HELLOmynameisHeather

10 Facts & 10 Yards of FREE Fabric

For the entire month of April 2015, Free Spirit, the company that publishes my fabric collections, is featuring me on their blog. Currently there is a post up with 10 Facts about Heather Bailey you probably don't know: secret ambitions, my childhood nickname, etc. And Free Spirit is having a significant giveaway in association with that post. The winner will receive 10 yards of fabric from my latest collection, Clementine.

To enter the giveaway, share what you have in common with me in the comments of their post. A winner will be chosen on April 17th, so hurry on over—after saying hello here of course. 

Giveaway in Progress

I'm popping in to let you know about a giveaway that's in the works. Gina from CampClem.com has been posting new projects made from my Lottie Da collection all week, including a fantastic little beret made from theses leftover quilt-block pieces (below).

In conjunction with her blog series, Gina is giving away a Lottie Da camera-strap cover, two Heather Bailey embroidery patterns and a collection of stationery. The Camp Clem giveaway closes this coming Sunday (9/14/14) at the end of the day, so stop by soon to enter at CampClem.com.

There are several posts in her Lottie Da series, all of which show her step-by-step process for each project:

• Camera Strap
• Child's Beret
• Butterfly Pillow

At the studio, we're working on new patterns for this fall and prepping to share our new fashion-fabric collection, Momentum, which ships out to stores this month. I'm watching Roman Polanski's Tess (of the d'Urbervilles) from 1979 while I work today. Or rather, I'm listening to it. The film is quite good so far—you know, should you be looking for an old Jane-Austen-ish kind of film to keep you company.

Housekeeping

We have been busy prepping samples for my next quilting fabric collection—coming in June. My fashion-fabric collection is almost here as well. If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you will have seen a number of sneak peeks last weekend during Quilt Market, the industry's trade show. Now that the business-to-business side of things is kicked off, we can start putting together some full reveals to share what I've been up to in the design department.

Before moving onto new releases, I have a little house-keeping to do. First, let me congratulate Ricky Tims and Tula Pink for winning the Bernina sewing machine face-off. And Brenda P. from Pensacola FL won the sewing machine—what a great prize—so fun!

I also have a book-giveaway winner to announce. Lisa McGriff, lucky #7, email me your address and I will have your copy of My Rag Doll sent posthaste.

Lisa McGriff said...

"I had a Raggedy Ann doll as well, to this day I still love Raggedy Ann dolls. I would love to win this book so much!!"

- - - - - - -

Finally, watch for a MIGHTY Inventory Reduction Sale at HeatherBaileyStore.com in the next week or two. All discontinued fabrics—collector's take note—will be on sale. Start planning your summer projects now. It's time we make space for new collections on their way.

Pining for Excitement?

Vote TODAY for the Heather Bailey sewing machine in Bernina USA's Faceplate Faceoff on facebook. Vote every day through 4-14-14 and you can win this rockin' $1900 luxury sewing machine. Pretty awesome giveaway. Set a reminder.

Let's make this retro-modern machine happen. 

xo—Heather

WIN a $1900 Bernina Sewing Machine

I had the privilege to design a sewing machine for Bernina's Faceplate Face-off, along with 9 other designers. From March 17th through April 14th, votes will be collected on Bernina's facebook page and the TWO machines with the most votes will be sent to production and available for purchase.

One lucky voter will WIN a BERNINA SEWING MACHINE valued at $1899. Every time you vote, you are entered into the drawing again. So, set a reminder on your calendar to chime every day for the next few weeks.

Considering the tragedy we are grappling with at this time, it is going to be a challenge for me to spread the word about this contest on my own. I ask you to please help me share this design. I will sort out another fabulous giveaway for the voters should my design win, so there's a double incentive, a shopping spree perhaps. I wanted to have this all worked out before the Face-Off went live, but here we are. If you have an idea for me, please share it.

It is my understanding that you will want to access Bernina's facebook page from an actual computer, and not from a phone or ipad. To see the designs and vote, click the "Like" button the face-off page, then a "Click Here to Register" button will appear. Enter your info (so they can contact you if you win!), then you will see the various designs.

Please note that Bernina's mock-up of my design on their facebook isn't quite accurate yet. My design is red and white/cream, not red and silver. And I believe we would be indicating the model number "B350" with an emboss in the lower lefthand corner of the vertical plate, not with large black text across the artwork. My images here are closer to accurate. Feel free to post these images (links below) anywhere and everywhere, along with the contest info. I would sure appreciate it. And hopefully your sewing room will appreciate it too—when you WIN!

• Sewing Machine Image 115k (612px wide x 72dpi)
• Mod Daisy Artwork 192k (612px wide x 72dpi)
• Heather Bailey Logo 10k (612 px wide x 72dpi)

Remember to set your daily calendar reminders through 4-14-14.

PS: I think this contest is open to U.S. residents only, but I don't think that prohibits non-US residents from voting. I will ask. And I'll put together a giveaway that includes everyone—from everywhere—should my design win.

