Author Archives: Maggie Rose Cashman

New Fabric Collection – Beck Ng

We’re so excited to announce that for our newest instalment of The Designer Project we will be focusing on the fantastically fun work of Melbourne-based surface designer and maker Beck Ng! Beck initially worked as a graphic designer before finding a passion for surface design. Now the maker showcases her designs on gorgeous paper and fabric products through her label Fabric Drawer.

Beck finds inspiration from her travels, everyday life and the city she calls home, with her designs often sporting playful shapes, florals and quirky animal motifs. Her crisp graphic style and love of colour can be seen throughout a range of stunning designs which the designer has made available in our Fabric Shop online. We’re so excited to Becks’s designs with you all and can’t wait to see the different types of projects you use them for! Below we’ve shared a little about each of Beck’s designs and the different types of applications we think they would be perfect for. Keep reading to find out more about Beck Ng’s charming designs!

“Colourful Blooms” had a bit of a bumpy start creatively. The elements were meant to be used for a different design however Beck felt it wasn’t quite right. Determined to use the stunning floral motifs the design was completely overhauled to create this very fun celebration of all things floral!

We would love to see “Colourful Blooms” used for kitchen and dining accessories such as playful aprons and tablecloths.

“Full Bloom Pink” is a wonderfully feminine print with gorgeous flower motifs. We love seeing the weight of the flowers play against the humble stems.

We think “Full Bloom Pink” would be a perfect choice for small accessories and bed wear.

“In The Meadow Strike” is a fun and richly coloured print! Beck felt drawn to creating cat prints despite never owning one. The feeling seems to have foretold the designer’s exciting news that she adopted her first kitten this year!

“In The Meadow Strike” is the perfect statement print for tote bags and soft purses.

“Siesta Blue” features gorgeously sleepy lion motifs tucked away with playfully illustrated leaves and flowers. “Siesta Blue” celebrates negative space leaving plenty of breathing room between the elements.

We think “Siesta Blue” is perfect for tote bags and drawstring backpacks!

“Paper Cut Shapes Light” is a playful experiment using bold block shapes. We love the pairing of graphic motifs with a warm, pastel colour palette that just begs for the return of summer!

“Paper Cut Shapes Light” would be great across both fashion and homewares! Cushion covers, wide leg pants and swimwear are just a few ideas that spring to mind!

“Roar Neon” was inspired by one of Beck’s favourite camping spots and features such a joyous use of bright colours throughout. The motifs have a paper-cut style feel to them and are so perfectly nestled against the crisp white background.

“Roar Neon” is the perfect statement fashion print! We think this design is perfect for oversized bags and summer dresses.

“Sleepy Animals Light” captures an imagined garden and features Beck’s pet rabbit Snowy! The designer thinks it’s fantastic to add a little of yourself to your patterns, and we couldn’t agree more!

“Sleepy Animals Light” would be a great design to use for kids wear and bed wear!

“Under The Sea Light” was drawn when the designer was staying by the beach for a family holiday. Whilst the designer might not be too keen on heading far out into the ocean, she was more than happy to bring the ocean to her surface designs.

“Under The Sea Light” would be a fantastic design to use for kids apparel and swimwear.

All of our suggestions above are simply starting points to help get those ideas flowing! Each of Beck’s designs are available to be printed onto any of our stock fabrics and can all be found in our Fabric Shop. Simply choose your design and the fabric that suits your project best. It’s that easy to order custom designer fabric!

Cotton Jersey Made In Australia – Ashton Fabric

You asked and we delivered! After receiving plenty of enquiries over the last few years into custom printing on natural fabrics with stretch, we’ve recently added two new printers to our studio which has made this a possibility! We couldn’t be more excited to introduce you to one of our newest additions to our stock fabric range – the NEW Ashton fabric.

Ashton is an ultra-comfortable cotton jersey fabric which is beautifully soft to handle. The fabric is lightweight (150GSM), 100% cotton and has a maximum printable width of 150cm.

Ashton has a crisp white base colour, a smooth texture and matte surface. The fabric provides soft colour reproduction when printing. As a result, we do not recommend this fabric for designs with vibrant or deep colours. It is best chosen for designs where a more delicate, worn finish is desired.

Ashton has been knitted in Australia with good stretch in the width of the fabric making it wonderfully comfortable to wear. This fabric is perfect for summer fashion, relaxed garments, baby swaddles, pyjamas, kids wear and scarves.

