HELLOmynameisHeather

Lotsa Lotsa

I didn't realize it until later, but "Random Debris" was a pretty sad-sounding post title, huh?  That wasn't my intention.  We're doing quite well for all of the hubbub.  My dad's heart tests went well and he was released from the hospital on his birthday - best present possible.  Home-cooked meal at our house & chocolate cake too. Four family birthdays this week in fact, and one little baby girl on her way.  Lots of birthdays, lots of design projects, lots of catching up, lots of Lotsa.

I'm heading out to North Carolina in the morning for Donna's big shindig.  Humorously, business trips seem to be my best chance to relax.  It's those long plane rides: sketchbook, embroidery, audiobooks, iTune movies for my Nano.  I'm all set.  Watched a rental from iTunes on my way to the Country Living event last month.  Pretty cool.  I just wish they'd give you longer than 24 hours to complete a movie once you start watching it.

photo:curious    fabric:coming soon

More on that later - *Pray for May* - Gotta go.

Extra, Extra

Last shot of the day and it was remarkable we got anything as it was pretty dark by that time.  It looks like I'm kicking my leg up in a pose, but I'm really just keeping my balance.  Isaac says this adds to the 50s-postcard-feeling we've got going on here - happy girl in skirt packing licorice-laden picnic into outrageously-fabulous orange truck. Sounds good to me.

This is the parting shot from an 8-page feature in the current Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion magazine.  The April/May 2008 issue just hit news stands this week.  To help answer questions about the article & to help keep up with all of the new visitors popping in (Hello friends!), I've put together some information about the projects & patterns featured in the article.  Here's a link to that info page. And congrats to my talented husband for a beautiful cover! 

Home Companion is an amazing magazine.  If you've never picked up a copy before, do it!  You'll think, "Dang-shoot, I've been missing out!"  Then you just might have to track down all of the previous issues & catch up.

There's also a little spot about my blog in the March issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine.  A few of the editors from the magazine approached me at The Cheesecake Factory while I was in Anaheim a couple of weeks ago.  They handed me an issue of the magazine and said," Well, I guess this was fortuitous timing!  Congrats on your new scrapbook collection."  Odd to be spotted in public, but kinda fun too. And the paper-craft crowd seems just as fabulous as the fabric crowd;  cool ladies having all-together too much fun (well, mostly ladies).  Oh to get invited on a trip to Italy;  it seems paper-crafters know how to go all-out!

Re-FRESH-ed

Enough about TV and movies, right?  Can anyone tell I've had buttoned lips (for forever it seems)?  At last, here's something I can show, my new Freshcut logo. 

And you'll notice, there's the official HB logo up there too.  That was a long time in the works.  Or I should say that I was effectively putting off that task for a long time.  Defining yourself in type is surprisingly tricky. 

Are you an all-caps kind of girl or scrolly & silly?  Modern?  Vintage?  Modern & vintage?  Romantic?  Floofy?  Straight-forward? And when you've answered these sorts of questions, then you have to figure out how to translate that personality into type.

Kinda fun too.  Fun enough to do again.

So, what's the new Freshcut logo for?  Hmmm.  Well, that I'm hoping to announce next week. 

The Aftermath

There are lots of ways of dealing with the aftermath of Halloween -- the candy.  Isaac and I let our kids have at it for a couple of days and then get rid of what's left.  I have some friends who stage it out, dishing one candy per day for who-knows-how-long.  Then there's the pick-out- your-favorite-insert # here- pieces method.  Makes for a good alternate discussion topic amongst mommies when you've already memorized everyone's birth stories! 

Ok, being a bit sarcastic, yes.  We have plenty of other things to talk about than birth and candy!  In fact, we didn't discuss birth or candy at all last weekend in Houston.  Oh wait, I did hear how Anna's fourth baby was her most difficult delivery.  But beyond that brief interlude, it was all art and schoolmarms. I probably had too much fun at Market.  My next fabric line didn't quite make it in time to be released this Market, so I was free to hang out as I pleased.

I met some new friends and some old ones too.  If you haven't seen Liesl's new company, go take a peek!  My gush over her paper dolls was a bit embarrassing in hindsight.  I even ran to get my sketchbook to show her all the paper dolls I've been sketching.  Just to prove, "You see, I'm not just saying that I'm excited about your paper dolls!  I really am."  Ridiculous.  Liesl, forgive me.  And what a sweetheart and smart.  She's really got things together.