Pop Garden Giveaway

I just heard that The Elven Garden is having a fun Pop Garden giveaway this week. Enter to win this stack of popular, out-of-print fabrics from my Pop Garden collection over on her blog at TheElvenGarden.blogspot.com by Saturday, December 14th at 2pm (Australian DST) for a chance to win.

Late Night Sewing

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.

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.

Giveaway Day 31 – I Aim to Tease

What a month! And what a marathon of frenzied fun. I'm exhilirated to have made it to the finish line. Today is the last day of my month of giveaways—every day this August. I had an impulse to shower you all with presents as a big Thank You Party for your love and support. And I ran with it.

I'm honored that so many great companies and good friends contributed prizes. I was especially touched to read all of the sweet comments made by Mary Engelbreit's fans on Day 24. I hope that twenty or thirty years from now I will have maintained as meaningful of a relationship with my fans as Mary has. That was inspiring. Thank you for that.

There is one more proper August prize to hand out. But, truthfully, I have more prizes to give away than I have days in August. In fact, there are some gorgeous prizes associated with my new fabric collection that will be offered up next week when I officially introduce the line.

So, though we've completed this month of daily giveaways, the giveaways will keep on coming at a steady pace, mixed together with new designs, inspiration and behind-the-scenes peeks at artwork and new products in development.

I know you are all anxious to see the new fabric collection—only a couple more days to go! As such, I've decided to tease you with my Day 31 prize. The image above is proof positive that a new line awaits, but it sure doesn't reveal much of the artwork or even the color palette involved—considering that you're only glimpsing a portion of the line. Here is an appetizer. I am wildly excited to share more.

Today's winner will receive a thirty-piece design roll from my new Lottie Da fabric collection—to be revealed this coming week. Each piece is 2.5" x the full width of the fabric. Great for a variety of projects—and for project-planning. 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.

Giveaway closes at 11:59pm PST on Monday 9/2/13. 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.

Watch for more exciting giveaways next week.

Good luck!

xo—Heather

Giveaway Day 30

Today, I had the privilege of flipping through an early copy of Kerry Goulder's new book, Sewing Tales to Stitch and Love. The release is set for mid- October, but I got my hands on one of the only two copies Kerry has seen herself.

That's right, Kerry (aka Kid Giddy) sent me one of her only two copies so I could share the book with you as part of my August HELLO Giveaways celebration. So exciting! Thank you, Kerry.

My first peek at this charming project book was earlier this year when Kerry asked me to write the book's foreword. Over the course of several emails back and forth and a couple of phonecalls, I got to know Kerry and her concept. Each project in the book is tied to a story and centered on four themes, taking us "from a fairy woodland, to the coastal waters, to the arctic, and back."

Kerry lives in Maine with the ocean as her neighbor. One of my favorite projects in the book is her Pinchy the Lobster character. Coming from the land of paisley turtles and floral elephants, there's something about a calico lobster that certainly works for me.

I also love her station wagon and hipster-camping-trailer pattern above. Not only does it wax nostalgic, but here's one car toy that won't split your eyebrow open when your toddler attacks. That's a true bonus. I've had more than one request from my family to design some soft boy-toys suitable for snuggling. Our Evan likes a big reaction. This often translates into experimental hammering on his siblings and parents—especially at bedtime.

Beyond these great projects, Kerry has also included a dolphin pattern, an orca whale, a row boat, a hot air balloon, a teddy bear, and an igloo—to name just a few. A wide variety of projects for one book.

Join me in congratulating Kerry and KP Craft on their lovely new book. Watch for Sewing Tales to Stitch and Love: 18 Toy Patterns for the Storytelling Sewist to reach your local bookstore or fabric shop this fall and go get yourself a copy. Also, keep up with Kerry on her Kid Giddy blog (she's just beginning to post reveals of her gorgeous new sewing studio), and on facebook, twitter, pinterest, and flickr while you're at it.

Today's giveaway winner will receive this early copy of the book—signed by the author and me. Invaluable :-) 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.

Giveaway closes at 11:59pm PST on Sunday 9/1/13. It's a holiday weekend and the final stretch of my giveaway marathon. As such, I'm giving you through the weekend to enter so everyone can have a decent shot—even those who have found time away from the computer with their families! 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. See you again tomorrow. And Happy Labor Day weekend, everyone.

Good luck!

xo—Heather

Giveaway Day 29

I take a sketchbook with me everywhere I go, even if I'm just heading to the gas station to refill the tank. I had lovely thoughts to share about keeping a sketchbook and how pivotal this is for anyone with artistic ambitions or creative hobbies.

But then, my husband went outside to change the brakes on our car, leaving me to write out my lovely thoughts in the midst of a storm of children, which storm has blown my concentration right out the door. The teenager is writing a physics paper and packing for an overnight field trip tomorrow. The middle child is sick and needs medicine and love. The baby has torn his diaper off so many times, that I am now letting him sit naked on my lap and watch Jay Jay the Jet Plane while I type.

I may not retrieve those lovely sketchbook thoughts till another day. Just know that the thoughts are there. I am passionate about sketchbooks. You must, must, must have a sketchbook—so I went and got one for you, along with a big pack of pretty, colored pencils.

