We are delighted to introduce Heather Bailey of Heather Bailey Designs. Heather is one of our three keynote speakers this year at Touchpoint, and will be speaking on Creativity in Life and Business. With her own abundant creativity, she is the perfect choice for this topic. Enjoy getting to know her, and we can’t wait to see you and Heather at Touchpoint!
How did you start sewing/ crafting? What other craft do you do?
My prime hobby is learning new things, so I’ve collected quite a list
of interests over the years. My first craft obsession was paper. At four-years-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 a stapler, scissors and glue, I built intricate 3D objects: robots, elephants, and even shoes. It wasn’t long before I learned to crochet, outfitting my dolls and Barbies in a rainbow of wild duds. Quilting and knitting soon followed. By the time I was seventeen, my preoccupation with all things handmade picked up serious speed and I soon learned my way around many new arts: spinning, weaving, stained glass, upholstery, ceramics, bead-making, faux-finishing, silver-smithing, painting and illustration.
Today, I enjoy the artistic freedom that comes from a broad base of
experience. And, with the tools and supplies I’ve collected throughout my explorations, my studio is a virtual craftstore. Soldering iron? Got it.
Spinning wheel? Got it. Wood-burner? Got it. Yarn, fabric, ribbon, paper, clay? I’ve got those too.
What’s your background, is it design based?
I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Clothing and Textiles with an
emphasis in Apparel Design. At the university, I gained a strong technical education and won several scholarships and awards for clothing construction and design. After graduating, I started a children’s hat company, which later metamorphosed into a women’s accessory business with the invention of my patented Trash Ties™ hair accessories (TrashTies.com). While waiting for the patent on Trash Ties, I discovered my love for painting and soon began my career creating artwork for fabric, scrapbook supplies, stationery, and so on. Now I run two businesses, Heather Bailey, LLC, through which my artwork is licensed and lifestyle products and patterns are produced, and Trash Ties, LLC, our exciting hair accessory business.
Do you use a sketchpad or anything to hand (napkins/receipts etc)?
I take a sketchbook with me everywhere I go, not only to capture an idea as it whispers by, but also to prevent getting stuck somewhere with nothing to do. Napkins and receipts only come into the picture on the rare occasion I’ve left my sketchbook behind.
What is your favourite item to make / design?
My favorite project tends to be the one I’m designing at the moment. This can vary from fabric artwork to sewing patterns to embroidery designs to a sticky batch of sugar cookies with my kids.
What part of the design process do you enjoy the most?
I love to sketch, dream, and brainstorm whenever and wherever I can. Idea origination is always more fun that the execution of an idea, but not terribly much more. I’ve built a business around my favorite activities and I love most stages of the design process – except perhaps the final wrap-up, which I more tolerate than love.
What is next on the cards for you?
Speaking of cards, we’re in the early stages of planning a stationery debut for 2010. I’m also adding to my sewing pattern collection with Summer and Fall 2009 releases, featuring a fresh mix of designs: children’s toys, pincushions, handbags, quilts, etc. This year will also bring my debut collection of designer, hand-embroidery patterns which I can’t wait to share – birds, paisleys, florals, quilt labels and more. And then there’s my upcoming Nicey Jane fabric collection, full of playful florals, groovy geometrics and a smart mix of accent prints – in two drool-worthy color palettes.
Even more exciting is that all of these new collections are designed to integrate. I’m bouncing in my seat to show how the embroidery designs harmonize with the fabrics and in turn can be used to enhance projects made from my new sewing patterns. There will be a lot of sewing and stitching around the studio this Summer!
Do you have a favourite designer?
To me, it’s important to keep a unique and fresh perspective. As such, I don’t follow the work of other designers much. I’m more intrigued by past designers’ personal histories and journeys. For instance, I’m currently reading Florence Broadhurst: Her Secret & Extraordinary Lives by Helen O’Neill. I’m floored by the mystery surrounding this unforgettable print designer. I picked up her biography with no idea what an amazing story her life been.
How much has the Internet influenced the path your career has taken/the choices you have made?
The Internet has provided a fun flourish of interactivity to my business. I love the connection I have to my fans and friends through my website, blog, Twitter page, Facebook fan page, Flickr groups, and so on. Beyond the rapid-spread of excitement for my artwork, the Internet has sure made the day-to-day running of two businesses much more fun and meaningful and has brought me many fantastic friendships and opportunities. Beyond my blog and other social networking pages, we currently run a brand store at HeatherBaileyStore.com where people with limited local access to designer collections can shop my entire collection of products, across all categories. Moving forward, we plan to incorporate a variety of fun video tutorials at TrashTies.com and to further nurture the blossoming online community of sewers and crafters alike through a variety of future projects.
Your blog is full of how-to’s and tips – what’s your best sewing tip?
At my blog, HELLOmynameisHeather.com, I’ve posted a tutorial called My Favorite Knot. In it, I show how to form a simple knot for hand-
sewing that literally brings a smile to my face every time I use it. The method I had first learned for knotting thread always resulted in an unattractive and impractical wadded mass. My Favorite Knot is quick, easy, and turns out a perfect knot every time – definitely one of my best sewing tips.
What do you love best about your job?
I love that my fabrics and designs excite people to get creative. I receive several emails a week from women who have newly-discovered my work and have subsequently decided to learn sewing, scrapbooking, painting, etc. Additionally, I love to see what people make from my fabrics and patterns. I run several photo-sharing groups at Flickr.com where crafters can upload pictures of projects they have made from my fabrics and designs. I’m the proud mother hen when I browse through these photos. It’s such a thrill to see my artwork wrapped onto another’s sewing project.