Sample swatches of the Ashton are available in our either our ‘Natural Fabrics’ or Super Pack’ fabric sample packs which can be ordered online. Want to know if the Ashton is suitable for your next project? Get in touch – we’d love to help!

Tina Dinte – The Designer Project

What a joy it’s been sharing the incredible talents of artist and designer Tina Dinte through our current instalment of The Designer Project! One Blu Eye is the recent brainchild of Tina’s, expanding her creative practice to develop the surface design focused studio. Tina has developed a unique method of pairing her fun illustrations with her detail rich paintings and has made a range of her gorgeously intricate designs available as print-ready artwork in our Fabric Shop online. To coincide with the launch of Tina’s designs the artist herself has written a guest blog which further explains her one of a kind approach to creating surface patterns and what inspires her work. Keep reading to find out more about Tina Dinte and her spellbinding designs.

Tina Dinte and her dogs

My name is Tina and I am a full-time artist based in the bayside suburbs of Brisbane. Traditionally trained as a graphic designer and with a true love of drawing that emerged as a child, I’ve developed a style of painting that throws out the brushes, instead ‘drawing’ with paint onto the canvas with squeeze bottles. Each set of bottles has different paint consistencies — thick / normal / thin. The metal nibs enable me to do all the fine detail, just like I would do with a sharpened pencil when finessing drawing. I can produce paintings with wonderful textures and depth using areas of solid colour, different line thicknesses, stippling and blending of paint.

Tina and her unique style of ‘drawing with paint’

The subjects in my paintings are inspired by my bushland property, daily adventures, conversations with strangers and my large collection of books. The intricate details in my work come from studying everything around me – patterns and textures in nature, the linework of a building, the squiggly lines of coral, the typography of landscapes, the flow of moving water and even the movement of animals running.

Tina’s creative inspiration

When I first set about creating a range of surface designs, I came up against the question ‘how do I turn my extremely intricate artworks into a repeatable pattern?’. Seriously, it was impossible! However, after over a year of experimentation (and lots of failed designs), it came to me in a dream that I needed to create a ‘vessel’ for my paintings. I set about developing a series of digital illustrations (aka. the vessels) and overlaid my artworks inside them. And voila, I can create a unique repeatable pattern that is a combination of hand-drawn digital artwork and bespoke painting.

Tina’s original artwork “Nourishment in the Sea”

“Dalia Dragonfruit Blooms” is the first in my exotic fruit series. The digital illustration isn’t meant to be realistic but representational of a dragon fruit with its seeds and deep red colour. I teamed the illustration with a close up of my abstract painting titled “Nourishment of the Sea”. The name of the design was inspired by the floral type bloom from the top of the dragon fruit.

“Dalia Dragonfruit Blooms”

“Pastel Blue Blossoms” is a pastel-coloured abstract piece inspired by a visit to the Queensland Art Gallery. The digital illustration was drawn whilst sitting in the gallery surrounded by amazing iconic artworks. The super imposed abstract has been taken from my original painting titled “Australian Aurora Burst”.

“Pastel Blue Blossoms”

I am super excited about my debut range of designs under the One Blu Eye umbrella. As time goes on more designs will be added as I am inspired to create different artworks every day. Please follow my journey on my new Instagram account @one.blu.eye! You can also check out my extensive range of original artworks at @tinadinte_artist.

“Cheeky White Cockatoo”

P.S. Why the name “One Blu Eye”?

This is an easy one to answer… my rescue dog Tully has one brown eye and one blue eye. Every time we go for a walk I always hear from passers-by “Oh look, he has one blue eye”. And because I love my boy to bits, I decided to call my illustration practice after his quirky feature, just like my quirky illustrations!

If you want to collaborate with us on The Designer Project and become part of this creative club, please apply! Send us an email with your portfolio and why you would like to be part of this initiative, and we will be in touch!

New Fabric Collection – Tina Dinte

We’re thrilled to announce that our next feature artist in The Designer Project is Brisbane-based artist Tina Dinte! Tina works as a full-time artist whose love of drawing and a background in graphic design has been the perfect storm to create her illustrative, surface design focused practice One Blu Eye. Tina is largely inspired by the nature that surrounds her and the everyday, and uses her colourful catalogue of original paintings to further inspire and inform her surface pattern designs.

