Heather Bailey - Pop Garden, Bijoux and a giveaway

I was talking to someone on the telephone the other day about Heather Bailey's Bijoux and Pop Garden fabric collections. She loved the fabric as individual patterns and designs but was struggling to get her head around how to mix and match the prints together. We had a lovely conversation about this, but later I was thinking that that's an issue with fabric collections from any designer isn't it when you really get down to it. Which fabric designs are the 'neutral' designs that most easily mix and tie all the other patterns together?

I guess as always, sometimes in a sewing project that just isn't an issue, big, bold prints can look very happy together and some beautiful patchwork quilts and clothes result from that happy combining. But on other occasions you may want to use fewer fabrics - just one or two perhaps in a skirt of dress so you want some colour and pattern harmony. So, the question was how do you do this? Are Pop Garden and Bijoux completely different?

Obviously, I'm only able to give my point of view but I have added a little bit of 'fact' that I've gleaned from a fabric brochure and from Heather's own website; blog and shop. Check out the Flickr sites too, because how other 'crafters' are mixing and matching fabrics is always inspiring and a great way to get the fabric taste buds working overtime!

Basically, Pop Garden and Bijoux are 'designed' to go together. To quote the brochure they are "sister collections to mix and match". Bijoux is defined as "jewel or trinket", "anything small and of elegant workmanship" so the designs in this collections are just that, small and elegant. The 'Swirly bud' designs are floral.

The 'Tiled primrose' is a pretty geomtric print with little dashes of accenting colour ...

There's the 'mod beads... again a colour rimmed 'bead' with a central colour, small and pretty.

All those patterns work alone in just the same way that other 'neutral' type patterns such as 'polka' dots' do but they also work beautifully with the larger floral patterns.

.......

Pop Daisy in Rose - a very modern looking design....

... or

...Rose Bouquet in Ice - a softer vintage style floral design...

or the Sway type designs with gorgeous a stenciled look...

and not forgetting the dramatic, bold and beautiful...

zig-zag stripe ...

.... or the paisley style designs of Pop Garden. Just as all the fabrics work together within each distinclty named collection .....

Two fabrics from Pop Garden. Just look at the drama in this combination.

They work beautifully across both ranges, marrying up the 'Pop Garden' with the small and delicate patterns of Bijoux.

.. I quite like this - Switly Buds in lime and Pop Daisy in Rose.

When it comes to colour, the combined collections consist of "three playful palettes" , which if you look at Heather's own shop are; Poppy Leaf, Butterrose and Sugar Mallow. Fabrics from both collections are organised into those three colour palettes. Useful information when trying to decide which colours may or may not go together....which pinks, yellows, golden yellows are going to 'fit' nicely.

These are fabrics from my own shop which form part of the 'Poppy Leaf', palette.

... and from the Butter Rose palette;

Pretty soft peaches, pinks, mossy and lime greens with hints of red... glorious!

And the Sugar Mallow Palette;

with it's intense feisty pinks as well as the softer pinks of Rose bouquet in Ice and Mod beads.

There are no rules so just enjoy yourself combining the patterns and the colours..... one combination I've seen recently is this....

think frothy ra-ra skirt type of combination ..... hot colours... gorgeous skirt - definitely not for a shirnking violet!

Which colours and patterns would you combine?

So, because it's HOT.... and when Wimbledon is finished I just know that you're going to need to get sewing again plus, if you've waded through all of the above then you absolutely deserve an award, I've decided to have a giveaway of a set of fat quarters from the Sugar Mallow palette.

That's these ones.....

So, if you'd like to join in, just leave a comment on this post..... you may come from anywhere, the post seems to reach most parts of the globe quite successfully. I'll consult the random number generator on Friday 10th July.... which should give time for a whole weeks sewing before you get too involved with the childrens summer holidays from school

Speak soon and Stay cool....

Comments

[Alix of Bigbluebed]

What a gorgeous feast for the eyes. And so informative too. Thank you.

