Half a Dozen Roses

Spoonflower had a buy one "fat quarter sized fabric" (approx 21" X 18") get one free offer recently, so I got some fabrics for a few projects I have been planning, also to test out colours are correct they are now printing European orders through their new German based company. USA and Canadian orders will be sent through their USA based printing company. This was printed on 100% cotton fabric
This is is my "1/2 a Dozen Roses" design. The six roses fit on one fat quarter of fabric I will post some of the other finished projects as I complete them :) and I yes am very happy with the colours and print quality

The roses can be used as brooches (just sew or glue on a brooch back) or to decorate clothing, bags, hats, cushions, on curtain tie backs anywhere you want to add a splash of colour and shape. I have more 1/2 roses fat quarters and the works with different fabric prints (had lots of requests for  steampunk prints with cogs and gears as roses) 

This design is also available at Woven Monkey a UK based printing company.

Fabric Love's Swatch Kit

I saw this magazine in the supermarket last month "Love Patchwork & Quilting" (a nice magazine), really it was the free gift I saw "a fabric lovers swatch kit" and thought it was an excellent idea. It contained 100 cards, 100 double sized stickers (to stick the fabric sample to the card) and a metal keyring.
It's meant for people to stick swatches from there fabric stash onto the little pre-printed cards with  information on one side to fill in with details so you can remember your fabric name, details etc. then add to the keyring to keep to keep organised.
For me I thought it would be an excellent way to have samples of my fabric designs at hand and organised. So I made a template to fit the card tags and ordered some of my design minis from both from Woven monkey and spoonflower in the correct sizes and started organising my fabrics. I think this is so useful for co-ordinating with other fabrics, buttons, threads, zips or just for showing my fabric design, plus its so small and neat and can fit in my bag when out 'n' about. This is one of the best free gifts from a magazine I have ever had :)

Lilies

This weeks contest at Spoonflower is "Lilies". The brief for the contest was "Since ancient Grecian times, lilies have been a symbol of virtue and beauty. We're welcoming Easter and the spring season with a contest celebrating one of our favorite flowers. Previews will be sized as a quarter yards (21" x 18") To vote in this weeks contest go to http://www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=242http://www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=242    You can vote for as many as you like no need to sign in

This is my entry just called "Lilies" they are tiger lilies, to be honest I could not remember what type of lily they were when I was naming the fabric, I just really like these orange lilies with the dark spots. They were drawn using a pen and tablet in photoshop, I really enjoyed drawing the spots  I have not forgotten about my hexagons I am trying to find a way of using them in next weeks contest.

Since ancient Grecian times, lilies have been a symbol of virtue and beauty. We're welcoming Easter and the spring season with a contest celebrating one of our favorite flowers. Previews will be sized as quarter yards (21" x 18"). - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/upcoming-spoonflower-contests.html#sthash.UqLjonZf.dpuf

Since ancient Grecian times, lilies have been a symbol of virtue and beauty. We're welcoming Easter and the spring season with a contest celebrating one of our favorite flowers. Previews will be sized as quarter yards (21" x 18"). - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/upcoming-spoonflower-contests.html#sthash.UqLjonZf.dpuf

Since ancient Grecian times, lilies have been a symbol of virtue and beauty. We're welcoming Easter and the spring season with a contest celebrating one of our favorite flowers. Previews will be sized as quarter yards (21" x 18"). - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/upcoming-spoonflower-contests.html#sthash.UqLjonZf.dpuf

Since ancient Grecian times, lilies have been a symbol of virtue and beauty. We're welcoming Easter and the spring season with a contest celebrating one of our favorite flowers. Previews will be sized as quarter yards (21" x 18"). - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/upcoming-spoonflower-contests.html#sthash.UqLjonZf.dpuf

Since ancient Grecian times, lilies have been a symbol of virtue and beauty. We're welcoming Easter and the spring season with a contest celebrating one of our favorite flowers. Previews will be sized as quarter yards (21" x 18"). - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/upcoming-spoonflower-contests.html#sthash.UqLjonZf.dpuf

We're welcoming Easter and the spring season with a contest celebrating one of our favorite flowers. Previews will be sized as quarter yards (21" x 18") - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/upcoming-spoonflower-contests.html#sthash.UqLjonZf.dpuf

We're welcoming Easter and the spring season with a contest celebrating one of our favorite flowers. Previews will be sized as quarter yards (21" x 18") - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/upcoming-spoonflower-contests.html#sthash.UqLjonZf.dpuf

Fabric Design Challenges

Restricted Palette for Whales Contest

In my last post I said I was not teaching this month as its the Easter break (a long break....), so I am concentrating on designing/ making and finishing items, plus having some fun by doing some challenges. So I am trying to enter the 4 challenges/ contests this month (1 each week) that spoonflower.com set on their site. The theme of this weeks contest is fabrics celebrating "whales" Here are the the instructions - All designs submitted have to use a restricted palette chosen by spoonflower (the pic shows the 4 colours and white), designs may include white but not black and will be displayed at 21" X 18" (a fat quarter)

This week, contestants used a restricted jewel-toned color palette to celebrate the most fascinating and magnificent sea creatures - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/#sthash.dXz9lSNq.dpuf