As part of The Designer Project Tina has made a range of her stunningly detailed designs available as print-ready artwork in our Fabric Shop online and we cannot wait to see the types of projects you use them for! Tina’s designs are bursting with vivid colour palettes and awe-inspiring layers of texture, linework and motifs. The range feels both decadent and playful and we’re certain you’ll fall just in love with them as we have. Below we’ve shared a little about each of the designs, including what inspired their creation and the types of projects we think they’d be perfect for. Keep reading to find out more about Tina Dinte’s designs!

“Australian River Flower” is a richly coloured abstract piece inspired by a visit to the Queensland Art Gallery. The digital illustration was drawn whilst sitting in the gallery surrounded by iconic artworks whilst the super-imposed abstract has been taken from Tina’s original painting “Overlooking the Dam in Drought”

We think “Australian River Flower” would be a gorgeous design to use for swimwear and beach bags.

“Dalia Dragonfruit Blooms” is a fantastic celebration of colour and is Tina’s first exotic fruit designs which she intends to become a series. The design pairs digital illustration with close-up fragments of her painting “Nourishment of the Sea”. The design is named after the foliage that blooms from the top of a dragon fruit.

“Dalia Dragonfruit Blooms” would be the perfect design to use for statement kitchen and dining accessories, such as aprons, tea towels and tableware.

“Mrs Pink Lips” is a really playful design centred around a fabulously fun character Mrs Pink Lips. The design layers illustrative elements through the mop of curly locks, the full hot pink & plum pout and quirky linework.

We would love to see “Mrs Pink Lips” used for wonderfully unique upholstery and curtains.

“Pastel Blue Blossoms” is a hypnotic abstract design which perfectly balances pastel and deep hues. The design was inspired by a visit to the Queensland Art Gallery and was drawn whilst surrounded by the incredible pieces in the gallery. The design pairs a digital illustration with a superimposed abstract taken from Tina’s painting “Australian Aurora Burst”.

“Pastel Blue Blossoms” would be a gorgeous design to use for bedding, scarves and co-ordinate outfits.

“Plum Grapes” is a wonderfully rich design, layering warm earthy hues with endless illustrative shapes and lines. The abstract piece has used elements from Tina’s original painting “Overlooking the Dam in Drought”.

“Plum Grapes” would be a fantastic choice for cushion covers and soft accessories.

“Cheeky White Cockatoo” is inspired by the iconic, native Australian bird and Tina’s own collection of Australian fauna artworks. The design pairs playfully drawn cockatoo motifs with a textured soft pink background.

We think “Cheeky White Cockatoo” would be an excellent choice for Summer dresses and statement garment lining for tailored pieces.

Each of Tina’s designs are available to be printed onto any of our stock fabrics. Simply head to our Fabric Shop online, choose the design you’d like to print and select the base cloth that’s right for your project!

Daniela Glassop – The Designer Project

It’s been an absolute pleasure starting off this year’s series of The Designer Project with the ultra-talented designer Daniela Glassop and have adored sharing her beautifully detailed textiles designs with you. Daniela has made a range of her designs available as print ready artwork in our Fabric Shop online, which can be printed onto any of our stock fabric base cloths. To provide some more insight into each of Daniela’s designs the artist herself has put together a guest blog which details the different ways she likes to work and create imagery. Keep reading to find out more about Daniela Glassop and her surface designs!

Daniela Glassop in her studio

Welcome! I’m Daniela Glassop of Daniela Glassop Illustration and Design and I’ve been asked to write about my process and behind the scenes. First of all, I am thrilled to be part of Digital Fabrics’ “The Designer Project” and their intention to promote and nurture the designers that come up with the patterns for fabrics that you can choose from for your own creations.

Daniela’s designs mockup

All my work is about making it possible for myself and others to create living spaces and clothing that make us happy. If your décor and clothing bring joy, then you feel more confident in yourself.

Daniela’s desk space

I take numerous photos wherever I go and use these along with other research to develop ideas which I will roughly sketch while I try out some different design options before deciding on the layout I want to use. It is at this point that I start to draw the elements on hot pressed (smooth) watercolour paper with more details and at a larger scale before adding colour. I use gouache and watercolour mostly.