Hmmm.  I don't know that I'm up for listing everyone this time.  The list keeps getting longer.  I'd rather just report my embarrassing moments : )  I was a bit sleep deprived and shouldn't have been in a professional setting that last day.  Nothing horrible... I just get a little too excited about things like thread and Japanese fabric, you see.  I've got to chill. 

I figure I now have six months to rest up for before Portland (yah, right).  My eyes and my stomach are set on this chocolate palace for an evening escape.

Had the best time showing Laura around too!  So fun.

And yes, there were plenty of perfectly polite, well-mannered, calm conversations as well.  I've just got to get more sleep next time!

Want some candy??   

Refresh, refresh, refresh, re-...

New bells & whistles -- ever-changing selection of photos from my Flickr groups in the side bar.  Every time you refresh the page, there's a new selection of goodies.  (It's been a couple of weeks since I added them, but you know.) 

I'm so impressed with the hundreds of projects you guys have posted -- and such an amazing variety at that!  Scroll down a bit and you'll see links to each of these Flickr groups: Freshcut & fabulous!, Hooray for Headbands, and Bitty Booties.  I mentioned the impressive Bitty Booties pool once before, but haven't mentioned any of them nearly enough, especially the Freshcut & fabulous! pool.  Hundreds & hundreds of amazing projects:  quilts, clothing, purses, piggies, dog collars, you name it. 

If you're looking for a spark of inspiration, click on the mosaic above or follow this link.  And, of course, if you haven't already, join the group (it's free) and add your own photos to the pool.  Jump in, the water's nice.

Free patterns for Hooray for Headbands & Bitty Booties in my sidebar, toward the top.  And, yes, there's  a Ga-ga for Garlands pool as well.

Breathe

I so need to pop my head in here. Hello. Hello. Hi. I'm still kickin', still alive.

I'm making about 75 kits for my hands-on class in Florida, hence the plump fabric rolls.  I'm putting the finishing touches on the sewing pattern for the kits as well (getting closer to publishing).  Then there's the style guides for Trash Ties and their cute little pink boxes, Trash Ties booth design, brochure, order forms, press release, press kits, etc.  Are you spinning with me yet?

Once those things are taken care of, it's back to outlining my 3 other lecture/classes for Florida and putting together all necessary visuals, handouts and fun surprises for those classes.  All of this by Monday morning when my plane takes off.  I'll be back at the end of next week for one day before heading out to Vegas to introduce Trash Ties to the beauty industry.    

Come July 18th, I can jump off the treadmill for a couple of weeks - squeeze my kids extra, make real food for dinner and paint a room or something -- shake things up.  I have a gaggle of family (including Laura - yay!) coming to town at the beginning of August and I couldn't be more excited to play, play, play!

Moving Right Along... doogadoon, doogadoon...

It's official.  Trash Ties is moving forward.  Afterall, we now have shirts.*  What's more official than that? 

Tuesday was a big day.  Big day!  I shipped out my fabric designs (see that mysterious tube down there) and we finished up the design of our Trash Ties boxes (which required a big two-day photoshoot last week -- a different one -- things were just too hectic to blog).  It was an all-nighter for me on Monday to get both projects out the door on time.  I really need to cut that out!  It's been absolutely crazy around here.  I did go to bed at 8pm last night though -- oh so nice. 

Today was several hours of forgiveness cleaning, followed by booth design & some shopping with a friend.  It was nice to get out of the studio for a bit.  It's been a long, hard push these last few weeks.  I'll take cleaning and more work (but different work) as my break for now.  I'm tough.  And I did pick up some more straws -- you know how I feel about straws : )

We should have the beginnings of a Trash Ties website up soon? and I promise to reveal all.  It'll be good for me to record some of my experiences there.  It's been an interesting and colorful adventure -- and likely to get even more so.

I think I just might sneak out to a movie one of these nights though -- shhh.

*to wear at the launch

Back Again

Across the country and back again in one day plus.  I had just enough time outdoors to snap a photo of this dancing flower outside the Philadelphia airport.  It's got some serious moves -- the same sort of joyfulness I was going for with the mum print below.  I was happy to see that flowers break-dance in nature the way they do in my imagination. 

I had the limo driver take this other picture.  Look at that lush green grass and those trees.  Those trees!  I should have packed a picnic and a good book. 