It doesn't matter if you can draw. You need a place to capture your creative brainstorms. Write it down, draw it out, or risk losing it. I also picked up a colored pencil blender pen for you, a solvent-based marker meant for blending wax-based colored pencil pigments. This is something I have never tried before, so I got one for me too. We'll find out together.

If I'm preaching to the choir, and you're already amply equipped with sketchbooks and colored pencils of your own, take a shot at this giveaway anyhow. If you win, then you can gift the prize to a creative friend who needs to hear the gospel truth about sketchbooks.

As you know, I have some big introductions to make this week. I tidied up my sewing area this morning to make way for a full weekend of projects—assuming the baby keeps his diaper on and no unexpected strike-offs arrive at the door.

Just going with the flow. I'm grateful to have that flexibility. Speaking of flow... I better go put a diaper on this kid. I'm testing my luck at this point.

Giveaway Day 28 — There Will Be Fabric

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.

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!

So, 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 

Giveaway Day 27

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.

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.

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.

Today'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

Giveaway Day 26

I'm am all about art supplies. I love nothing more than to sit at my drafting table with a fiesta of colorful paints, markers and tools within reach. It's also handy to have a few supplies that are easy to pack up and take with me for long family functions, for travel, or even for a trip to the park with the kids.

One of my all-time-favorite, easy-to-pack art supplies is my compact set of Winsor Newton watercolor half-pans (the official name for these little dried cubes of paint). I love to work with pan paints on the go. And each half-pan can be replaced as it is used—without having to get a whole new set of colors. In fact, you can swap the colors around, add new ones, remove a few, and make your own custom palette to paint with.

The teensy-tiny box opens up to reveal plenty of palette surface for mixing colors. There is even a little water tray for plein-air painting. (I don't use the water tray myself. I'm happy to bring a larger cup along.) Also included is a small, round paintbrush which is stored inside the compact.

These pan paints don't offer the same pigment depth as top-of-the-line tube paint, but they are a good quality for a traveling set. And this little box of watercolors has remained one of my favorite art supplies over many years. You might recall my March of the Tools post on these from a few years back.

Today's lucky winner will receive a new Winsor Newton compact watercolor set to call her own, the same traveling kit that I use. A $38 value.

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.

Today's giveaway will close at 11:59pm PST on Tuesday 8/27/13—which means it will overlap with Day 25's giveaway and Day 27th's giveaway, so don't miss those. 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

Giveaway Day 25

In honor of Evan's birthday on the 25th, our Day 25 HELLO Giveaway is one of our favorite children's toys, Theo the cat, an 18" knit doll. A $56 value. Theo is chartreuse for heaven's sake. It doesn't get better than chartreuse.

A brand-new Theo made his way to our studio from LaylaGrayce.com, an incredibly diverse and inspirational online store, carrying everything from chandeliers and designer sofas to apparel, gifts and toys. I urge you to go take a look. Their taste is impeccable. Whether you're redecorating or just picking out a few gifts here and there, you will find so many great options on their site.

Thank you, LaylaGrayce.com for generously donating today's prize and for offering such a wide variety of these adorable Blabla Kids knit dolls, including raccoons, foxes, bunnies, bears, wolves, mermaids, monkeys and elephants, to name a few. They are soft and squishy and alltogether cool.

Look at how many of these dolls work for boys as well as girls. I love that.

For decorating inspiration and first news on new products, follow Layla Grayce on twitter, facebook, instagram, pinterest, and on their inspirational blog.

Babies Don't Keep

My giveaway plans were derailed today by a very important little person and his very own 2nd birthday. Little Evan is two years old today! When I giddily plucked him from his crib this morning, we snuggled up on Charlotte's bed while I sang him a Happy Birthday song. At the end of every phrase, Evan chimed in with "cake!" 

Happy Birthday to you...cake!...Happy Birthday to you...cake!... Happy Birthday dear Evan...cake!...Happy Birthday to you...cake!

He knows what's important.

It took us till eveningtime to finally make good on the promise of cake with a small family birthday party. Boisterous cousins followed Evan about, patting his head and picking him up in turn. By the time cake was served, Evan couldn't care less about the stir of children throughout our home. Cake, at last—what a birthday is all about.

I wanted to write Evan a little love note today to enumerate his sweet particularities at this age, count the many ways in which I love him. But, Sundays are my busiest days—even without a birthday to celebrate. As such, the love note didn't happen. And today's giveaway post didn't happen either. When it came down to it, I had to choose between photographing and writing a giveaway post and giving my little son his birthday dues—time, attention and cake. I chose the baby.

I could prep and post today's giveaway now, but it's getting too late in the night to do our awesome Day 25 prize justice. Instead, I'm going to go for a double header tomorrow and put up two separate giveaways in two separate posts. Hang tight and watch for those tomorrow. I'll make sure the deadlines are generous so you won't miss your chance.

Happy, Happy Birthday to my darling boy. From our early morning cake-song to my late-night blog update, today, I'm reminded of this lovely poem by Ruth Hulbert Hamilton—though it could use a new stanza about the internet, the computer and the smart phone:

Song for a Fifth Child

Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing and butter the bread,
Sew on a button and make up a bed.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I’ve grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue
(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
(Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).
The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo
But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo.
Look! Aren’t her eyes the most wonderful hue?
(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
For children grow up, as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

Giveaway Day 24 — Mary!