A canvas painting being varnished

Botanic paintings

Sometimes I will make paintings on canvas with acrylic paints, create imagery from cut paper as in my “Botanical Collage” design or draw my design digitally on my iPad after the research phase. Sometimes I also like to use coloured pencils or ink in my work. After the elements have been created, they will be digitized via scanner or camera and placed in my computer so that I can clean up edges and assemble the design.

Artwork for “Australian Flora, Birds, Butterflies and Bees”

“Australian Flora, Birds, Butterflies and Bees”

I don’t usually make use of a mood board although I always do some visual research before I start and will get together photographic imagery as reference material for my drawings. I will look through visual material, fill my head with some ways that I could approach my own design and then put that material out of sight while I rough out my ideas. If I am going to try a new technique, I may refer to a small collection of images while I try something new or if I have an essence that I would like to instil in the designs to keep me on track. My visual research will take into account the type of aesthetic required and if I have any trend research that I might incorporate. Sometimes, I might want to try a new colour scheme so I will find an image with a mix of colours I admire and use that as a starting point, or collect some coloured objects and plant material so I can work out my colour palette. I usually aim for a modern but elegant look that is kind of timeless so that they remain contemporary for longer as I prefer what I design to look beautiful and modern while not looking out of date too quickly.

Creative inspiration

I remember how thrilled I was when fashion designers were starting to use more vivid and striking colour combinations inspired by location. I have always made art and been able to make things from fabric so designing my own textile prints was always something I aspired to do.

Daniela’s paint studio

I have two workspaces, a clean space for work on paper and computer work while I have a paint studio for my canvas paintings and sewing.

Collection of paintings

Listening to the radio, podcasts or music and visits by my indoor cats help to keep me company while I work and I am surrounded by my favourite design books and sentimental things that have been made for me by my children along with trinkets from my travels.

“Botanical Collage”

I used to like to make gifts to give to special people but ended up with less time to be able to do this, but now that I can get my art onto products means that I can share my work with others and that feels very special to me.

“Australian Flora, Birds, Butterflies and Bees” cushion cover mock-up

I am looking forward to seeing what you create!

“White Butterflies” purse mock-up

You can check out more of Daniela’s work at Daniela Glassop Illustration & Design and via Instagram @danielaglassop.

 If you want to collaborate with us on The Designer Project and become part of this creative club, please apply! Send us an email with your portfolio and why you would like to be part of this initiative, and we will be in touch!

New Fabric Collection – Daniela Glassop

After taking some time out over the Christmas and New Year period we are so excited to be kicking off our first instalment of The Designer Project for 2021 with Daniela Glassop! Daniela is a Newcastle based artist and designer who was trained as a visual artist and graphic designer. Despite her technical training Daniela also loves working with her hands, and loves to make things with fabric, cook, and garden.

After completing a degree in Art and Design, along with an art teaching qualification, Daniela has worked in the design industry in both Sydney in Newcastle, has freelanced as a graphic designer and illustrator and taught at the University of Newcastle.

Daniela is inspired by design history, vintage goods, trompe l’oeil (the art of creating optical illusions on a flat surface), fashion and the natural world. As part of The Designer Project Daniela has made a range of her stunning, nature inspired designs available as print-ready artwork in our Fabric Shop online! Below we’ve shared a little about each of the designs and the types of projects we think they would be great for. Keep reading to find out more about Daniela’s designs!

“Botanical Collage” is inspired by traditional botanical illustrations. Daniela puts her own spin on this style of illustration by creating the flower motifs from collaged paper. The background features faded lettering reminiscent of field notes used to capture new flora species.

“Botanical Collage” would be a fantastic design to use for tableware, soft accessories and garment lining.

“Australian Flora, Birds, Butterflies and Bees” features a range of native flora and wildlife in a tessellating grid pattern allowing each of the individual scenes to sing. The design balances vivid and muted colours to create a rich yet versatile colour palette.

“Australian Flora, Birds, Butterflies and Bees” would be perfect for statement tableware and cushion covers.

“White Butterflies” pairs a simple mauve and white colour palette with illustrated butterfly and botanic motifs. “White Butterflies” is a gorgeously whimsical print!

We would love to see “White Butterflies” used for camisoles, undergarments and soft accessories.

“Flannel Flowers” is a stunning example of less being more! “Flannel Flowers” features delicate Flannel Flower motifs set against a soft jade green background.

“Flannel Flowers” would be a great choice for t-shirts and hair ties.