This week, contestants used a restricted jewel-toned color palette to celebrate the most fascinating and magnificent sea creatures - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/#sthash.dXz9lSNq.dpuf

Spoonflower cofounder Stephen Fraser is predicting that whales are going to be huge in 2014. - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/upcoming-spoonflower-contests.html#sthash.MmlO5a6J.dpuf

Spoonflower cofounder Stephen Fraser is predicting that whales are going to be huge in 2014. - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/upcoming-spoonflower-contests.html#sthash.MmlO5a6J.dpuf

Spoonflower cofounder Stephen Fraser is predicting that whales are going to be huge in 2014. - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/upcoming-spoonflower-contests.html#sthash.MmlO5a6J.dpuf

Spoonflower cofounder Stephen Fraser is predicting that whales are going to be huge in 2014. - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/upcoming-spoonflower-contests.html#sthash.MmlO5a6J.dpuf

Spoonflower cofounder Stephen Fraser is predicting that whales are going to be huge in 2014. - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/upcoming-spoonflower-contests.html#sthash.MmlO5a6J.dpuf

Spoonflower cofounder Stephen Fraser is predicting that whales are going to be huge in 2014. All designs submitted must use a restricted palette, visible below. Previews will be shown at (21" x 18"). Deadline for entry is April 1st, 2014. Designs may include white, but should not include black. - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/upcoming-spoonflower-contests.html#sthash.MmlO5a6J.dpuf

Spoonflower cofounder Stephen Fraser is predicting that whales are going to be huge in 2014. All designs submitted must use a restricted palette, visible below. Previews will be shown at (21" x 18"). Deadline for entry is April 1st, 2014. Designs may include white, but should not include black. - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/upcoming-spoonflower-contests.html#sthash.MmlO5a6J.dpuf

Spoonflower cofounder Stephen Fraser is predicting that whales are going to be huge in 2014. All designs submitted must use a restricted palette, visible below. Previews will be shown at (21" x 18"). Deadline for entry is April 1st, 2014. Designs may include white, but should not include black. - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/upcoming-spoonflower-contests.html#sthash.MmlO5a6J.dpuf

Spoonflower cofounder Stephen Fraser is predicting that whales are going to be huge in 2014. All designs submitted must use a restricted palette, visible below. Previews will be shown at (21" x 18"). Deadline for entry is April 1st, 2014. Designs may include white, but should not include black. - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/upcoming-spoonflower-contests.html#sthash.MmlO5a6J.dpuf

This is my entry called "Going Down" these whales are narwhals also known as the unicorn of the sea. The palette was a definitely a challenge but I enjoyed doing this design and got to use my pen and tablet, I drew the whales in photoshop (its not just for photo editing) I normally outline using real pens and paper and scan into photoshop, to tidy the drawings and colour them, but as I said I decided to have fun/ challenges and work in a different way. In fact this way was much quicker.
You can see this and the other designs entered into this weeks contest at http://www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=241

You can vote for as many or as few entries as you like (you can even vote for me) or just have a look, no need to sign in or join to vote. Note: you have to go all the way down to the end entry to confirm your vote/ s, there are lots of great entries this week. It so interesting to see how using the same theme and colours so many different ideas are produced.
Now I have voted and are onto next weeks challenge "lilies"

Snowflakes

Spoonflower Snowflakes Fabric Contest started yesterday
Here's my entry, "Floating Snowflakes" There are lots of entries this time and the voting is on until the end of this month so pop over to their site and have a look and vote for the ones you like :)










Luckily the samples have already arrived for this design and they have printed up very nicely. The design is in 2 sizes the larger size is the one in the contest.

Fabric inspiration for Spoonflower Contests

I have been inspired with some of Spoonflowers latest fabric designing contests and have entered into a few up-and-coming ones. I think it can be a bit addictive, plus I really enjoy seeing what the other designers have created. 
This is for the current contest  "Holiday Cocktail Napkin Set Fabric" 
My design is a set of Ivy leaf shaped cocktail napkins. A fat quarter makes 4 double sided or 8 single sided cocktail napkins. Recipes include Ginger punch, Eggnog, Orange & cranberry fizz and Mulled wine. I ordered some fabric and it is somewhere in the post I'll make up my napkins and post some pics here. Hopefully before Christmas (my post is really bad)

This is for the contest starting on Thursday evening Spoonflower are partnering with Mollie Makes Magazine for this one. Its called Flights of Fancy and has a restricted palette, the brief was - Create a bird or flight-related fabric design (repeating) that uses the following palette grey, light teal, apple green and pale yellow. I have created a design We Fly with lots of humming birds (I have always liked humming birds), again this print is also somewhere in the post.

And this one is for the Nasher/ Matisse Contest starting on 24th November. Spoonflower are this time partnering with The Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University for a contest to design textiles that would look at home in a Matisse painting. Entries must use the specified colour palette (RGB hex codes: #DE8371, #C33855, #D1CC56, #2E486B, #FFFFFF). Please do NOT recreate a textile in the images but instead create a new design with this palette.So this is what I have entered it a Floral Matisse inspired design.