I have been a long-time fan of Mary Engelbreit. When I was a kid, there was a sticker and stationery store at the nearby mall. It was my favorite stop. The one day I was allowed to choose any sticker from the sticker wall, I went home with a 2.5" circle sticker designed by Mary. It featured a girl in a wide straw hat with glasses and bobbed hair, the classic Mary character. It was signed "ME" at the bottom.

I didn't know who "ME" was at the time. But as I discovered "ME" on more and more products, I connected the dots, asked around, and learned that "ME" was the delightful, talented and prolific Mary Engelbreit.

Her perspective and aesthetic have withstood the test of time. For decades now,
Mary's artwork has adorned millions of greeting cards and everything from calendars and best-selling children's books to gifts, crafts and home accents.

About six years ago, I had the privilege to work with Mary's team at Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion magazine on the cover-story for the April/May 2008 issue. Such a great magazine.

In fact, Mary unknowingly connected me with one of my good friends. When I put a general call out for help on the Home Companion photoshoot, Jona volunteered. This is how we first met. I later learned that she was an uber Mary-Engelbreit fan and had counted her lucky stars for the opportunity to come to the shoot. She had collected every single issue of Mary's magazine, except for the first issue.

Through the magazine's editors, Barbara and Kathy, I was able to set Jona up with a signed copy of that first issue—to complete her collection.

I have yet to meet Mary in person. She was at Quilt Market a year or so ago, but I couldn't get free to wait in the enormous line of fans eager to shake her hand. This woman is popular! I have been delighted to get to know her through Instagram though, of all places. And I look forward meeting her one day.

Though I am sure she has weathered every storm and sunny day an art-licensing business brings with it, Mary has maintained a joyful and engaging point of view—a sweet, humorous and uplifting spirit that continues to win fans worldwide.

I'm honored to announce that Mary herself is offering today's giveaway prize—a big box of Mary Engelbreit calendars for 2014. Calendars of every shape and size. A $90 value. 

Keep up with Mary on her EngelBlog—and on facebook, instagram and pinterest as well. Shop her amazing variety of products online at MaryEngelbreit.com or at retailers virtually everywhere.

Giveaway Day 23

I was up all night altering my son's band uniform. The only pair of pants they had on hand for a 6'4" kid were equally as big around—serious Tweedle-Dee pants.

In the end, I removed 15 total inches from the girth of the pants, taking out 1" to 6" on five different seams: inseams, outseams, and center back. And I added two darts in the front to bring the suspenders closer together.

I deserve a sewing badge for extreme alteration. That was some WiLd sewing. I've never modified a garment so drastically before. I'm stocking up on mama points this week. Going to cash them in for babysitting—starting tonight. Hooray for the weekend!

Today's giveaway is a collection of Heather Bailey paper-crafting supplies, including a variety of clear stamps, ribbons, die-cut felt trim, stickers, ink pads—all sorts of bright happy supplies. A $43 value.

Giveaway Day 22

How about some luscious felt? Three palette packs of our designer wool-blend felt in Reds/Pinks, Blues and Oranges/Yellows for today's giveaway—perfect for accessories and embellishments, embroidery and applique. In my opinion, everone should have a rainbow of glorious felt at her disposal. Let's get you all set up! A $32 value.

Giveaway Day 21

For today's prize, how about a little Christmas in the summertime? This way, at least one of us will be prepared when December comes along sooner than we expect it!

Winner receives a party pack of Heather Bailey holiday supplies, including dinner plates, dessert plates, napkins, party cups—and lo! matching invitations. Everything you need to be polished and prepared for some holiday fun this year. A $54 value.

We loaded our holiday invitations, photo cards and picnicware into the shop today. Please note that we're limited to supply on hand though, so snatch up these holiday items while they last. There's a part of me that wants to hoard the entire timeless supply for my own future use, but I'm talking myself through it. I'll design more. I'll design more. I can share.

Speaking of sharing...

Comment to enter. 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; I can access it from behind the scenes.

Today's giveaway will close at 11:59pm PST on Wednesday 8/21/13. 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

Giveaway Day 20

My day has gone to school meetings. Elijah switched high schools this year and we're working to get him established at a school one mile from our home. We were driving him 25 minutes away each day, back and forth for the last two years, often several times a day and this really put a pinch on our time at home as a family.

This year, Elijah volunteered to change schools. He and his dad both seem okay with it. I'm still resolving my own feelings. He not only has no friends there yet, but the school is in a different school district and runs quite differently from what he is used to. And he had to leave behind one of the state's top marching band programs (the reason he had insisted on that school in the first place).

I hate that he's switching halfway through high school. Ug. I wish I would have pushed more strongly for this close-by school two years ago. I'm working to feel at peace with the mid-stream change. Today's meetings helped with that quite a bit. We brought in a list of things we felt would help Elijah transition well and the response was, "This is what we, here, call good teaching. This will be no problem at all." Just what we needed to hear! I liked his last school a lot, but the administration at the new school made a great first impression today. I'm one step closer to parental peace.