I had a great time, though.  Pennsylvania was green and friendly. The historical buildings and countryside farms on the East -- they drive me batty -- love the details and the stories.  I did, however, make it safely past the rental car booths and onto my engagement.

I'll save the Cranberry caper for another trip.

Happy Discoveries

Here's a true find.  Who starts their own shoe company?  Amazing. 

These polkadotties are all Carrie Miner's doing. They're called Puddle Jumpers.  Carrie is a single mom of two adopted daughters from China.  She runs her shoe business out of Utah and has an incredible story.  We spoke on the phone a few weeks back and I was so impressed.  If your daughter/niece/ grandaughter isn't sporting polkadot mary janes yet, then it's about time, don't you think?  Wow.

And Adorn.  Boy am I late on this one.  You guys have been telling me for weeks to go check out the Summer 07 issue of Adorn for a happy Freshcut™ surprise.  You were right.  They did an article where four designers interpretted the same bag pattern, all using my fabrics.  And look, designer No. 4 was none other than the fabulous Ms. Congdon.  Lisa, is this the project you emailed me about a while back?  Wow, so look at all those fabrics there and I didn't even do the sewing.  Yes, this issue's still on newstands -- great magazine, by the way.

Sonoran Living

Yay!  I did it.  Live TV.  Of course, I forgot to bring a camera, so all I have is this goofball shot from my cell phone.  But, hey, it works.  They already have the segment up on the internet.  Now you guys can see how tired I look from many near-all-nighters this week (fabrics, fabrics, fabrics). 

I was their featured "mom-preneur."  The set was surprisingly mellow and everything was easy-peasy.  I've always loved the hubbub of film and tv.  I wanted to get in there and start wheeling cameras around, then have my shot at that teleprompter.  How do those things work, anyhow?  Fun, fun.

So here's what to do.  Follow this link and then look for the scroll-box on the right.  Select the clip called, "5/15 Sonoran Living Segment 5."  And there I am.  Then, come back and shout, "Huzzah!"

Go easy on me.
xo--Heather

5/19 Update:  It looks like the video is now offline.  I'll contact the station and see if there's any way to post it directly on my blog.  I'll let you know if I hear anything.

5/25 Update:  Oh, look, it's still on ABC's server.  Here's the link.

Market

This is my favorite bouquet of all time -- peonies with those yellow ball- thingies mixed in.  When I left town, the peonies were electric pink.  Now they're a romantic white.  I hope I age as gracefully.

I had a blast at Quilt Market.  I met up with my new Westminster family and was charmed by their vision for Free Spirit.  Days were packed with new friends and big discussions.  Evenings were busy with fancy dinners, even bigger discussions and a peppering of giggles. 

Ms. Purl, Joelle Hoverson, has a book on the way - watch out!  Amy's having bags made.  Anna's in the rug business.  Sandi's getting fabric going.  Lots of energy.  And, thank heaven for that, as I slept a total of 10 hours over three nights.  Yikes. 

Thoroughly Modern Millie had me in tears -- twice.  And it's not a sad story.  Darn that frantic jazzy dancing.  My feet tapped all the way through dinner with Holly and company. 

I'm glad to be home, on the other side of a long string of commitments, de-mucking from the photoshoot and gathering strength for a final push on my next fabric line.  I am amazed and honored by the enthusiasm I received from sales reps, quilt shops and sewers this weekend.  I guess there were a few months there where Freshcut was hard to get.  The transition to Westminster threw a few kinks in the system and a majority of shops who ordered Freshcut months ago are just now receiving the line.  So much newness and excitement.

In fact, in one wave of gittiness, wrapping quilts around ourselves and posing for snapshots, we knocked over a heavy wooden pillar which clocked me in the foot.  How does a quarter-inch wound yield a 5" bruise?  Ah, the mysteries of life.

Tweet Dreams

Looking at that photo of Charlotte playing with her kitty doll (in my last post) reminded me of the treasure trove of Freshcut projects I haven't shown you yet.  Last October, when my sample fabric came in, I went into a creative frenzy and made up all kinds of fun projects to photograph for an inspiration book.  I kept the photos aside for a bit, hoping to put together an amazing website with all-new photography.  But, seeing as it's been nearly six whole months and my website is still on the backburner, why wait any longer? 

