This is just a little post to share my latest crush - I've discovered Spoonflower and the world of pattern design. This is what arrived in the post today:
Many are familiar with it, but for those who aren't - Spoonflower is a company (American, but with facilities in Germany to serve Europe) that offers fabric printing on demand. You can upload your own pattern or choose from the thousands that other people uploaded and they will print it for you on your chosen fabric (I think they have 24 different types of fabric plus giftwrap and wallpaper). Here is a glimpse of their fabric samples with reference colours to see how they come out on different fabrics.
What is also fun about them is that they hold weekly design challenges with hundreds of people submitting their designs to a particular theme and the visitors voting for their favourite. As I just wanted to try my hand at surface pattern design, it was nice to have a theme to work to, rather than just drawing flowers. This particular challenge was a girly fabric with a science/STEM related imagery, so I made a simple pattern with star octahedrons (polyhedrons were my favourite part of school maths and I wrote a project on them and made a boxful of models to go with it). This is the pattern, I called it "Maths Star":
And then I decided to make a kind of collection to go with it, and made two secondary designs to support it, in different colours - the tiled octahedrons that are on the left above and the line grid below.
This is the way they print a sample of a collection (you don't have to design one, you can literally collect different patterns from different designers and put together a collection of your own):
I'm really excited to see my drawing come off the computer screen and onto a real physical fabric, I guess I have to design a quilt now to make with this fabric, to see it come full circle.
In the meantime I continue playing with pattern design and trying a different style, you can have a look on my page on Spoonflower in case you're interested.
Linking up to Main Crush Monday at Cooking up Quilts
Linky Tuesday at Freemotion by the River
Many are familiar with it, but for those who aren't - Spoonflower is a company (American, but with facilities in Germany to serve Europe) that offers fabric printing on demand. You can upload your own pattern or choose from the thousands that other people uploaded and they will print it for you on your chosen fabric (I think they have 24 different types of fabric plus giftwrap and wallpaper). Here is a glimpse of their fabric samples with reference colours to see how they come out on different fabrics.
What is also fun about them is that they hold weekly design challenges with hundreds of people submitting their designs to a particular theme and the visitors voting for their favourite. As I just wanted to try my hand at surface pattern design, it was nice to have a theme to work to, rather than just drawing flowers. This particular challenge was a girly fabric with a science/STEM related imagery, so I made a simple pattern with star octahedrons (polyhedrons were my favourite part of school maths and I wrote a project on them and made a boxful of models to go with it). This is the pattern, I called it "Maths Star":
And then I decided to make a kind of collection to go with it, and made two secondary designs to support it, in different colours - the tiled octahedrons that are on the left above and the line grid below.
This is the way they print a sample of a collection (you don't have to design one, you can literally collect different patterns from different designers and put together a collection of your own):
I'm really excited to see my drawing come off the computer screen and onto a real physical fabric, I guess I have to design a quilt now to make with this fabric, to see it come full circle.
In the meantime I continue playing with pattern design and trying a different style, you can have a look on my page on Spoonflower in case you're interested.
Linking up to Main Crush Monday at Cooking up Quilts
Linky Tuesday at Freemotion by the River
How fun! I really like that line grid design and can see it as blender in many quilt designs. I've never explored Spoonflower. I might have to pop over and see what it's all about! Thanks for sharing this on MCM Lena!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Beth. Do check out Spoonflower, lots of beautiful designs there, very inspiring even if you don't buy anything.
DeleteExcellent designs. It would be nice if a fabric company would see these and contact you. I love the designs. And, Beth is right I can see some as backgrounds in many quilt plans.
ReplyDeleteThanks Bonnie, I love blender fabrics myself and use them more than the "proper"prints, so making one was my first thought.
DeleteYou are a fabric designer!!! I would definitely buy this line. I'd like to echo Bonnie's sentiments here. Hope you send your designs to a few fabric manufacturers and see what happens. Cannot hurt. In the meantime, I am impressed and I wish you many more years of creative bliss.
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot, Preeti, it is a daunting prospect, but you're right, it won't hurt. Can give it a try.
DeleteBeautiful fabrics, I love them!
ReplyDeleteI love this collection! It's perfect for the challenge: both girly and sciencey :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Louise, I think this challenge brought out the little nerdy girl that I was (still am?)
DeleteI don't know what's going on with comments on Blogger, you come as no-reply as do many other people.
This is a beautiful collection Olena
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot, Lisa, I'm glad you like it as you seem to be drawn to the same kind of bright colours as I am :))
Deletebtw, you also come as a no-reply blogger, sorry I can't answer by email
Lovely colours Olena. Did you know there is one company in Donegal to do digital printing? Pixalili is the name.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful collection of Fabrice, neat designs!
ReplyDelete