way to contact the winner. One entry per
    household.

    But! Don't wait for news on the giveaway before stocking up on Lottie
    Da. The first print-run of a Heather Bailey cotton collection tends to
    sell
    out quickly, so stock up fast and soon or risk having to wait a month or
    two for the next shipment.

    To see the full line of prints, click here.

    For first news on upcoming products, sales, freebies and more, make sure to sign up for the Heather Bailey newsletter.

    Watch for those upcoming Lottie Da project posts. And, send in pretty
    pictures of your own Lottie Da projects. We love to see what you're
    making—and to show you off.

    JellyRollA_470

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    Giveaway Day 28 — There Will Be Fabric

    ByHeather Bailey

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    There are strike-offs everywhere at the studio today, looking better
    than ever. They tend to show up with only a moment's notice and require a
    fast turn around. Reviewing fabric samples takes daylight though—and
    therefore a reshuffling of the day's top projects. If it can be done in
    the dark, it gets bumped.

    Over my years designing fabric, I've learned that the sooner I hand in
    my color notes, the sooner I get finished fabric in hand. When
    strike-offs arrive, our little ant hill stirs into a frenzy to get the
    job done and set the world straight again.

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    All stirred up and settled back down again. Daylight has faded, but
    the job is done. Even better, we don't have to wait till this collection
    is ready for production before… there… will… be… fabric.

    In fact, we don't have to wait long at all. There is a tower of boxes a
    few feet behind me—just delivered today—that house a brand-new fabric
    collection. The only thing holding me back from tearing into the
    shipment is getting today's giveaway posted while it's still the 28th!

    ZZ-GFT03_050-2_300So,
    let's hop to it. You enter the giveaway, I'll open the boxes. And as
    soon as daylight rolls back in, we'll take some pictures, sew up a few
    little ditties and set the pretties before you within the week.

    With a new fabric collection close at hand, I figure a $50 gift certificate to the HeatherBaileyStore.com would make someone's day.

    Comment to enter. One entry per household. Be sure to include your email
    address
    in the comment form so we can contact you if you win.

    Today's giveaway will close at 11:59pm PST on Thursday 8/29/13. 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 28 — There Will Be Fabric”

  • Just a Blip About Walls

    ByHeather Bailey

    PlywoodWallArt_Hellomynameisheather

    A plywood portrait, eight feet tall, from the parking lot at The Icehouse. Seriously funky.

    How does this relate to me? It doesn't really. Except, we're building
    our own funky wall for our quilt market booth today. If the concept
    works, it's going to be really cool. I'm dying to tell you the
    punchline. But you won't get the punchline without seeing the wall
    first—so, back to building we go.

    We're doing a test run here, then re-framing the walls up in Portland from scratch.

    I don't enjoy being vague—but what's a girl gonna do? I promise to
    tell all very soon. Depending on our execution, the booth will be either
    pretty or funny—or perhaps both.