“Native Wildflower Silhouettes” celebrates the unique beauty of native flowers by creating this statement silhouette print. The block shape motifs are set against a textured, soft blue background.

We think “Native Wildflower Silhouettes” would be perfect for summer dresses, a-line skirts and oversized bags.

“Superb Flannel Flowers” uses a restricted colour palette of the soft green shades that can be seen in Flannel Flowers. The design nestles Superb Fairy Wren and Common Blue Butterfly motifs amongst the floral motifs, to create a fantastically detailed print.

“Superb Flannel Flowers” would be a great choice for button-up short sleeve shirts and cosmetic pouches.

“Wildflowers Woodcut” was inspired by woodblock designs, and uses Australian native flowers for their incredibly beautiful shapes. “Wildflowers Woodcut” uses a restricted colour palette to allow for the focus to be on the unique shapes of the floral motifs.

We think “Wildflowers Woodcut” would be great for both fashion and homewares applications and would especially love to see the design used to create dresses or bedding.

“Australian Bush Flowers” is bursting with gorgeously detailed native floral motifs. This design is simply a joy to get lost in!

“Australian Bush Flowers” would be a stunning design to use for bedding as well as tailored blouses and jackets!

The possibilities are truly endless with Daniela Glassop’s heavenly designs and our ideas above are suggestions only! Each of Daniela’s designs are available to be printed onto any of our stock fabrics. Simply head to our Fabric Shop online, choose the design and then select the base cloth that’s right for your project!

Sue Michael – The Designer Project

It’s been an absolute pleasure sharing the work of artist Sue Michael through our latest instalment of The Designer Project. Sue has an on ongoing commitment to bring into form the subtle beauty of Australia. We think this notion is so beautifully seen through her “Everyday Life” Collection which is available as a series of print-ready designs in our Fabric Shop online. We’ve also been fortunate to have Sue put together a guest blog which delves deeper into her artistic practice and inspiration. Keep reading to find out more about Sue Michael and her “Everyday Life” Collection.

Treasures found at Marree, Far North South Australia

My name is Sue Michael and I have been painting and photographing overlooked moments of everyday life since 1996. I recently completed a Visual Art PhD at the University of South Australia and feel like I am only now beginning to fully understand the various aspects we can consider when we go to a new location. It is as if the small things all have meaning and are worthy of our consideration.

South Australian Land

My ancestors were pioneers on the land in the Mid-North of South Australia, and although they were faced with challenges with the heat and lack of rainfall, they quickly learnt to love the land, itself. I have been looking at the way people make life more comfortable and accepting of the natural environment, whether that be with hardy garden plantings, bird baths, built arrangements made to provide shade, or the unique rural colour schemes to promote a cooler atmosphere.

Everyday inspirations

The natural patterns in the vegetation seem to be imbued with a sort of untidiness, perhaps are stunted in size, and the colours carry a sort of greyish tint.  And then you can have a flock of brilliantly plumed finches that can fly past all of this! I too have come to appreciate these Australian design elements and like to include them in my fabric designs.

Petal arrangement

“Squatter’s Dream”

“Squatter’s Dream” scarf mock-up

Most of my fabrics carry a generous percentage of subdued colours, leaving only small notations of brilliant colour. I like to use colour as if it were like bejewelled broaches or a richly coloured scarf upon a tailored suit. My Mum used to decorate the children’s feasting table with jellies and drinks, providing these points of colour in the same way.

Rocks, fossils and roses

Old photograph capturing a set table

I exhibit genre paintings of everyday life mostly through the West Gallery, Thebarton. People are understanding that I am not being sentimental in my place studies, and that instead, I am locating essential understandings, specific to those little country towns. I am trying to be true to the districts I am visiting, rather than copying overseas models. Much like a painting on the wall, I hope my ‘picture designs’ can follow previous traditions in fabric design and can adorn a city apartment with an endearing beach shack scene, for example, on a luxurious cushion, or allow a petal arrangement to adorn a scarf that can accompany the wearer when a day of resourcefulness is upon them.

“Island Spray”

“Island Spray” cushion mock-up

The connections to the natural world may be there for us to access at any time.

Earth

Second Valley, South Australia

Deep thinking occurs through the actual processes of making art. It can also bring to the surface kindly thoughts and a joyousness that can be shared. I am ‘soodiorama’ on Instagram, and you will find the wide variety of playful experimentations that I have enjoyed there. I am new to fabric design and am absolutely bursting with possibilities.