So, here's the quick little kitty who dreams of birdies - orange ones. This ruffled blankie is pre-doll-quilt-craze of '07.  The weekend I made this, I was miserably sick with Strep and could barely move.  The design of the quilt (being mainly applique) was majorly determined by my need to remain on the couch and my inability to pull myself up to the sewing machine.  The birdies hearken back to the ones I began to stitch on this blanket, but haven't shown you yet either (they don't have eyes yet).  Terrible, I know.  I confess all.

But there's hope.  I made up two more doll quilts last weekend at the impassioned request of my good friend's daughters.  I needed a break and doll blankies did the trick.  My point?  I figured I better show the original birdie blankie before posting its derivatives.  Isn't it tweet?  (Love those orange roses on the bed too.)

More blankies to come.

Martha, Martha, Martha

So, guess what popped up on Martha Stewart's show this week... my fabric.  Pretty cool. 

The CEO of SVP (Singer Viking Pfaff, I think) Sewing Machines gave Martha an apron made from my groovy floral fabric (to the right) and my crest design (in this strawberry photo).  I was on the road to L.A. when it aired, but thanks to several early-morning emails from the East coast, I had it recorded.  They didn't mention my name or anything, so it's really not such a big deal.  Just a bit fun. 

Of course, if I had posted about this yesterday, you could have seen the video on Martha's site, but it looks like it got bumped today.  Ah well, April 3rd was a whole three days ago, after all.

Update:  The video does still exist.  Here's the link.  It's the segment called, "Sewing Machines."

Another Update:  This just in... Jay Leno's doing a spoof on the Martha Stewart apron segment on The Tonight Show this evening (Monday, April 9th).  If you're on the west coast, you should still be able to catch it.

One More:  The Jay Leno bit was a hoot.  They digitally swapped out the apron's print for a woman's silhouette in lingerie.  Can't find it on YouTube for you, but the whole monologue can be picked up on iTunes.

Update

We made it through the dentist appointment.  And though I'm utterly bewildered, it seems that Charlotte's already "over it" and has moved on.  Teeth, no teeth -- whatever. 

And, yes, they were both removed.  Well, mostly.  One tooth was already so broken-up that the root stayed put.  Her gums will grow over it, preventing infection. The root will eventually dissolve or get bulldozed-on-up by her future tooth.  It took three bouts of restraint - xrays, numbing routine & extraction - just gentle hands, no straps - and each only lasted about a minute.  Only a minute!  Yes, I'm still a bit mortified, but relieved that it wasn't worse.  Thank you for your love and concern.  It's amazing how many of you have endured the same disgrace.  We'll see how we fare over time -- I'm sure we'll adjust, as so many of you have.  Still sad, though.

I'm heading out to L.A. again.  Just for one day.  But, before I go, I've got to spread the good word on an exciting and extremely flattering event taking place on eBay this week.  The Material Girls Boutique Group on eBay is heading up a "launch" of mostly childrenswear all made with or inspired by my Freshcut fabric collection.  To browse their creations, visit eBay and search these terms: "materialgirls FC". 

I can't say what a treat it is for me to see such a variety of playful ideas spring from my artwork.  Go take a peek.  And if you ever hear the term "launch" come up in regards to eBay again, you'll know what one looks like.  That's more than I could say a few weeks ago.  Those eBay gals know how to have fun.

The Studio

Well, here it is.  This is where I spend my days, The Sugar Shop. 

I picked up the bookshelf at a local antique store for $150. It was poorly white-washed, with gobs of butter-yellow paint slathered on the details.  Isaac re-finished it for me and built the base for it to rest on.  Yep, that's right.  He built that footed, four-door cabinet-base up there.  It now has a gently-distressed cream finish -- far better.

I store my art supplies, sewing notions and wool felt in there.  The yellow boxes above hold less-frequently-used items, like velcro and grommets, linoleum blocks for stamp- carving, elastic and cording.

In fact, I have Isaac to thank for most of the other furniture as well.  He not only built the cabinet, but the computer table, sewing tabletop and shelves as well.  And, of course, there's the green chandelier and the turquoise mirror you know all about.

The pink walls are subtley mottled with bit of cream and a splash of funky metallic gold here and there.  The large frame resting on the ribbon shelf is decorated with Isaac's grandmother's old sewing notions, and it's covered -- a fun piece to study.

A row of red-lidded jars above the computer table houses most of my ribbons.  And my buttons and whatnots are tucked away in the happy green drawers on my sewing table.