Additionally, with the high school only one mile away now, I can get more involved and still keep my other two children on track. I'm hopeful, but I'm still holding my breath nonetheless.

Needless to say, my giveaway to-do list hasn't shed any pounds today while I've been out parenting. It's approaching evening time and I still have this giveaway to post and a number of winners to select. So, on with the show!

With a $35 value, today's prize is a set of THREE Heather Bailey sewing patterns—Claira & Clancy Pig Dolls, Full Bloom Roses and the Daily Spice Apron—a variety of projects you can make for yourself or as gifts. Get an early start on the holidays. Or give the patterns as gifts.

For more information on my piggie doll pattern (my personal favorite of the patterns we've published), click here. For my first preview of the Daily Spice apron pattern, head back seven years to this post. (It sounds like driving Elijah around was a part-time job even back then. Boy, how long have I been blogging now?) As for Full Bloom Roses, we may have only announced that pattern by newsletter originally, so get the details here.

Comment to enter today's contest. 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. One entry per household.

Today's giveaway will close at noon PST on Wednesday 8/21/13. Watch for the winner to be announced within the week at the bottom of the post. For more info on my big ol' August giveaway party, click here. Please share the word. Check back every day.

Good luck!

xo—Heather

Giveaway Day 19 — Stella

At Quilt Market last May, I met Nathan and Stacy Wiedenmann who were there introducing a new product to the world. And it was no elementary, homespun product either, but a multi-function task light of all things. Now how do you get that made?

The inventor in me can't resist new gadgets. The business owner in me thrills to see someone tackle manufacturing with success. Isaac has two pet lighting inventions he wants to patent and market one day, so meeting small business owners in the lighting trade is extra fun.

Now, I'm going to butcher the Stella Lighting story, but as I understand it, Nathan was at a meeting at Starbucks where he and an associate were discussing a prototype of this lamp when a quilter approached them to find out more about it. After a demonstration, she insisted that she needed the lamp and she needed it now. And that other quilters and crafters needed it too. The punchline is: this godsend matchmaker hooked up a great little lamp with an eager audience and it was true love.

So what makes this light different? The Stella task lamp is stocked with 21 little LED light bulbs, all rated to last for 50,000+ hours—we'll call that a lifetime of use. You never have to change the bulbs. With efficient LED technology, the lamp uses 10% of the electricity of a comparably bright incandescent light. And the light stays cool, so you can work right under it very comfortably. It is available as a desk lamp or floor lamp.

It also has five brightness levels, so it can be adjusted to the task at hand. You can choose from three different light temperatures, including a warm light (very similar to incandescent light), a very cool light, and a bright, daylight-balanced light.

For me and my purposes, the daylight-balanced setting is where it's at. Much of my work involves reviewing colors for accuracy. And having a Stella on hand allows me to work later into the day, after the sun has set—perfect for evaluating fabric strike-offs, painting new artwork, or choosing thread colors.

The light is even and bright and the neck of the lamp can be bent in almost any direction. It's streamline shape allows it to peek in quietly over your work or move aside as needed.

Check in with Stella on Twitter and Instagram. Visit StellaLighting.com for a video introduction and more information about the product and the company. Art stores, quilt stores, needlework stores and more are all starting to carry this new light, so watch for the Stella at your local shop.

Stella Lighting is generously donating one white Stella task lamp for today's giveaway. A $220 value.

 Comment to enter. One entry per household. U.S. shipping only on this one. 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. Today's giveaway will close at noon PST on Tuesday 8/20/13. Watch for the winner to be announced within a few days at the bottom of the post.

For the backstory on my August HELLO Giveaway project, click here. Please share the word. And check back every day.

Good luck!

xo—Heather

Giveaway Day 18

We went out for my birthday on Friday night for Thai food and a movie with my siblings and their spouses, and my dad. It was great to get together after we were all scattered this way and that for the summer. And just the kind of birthday party I like—easy and low-key. I'm so glad they all could come along. If you ever visit Tempe, AZ, Yupha's Thai Kitchen is the place to eat.

Of course, this year wasn't a 'big-deal' birthday. When the next one of those comes along, I'd like a Disco Dance Party with wigs required—nothing mellow.

This giveaway circus is keeping me plenty anesthetized from any potential birthday blues. It's quite a project behind the scenes to make sure everything is reported accurately and the winners are chosen fairly. (Random number generator, after duplicates and late entries are subtracted.)

I hope you're having as much fun as I am. I feel like a game show host at this point, "Step on down, take a spin, survey says — you win." I need fine, feathered 70's hair and a sparkly dress.

As soon as today's giveaway post goes up, I'll get to work drawing winners for the last few giveaways. Expect those updates by midday tomorrow.

And remember that our Day 16 giveaway for a Cricut Expressions 2 electronic cutting machine ends at 11:59pm PST tonight. So, there's still time to enter.

Without further ado, today's giveaway prize is a sewn book tote from FamLee Treasures, made with fabrics from my Garden District collection, as well as a Heather Bailey planner, a chevron note pad and a pack of personal stationery. A $73 value.

