The Creative World

Hi All,

Who would have thought that we'd be looking at serious winter weather this late in the season?  We ARE going to go ahead and be here to greet you.  Certainly, consider your safety and don't travel if you don't feel comfortable.  If you are able to make it we look forward to seeing you here.  If you miss, don't worry, we will publish the class schedule next week or you can schedule a time to come and see us.

 

Hello Friends! Here's the piece I mentioned a few posts back. My friends, Tim and Sally, have a competition every year as to who can find the best gift for the other. Earlier in the year Sally asked if I would make her husband, Tim, a wall hanging that looked like a wanted poster. I got busy pulling fabrics and, of course, the background fabric is my very own. The poster outline is stitched barbed wire. I had a lot of fun coming up the design and really enjoyed making it. Here is it with the loves of their lives Molly (left) and Harry Rex (right.)

Psssst. . .a little birdie told me that she thinks she even saw a tear when Tim opened it. I'm just saying. We all love you too TIM. Kiss on the cheek from the dogs and us. Hope you enjoyed this as much as I did giving it to you.

Until next time, dear friends, keep stitching. Brian

I can't wait to share with you the very strange happenings  at the studio the week before Christmas. Let's start at the beginning. I had just finished my gift wrapping and placed my packages under the tree. I received a call from my Mom saying she and Dad had just finished wrapping and asked if they could drop them at the studio so they'll be there for Christmas.  I said sure and pulled up the leaf on the drop-leaf table and got ready to place the gifts from Mom and Dad under and around the red tree.  They arrived and unbeknownst to me the gifts were all in red and looked so pretty and looked so planned but it was not the case. Neither of us knew what the other was doing.

To make this even more crazy my sister-in-law and nephew called to see if they could bring their family gifts to the studio ahead of the snow that was about to hit.  I said sure bring them on down. Knowing they were on their way,  I went to make room under the other tree next to the fireplace and when they arrived I said to place the small ones under the tree in the big basket and then place the other ones around the tree base.  Can you believe that in all the madness I looked around and lo and behold, we had all made packages to match three different trees in the room by chance and by chance each of them got matched up with the right tree.  This was too crazy for me to try to explain!


Just thought I would share this very strange qawinkedink.

This blouse was made for my dear friend, Jane,  and the lighter one was made for her daughter, Alissa. I have wanted to make these for them for two years now and had the blouses for over a year.  Is this sounding like something you might have done before?  We all get behind but I though if I don't get them done soon the blouses may dry rot!   LOL  (And forgive the delayed post--we just had Christmas with Jane and Alissa this week!)

The pincushions you see have been made from velvet my new muse. I hope you like them. They are little labors of love but it has been lots of fun!

Check back soon.  One (including me)  never knows what I'm getting into next!

I hope this makes you want to get some of your UFO's ( UnFnished Objects) done after the holidays and create a memory for someone in your life.

Chat soon, Brian

I was asked by a dear friend to make her husband a gift for Christmas and she wanted it to feature their two babies--Molly and Harry Rex. Her husband has a Man Cave and a wanted poster was just the ticket!

So Tim, MERRY CHRISTMAS Good Buddy. I hope you have a place of honor for this.. your friend, Brian

Well I am going to save you the trouble.  It won't take a thousand words. Kevin baked and  I and many others ate. Need I say more?  LOLOLOLOL This smell-a-vision brought to you by Crazy Haberdasher Studio.  Brian and Kevin hope you get to enjoy your own smell-a-vision this holiday. Chat soon Brian

Merry Christmas everyone and all our best for the coming year, Brian

Hello everyone! I hope you enjoy the view of our studio this holiday season.

This tree is one of my very favorites. It is all icy and antique and filled with many pieces that my family and I have made over the years.

This is a favorite of the many ornaments that my brother gave me years ago. It's Santa riding a dove.

Here is one of the many trees that are out in full regalia: bronze, silver and brown.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night. Thanks for your visit and come back soon. Love to you and yours this Christmas season Brian and Kevin

 Twas the week before Christmas and all kinds of things afoot: present wrapping, candy making, friends meeting and the last minute things we all have to do to make it all seem so effortless in front of the people you host and the people you go to see. But you have to ask yourself, if we can put this much effort into making Christmas on this one day then why can't we do this all year long? What is wrong with us as a people? We make the effort to be the people we want to be at this holiday time but after the new year we go back to being the same lackadaisical people that we were before it began. If this for one moment has struck a chord in your mind then do as I am doing and give it a little effort to make this your solemn vow to greet people you see with a warm hello and a smile and thank people for what they bring to your life.