The tall green work-island has a ton of storage, with cabinets and drawers on each side.  I brought this piece home last summer as a solution to The Shuffle Kerfuffle.  I store my sketchbooks and rulers in one drawer and keep the other drawers sacred for quick clean-ups. (Translation:  they're messy-full of random un-finished projects.)  These cabinets contain art papers, zippers, vintage linens, interfacings, unfinished quilt-tops and stationery.

Toss a few of my favorite things into the room, and I'm right at home:  pink floral pitcher, tacky 70s apple tin, vintage red floral trays, crocheted monkey, ornate cookie tins, photos of my babies.  Are you playing I Spy yet?  Let's see, what else:  pink toy sewing machine, antique wooden spools, gold velvet chair and a tissue-paper corsage from my son.  My studio.

   

Many Months Ago

I thought I'd break up the long train of toys (see last three posts) with a fun little pincushion.  Does anyone remember the flouncy bouncer saga and thereby neglected pincushion design?  That was seven months ago.  This little pincushion has remained in my cabinet since then, sewn, stuffed and tufted.  All it needed was a button -- poor little pincushion.  And, as luck would have it,  I had just enough crafting time today to sew on a button -- so here she is, neglected no more. 

I've got a friend I've been meaning to send this to -- the only blogger who knew what I was up to with Free Spirit last year (before I started my blog).  If you're reading this, Amy, thanks for the happy email breaks during last year's fabric marathon.  The pincushion's on its way next week : )

For the rest of you'uns, I'm posting some goofy photos I sent to her mid-process (showing Freshcut in the works). But I am in PJs, so be warned.  Oh, and they're terrible pictures - they were taken with the built-in camera on my computer around midnight - no light.  You might have to click on them to see what's on those papers - eek.  That email was sent January 5, 2006.  Here's what it said.  That was twelve months ago.

As for today, I've been informed that a couple of comments have disappeared recently.  At least two.  So, if you've noticed that your comments haven't stuck around, please don't be offended.  The only comments I've ever erased are the occassional duplicates. Typepad was down a couple of days ago and is likely the cause.  I'll send them a note and see if they have any more info.  Otherwise, be sure to hang around to type in the security code after you've commented.  I know that I forget that step sometimes and have had to go back in and reconstruct my thoughts. 

And, again, thank you for each and every comment.  Such a treat!  I don't have time to respond to each one individually, but I try to answer questions as much as possible and leave comments on your fabulous blogs.  If you have a question that I haven't responded to yet, please feel free to send me another email.  I'm working on putting up a website with some f.a.q.s to help in some cases.

See you soon -- Happy Weekend!

Pins & Plans

Here's a fun find I should have spotlighted a couple of months ago when I first snatched 'em up, my fabulous pearly-plastic leaf pins. 

Not every project can withstand thick crow-bar-like pins, but aaah, when the project's right, out these babies come!  They have a color palette and a kitschy quality that reminds me of vintage Christmas ornaments - or the art direction of that recent Marie Antoinette movie (though I haven't seen it yet).  A sewing indulgence.  Fun, fun. 

The rest of the time I like to use slender glass-headed pins.  They're more sharp and easier to use than most plastic- headed pins and they don't melt under the iron.  Anyhoo...

I'm about to head into a big sprint, designing my next fabric collection, and I'm in debate about how to handle blogging during this time.  Of course, I'd have plenty to carry on about if I could show you what I'm working on, but that wouldn't be fair to Free Spirit (designs have to stay hush-hush until released to ward-off copycats, I'm told).  I've thought about taking a few weeks off, but that sounds no-fun.  So, right now, I'm thinking shorter posts with pics of some of my favorite things -- though I might just ramble on even longer as happy task avoidance.  Regardless, for stress-management purposes, I needed a 'plan.' 

So, expect random antique and thrift store goodness, tools, old projects, old photos and so on for the next few weeks.  I'll try to throw in some fun projects here and there as fabric-design breaks are had.  Perhaps I'll even finish some of what I've started or get one of my patterns printed at last.  Or maybe not ;)

Anyone hail from Arizona with lots of free time on her hands? 

(The pins were in some random bin at JoAnn's of all places.)

This N That

So far, so good.  Here's the state of my re-fashion at present.  The collar is made from the entire bottom band of one of the sweaters.  It can be flipped up or flipped down.  I'll see what works best once I try the thing on.  I'm thinking of stitching the yoke back to the yoke front with big red stitches and raw edges exposed, but I'm making it up as I go along, so I reserve the right to change my mind. ;-)  On a related note, check out this recent article from TIME magazine on re-fashionistas.