FamLee Treasures is my office manager Karen's Etsy business. Her adorable totes also make perfect craft totes or church bags. Karen was excited to get involved with our giveaway party—and it's her birthday this next week too. That's another vote for Birthday Month. Happy Birthday, Karen!

Comment to enter. 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. Today's giveaway will close at NOON PST on Monday 8/19/13. Watch for the winner to be announced early next week at the bottom of the post.

For more info on these August HELLO Giveaways, click here. Please share the word. Good luck!

xo—Heather

Giveaway Day 17

How about a splash of fashion to keep the giveaway world in proper balance? Today's HELLO Giveaway is sponsored by Urban Attic Boutique, a great online store with a bohemian-chic point of view. Find tops, dresses, pants, skirts, and jewelry, all reasonably priced and right on trend.

Urban Attic Boutique is curated by sisters, Jenna and Tauny—who have an eye for bold prints and statement pieces. And I would say, as a group, the items in their shop look comfortable. Comfort is my ultimate measuring stick for everyday fashion, so this is a big one for me.

Go have a look. But, don't beat me to that seahorse necklace!

Keep current with the shop on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram, where you'll be the first to hear of new items, sales and Urban Attic giveaways. Today's lucky winner will receive a $25 gift certificate to UrbanAtticBoutique.com.

Comment to enter. 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. Today's giveaway will close at 11:59pm PST on Saturday 8/17/13. Watch for the winner to be announced early next week at the bottom of the post.

For more info on these August HELLO Giveaways, click here. Please share the word. Good luck!

xo—Heather

Giveaway Day 16 — A Big One

When I say that I'm friends with some cool people at some cool companies. I mean, wow. I put out some calls, told everyone I wanted to have a big Thank You Party for my readers, and look what's coming in. Today's giveaway prize is another big one.

This incredible machine here is called the Cricut Expressions 2. It is an electronic cutting machine. Digital designs are plugged into the system on cartridges and out come perfectly-cut pieces. Pieces of what, you say? Pieces of cardstock, chipboard, sheet magnet, foam, felt, balsa wood, vellum, cling vinyl, fabric and more. That's a lot of creative possibilities.

This Cricut is a free-standing machine that is easily operated using touch-screen technology. You don't have to have a computer. From what I read, this is one of the easiest cutting machines to operate and there are a number of video tutorials and reviews posted online if you're a visual learner.

Included with the Expressions 2 machine is their Cricut Essentials cartridge which includes hundreds of designs and a Cricut Alphabet cartridge. Beyond that, Cartridges galore are available separately from a variety of designers. The machine features a cutting area as large as 12" x 24" and it will arrange multiple items for you in order to prevent waste.

Great for crafts, party decorations, card-making, scrapbooking, fabric applique, product packaging, valentines. I can think of so many fun things to do with a cutting machine. What incredible technology to have on hand.

Oh! And Cricut is also including a bundle of iron-on vinyl in three colors—winner chooses the colors. Wait till you see what you can do with this iron-on vinyl. Holy cow. You can customize tee-shirts, pillows, shoes, sports jerseys, hats, handbags, Christmas stockings—anything. To see images of this heat-transfer film in use, visit Cricut's iron-on vinyl product page, then click on each color of vinyl to pull up project ideas.

With so many functions and uses, it's quite impossible for me to cover it all in this one post. I recommend you visit their "New to Cricut?" page, the Cricut Blog, and the Cricut Forum if you want to delve in to the details and see all that the Cricut Expressions 2 can do. Cricut is also on Facebook (a great resource), Instagram and Twitter, so go say hello.

All in all, today's generous prize is a $345 value. Thank you, Cricut! To enter for today's giveaway, leave a comment here on this post. One entry per person.

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; I can access that info from behind the scenes. Today's giveaway will close at 11:59pm PST on Sunday 8/18/13. (This is a big one and it's Friday—so I'm giving you all weekend to enter. This means it will overlap with Saturday's and Sunday's giveaways.) Watch for the winner to be announced early next week at the bottom of the post.

For more info on these August HELLO Giveaways, click here. Please share the word. We have lots more in store for you this month.

Good luck!

xo—Heather

Giveaway Day 15

I've been asked to be the keynote speaker at The Sewing Summit this year. We just firmed it up this week, so watch for an announcement on their site soon. As a bonus, I'm going to fly in for the entire event and well, hang out. Which means I'll have the chance to get to know some fabulous people who will be there with me.

One of those fabulous people is Melissa Esplin, who is scheduled to teach at the event. I'm excited to meet her. Melissa not only sews and maintains a beautiful blog, but she is also an incredible calligrapher. And she teaches calligraphy online. Yes, you can take classes without having to leave your desk!

Calligraphy is gaining attention from today's style stars as a back-to-crafts artform. Beautifully-lettered posters add a personal touch to a home or office. And personalized calligraphy is a great way to enhance a wedding or baby announcement—or otherwise stand out in a mess of computer-generated communication.

Take a look at Melissa's incredible lettering on her website and blog. See Melissa's classes on her site, I Still Love Calligraphy, where you can learn from the best. And don't miss her beautiful, free printables and tutorials as well.

