The Creative World of the Crazy Haberdasher

 This story starts out when I was 18 years old and I met this family in my first career as a floral designer. After many years of creating florals for them, it was a natural progression to start designing their homes when my career turned to interior design. At any given time through the many years, I have worked for the children, the parents and now I am so happy to say the grandparents on both sides of the family.

The current story starts with the sister of the original couple I have known for so many years. She is an amazing designer in her own right but, as you know, we all sometimes get tired of our own perspective so she asked for my help to update the look of her home. So we did just that by moving things around to create a fresh look.

While working with her to make the changes in her living room, I learned she and her brother were planning a big surprise party for her mother's 90th birthday. The grand affair was already in motion and the room and food were decided but they were looking for a special gift--something that their mother would never expect. I mentioned to her that a pillow made of her mother's pictures and hand embroidered would be a one-of-a-kind gift. She agreed, so we started looking for a picture for her pillow. She started laughing and said, "I don’t think I can pick one, I love these two over all the rest." She then said, "I guess we'll just need to make two" as she threw her head back in laughter. I left and started looking for things in my studio to create a design appropriate for 1922. I found buttons made from materials from the era and created the Tree of Life to signify her long life and the cobweb, an old tradition for health, peace and happiness. You can see these and many more items on her birthday pillows.

So friends, as you can see, I have run full circle in this family's life with my careers as floral designer, mural artist, interior designer, and now quilt artist. Can I just say how lucky I am to have met and remained good friends with this family over the many years who are so much more than clients to me? I wish a very special birthday to Bertha and a great big thank you to all of the family members who have let me become part of their lives.

A lovely lady and the start of a beautiful family

Brian, Jody and her watercolor

I was asked by our good friend, Jody, if I had seen the rusting of fabric, when I said that I hadn't, she said we have to get together and make rusted fabric.
Well friends, fast forward to a great day spent meeting new people and learning! WOW, where to start!? Jodie and the SOTA (Society of Textile Artisans) group invited my mom Debbie, Kevin and I to their working art day at Jody's home. We really had no Idea what to expect, I knew there was talent in the group but we were about to see was mind blowing. This group of ladies are the most fun ~WINK~. So open, so sharing--I really could go on and on. We learned how to rust fabric by putting steel wool wrapping fabric on bottles with copper wire, spraying with vinegar and watching it rust. OMG, you are going to love this fabric and what fun with a group of friends. (There will be some downtime during the process so you will need the recipe for frozen fuzzy navel drinks. It does make the time go faster!)

Show and tell got underway. It was inspiring to all us outsiders. These ladies have it going on! Everywhere you looked the talent was over the top. We learned about ice dyeing, water color, doll making, stitching and so many more things which I may not remember due to the frozen fuzzy navel drinks. What can you say when you go away from a group that you spent the day with and your heart is full and your mind is overrun with ideas? You feel you can't wait to take up where you left off with stories untold, laughs to be had, and the need to meet again.

Until then dear SOTAs, I can't wait to meet again! Brian

Kathy's Ice Dyed Scarf

Kevin, Bill, Missi, Brian

Hey you all! We have a special retreat coming your way at the Threads of Time Creative Sewing Retreat Center in Danville, IL. They will be hosting us to come teach a two day project quilt designed just for them. On September 4th 2012 there will be a trunk show in their main gathering room. On the 5th & 6thwe start a quilt designed just for this retreat.

 Hello friends! I have missed you. I am having some technical problems with posting and after having a expert look at it, I am so glad to tell you for once it's not me. I have so much to post please stay tuned. Also check back often.

Here's a design for you to download, copy or trace onto your piece and embroider as you see fit. The rest of this design is featured in the Summer 2012 issue of Pat Winter's great Crazy Quilt Gatherings magazine.