On the garland front, I stopped by the store last night and picked up some striped fabric.  I'll let you know how the peppermint experiment goes & take some pics.  It looks like Amanda has been in yo-yo mode as well.  She's put together a festive garland for her window frame and was sportive enough to use her treasured vintage buttons. (I can be too protective of mine.)  And Anna has made a funky felt one.

So, I'm officially proclaiming it The Year of the Garland (by no authority at all) and I'm starting a Flickr photo group for handmade/homemade garlands (not just Christmas garlands either), called Ga-ga for Garlands.  So, if you've got the garland bug, then, by edict, you must join in and show off your efforts. 

Also, Freshcut is finally up on the Free Spirit site. (Remember, you guys got the early early preview.)  The collection starts shipping out to stores just this week (not till January or February for Australia), so hopefully you'll be able to get your hands on the line soon!  I'm looking forward to seeing what Freshcut projects you come up with. 

The fabrics are also for sale at various online fabric stores, but, be warned, on some of these sites the colors are all muddy and funny - much yummier in person.  Here are some of the sites that have the line available for pre-ordering:

Flapper Girl Fabrics

The Bernina Connection

Cabbage Rose Quilting

FatQuarter Shop

Hancock's of Paducah

Quilt Fabric Delights (Australia)

Finally, I want to take a moment to thank everyone for your kind condolences these past two weeks.  I'm not finding the time to respond to each of your well-wishes individually, so please know that Isaac and I are grateful for your love and support.

Love,
Heather

Back at It!

We're back from Vancouver.  The funeral was perfect, exactly what Gary would have wanted.  He even had the Dixieland band he'd special- requested.  Elinor is in decent spirits, considering.  She's heading out to Switzerland at the end of the week.  I'm hoping her trip will be the perfect distraction to help her through this painful transition. Love that woman!

I came home to this fun little surprise in the mailbox, a Freshcut feature in Sew News' January 2007 issue.  Holiday noise-makers, of course.  Aren't they cute?  Pretty nice little spirit-lifter.

I've organized my to-dos for the next couple of weeks as well and was careful to plan-in a few all-day-present-making-marathons.  Making spirits bright, as they say (mainly mine).  So, that's where I'm at.  Next post... something cheery.

This Little Piggy went to Market

Well, I had an amazing time at Market.  Freshcut’s off and running, as are many new and exciting friendships.  Anna Maria is every bit as delightful in person as she is to read.  (Even though she did tell on us. Twice.)  What a charmer too.  And funny.  And kind.  I could go on and on here.

Robyn Pandolph is kind and generous (and excited about her new little grandbaby, though she doesn’t seem old enough to be a grandmother).  Did you know that Robyn has a roller-cutter wound that severed four tendons in her hand?  Be careful with those cutters, gals!  So sad.  It’s healed now, but what a nightmare. 

Went shopping with Heather Ross.  Smart, smart, smart.  (Have you seen her pajama line?)  She zeroed in on this cool antique necklace with an acorn pendant.  When you twisted the top, a pencil lead projected from the bottom.  What a find.  I don’t know if she bought it or not.  Dang, I should have paid better attention!

Jane Sassaman is a sweetheart.  She’s designed some powerful new quilts that go together quickly.  Her husband’s the big collector in their family.  And I mean big.  He even had a collection of barber’s chairs at some point.  Where do you put such a collection?  Didn’t get to chat with her quite enough. 

It took 32 hours for these charming gals just to get to Houston (from Sydney, Australia).  Bright and energetic.  (And they sported fabulous clothing and shoes too.)  I didn’t get to say goodbye.  Kath, Kirsten, sorry about that.  Missing you. 

And, because you are undoubtedly fans, you must know that Amy and Denyse are intelligent and warm.  Did I mention intelligent?  Amy’s working with her husband on another amazing book. Those two!  I can’t wait to see it experience it.  And, Denyse has just pinned down a name for her next fabric collection, “Katie Jumprope,” (though I don’t know which spelling of “Katie” she’s going to use).  Great name, huh?  Love it.

I met droves of neat folks:  artists, editors, shop owners, sales reps, distributors, and more.  So much to take in.  So little time.