If you want to collaborate with us on The Designer Project and become part of this creative club, please apply! Send us an email with your portfolio and why you would like to be part of this initiative, and we will be in touch!

“Everyday Life” – New Fabric Collection by Sue Michael

Next up as our feature artist in The Designer Project is prolific artist Sue Michael who hails from South Australia! Sue began her working life as a Registered Nurse but later completed a Bachelor of Visual Art and Applied Design in 2004 and has continued working and studying in the creative space. Most recently Sue completed her PhD in Visual Art researching the wider understandings that painters can consider when exploring the meanings imbued within places.

Sue is a painter of everyday life using lived experiences and field studies rather than imaginings and we are so thrilled to be sharing her work with you! The artist has made a range of her stunning hand-painted works available as print-ready artwork in our Fabric Shop online through her “Everyday Life” Collection. Differing from a lot of our previous feature artists, Sue’s collection is predominantly made up of captivating placement prints rather than yardage designs. Below we’ve shared a little about each of the designs as well as the different types of projects we think each would be perfect for.

“Carol’s Garden” is inspired by Sue’s friend Carol picking flowers from her garden in Clarendon, South Australia. “We used to raid her family’s dairy farm for ‘black gold’… the large nuggets that grew the most incredible vegetables back in the city.” “Carol’s Garden” is a placement print design 30x30cm in size.

“Carol’s Garden” is a fantastic design to use for cushion covers and tote bags.

“Beach Shack Green Fields” is inspired by a scene from a mid-20th century 35mm slide. The location of the beach is unknown. “Beach Shack Green Fields” is a placement print design 32x32cm in size and is an accompanying piece to “Beach Shack Fields”.

“Beach Shack Green Fields” would be perfect for cushion covers and tote bags.

“Beach Shack Fields” features an aerial view of beach shacks from another era when there was plenty of space between the structures. The soft grey shacks really pop out from the emerald background. “Beach Shack Fields” is an accompanying design to “Beach Shack Green Fields”.

We think “Beach Shack Fields” would be a stunning design for slip dresses and garment lining.

“Eyre Beach Shack” features the interior of a beach shack on Eyre Peninsula, South Australia. There is comfort in these simple dwellings, that seem to beckon and welcome the playing of board games whilst the summer flies buzz and the sunshine streams in. “Eyre Beach Shack” is a placement print design 32x32cm and is an accompanying piece to “Eyre Polka Ovals”.

“Eyre Beach Shack” is a perfect design for cushion covers, backpacks and tea towels.

“Eyre Polka Ovals” features delicately painted framed ovals reminiscent of traditional picture frames and elaborate buttons. “Eyre Polka Ovals” is an accompanying design to “Eyre Beach Shack”

We think “Eyre Polka Ovals” would be a fantastic design for soft accessories, full-piece swimsuits and bags.

“Second Valley Shells” is inspired by Second Valley; a secluded seaside village, seemingly untouched from the commercial modern world. It still hosts small, quaint shacks just a short walk from a view of endless ancient hills. “Second Valley Shells” is a placement print design 31x31cm and is an accompanying piece to “Second Valley Pebbles”.

“Second Valley Shells” would be a gorgeous choice for cushion covers, scarves and throws.

“Second Valley Pebbles” is also inspired by the secluded seaside village Second Valley. Here the grey stones can have white cake icing like marks. “Second Valley Pebbles” is an accompanying design to “Second Valley Shells”.

“Second Valley Pebbles” is an excellent choice for soft accessories and garment lining.

“Shack Bay” features the old shacks well-known to travellers south of Adelaide. The shacks are surrounded by ancient hills and have only a dirt track to their doorways. “Shack Bay” is a placement print design 32x32cm in size and is an accompanying piece to “Polka Dots Shack Bay”.

“Shack Bay” is a great design to use for cushion covers and tote bags.

“Polka Dots Shack Bay” features delicately painted, organically shaped dot motifs. The polka dots set against a navy background feel like stars against a dark sky. “Polka Dots Shack Bay” is an accompanying design to “Shack Bay”.

We think “Polka Dots Shack Bay” would be an excellent choice for bikinis, evening hair scarves and garment lining.

“Wendy’s Garden” features a petal arrangement made by keen gardener Wendy. The flowers were picked from her home in Adelaide. “Wendy’s Garden” is a placement print design 30x30cm in size.