I received a text the other day thanking me for being a great friend out of the blue and it made me realize people are the one thing that make this life we live somthing worth holding on to.  They are the people that make getting up and greeting the day with a smile on our face and a happy thought in our heart.   This is dedicated to a dear friend, Jane Haganman, for opening my eyes and making me realize what it is that I have to be thankfiul for this holiday season and every day of the year. So DAMN it go out there and make someone's year.

Kisses from Brian and keep stitchin'.

 Where to start? I must share a highlight of the Houston trip with you. I have to maybe go back in time a bit to set the stage. As a young person I have always been aware of my thirst for learning and I was introduced to this wonderful lady by my very own mother, Debbie Haggard, very early on.

Her name is Judith Montano. Early on, I started using her books as a great teaching tool for the classes I taught at The Back Door quilt shop here in Greenwood, IN. I have always referred to her as the QUEEN OF EMBROIDERY.

Fast forward to Christmas of 2011. Christmas eve I got word from one of the people working on the design of my new book that she too has been a long time fan and she is the designer of Judith's books. How lucky am I to have the same designer as Judith? But wait it--gets better. I am so corny. I wrote to Judith and let her know on Christmas Eve night the she had made a difference in my life and so many others and that I am an UBER FAN. I told you it was corny. But she, being the gracious person she is, wrote me back the next day being Christmas made my life long dream come true. Since then, we speak on a regular basis. Fast forward to Houston Quilt Market we had spoken briefly bye email before the show saying we would try to meet. As luck would have it she came to my book signing and got in my ear and ask me if Kevin and I had plans for dinner. I very quickly replied, "for you I am open for dinner!" She said she would text us later with the plan. I felt like I had won the lottery! As she said the text was sent and we met for dinner. It was a wonderful evening of laughs, chatting and talking about the industry and life. She is so open and candid with her knowledge and how grateful I am to have met her. So Judith if you read this, and I hope you will, you made this Midwest boy's dream come true. Thanks for being you and thanks for all you have give'n of yourself to the industry that I now call my home. Your friend, Brian Haggard

Hello friends! It's me just getting a chance to share my new line of fabric,
The Haberdasher Collection by Brian Haggard from Windham Fabrics.
We launched it at Houston Quilt Market and now it will be in quilt shops for you in February 2013. This is just one of the many pieces I made to show my vision of what can be made with it. If you get a chance, ask your local shop if they have it or if they will be getting it in.  I love the scissor sheath on this quilt. You will notice the three tintypes: mother father and son. I fell in love with these instent ancestors. Let me know what you think, I always love your feedback. Until next time, dear friends, keep stitching. Brian

HO! HO! HO!

It is that time of year again where we get all our friends together and have a fun-filled night of laughs and show the latest in Christmas trims and gift wrap.

Bring a friend or two and have some laughs and go home with a new lease on christmas and a renewed sprit.

It's on Wednesday, November 14, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. 

At The Haberdasher Studio
2028 East Southport Road
Indianapolis IN 46227
at the back of The Southport Antique Mall.

Come early to enjoy shopping with friends at the mall. You'll go home with new treasures and new ideas for the holidays and year around.

We will serve cookies, coffee and hot cider.

Admission is $25 per person for an hour and a half show.  

Register now--seats go quickly.

You can sign up online at store.brianhaggard.com or call 317 881-8955.

 My word people have ask me to show some pictures of my studio and show the display. Well here you go a little cart full of letters. Just thought I would say. LOL keep up the good stitch en. Brian

Ricky Tims and Alex Anderson

Hello all you great bloggers out there! Well do I have a great deal for you. You can view my episode of The Quilt Show for this week only. The great folks at The Quilt Show have given me a code so that all of my friends can see the show.

You can watch from September 16 to September 23 by clicking here.
Watch the episode for free. During this week you can also subscribe to The Quilt Show for a 20% discount by using coupon code 214225292650. Enjoy the show! I sure enjoyed taping it with Alex and Ricky.

Hello everyone and thanks for a wonderful birthday, Well as per normal, Kevin pulled all the wonderful people in my life together to share another year of growing old and marking the passing of time.

We started off the weekend with a great time at my aunt Dee's and uncle Jay's they hosted a pool party and in the true style of Indiana it was the storm of all storms. Thank god it waited until after we ate the wonderful food. Dee and Jay made my favorite pasta sauce and chicken on the grill. My mom brought some great salads too. And, we had some great company: my brother Shane and Shelly, his wife, my nephew Carson nephew, Mom (Debbie,) Dad (Rich,) cousin Becky, dear friends Chris and Al, Colleen and Paul and last, but not the least, Kevin and I. We were treated to not one but two of Kevin's famous, if not infamous, Italian Cream Cakes. He was afraid we were not going to have enough and he was right. With my family there is never enough cake.