My schoolhouse class worked out well, though I could have held an all-day seminar on the subject (the internet sewing/crafting community and whatnot). Ambitious for a 15-minute class.  But, I think I got across the main gist (and my flyers covered the rest).  Can you believe there’s already a podcast review of my class on SimpleArts (about 1/3 of the way into the interview)?  That’s some quick reporting!

Before I wrap it up, I’d like to send a huge thanks out to Sandi for whipping up some delightful children’s clothes for the photo book.  Here's just one of the fab outfits she did.  Sandi designs one-of-a-kind clothing for PortabelloPixie and is talented and generous.  Thanks Sandi!

And, another big hug out to Gina and Stephanie at The Threaded Pear for quilting my samples so beautifully.  Boy did those two get the scoop on Quilt Market.  They were everywhere.  I’m sure you’ll be hearing all about it on QuiltersBuzz.

All in all, it was a marvelous weekend at Market. I packed my bags late Monday night, changed back into jeans and a tee, and flew wee-wee-wee-wee all the way home!

It’s nice to be back.

(From left to right, Anna Maria, me & Donna Wilder of Free Spirit)

Oh, and see what I mean about Isaac's photography?  He took those top ones.

Getting There

Yay!  We ordered the books last night.  It couldn't have been any more last-minute.  In fact, I've got my fingers crossed that the printer's shipping schedule is accurate.  Yikes.  As it is, everything's being shipped to my hotel, even the business cards.  Regardless of how seamless I'd like my business endeavors to come across, it's a bit insane wearing so many hats.

Today I'm going to learn how to run an LCD projector.  My husband bought a new Apple laptop a couple of weeks ago - it's fancy - and I became the new owner of his old "mistress" (my obnoxious name for his laptop).  She's pretty fancy too -- I can't complain.  He outfitted her with a slick orange case, cleared her off and synced her up to my iMac, so I'm all set.  I'm glad Isaac knows how to do that stuff.  I can find my way around the computer pretty well, but there are some things I really don't care to learn.  All she needs now is a new name. 

The projector is for a fifteen-minute Schoolhouse class I'm teaching on Friday at Quilt Market.  What's the class about, you say?  Well, it's about you guys :-) I'll be sharing my take on the internet craft community and encouraging folks, quilt-shop owners, designers, sewers, whoever attends to get online and get involved.  So many people have still never heard of a blog, lovely word it is.  And many who have, wish they'd discovered blogs sooner.  So, I'll see what I can do in fifteen minutes.  Perhaps a dictionary of terms is in order, along with a spotlight on resources and services -- good for a flyer.  The main point I'd like to get to is WHY:  Why pay attention?  Why join in?  Why is this so much fun? 

I'll be talking you guys up all weekend.  Easy to do.  I'd love to hear your take on the subject.  Thoughts?  Feelings?  Maybe I'll put together some quotes -- another flyer.  Hmmm.

Also, does anyone know a good resource for statistics on the blogosphere? 

Or articles discussing the subject?

Freshcut™

At last, my friends, here is Freshcut. My debut collection of fabric for Free Spirit is all stacked and pretty before the flurry of sample-sewing begins. What a relief and a thrill to get my hands on these fabrics after babying each design to completion.

Each pattern began as a rough pencil sketch. Then, through a series of refinements, including re-draws, transfer paper, paint and a scanner, the designs were entered into my computer where I perfected the repeat and tinkered with the colors.

Though there were certainly a couple of steps in the process that will be eliminated the next time around (now that I know better what I’m doing), I’m grateful for the things I’ve learned along the way.  I’m even more grateful for the help and patience I’ve received from my family and friends to see me through this new adventure.   

So, without further ado, I’ll attempt to explain my intentions with Freshcut…

Hmmm. Where to start? Well, I love fabric. Love it. In fact, I have a towering collection of fabric. When I first started to sew, as a young girl, my mother would take me to the fabric store to pick out the exact fabrics for my quilt or project and I would carefully choose fabrics that coordinated ‘just so.’  Later, as a college student studying fashion design, I had projects due too frequently to take a trip to the store for each assignment.

I began to stash fabrics that I found unique or that spoke to me on a deeper level. It was back then that I learned to appreciate the unique flavor of a design that’s been assembled from a treasured collection.  Having an assortment of fabrics on hand freed me to be more experimental with color and print combinations and my aesthetic grew both more sophisticated and more playful.