“Wendy’s Garden” would be a stunning design to use for cushion covers and panels for quilting.

“Squatter’s Dream” is inspired by the early Australian, Alistair Clark bred rose of the same name which has just a handful of soft yellow and blush petals. Featured in the design is a petal arrangement, which are often made when there are only a few flowers left in the summer garden. “Squatter’s Dream” is a placement print design 33x33cm in size.

We would love to see “Squatter’s Dream” used for cushion covers and picnic throws.

“Island Spray” features a stunning landscape painting with a graphic monochrome border framing the scene. “Island Spray” is a placement print design 30x30cm in size.

“Island Spray” would be a perfect design for cushion covers and tote bags.

“Cloud Puff Bay” captures a scene of early beach shacks at Willunga, South Australia and is inspired by old 35mm slides. There isn’t as much space between the shacks now. Once upon a time you could see the slight curve of the earth from your window here as it was an endless view. “Cloud Puff Bay” is a placement print design 30x30cm in size.

“Cloud Puff Bay” is a fantastic design to use for cushion covers and panels for quilting.

Each of the designs in Sue’s “Everyday Life” Collection is available to be printed onto any of our stock fabrics. Simple head to our Fabric Shop online, choose the design and then select the base cloth that’s right for your project!

Sarah Ossitt – The Designer Project

Our current feature artist in The Designer Project is surface pattern extraordinaire Sarah Ossitt and we have loved sharing with you all her colourful statement textile designs! To provide a little more insight into Sarah’s playful “Moments” and “Dancing Flowers” collections, which are both available in our Fabric Shop online, Sarah has put together a guest blog which shares her typical methodology for creating designs. Keep reading to find out more about Sarah Ossitt’s creative process and her fantastic surface pattern designs!

Hello!

I am Sarah Ossitt, the designer, girl boss and chief tea maker behind Sazerelli Designs. I’m here to share a selection of my pattern designs, for you lovely readers, sewers and crafters, to turn into something magical!

Sarah Ossitt in her studio

The designs can be printed on a large selection of stock fabrics and can be selected from Digital Fabrics Fabric Shop, which can then be made into clothing, homewares and so much more.

“Spring Flowers”

Below is a sneak peek behind the scenes in my studio.

Sarah Ossitt working on repeat surface designs

Sarah Ossitt sketching artwork

My patterns often start from drawings with black ink pens. Currently I am loving using brush pens, to add a variety of pen thickness and hand-drawn feel to my designs. I also like to work on my iPad, to sketch ideas and start playing with colour combinations. I then send everything to Illustrator to fit the puzzle pieces together, create a repeating pattern and start to build up a collection. The colour wheel tool is where I can spend hours of time, it’s amazing how different a pattern can feel in a different colour palette. I usually start with a navy blue – it’s my favourite go-to colour, and I love how the bright colours can really pop when using navy as a background.

“Windows”

“Windows” singlet mock-up

My hand-drawn geo collection “Moments” started out as some mark-making and simple sketches. I didn’t have an end vision, it was just about getting pen to paper whilst my daughter was busy drawing rainbows and my baby son was napping. With a young family I have to fit in my creativity when I can, sometimes there is no plan and that can be the best place to start!

Hand-drawn pen illustrations

“Spotty Stripe”

The second collection “Dancing Flowers” is a curated selection of some of my bold and bright floral designs. I like to use different pattern techniques in a collection, from tightly placed motifs to big and bold flowers, and add in some simple coordinates such as spots and stripes to add variety. I can imagine these designs on full circle skirts or dresses.

“Dance”

“Dance” cushion mock-up

I love to create fun, vibrant patterns that bring a smile to your face. I create a mix of florals, geometric and occasional prints and patterns. I am also a stationery addict and have my own range of greeting cards & printable wall art.

Sarah’s workspace

Sarah’s greeting cards

I would love to see what you create, feel free to tag me so I can share your creations. You can find me on Instagram or Facebook @sazerellidesigns.

If you want to collaborate with us on The Designer Project and become part of this creative club, please apply! Send us an email with your portfolio and why you would like to be part of this initiative, and we will be in touch!