This is a gift from me to all of you my dearest of friends. I make these things up for to use in my crazy quilts. This would be good to make a small pillow or for a pin cushion.  I don't know about you, but I love to make small gifts to take with me to visit a friend. It will help keep them from being upset that you just stopped in unannounced, LOL.
If you are like me, I love when a friend just comes by to sit a spell, a cup of coffee in hand, and a story to tell. So get busy printing these on fabric and sewing a bunch to put in a basket. Get out in this nice weather and make someone smile with a gift from your hand.
Until then dear friends, if I see you out bring me a gift of something handmade. You will see a smile on my face! Hugs and stitches, Brian

Well, dear friends, I am asked all the time for ideas for displaying smalls (items too small to leave lying around) in studios and at home. This is one of the many ways I have come up with. This old cabinet was from a general store.
Over the years, I have had many things in it: some dolls, dishes, a baby shoe collection. Here, at present, I have it full of pincushions,  bobbins for lace, thread, an antique doll, bone needles and twine.  I love to make these small displays to have my things out where I can see them when I pass by every day. Well, I hope this is an idea you can use.  Until then, I send you hugs and stitches. Brian

Do any of you have the same problem whe you get on to surf the web?  I go on for one thing and three hours later I have found things that I had not even thought of.
While looking for quilt inspiration I found this wonderful old crazy quilt that had the best WEB ever. Don't you think?  I use a lot of webs in my work.  The thought that it brings good luck to anyone having them around is enough for me. LOL. Well until next time, dear friends, hugs and stitches. Brian

 Playing with punches, German glass glitter and homemade papers I make from music and ledger sheets--
here is a little something to hang in a sewing room. Great gift ideas for dear friends. Happy stitching!

I want to tell you about a wonderfully amazing lady that I am proud to call my Aunt Darlene. She was a child born to a family of five boys, my dad being one of them,  and her being the lone girl. She was the one to help run the family with my grandmother and to tell you she did it with grace is truly a understatement. I can't think of a time where she was not by the side of my grandmother making a lot of consessions to help with the running of the family where ever she could. 
 Always with a laugh or a smile, I don't believe she has ever felt that she was the glue the has been able to keep it all together. She has made this family great.
I ask her not too long ago to share some family pictures with me because I needed something of my Dad's family to use for my books.  She gladly got in the car and brought them to me.
As a thank you to her I made her this pillow you see at the top with a great picture of my grandmother Opal and the small quilt of my grandpa Olly and Opal on there wedding day. Thanks you all for reading about a wonderful family member of mine.  She is one in a million.  Just wanted to share.  Until next time,  love and stitches.  

Power Suit: What does it all mean to you?
This was a challenge quilt,  my very first of many to come I do believe.
I was ask last year at the Cincinnati Quilt Festival to enter a piece for this challenge. I was a bit scared and just like in the scary movies I was the one out in the woods with nothing but a tee shirt on and a plastic knife to defend myself. But I just forged ahead and made myself work through it. I have to say that I did enjoy it.

My Great Grandfather was my inspiration for this piece.
He was a wonderful man that was there for my mom and her family like no other.
He was a quiet man but a strong man: kind, and willing to share.
The piece was made of suit samples given to me with the challenge invitation along with a tie and a button.
We were told you can use any,  all or none of it. That's pretty open.
I set off to make a vintage style piece with one of my favorite pictures of him and a stack of ties I picked up from my friend, Penny.
A quick sort through the button stash and I got to work.
I have to say it just went so smoothly and was a great joy to make. I hope you like it and if you would like to see the rest you can go online to
WWW.Powersuitquilts.com and take a look at all the wonderful pieces that come out of the minds of artists. You will love seeing it.

 Hello, dear friends.
So much to share, Kevin and I went to the International Quilt Market in Houston for a official book signing and to see the Market for the first time.
Well it would be a understatement to say I was not overwhelmed by all that we got to see.
The booths and booths of EYE CANDY about did me in. As you can see from the pictures I was able to restrain myself from all of their sales tactics and moved right through with out even being affected. LOL

 I found some wonderful things that I have already started using to come up with new ideas for the upcoming books that are in my head.
Hanah Silks was one of my great finds. Also if you have not had the chance to try River Silk it's a must we met the owner Jean. She is a sweet lady and a new found friend. 
 I went crazy for all the threads and had to have one of each LOL.
The amount of talent that you see in the quilt gallery is overwhenlming, so much to take in.  Well friends, until next time, love and good stitches. Brian