Today's lucky winner will receive five ready-to-write cards and five envelopes, all hand-lettered by Melissa. Talk about putting your best face forward. Your mail and affection will look like it came from the queen herself.

The hand-lettered kraft-paper cards feature "5 Things" prompts such as "5 Reasons Why I Love You" and the blue envelopes read, "Kindly Deliver to" or Please send to." They can be used together or separately. A $35 value.

Melissa does custom calligraphy for families and businesses. She designs logos, tattoos, greeting cards and more. But, calligraphy isn't her only passion. If you like to sew, then you must swing by Melissa's blog to see her sewing acumen as well. She is teaching at The Sewing Summit afterall. When my fashion-fabric line hits next spring, I have a secret wish that we'll get to see Melissa work her magic with the collection.

Okay! Exciting. Let's get this contest going. To enter for today's giveaway, just leave a comment here on this post. One entry per human.

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; I can access that info from behind the scenes. Today's giveaway will close at NOON PST on Friday 8/16/13. (Extended deadlines here and there, depending on when I get the post up!) Watch for the winner to be announced within a day or two at the bottom of the post.

Follow Melissa on all over the social media scene, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest and send her a love note while you're at it, "Melissa, your work is beautiful!"

For more info on these August HELLO Giveaways, click here. Please share the word. Tomorrow's prize is the biggest one so far, so don't forget to check back in.

Good luck!

xo—Heather

Giveaway Day 14 — Art Supplies!

Art supplies! Who doesn't love to collect art supplies!?

I'm incredibly excited to share today's prize with you. Copic has generously contributed a set of their Ciao Too artist-quality markers. I've been researching markers heavily all year and Copic stands tall at the top of the list. Not only does Copic offer their markers in scores of colors, with a variety of nibs to choose from, but Copic markers are also refillable and blendable. That's right—blendable. The ink flows smoothly and colors can be blended together without glaring streaks or stripes.

They make several styles of markers which hold differing amounts of ink, but follow the same color system. The Ciao markers here come with a brush tip on one end and a chisel tip on the other. With some product lines, you can choose which nibs you like best and swap them out as you see fit. Most of their markers are double-ended—except for the super-duper wide ones.

One popular style, the Copic Sketch marker, can be attached to their proprietary air-brush system where colors swap out easily and there's no fussy clean-up.

I'm just mesmerized by these. Like every product I'm including in the giveaways this month, I contacted the company because I genuinely love what they do. I have been fawning over this prize ever since it arrived at the studio on Monday. Someone is going to be one lucky duck.

Copic markers are top-of-the-line. They don't come cheaply, but they do their job fantastically and they maintain their value quite well. With refillable alcohol-inks and replaceable nibs, these valuable tools can be used in perpetuity.

They work great for fabric studies and that works for me. I love them.

So, here's your chance to get hooked on these amazing markers too. Today's winner will receive this 24 pack of Copic Ciao Too markers. A $130 value. Thank you, Copic!

Follow Copic on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and the Copic Marker blog. In fact, check out the Gallery on their site for inspiring artwork and artist interviews.

Comment to enter today's contest. 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; I can access that info from behind the scenes. Today's giveaway will close at 11:59pm PST on Wednesday 8/14/13. One entry per person. Winner chosen at random using the random number generator at Random.org. Watch for the winner to be announced within a day or two at the bottom of the post.

For more info on my August HELLO Giveaways, click here. Please share the word. Check back every day. 

Good luck!

xo—Heather

Giveaway Day 13 — Puj

Today's giveaway is from my friend, Katie Richardson, who invented this crazy-cool folding baby tub and quickly expanded her business, Puj Baby, to include several other hip and helpful products for families.

Katie is good friends with Isaac's sister, Maureen. She and I have met up a couple of times and every time I see Katie she's reached new heights in design. I'm incredibly impressed with her and her success.

I discoverd the Industrial Design program at my university when I was just about to graduate in Apparel Design. I have kicked myself ever since for not learning about it sooner. At one point, after I had abandoned my plan to pursue Medicine, I had hunted for a degree that would lend itself to animatronics (mechanical puppets and special effects for the movies, that kind of thing). I wanted to know how to make anything and everything, sewn items on through to electronics.

I am still mad that the Industrial Design program never came up on that hunt. I had grouped it in with Civil Engineering and passed it right by. If I could do college again, I would major in Industrial Design and minor in Apparel Design. The inventor in me still craves that education on materials and processes. Perhaps I can find a program somewhere yet and scratch that itchy itch.

My point is that Katie here majored in Industrial Design. As did her husband, Ben. And look what they have created! Isn't this impressive? Together they are a design power house. And I can't wait to see what they do next. You can too. Follow Katie and Ben's journey on their company blog and on Katie's "Secret Blog"—I sure hope it's not a true secret—Katie? Puj Baby can also be found on Instagram and Twitter at @PujBaby and on Facebook as well. Check them out.

Without further ado, today's giveaway prize is a generous bundle of amazing inventions from Katie and her company, Puj. Winner will receive one Puj Tub, one Puj Hug baby towel and Puj Nubs, knobs to hang your Puj products on. A $90 value.