With Freshcut, I wanted to capture a bit of the charm and energy found in a treasured fabric stash, by offering an unexpected assortment of prints and colors that somehow ‘work’ with each other.  Several of the designs have a romantic and vintage flavor, while others lend a quirky and modern touch.  Each palette offers colors that resonate with each other rather than ‘match.’ And, the colorways are meant to 'cross-pollinate' for a greater variety of combinations.

I feel honored to be working with Free Spirit, a fun-loving company with a reputation for excellence, where I have been kindly supported and encouraged. The quality of the fabric Free Spirit produces is impeccable and it’s a real treat to see my designs executed with such care.

When I get my website together, I’ll be sure to include slides of each fabric, so the designs are easier to see.  Until then, here is the full stack – all 40 fabrics.

I’ve also had a number of people email me to ask more about my design process. So, in the coming weeks, I’ll be spotlighting a few of these designs, juxtaposing my original sketches with the resulting fabric.   

For now, you can read more about Freshcut, my studio, and my take on the online craft community at Quilter's Buzz. There’s also a little bit about Freshcut in this month’s Country Living Magazine.  Exciting times!

Anyhow, thanks for your interest and support and for taking part in my big debut!

Love,
Heather

   

Paper On!

Thank you again, everyone, for the deluge of birthday wishes.  The chosen pear is on its way to Caroline.  And, the consequent ‘need’ for a cute card (above) and outrageous shipping label (far below) provided just the right excuse for a much-needed crafty break. 

I plucked the papers from here - a plump stack of scrapped workprints from my fabric line – let’s just say I had a bumpy start calibrating the printer to my monitor.  Making lemonade, I sorted them into a pretty box and now boast a most fabulous library of papers to craft with -  Oooo, and they’re archival.

On other fronts, Coxi will be featuring my blog over on Life Fever this week.  I scanned all through his site, and boy, he’s found some fun links, like this one that tickles my Oilily fancy and this one that sends me back to my first craft obsession, paper.  At 4-yrs-old, I filled my bottom dresser drawer with heaps of paper: white paper, lined paper, construction paper - any paper I could get my hands on.  With the assistance of a stapler, scissors and glue, I’d busy myself for hours, building all sorts of intricate 3D creatures, from robots to elephants.  Those are my earliest crafting memories.

-- Wait, I’m having such a twilight zone moment right now-- 

I just realized that here I am, twenty-seven years later, making sewing patterns, which is the same basic idea - creating paper patterns for 3D projects.  OK that’s weird, yet somehow reassuring. Hmm… deep thoughts.

Going Yo-Yo

I threw a birthday party for my 2-yr-old nephew, Nathan, yesterday.  We had the whole family over and everyone chipped in.  Mom brought balloons, sister did the cake, lil' bro brought soda and Nathan's ma & pa provided the food. All that was left were the decorations and favors -- a far easier load than anticipated.  However, I'm afraid I may have gotten all of the credit.  So, this being my one public forum, I'd like to thank everyone for the help!  Happy Birthday Nato! -- and all of my love to your mom & dad!

On a different note, Laura has posted some new photos of her home, including the bedspread curtains I was telling you about.  She'll be stuck in bed for the next number of days, so send her well-wishes and some links to fun stuff (she has the company of a laptop with wi-fi).  Have I mentioned that Laura is great?  Laura, Laura, Laura.

And, lastly, after a number of requests, I've added a Yo-Yo Tutorial to my sidebar.  Yo-yos are among the simplest things to sew, so the tutorial is quick and easy.  There are, however, some helpful tips about stitch length, and the beginnings of a project gallery at the end -- I'll add more yo-yo projects in as I complete them. 

But...the...best...part...is...
that I was able to use one of my own fabrics in the tutorial.  And, not in a sneaky, you-can't-really-see-what-I'm-talking-about kind of way, like the last teaser.  Instead, there's a nice, crystal-clear peek at one of my polkadotty paisleys (in brown), so go check out the tutorial!

Oh, and no, the green polkadot is not mine. <!-- ckey="5CC96513" -->

The New York 'Post'

Guess where I’ve been this week!  Times Square, Rockafellar Center, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Central Park, Greenwich Village, Soho, Washington Square, Union Square, The Empire State Building and Free Spirit – a virtual travel guide to New York City. The strike-offs for my new line of fabric with Free Spirit are in from the mill. I flew in to review the colors in depth, hang out with the ladies and enjoy a weekend traipsing around with my mother. Flagrant fun! 

 

To hear more about my trip and a sneak preview of my fabric, click here.