We’re absolutely thrilled to announce that our new feature artist as part of The Designer Project is graphic designer and surface pattern maker Louise Addison. Louise is the creative genius behind design studio Radge Design and brings fabric to life through her surface designs! Louise has always loved art and being creative and now enjoys working as a designer to help make people’s ideas a reality.
Louise’s surface designs include hand-illustrated motifs and textures and tend to be informed by a love of movements throughout art history. We feel very fortunate that Louise has made a range of her gorgeous hand-drawn designs available in our Fabric Shop online – introducing the “Paintbrush Faces” Collection! The collection features a rich colour palette and gestural motifs and linework which feel playful and versatile. We’ve included a little more info about each of the designs below including DIY project ideas to get the ideas flowing.
The “Paintbrush” design features loosely sketched forms and rough lines which create a deconstructed geometric style print. “Paintbrush” is available in six colourways; “Paintbrush Teal”, “Basic Blue”, “Mondrien Monday”, “Paintbrush Blue”, “Scarlett Saturday” and “Blue Sunday”.
We think the “Paintbrush” designs would be a fantastic choice for full, a-line skirts and summer dresses.
The “Basics” design is a contemporary take on the classic pinstripe design. The design features hand-drawn strokes in alternating lengths which don’t quite join up. The short perpendicular lines add dimension and fun to the print. “Basics” is available in four colourways; “Basic Blush”, “Basic Teal”, “Basic Scarlett” and “Basic Sunshine”.
The “Basics” designs are very easy to wear and would be a gorgeous choice for wide leg pants, jumpsuits and co-ordinate sets.
“Paintbrush Faces” is a bold, abstract print featuring deconstructed face motifs scattered amongst roughly drawn shapes, textures and linework. “Paintbrush Faces” is available in three colourways; “Wednesday Blues”, “Thoughtful Thursday” and “Funky Friday”.
“Paintbrush Faces” would be great designs to use for short sleeved button-up shirts, scarves and bandanas.
Each of Louise’s designs are available to be printed onto any of our stock fabrics and we cannot wait for you to fall in love with the “Paintbrush Faces” Collection! Simply head to our Fabric Shop, choose your design and then select the fabric base cloth – it’s that easy!
Around two years ago, I decided to combine my skills as a graphic designer and an artist to create bespoke surface art. From this my small business, Trace of Colour, was born.
Tracy Hall in her studio
My designs have an arty feel about them and usually involve familiar shapes with curious perspectives and punchy colours. All my designs start from a quick pencilled sketch, then outlined and defined using ink markers. Whether it’s common objects or the fauna and wonder of seasonal change, it doesn’t matter, I love the simple process of drawing.
Every day I go on long walks with my two dogs and I always carry a sketch book with me – you’ll never know what you’ll see or what will pique the imagination. There’s an endless and amazing source of inspiration in this world.
Selection of Tracy’s designs
Once I’m happy with the finished image, I’ll scan it and use Photoshop to digitally enhance and create a repeat pattern. This way I can easily alter or adjust each element of the final design (colour, scale and/or texture) to suit any application or product. I’ve found this is the best way to personalise a pattern for my clients.
My dragonfly designs are a good example of this process. It started with two drawings and ended up being a collection of different colours and size patterns to suit fabrics for fashion and/or home décor.
Original sketches used for Tracy’s “Dragonfly” designs
“Dancing Dragonflies”
“Dragonfly Green Garden”
“Dragonfly Garden”
I have a lovely little room in my house that has become my studio. It’s decked-out with numerous bits of paraphernalia, material swatches and eclectic artwork. This is my creative space where I become completely immersed in the design process. I am not a hoarder by nature, but I don’t throw away any of my drawings and as a result, I have shelves full of sketch books. I tend to use my sketch books as others would mood boards. To me they represent a visual collage of ideas and inspiration for my pattern creations.
Tracy illustrating designs
I also love the history of textile design and have an extensive collection of pattern and textile books. It’s fascinating to learn about the origin of patterns – why they were created and their possible cultural connections. Did you know that the ‘animal skin’ pattern was created as a status symbol to give the wearer a sense of empowerment? This concept definitely influenced my animal skin patterns – we all need to feel empowered, right?