By the way, the Puj Hug towel fastens gently around mom's neck so she can get baby from the tub more safely—without fuss. Or dad's neck. See how this works at Puj.com. I love inventions!

I know some rad people.

Comment to enter today's contest. 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; I can access that info from behind the scenes. Today's giveaway will close at 11:59pm PST on Tuesday 8/13/13. This one requires a U.S. address. And they can't ship to a P.O. box. Watch for the winner to be announced within a day or two at the bottom of the post.

For more info on my August HELLO Giveaways, click here. Please share the word. Check back every day.

Good luck!

xo—Heather

Giveaway Day 12 — A Day for Cake

Today is my birthday. I don't know if there will be any celebrating just yet. My kids are sick and at least one of them is staying home from school. We're waiting to see how the others are faring. Thankfully, with my campaign for Birthday Month, who really cares. There are 31 days in August. We should be able to find a day for cake somewhere in there. It's Birthday Month!

Remember when birthdays were an achievement? In the middle here, birthdays are just novelties, an asterisk on the calendar. If I'm fortunate enough to reach old age, birthdays might become accomplishments again. In fact, there should be necklaces to celebrate your age like an award ribbon. When I'm 86, I'll gladly wear my age on a gold necklace and swap it for an 87 with a smile.

This year's birthday doesn't just have a small asterisk next to it though—because I'm giving away big presents every day this month. And I've planned a big ol' glorious prize for today. Becky Higgins and Project Life are generously donating a complete kit of the Olive Edition I designed for them: a Core Kit of cards, an Album and a Big Pack of Photo Pocket Pages. Everything you need to complete an album. A $75 value.

Project Life is taking the scrapbooking and journaling world by storm. In summary, it's a simple, efficient system for cataloging your life in photos and stories.

My limited Olive Edition for Project Life is currently available only at Amazon.com. In addition to the items shown above, there is a big pack of 12" x 12" papers and super-fun month dividers. Everything is very reasonably priced. For more information on Project Life in general, visit BeckyHiggins.com. Becky and her team keep a faithful blog of ideas and inspiration. There are even videos to get you started. Also, for the daily play-by-play, follow @beckyhigginsllc and #projectlife on Instagram.

Comment to enter today's contest. 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; I can access that info from behind the scenes. Today's giveaway will close at 11:59pm PST on Monday 8/12/13. Watch for the winner to be announced within a day or two at the bottom of the post. 

For more info on my August giveaway madness, click here. Please share the word. Check back every day. I have amazing prizes planned this week from my friends at Copic Markers, Cricut, Puj Baby and more, prizes worth as much as $300. Prizes I wish I owned!

Good luck!

xo—Heather

Giveaway Day 11

All three of my kids are at home sick today and I'm having a very difficult time sneaking away to write a giveaway post, so I'm going to get right to it before there's more medicine to dose out or 'messes' to clean up.

With a $35 value, today's prize is THREE Heather Bailey sewing patterns—Flutterby Pincushions, Boho Cloche Hat and Marlo Bloom Handbag—enough variety to keep you busy well into the fall and perhaps cover you on some holiday-gift sewing as well.

Comment to enter today's contest. 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; I can access that info from behind the scenes.

Today's giveaway will close at NOON PST on Monday 8/12/13. (I'm extending the deadline whenever a post goes up later in the day. Sundays will likely be tricky for me all month.) Watch for the winner to be announced within a day or two at the bottom of the post. For more info on my August giveaway madness, click here. Please share the word. Check back every day.

My actual birthday is tomorrow, so watch for a big prize in the morning. And some even bigger ones later in the week.

Good luck!

xo—Heather

Giveaway Day 10

Happy Saturday. There's nothing like a busy first-week of school to help you appreciate a quiet Saturday. We don't have one thing planned. Except another giveaway.

For today's giveaway, my friends at Martha Stewart are offering the winner their fun new book Favorite Crafts for Kids. This isn't a small, 24-project book. Rather, there are 175 projects included. I admit, my copy of this new book hasn't arrived yet, so I can't give you the play-by-play. But, everything the Martha Stewart company creates is absolutely lovely. I'm sure that Favorite Crafts for Kids is no exceptio

And Potter Craft makes beautiful, beautiful books. I met with them at Random House in New York City on this trip. I thought I was having lunch with one person and found myself in a board room with a whole team. The same team that brings us this playful new book from Martha. That's another untold story. A positive one.

My Charlotte is wildly into crafts and I'm excited to see what she does with Martha's big book of ideas. If you don't have kids, let this prize give you a good headstart on holiday gifts or add it to your personal library for rainy-day inspiration. A $25 value.

Comment to enter today's contest. 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 email-address field on the comment form, as I can access info from the form behind-the-scenes.

Today's giveaway will close at 11:59pm PST on Saturday 8/10/13. Watch for the winner to be announced within a day or two at the bottom of the post. For more info on my August giveaway madness, click here. Please share the word. Check back every day. (My actual birthday is Monday, so watch for a big prize that day.)

Good luck!

xo—Heather