On Sunday he invited my dear friends Sally and Tim. Sally came for the day and Tim came to visit later in the evening for dinner. My favorite meal was on menu: pepper steak with rice and hot and sour soup--man it was the best. And let's not forget the cake: white cake with lemon curd between the layers, lemon icing and candied lemon peel! 

Monday I went to get to work at the studio and Barb, Phyllis and Diane stopped by. They are great friends who I haven't seen forever. In true Kevin style, we had enough leftovers to feed them lunch and still have leftovers. Everything might have been even better on the second day We visited and laughed and told old stories and new ones got to get caught up.

Later on Monday, Kevin and I met with two of the dearest friends in the world--Jane and Alissa from the mall where my studio is. We went to a Mexican restaurant where we carried on and laughed and laughed. [Tell us about the BEES, Jane!] We ended the evening with at a fun yogurt shop.

I can't tell you all how special you made the celebration of my birthday and thank you all for being my friends. You ALL mean the world to me and I wont to take this opportunity to let that be heard. LOVE to you all in the coming year and beyond. Kiss Brian

Well the powers that be have helped me get through another year. Who knew that another year would pass so quickly? Some new friends and, well, some old friends and I do mean old will be reuniting to tell stories and share hugs. My friends Colleen and Paul and Chris and Al are coming to be with all my family at Dee & Jay's. Can't wait to see them all again and have them here to support me in the passing of time. While I will enjoy the family and friends, let's not forget Kevin's Italian Cream Cake. It has me licking the air like a dog (not pretty.)

My aunt and uncle are hosting everyone at a pool party. Aunt Diana and Uncle Jay always throw a nice party and we know we're in for some great home cooking. A day with family and friends at their house will be great!


On Sunday there will be another event with Sally and Tim who are always great to have around to make a guy feel good.

Then, as an extra bonus, on Monday (my actual birthday) we will have a Mexican fest with my great friends Jane, Alissa and Austin. 

My biggest birthday wish is that Kevin be able to make enough cake to make all these people happy. Let me just say, not an easy task!   

 Oh, in honor of my birthday, I felt it was a "say something hat day!" I hope you like. I will let you all know soon what went down. Kisses all around.....

Me, Mom and Dad

Well, where to start?   I am a very lucky person to have the family I have been given.   First and foremost the creativity that I have been given comes to me in a double dose from both parents. My Mom was always there to give me a nudge in the right direction when it came to my artistsic endeavors. If I went shopping with her and I said if we could get this and I could make that. She would try to help give me anything that would spark an interest in a new concept. From apple head dolls and sculpy clay to painting and sewing, she was always there. As for my dad, the idea of building and constructing was always fun.  We made some things in the wood shop and I have a few items we built that I will try to post for you here someday. We had great Christmases growing up.  One of the best was the year my dad went down to the store and got my big brother and I our very own Rubbermaid tote and filled it to top with art supplies from stapler, pens, pencils, paper, paint, canvas. . .you name it. . .one of my greatest memories!  So I have run on long enough but sometimes you just need to share the gift you have been given in life. As we know we none of have any idea how long we have on this earth and we need to thank the ones that we were given as a gift.  SO MOM AND DAD THANKS. It sometimes does not seem enough, but it's all I have to give aside from my gift to create. Its that one way I have to give back. Until next time good friends remember to share the gifts you have been given to the world and to others.
Best stitches, Brian

Hello dear friends.  This is a piece that I made as a gift from a grandma to her granddaughter.

Oh my gosh its finally here and it's doing what I had wanted all along. If you have a desire to make new things look old--here it is! I have created a dye based system to make an aged color and it stays fast unlike tea or coffee. The dye was created with a mist pump to make the aging more apparant  each time you add anouther layer.
If you desire to give just a slight hint of color you can do that or if you want a bold statement you can create that. It comes as two bottles: the dye B.A.M. and and the activator bottle. You put one part rubbing alcohol and two parts water in the activator bottle.  The alcohol will make the stain set in quicker and it also helps the hot iron make it work quicker. I have had a few people testing this with me and I am so please to see they are having great results. We are shipping to your door so if you have a need to create those one-of-a-kind aged pieces, let us know and we can get that in the mail to you today. Order it right here: http://store.brianhaggard.com/  Until we see each other again, best stitches. Brian

You know it was not that long ago we all were thinking we could use some heat. Well as Momma always said be careful what you wish for--you may just get it. Damn, if she wasn't right! As always!

I wished for some warm days and sun on my face.  Now I'm wishing for 100 grand in the bank, a trip to England, a cruise ship full of just my family and friends and a Mini Cooper with the Union Jack on top.  I'll keep you updated on where this wishing goes, LOL.   Until next time, keep stitching.  Brian