“By The Light Of The Moon”
“By The Light Of The Moon” Top
To me, patterns are what I call ‘usable art’. Generally we often wear dark or plain coloured clothing, and paint our homes in neutral tones. My style of artwork and patterns challenges this status quo.
A bespoke patterned piece of fabric can completely alter an outfit – giving it a ‘wow’ factor and make it look stunning. It can transform an old drab armchair into an eye-catching piece of furniture that everyone will rave about.
“Octopus Lace”
“Octopus Lace” Cushion Mockup
I truly enjoy the process of creating something from nothing and producing unique pieces of artwork that can be used as everyday items. I believe that most of us have an innate desire to style ourselves and the spaces we live in, so why not use my surface art and create something special.
You can view Tracy’s fabrics available in our Fabric Shop or follow Tracy’s creative journey on Instagram and Facebook.
If you want to collaborate with us on The Designer Project initiative and become part of this creative club, please apply! Send us an email with your portfolio and why you want to be part of this and sure, we will be in touch.
We are so excited to share with you that designer and artist Tracy Hall is our new The Designer Project feature artist! The Canberra-based creative combined her natural artistic abilities and hand-drawing techniques with her graphic design skills to create her bespoke business Trace of Colour. Trace of Colour focuses on creating gorgeous surface pattern designs and we couldn’t be more thrilled that Tracy has added a series of her beautifully detailed designs to our Fabric Shop online!
Tracy’s designs are inspired by the beauty found in the everyday and the natural world, and are all hand-drawn before being refined and put into repeat digitally. Tracy’s intricate illustrative style and her affinity for using both neutral and vivid colours creates a body of work which is rich and versatile, with each design telling it’s own story. Below we’ve shared a little bit more about each of the lovingly created designs and the types of projects we imagine them being perfect for – keep reading!
“Bouquet of Dahlias” features soft pom-pom like flower motifs inspired by Tracy’s own patch of dahlias in the garden. Unlike Tracy’s dahlias, these stay in bloom all year round!
We think “Bouquet of Dahlias” would be a fantastic choice for statement decorative cushions.
Tracy’s “Dragonfly” designs are personal favourites for the artist and were inspired by dragonflies zooming around the garden. The design features delicately drawn dragonfly and flower motifs and is available in three colourways “Dancing Dragonflies” (pale blue background), “Dragonfly Garden” (purple flowers) and “Dragonfly Green Garden” (green background).
The “Dragonfly” designs are a perfect choice for a flowy summer dress!
“Brilliant Glowing Jellyfish” is a glorious celebration of vibrant colour and soft magical forms and transports you to an underwater party. The bold design was inspired by Tracy’s fascination with the ocean and its weird and wonderous creatures.
“Brilliant Glowing Jellyfish” would be a fantastic choice for men’s boxer shorts or briefs.
“Maypole Flowers” is a stunningly bright and colourful design which features clusters of quirky bouquets set against an intoxicating vermillion backdrop. The design is a perfect choice for those who love adding colour to their outfit or space.
We think “Maypole Flowers” would be an incredible design to use for swimwear.
“Tapestry of Butterflies” is also inspired by Tracy’s garden and captures the change of the seasons, with flowers beginning to bloom and butterflies fluttering amongst them. The design pairs warm autumnal colours with pops of cyan and blue which gives the artwork a contemporary feel.
We think “Tapestry of Butterflies” could be used to create a gorgeous blouse, swimwear or dress, it also will be great for upholstered footstool or ottoman.
Be swept away by Tracy’s “Tower of Giraffes” design, which features majestic giraffe motifs nestled amongst a deep and brooding background. This a mid to large-scale design with the largest giraffe motif approximately 20cm in length.
“Tower of Giraffes” could be used for a super cute children’s tipi design.
“Lush Tropical Paradise” brings the tropics to you! The very lush design features carefully drawn bird and leaf motifs. The selective use of colour allows for hints of red and pink to really pop against the green rich artwork.
“Lush Tropical Paradise” would be a great choice for halter neck dresses, blouses, jumpsuits.