[Apryl]

lovely and inspiring post, with such beautiful fabrics.

[judith]

Heather Bailey is my favourite designer and those fabrics are absolutely gorgeous.

[JuliaB]

The trouble is, I love the Heather Bailey stuff but I can never decide which one (or two) to get because I want them ALLLLL!!!
x
x

[gill]

I love them all - so the more the merrier as far as I'm concerned!

[Nancy]

What a fun and colorful post. Thanks for sharing. Oh and thank for the generous giveaway. I would love to be included.

[nickynackynoo]

I love the combinations of these fabrics! Beautiful.

[Helen]

juicy and summery. love them and the ideas on combinations

[Talia]

Gorgeous fabrics in this post, and a really informative post too!

[woollywotnots]

Hi Julia,
Wow, what an interesting post. Thanks for taking time to share all the scrumptious fabrics. I love experimenting with colour combinations and this post is a real source of inspiration.

[Vic]

ooo... yet more beautiful fabrics- choosing what to put with what is always my stumbling block - not necessarily because I can't decide what looks good together, but because I come up with too many possible combinations, and then can't decide which to go with, or I think I've decided and then have another idea... and yes I am the type of person who goes, I like that and that and that and that - filling my basket all the while, and then hiding the receipt from my husband!

Sometimes I wish I had a crafty friend who would come round, open my stash cupboard and go 'here, make something with these 5 pieces - hah ha!'

Now there's an idea for a giveaway.... whoever wins it, has to make something with half the fabric - the newly made item then gets sent to a second person with the remaining fabric , who makes something in return.... hmm, giveaway meets swap.....

[Kim]

Hi Julia
Oh dear it seeems whenever I come over here for a catch up, you're having a giveaway! I don't time it that way honestly! What lovely fabrics, beautiful colours and designs.
I did some ironing earlier on and it was all I could do to stay upright for 10 minutes it was so hot, looking forward to sitting in a cool spot with my sewing machine sometime soon.
Take care
Kimx

[Monique]

Love those fabrics so much. They also "play nicely" with others like Joel Dewberry and Jennifer Paganelli!

[Patty Ojeda]

Such beautiful colors! I love Heather Bailey! Her fabric is so bold and colorful! I can't decide which combination to pick because I love them all! Thank you so much for this giveaway! Sure hope I win, but, whoever wins is really okay with me! Good luck to everyone!

[Amy Lane]

I love Heather Bailey fabrics - such gorgeous colours. I also lack confidence when it comes to choosing which fabrics to put together so this is a really interesting post. What a lovely giveaway :)

[dottycookie]

I was about to comment that the Sugar Mallow selections were my favourite of the ones you showed - how's that for serendipity?

[Andrea]

Lovely clear photo's Julia. They have picked up the colours! I am not sure that I could sell fabric because I would have trouble parting with any of it. Lovely post, in fact I am going back for another look at all of the fabric combinations. Have you thought of doing your own charm packs of the combinations shown here?

[Grazia]

I love this fabric designer!
I'm very honoured to join this giveaway! :)
Grazia (Italy)

[Amanda]

What wonderfully vibrant colours, perfect for the weather we're having :o)

[x vInTaGe VioLeT x]

LOVE all the bright zingy colours!
I think i like the pop daisy in rose and lime swirly buds best together - would make a gorgeous summer dress!

{you know it's my birthday on july the 10th!}

[Barbara Godfrey]

Yummy colors and designs begging for attention...? Let me see....hmmm...yep, I'd like to have them! LOVE to have them!

[Rachel]

I certainly like the bright green with the bright pink, but I'd love to see how that blue tile works with some of the more traditional florals.

[chickadee cards]

That selection of colours was my favourite! I would LOVE to win them - please enter me...

Great post too.

[Tia Webb]

Oh, Oh!! Me please!! Just LOVE!!!!!! those colour combo's!

Thanks for the giveaway, and love the bits I got from your shop by the way!!!!

Tia xxx

[mitmot]

lovely fabrics, and i read to the end of your post with ease!