We’re so excited to be sharing the incredible work of Sydney-based textile artist Jo Mellor who has recently been creating artworks focused on the drought and mismanagement of water in the Menindee Lakes and Darling River regions. The project seeks to raise awareness and understanding of the suffering in regional towns, where mismanaged water has caused environmental catastrophe.
Jo’s three stage art project was set in Menindee, in far west NSW and took place over April 13th to April 17th. The project saw Jo incorporate both custom printed fabrics and remnant fabrics that would have otherwise gone to waste, and we feel so fortunate to have contributed to such a significant art series. The artist herself has shared the blog below which details the three components of this project and includes a series of stunning photographs captured by Jo. Keep reading to find out more about Jo Mellor’s Menindee artworks!
Event One – Textile Installation
Installing (weaving and wrapping) lycra material around the dead tree
Three women artists from Sydney travelled with me to perform this series of events alongside Ngypampa Elder and Menindee resident, Aunty Beryl Carmichael. We used the fabric offcuts provided by Digital Fabrics for a textile installation on a dead tree on Menindee dry lake bed (the lycra offcuts were fabulous to wrap a tree with).
Installing (weaving and wrapping) lycra material around the dead tree
For our first event we wrapped a tree that Aunty Beryl had chosen for us to wrap on the dry lake bed. Wrapping a tree with fabric and yarn represents a symbol of comfort and care towards the environment in and around The Menindee Lakes and The Darling River in far west NSW. The environmental catastrophe in the area includes water mismanagement, where millions of litres were diverted to cotton farms and agriculture. There was no consultation with Indigenous groups regarding the diversion of water.
Wrapping yarn over the lycra material
Over a million fish died in the Darling River in Menindee during the summer of 2019. This event was due to the stagnant water, which was covered with a toxic blue green algae bloom. There was not enough oxygen for the fish to breathe because the algae took over the waterways.
Textile installation complete
Another factor that has caused distress for the community is that water licenses are given to anyone willing to pay for them. Water is taken away from the community and given to people to trade.
Textile installation complete
What is interesting to note is that for the first time in 5 years, Lake Menindee weir opened up and water was released into the bone dry lake only a couple of days after we had installed and de-installed our textile installation on the lake. I feel that Aunty and the installation working in unison really worked to bring water back to Lake Menindee!
Menindee resident Aunty Beryl Carmichael, who is the last Ngypampa Elder, watching over our textile installation
Event Two – Protest Banners
Jo Mellor and the Sydney artist participants Jenny Tubby, Terhi Hakola, Bernadette Facer and Tess Mullins in protest with women from The Barkandji Native Title Aboriginal Corporation, Menindee Branch, Cheryl Blore, Barb Quayle and Cindy Bates.
The second event saw textile banners used with the local Menindee community to protest the mismanagement of water in the Menindee region.
Printed and embroidered textile banners and posters on the graffiti bus
When I de-installed the textile installation, I asked the Barkandji River Ranger Co-Ordinator at The Barkandji Native Title Aboriginal Corporation, Menindee Branch – Cheryl Blore, if she would like the leftover textiles and she welcomed them with open arms.
Embroidered textile banner on the graffiti bus
The Sydney women participants and I joined with three Barkandji women to protest next to the famous graffiti bus. I protested with my embroidered textile banners which I had printed at Digital Fabrics. Cindy Bates, Barb Quayle and Cheryl Blore had their signs up too surrounding the bus. We were women united in one cause!
We protested in unison with the message to bring water back to The Darling River
Event Three – Yarning Circle & Drawing Workshop
Drawing workshop and yarning circle using remnant fabric from Digital Fabrics
Painting using remnant fabric
The third event comprised of a yarning circle and drawing workshop which was held by the banks of Pamamaroo Lake. The event was a collaboration with Aunty Beryl Carmichael and the Sydney women artists and featured textile remnants provided by Digital Fabrics to draw on.
Aunty Beryl Carmichael yarning with Tess Mullins, Bernadette Facer and Terhi Hakola by the banks of Pamamaroo Lake, far west NSW
Painting using remnant fabric
We are so excited to share that we have finally made it possible for our customers to custom print onto rayon fabric! The newest addition to our range of stock fabrics is sure to become a favourite – time to meet our NEW Romance fabric!
