Inroducing Nursery Versery, my newest fabric collection

My newest collection of printed fabrics for Kokka is made up of four prints, each of which is offered in at least three colorways. It's printed on a lightweight cotton linen, a weight that Kokka calls sheeting. The line will officially launch next week, at Quilt Market, and will be available in shops and on line in June.

Speaking of fabric collections, I'm offering another Photoshop for Fabric Design Workshop here in New York City November 10th, 11th, and 12th, Veterens Day weekend. We had so much fun at the last one, and can't wait to do another! This one will be timed with the release of my new STC book, Heather Ross Prints, which is all about how to design and use repeating patterns to make everything from wallpaper to rice paper lanterns. You can read more about (and register!) for the workshop here.

Oh, and do check back later this week! I've got something planned for Mother's Day that I'm very excited about...

more from the "PLUM" colorway:

...and a few from the "PINKS" colorway:

and from the "YELLO AND GRAY" colorway:

Crafty Chloe and I make a doll bed on The Martha Stewart Show (the video clip!)

Here tis.... Unfortunately the first five minutes where I talk about the book has been cut, but the project how to is complete!

And because I have gotten more than a few questions about Trixie's little coat, I'm happy to report that it is a variation on the Lucy's Kimono project from Weekend Sewing, made by Liesl Gibson and Claudia Albequerque, long before I had a baby to put it on. I was so thrilled that it finally fit her and that we had such a perfect occasion to wear it! The instructions can be found here.

and here is a photo, thanks Liesl!

Oops, a few more emails just came in about the clip... my necklace was a Valentines Day gift from my husband and baby (who is called Bee by her father and aunt), link below, and the blouse is by Temperley, purchased under the orders of Alli, who has had her hands full as my volunteer stylist / thigh wrangler this past year. I still have a closet of things that don't fit, luckily this top could double as a very glamorous rain tarp.

Crafty Chloe, available Tuesday, and I'll be on Martha!

 

I've been looking forward to February 21st for a very long time. Its's the release date for Crafty Chloe, my new picture book. Crafty Chloe is about a little girl who wears a glue gun holster (sometimes) made from a paper cup and sews outifts for her slightly chubby dog, Bert. She tends to overcommit herself. She is prone to tiny the mood swings that every artiste must endure. She is delightfuly imperfect, and dresses herself in what one recent reviewer referred to as "free to be me" outfits. That's my fault, those outfits. I'm so hoping that you love her as much as I do.

Somewhere along the way the books author, Kelly DiPucchio, and I decided that Chloe would need her own crafts blog, where she could share kid-friendly craft projects and inspiration. Lucky for us Chrissy, our genius publicist over at Simon and Schuster, (get ready for a small world moment) is a weekend sewing workshop alum! She had even taken a class with me over at Purl Soho a million years ago! Chrissy made sure that Chloe got her own blog, and I've been working furiously on some fun craft projects for it.It goes live on Tuesday, stop back by for a link and some other really fun stuff, including some limited edition signed prints from the book in the online shop and a few give-aways.

And if you get the Hallmark channel, tune in to the Martha Stewart Show on Tuesday. I'll be making a project from the book. OK, now I have to go find something wear... last time I was on the show I was five months pregnant and nearly passed out from the exhaustion of trying to find something that fit me. %^$%! Valentines Day chocolates!

Lost and Found

I fell in love with this chapter book series about a little girl - and her littler sister - when it was sent to me. When I agreed to illustrate it I was thrilled to learn that each book would feature a map of the neighborhoods described in each book. I admit, I didn't read a lot as a kid, but this I would have loved.  Here's the cover to the most recent book in the series, Lost and Found. To see the maps you can click on the "look inside" link on Amazon.

Itsy Bitsy Sneak Peek....

I get a lot of questions about why I don't design prints for boys. Its not so much that I make a decision not to, it's just that I find drawing artwork for them a bit tougher. And I always seem to want to use the hottest, sharpest pinks, which doesn't make it any easier. I am so pleased to report that there is at least one print in my upcoming line for Kokka that will work for a baby boy's nursery (maybe two, if the pink piggies aren't too off-putting). And I'll admit it, it happened sort of accidentally.

I set out to design a print around the Nursery Rhyme "Itsy Bitsy Spider", which was one of my babies first favorites. I wanted the composition to have that same "up and down" feel that the song does, and I wanted my spider to be chubby (yet itsy bitsy) and mostly eyeballs, so that he wouldn't freak anybody out. I've been obsessed with the combinations of citron and yellow against taupe and gray, which, turns out, is a prety perfect little boy color story. The results are below. Give it to me straight, would you put this print in your baby boy's room? 

This print is the first of several that I have developed recently that began with solving the puzzle of composition and repeat rather than with an illustration or character. The surprising lesson here, for me, was that this is a great way to build a print that feels more graphic and geometrical, and as a result, more fit for boys. I'm curious to know what you all think....

And if you want to learn more about my method of fabric design, we still have two spots left in the second Photoshop for Fabric Design workshop in New York in April. You need not be an expert in Photoshop to take this workshop, we use only the simplest tools within the application and everyone will work on their own designs at their own pace.

Now back to those chubby, soggy spiders....