What inspires you?
In art, I’m inspired by happy and unique color combinations, by imperfections in nature, and by the whimsical and unexpected. My art is in successfully juxtaposing competing forms and colors for a fresh take on nature.
In life, I’m inspired by my children’s soft hugs and squishy kisses, by last-minute lunch dates with friends, and by quiet time to think and reflect. I love making gifts too.
What draws you to buying fabric? What kinds of things do you buy most often?
While I have an extensive collection of assorted fabrics, which I love, I mostly sew with my own fabrics. I’m drawn to prints with unique color combinations, and interesting, playful forms. These are my main points of focus when designing a collection. I do collect other solid-reading fabrics that will reinforce a color palette I’m exploring in my projects. As a print’s design is equally as important as its color, these prints can be tricky to find. Taking a cue from my own search for such fabrics, I’m now mid-way through designing a collection of ‘almost-solids’ to solve this need for all of us.
A fabric’s quality and hand is also important to me. I value my time to sew and only want to work with quality fabrics. My own fabric collections are printed on the highest quality quilter’s cotton and are an
absolute dream to sew with.
Do you stash fabrics or just buy them to use straight away?
I’m a fabric-stasher for sure. I figure if a length of fabric or bit of ribbon makes me giddy or inspires me to get creative – even if it doesn’t get used in the project I make – then it has served a good purpose. I have no guilt about collecting supplies. Having great fabric, ribbon, buttons, and other supplies on hand makes me very happy.
Can you tell us three things no one else knows about you?
1. I take my own photographs. My husband is an amazing, professional photographer, so most people assume that he is snapping the photos for my blog. While I’m entirely flattered by this impression, I have yet to dispel the misconception. Perhaps one day I’ll convince him yet to follow me around and do my bidding, but for now I take my own blog photos.
2. In my early twenties, I was an extra in a few Hollywood movies. You can catch a clear glimpse of me with short hair in the opening sequence of The Mod Squad with Claire Danes and in several scenes throughout Drew Barrymore’s Never Been Kissed. I brought a picnic basket full of jewelry supplies with me to set everyday to keep busy and ended up supplying the entire Hair & Make-Up Department with one-of-a- kind pieces for their kits. It was a fun adventure and the relationships I formed with the hairdressers played a pivotal role in the later development of my Trash Ties hair accessories.
3. I’m never still. As a result, I don’t get to read much – and I don’t watch too many movies with subtitles either. However, I’ve re-discovered my love of reading with the recent advent of the iPod. Now I can devour the words of Jane Austen, Alexander Dumas and J.R.R. Tolkien without having to keep my hands affixed to a book. I can sew, knit, stitch, sketch, and read, all at once. I love it.
BIO
Heather Bailey
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be?”
–Marianne Williamson
Heather Bailey gets chills every time she reads this quote. If she could accomplish one thing, it would be to encourage women to discover their fabulousness and find joy in creative expression.
Heather Bailey is a playful and inventive designer of all things happy. With a B.A. in Apparel Design and a knack for style, Heather has run successful businesses in both children’s and women’s accessories. Her designs were eagerly snatched up by celebrities and were offered by many of the world’s most exclusive stores including Fred Segal, Henri Bendel, and Bloomingdales, as well as high-end boutiques in Japan, Hong Kong, and Paris.
Fresh and imaginative, Heather’s designs have been featured in top fashion magazines, such as InStyle, Glamour, Seventeen, and Mademoiselle. Her work has also been showcased by the International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA), in recognition of her artistry and superior construction techniques.
Creative expression is one of the great joys of Heather’s life and her hands are never still. Sewing and crocheting by the age of eight, and quilting by eleven, Heather has a long-standing love for traditional women’s handicrafts. Over the years, her interests have grown to include knitting, spinning, weaving, stained glass, upholstery, ceramics, bead making, faux finishing, silver smithing, painting and children’s illustration. Designing for different mediums, Heather has honed a smart and lively aesthetic that infuses every aspect of her art.
Through all her adventures, sewing has remained Heather’s grand passion. This passion and Heather’s flair for art and color, have now happily married in fabric design. Freshcut™, Heather’s all-original debut collection for Free Spirit, demonstrates Heather’s talent for modern design, as well as her love for vintage nostalgia.
Heather is a busy young mother of two. Her children come first, but when they’re content, Heather is busily sketching fabric designs, dreaming up new projects and patterns, and recording it all on her weblog.
To Heather, “Handicrafts foster a feeling of sisterhood among women.
From quilting bees to craft blogs, I’m thrilled to be a part of the growing
movement toward creative community.”
Discover more about Heather’s fabric designs, sewing pattern line, and
scrapbooking supplies at HeatherBaileyDesign.com, or for free project
patterns and sewing tips visit her blog at HELLOmynameisHeather.com.
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What a delightful read. I always love interviews with crafters. A little peek into these amazing creative minds just makes my day. This one also inspires. Thank you.
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Great interview. Crafters are a very unique and creative. They have that creative spark that always invent things new and unique.
You inspired me with your story. We actually have the same interests. For whatever reason, I have this obsession in collecting different kinds of papers. Something I could not explain. I love notebooks, sketchpads. I draw well, that’s according to the people who are able to see my sketches. The only difference we have is you started early and it’s really good. I started early also but did not really paid much attention to it. Now, I am working several jobs and doesn’t have the time to really pay attention to it. I wish I could still do it. Something about myself that has not unfolded yet. I hope I’d have the chance, like you.
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