This wonderfully soft fabric is lightweight (100GSM) and made from 100% rayon fibres. Romance has a fine satin weave with a smooth texture, and has a maximum printable width of 140 cm.
Romance has a white base with a touch of warmth and a gorgeously subtle sheen to it’s finish, providing good-strength colour reproduction when printing.
Romance has good washability, meaning that the colours won’t wash out too quickly from wash and wear. As always, we recommend hand-washing to best preserve the longevity of your custom printed fabric. Due to the fabric’s fine weave we recommend to hand-wash only in maximum temperatures of 40 degrees, do not tumble dry and iron on low setting on the reverse side of the print.
Top sample shows colours before washing, middle sample has been hand-washed according to our care instructions, bottom sample shows colour fade after standard machine cycle.
Bottom sample shows fabric before washing, middle sample has been hand-washed according to our care instructions, top sample shows colour fade after standard machine cycle.
Please keep in mind that Romance will shrink a little after a washing, with expected shrinkage being 1.7% in the width (weft) of the fabric and 7.5% in the length (warp) of the fabric.
This fabric’s fine weave, good drape and finish makes it a fantastic choice for fashion projects! We think it’s ideal for dresses, women’s blouses, scarves, long summer tunics, sarongs, bandanas and pocket squares.
Sample swatches of the Romance are available in either our ‘Natural Fabrics’ or ‘Super Pack’ fabric sample packs which can be ordered online. Want to know if the Romance fabric will suit your upcoming project? Get in touch! We’d love to know more and offer some recommendations.
We have felt so very fortunate to have the incredibly talented Beck Ng of label Fabric Drawer taking part in this instalment of The Designer Project and have loved sharing her creativity and designs with you all! Beck has a background in graphic design however the maker eventually found her passion for textile design and we’re so glad that she did! Not only has Beck made a range of her wonderfully playful designs available in our Fabric Shop online as part of The Designer Project, but the designer herself has also written a guest blog which is featured below. The blog details how Beck came to surface design, her inspirations and how she typically creates her quirky pieces. Keep reading to find out more about Beck Ng and her fabulous designs!
Beck Ng
Hello! I’m Beck and I’m a surface designer and maker from Melbourne who has a love of creating patterns and making things.
Beck’s inspirational books, sketch book and all important iMac
After working as a graphic designer for many years and yearning to create something away from the computer, I enrolled myself into a couple of screen-printing courses, which led me to become fascinated with pattern repeats and eventually to study textiles.
Beck’s sketch book
“The Meadow Strike” design
I enjoy drawing and find inspiration from my travels, nature and life living in Melbourne. Florals, animals and geometric shapes feature heavily in my work.
Beck’s sketch book
“Roar Neon” design
I start most of my patterns as sketches on paper. I’ll usually draw quite a few different motifs in my notebook before I bring them into Adobe Illustrator to digitise. This means I am often re-drawing them on the computer, which allows me to easily edit and re-colour later. I tend to gravitate towards busy repeats and lots of motifs for my hero prints, but I also love the simplicity of a simpler design (which is not always simple to create!). From a hero print I will develop a collection of prints using the same theme and colour palette. It can be a bit of a process building a collection, so nowadays I will often just work on a hero print and come back to secondary and basic prints if I want to later on.
“Roar Neon” printed onto fabric
“Roar Neon” t-shirt mock-up
I created my label Fabric Drawer to showcase my work on a small range of fabric and paper products. The range is evolving, but I love to see my designs come to life on products. I also collaborate with clients to license my work to feature on their products.
“Siesta Blue” printed onto fabric
“Siesta Blue” tote bag mock-up
I’m really excited to have a collection of prints available through Digital Fabrics. One of the things that I love about having my prints on fabric is the joy of seeing what people create. As a sewer myself I know the possibilities are endless, so I look forward to seeing what you create!
You can continue to follow my creative journey through my Instagram account @fabric_drawer, and please do tag me if you would like to share what you make with my designs!
You can also check out more of Beck’s work at Fabric Drawer.
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!