 Well I can let the cat out of the bag.  I have taped an episode of
The Quilt Show with these two lovely people.  To my left is Ricky Tims and on my right Alex Anderson. What fun I had with my new friends. A whole new experience for me--my first TV show. I must say it was great fun and what an A-1 staff of people they have.  They made me so comfortable to be around, I kind of forgot we were taping. So if you all read this thanks for such a wonderful time, I loved every minute.
Stay tuned for the upcoming show dates we will post it on here. Chat soon and until then, best stitches.
Brian 

Could not wait to tell you that sometime in the near future you will be able to see our taping of
The Quilt Show with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims.
What fun this was in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Being able to share what I do with others is what makes all that I do worthwhile.
I will be letting you know when it will be airing
as soon as I know. Until then, keep stitching.
Hugs, Brian 

Here is the new studio that Kevin and I have created with the help of family and friends. If you would like to see more go to the The Haberdasher Studio on this Blog and see a lot more.
Thanks to all the friends and family who have given of themselves to make our dream come true. Keep you eye out, there will be a class schedule on here as well. We would love to host you and a group of friends for a private class. Give me a shout and we can make that happen. All my best, Brian

This is a great student and a great friend. So seldom do you find a person so sharing, so kind, so much fun and a true friend. Her name is Jodi and she is one of a kind.
Her talent is beyond compare and her thirst for knowledge is unlike anyone or I have ever met. So far there is not a thing I have found that she can't pick up and do if she puts her mind to it. So, I just want to say to my friend a great big "thanks for being you." I encourage you to do the same for a friend in your life today. Sometimes you just need to say it to them. Jodi you are LOVED by this big teddy bear, Brian.

 Hey it's me. I have missed you all. I'm doing my level best to keep up this blog if it kills me and it just may do that.  If I can be honest I don't feel my life is all that.
Sometimes I even get tired of hearing about it myself--you know the day to day.
But in the world of blogging I have come to read my friends' daily grind and I have to say I feel that its fun to be a peeping Brian and read what is going on in their lives and even read what the comments are back.
So with that being said, I will be blogging more now that I am traveling and teaching and book signing and fabric designing.
If you will comment and keep me in the loop of what all you are doing I would love to hear from you also.
Something I have been asking is for people that have made thing from my ideas in my book is to send me pictures of what you have made and if you will let me,  I will post them for the world to see.
There is nothing I love better than to see what has come to pass from what we all learn from one another.
Until then my dear friends.  Love and stitches, Brian

We are sitting in Chicago O'Hare waiting for our flight to Albuquerque where we'll get a car and head to Santa Fe to film an episode of The Quilt Show with Alex Anderson and Ricky Timms.  When we ran into Alex last fall at Market in Houston she said "you're going to be on my show" and she meant it!  

I just made two new Crazy Quilter best friends.  I dedided that the women sitting next to me had that quilting look about them. Not being shy I asked them if they quilted...they do...we had a fun chat.

I just signed up for Twitter.  You can follow me @CrazyHaberDash. I'll start Tweeting as soon as I figure out how.

By for now blog friends!

Hello to:

All of you wonderful people out there in blog land, I can only wish that the coming year will hold all the wonderful fun and fulfillment that has been given to me this year. It has truly been interesting with the first of many book in me to be published. The first of many retreats to be taught and the many wonderful new people I have been so happy to meet and become friends with. I wont you all to know it truly means the world to me. I have had my life enriched because of you and all your comments that you have been kind enough to share with me, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
wishing you and yours a wonderful NEW YEAR (2012)
Your truly grateful friend Brian

Well, a note to you all this has been a wonderful year, I am so happy to share it with you and as soon as I can I will.
There are many thing in the coming year that are going to prove to be difficult but I am so looking forward to then.
One that I can talk about is that in the fall next year there will be a new pattern book with my publisher C&T cant wait it truly been a labor of love.
Also We are getting moved in to our new studio and retreat center I hope you will all stop bye either bye taking a class or joining a Sewing bee with us.
I hope that the studio will truly be a place of living inspiration for creativity to grow.
Please keep following the blog for details.
Thanks to each and everyone of you who have had anything to do with the great strides in my career this year, I hope to not disappoint you in the coming year.

Please post your comments and share your thoughts I always love to read what you have to say.
Hugs and Grins from Brian