“Dancing Flowers” & “Moments” – New Fabric Collections by Sarah Ossitt

We’re thrilled to announce that the next feature artist in The Designer Project is surface pattern designer Sarah Ossitt! Sarah is based in Sydney and is the creative genius behind Sazerelli Designs. Sarah creates fun prints and patterns with bright colours which are intended to make you smile. All of Sarah’s designs begin with hand-drawn elements or are digitally drawn onto her iPad. Sarah believes it’s the small imperfections in her initial drawings which give character to each of her designs.

As part of The Designer Project Sarah has made a range of her gorgeous designs available as print-ready artwork. Sarah’s “Dancing Flowers” and “Moments” collections can be found in our Fabric Shop online! The range features quirky florals, organic renditions of geometric staples and a warm colour palette. Below we’ve shared a little about each of the designs and the types of DIY projects we would love to see them used for. Keep reading to find out more about Sarah Ossitt’s designs!

“Dancing Flowers” Collection

“Autumn Days” features a leaf print with warm oranges and peaches offset against navy and sage. The tumbling leaf arrangement in the design feels like the embodiment of Autumn!

We think “Autumn Days” would be the perfect print for silky pyjamas and camisoles.

“Honey Spots” is a warm ditsy polka dot which balances a bright golden honey colour with deep raspberry coloured spots.

“Honey Spots” would be a fantastic design for soft accessories and short-sleeved button up shirts.

“Spring Flowers” features boldly shaped pink florals set against a warm watermelon backdrop. The variety of shapes found amongst the floral motifs makes the print feel dynamic.

“Spring Flowers” would be a gorgeous design for summer dresses and kitchen accessories.

“Ditsy Flowers” is a fun and colourful ditsy floral design filled with vibrant flower and leaf motifs.

We would love to see “Ditsy Flowers” used for either summer dresses, mid-length silky skirts or soft accessories.

“Summer Flowers” is the perfect statement floral print! The design features boldly illustrated flower motifs in a gorgeous golden hue.

“Summer Flowers” would be a great design to use for skirts or retro inspired jumpsuits.

“Retro Vibes” is a retro inspired floral balancing a soft warm colour palette of cream, pink and soft mustard.

We think “Retro Vibes” would a fantastic design to use for summer pyjamas and cosmetic pouches.

“Rusty Heart” is a wonderfully minimal design with delicate pink leaf motifs set against a deep rust coloured background.

“Blue Grid” is a wonderful example of why simplicity sometimes is the best! “Blue Grid” is a bold blue grid designs with softer edges than your usual grid or check print.

“Blue Grid” would be an ideal choice for boxer shorts, board shorts or cigarette trousers.

“Diamonds for Days” is a playful design featuring diamond motifs. “Diamonds for Days” feels like a quirky graphic take on the classic snake print.

We think “Diamonds for Days” would be stunning choice scarves and skirts.

“Dance” is a big, bold and beautiful floral print with flower and leaf motifs which feel as though they’re dancing!

We would love to see “Dance” used for statement bedding and cushion covers!

“Moments” Collection

“Squares and Stripes” is a statement graphic print created from hand-drawn shapes and elements. “Squares and Stripes” reminds us of mid-century textile designs.

“Squares and Stripes” would be the perfect design to use for activewear, button-up shirts and blouses and shift dresses.

“Windows” is a bold geo pattern which balances warm peach and mustard hues with a dusty blue background.

We think “Windows” would be a great choice for singlets, t-shirts and headscarves.

“Dots and Dashes” takes a really fun approach to creating a stripe print! This mid-scale print allows the motifs to really pop by setting them against a mint coloured background.

“Dots and Dashes” would be the perfect print for beach bags and tote bags as well as cute summer playsuits!

“Spotty Stripe” features a decorative stripe print reminiscent of hanging fairy lights against the setting sun.

We think “Spotty Stripe” would be an excellent choice for bikinis, over-sized scrunchies, bow-ties and pocket squares.

“Bricks” is a really versatile graphic print balancing perfectly imperfect navy motifs with a rich mustard background.

“Bricks” would be a great choice for summer shorts and cropped jackets.

“Whale” is a playful print with graphic motifs which look like whales swimming in the ocean!

We would love to see “Whale” used for button up shirts, co-ordinating sets and tailored shorts.

Each of the designs from Sarah’s “Dancing Flowers” and “Moments” collections are available to be printed onto any of our stock fabrics. Simply head to our Fabric Shop online, choose the design and then select the base cloth that’s right for your project!