Tracy’s “Octopus Lace” designs were inspired by a visit to the local aquarium where she was particularly intrigued by the tentacles and underside of the gorgeous creatures. Tracy’s approach to illustrating the octopus motifs results in the intertwining of their tentacles appearing like fine lace. The designs are available in two colourways, “Octopus Lace” (soft pink background) and “Octopus Lace Dark” (rich brown background).
The “Octopus Lace” designs would be a gorgeous choice for tableware, activewear, wide-leg pants, jumpsuit, dresses and tops.
“Tropical Paradise Leaves” is a timeless rendition of a tropical style print with beautifully drawn botanic motifs. Tracy adds pops of pink to the otherwise warm, neutral colour palette which gives the artwork dimension and personality.
We think “Tropical Paradise Leaves” would be a stunning choice for decadent feeling curtains.
“Zebra Heard Stripes” was inspired by a dazzle (herd) of zebras stampeding through a savanna. The result is a fantastic monochrome print which puts a spin on classic striped designs.
“Zebra Heard Stipes” would be a great choice for a co-ordinate two-piece outfit or women’s suit, leggings, board shorts, swimwear, jumpsuit and rashvest.
“By The Light Of The Moon” features intricately drawn moth motifs set against a textured olive green backdrop. If you look closely in the background you can see hints of the moon captured at it’s different phases.
“By The Light Of The Moon” would be an excellent design to use for gorgeously upholstered footstool or ottoman.
We’re over the moon that Tracy is taking part in The Designer Project, with each of the designs show above being available to print onto of our stock fabrics. Simply head to our Fabric Shop, select the design you would like to print and then choose which of our fabrics you would like it printed on – it’s that easy!
Welcome to my little corner of the world, my name is Sami Sparrow, artist, author and designer. I’m delighted to share my work, process and latest collection “Favourite Things” with you. An extravaganza of fun, cute and character filled designs awaits you. Some hand-painted, all hand-drawn. I’m so thrilled to be teaming up with Digital Fabrics to bring you designs for you to create a more personal project with.
Sami Sparrow in her studio
“Favourite Things” is a collection of just that, a few of my favourite things. This diverse collection has a variety of designs, some created digitally, some painted but all hand-drawn. I enjoy creating in both styles depending on where the mood takes me. My work is inspired by my eclectic life and love for vintage, bright colours, children’s book illustrations and cute things in general; I like to think this is reflected in each of my designs. When developing this collection I wanted to bring a sense of comfort, homeliness and childhood excitement, with each design telling its own story.
Sami’s creative space
Sami hand-painting watercolour motifs
Behind the scenes in my studio, I take on the ‘more is more’ interior design concept. Being an extremely visual person, I enjoy being surrounded by an assortment of inspirational items that I have been collecting throughout my life and continue to curate on a regular occurrence. From childhood toys and books to vintage, geometric and graffiti works of art, my studio is my temple; my decorated hive; my place of creative oneness.
Selected designs from the “Favourite Things” Collection
“Bugs – Leaf Green”
Interestingly, I’ve just realised I do not tend to share my creative process very much. So I’ll give you a taste of how my creative brain works. Each of my designs begin with me sitting down and doing a bit of inspirational research. As I said, I’m a very visual person and my eyes love to devour as much content as possible. Colours, shapes, movement and expression are just some of the attributes I will be seeking to recreate with my own style. This also helps me to decide if the design will be hand-painted or digitally drawn. With sketch book in hand I roughly draft some ideas. Once I have a page filled with concepts I refine my scribbles in another sketch book giving the designs more character and personality. Depending on my desired format, I will either photograph the sketch to re-draw digitally in Procreate, or re-draw on crisp paper and begin painting for an organic finish before scanning and digitally creating the pattern repeat. This process can take anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks to complete.
Sami working on the “Cats and Dogs” design
“Favourite Things” Collection designs bag mockup
An exceptional example of my digital work is “City Scape”. This piece is inspired by the skyscrapers and tall buildings crammed into a small space in cities all across the world. I love the geometric shapes of these buildings and how shadows and light play on the faces of the structures throughout the day. The piece was a great challenge to create and had to be made digitally to get the sharp edges and angles I was looking for. For a beautiful contrast why not use this geometric charm on a flowing dress, skirt or robe.
“City Scape”
“Favourite Things” Collection design mockup
As for hand-painted designs, you cannot go past “Floral Fungi”. This complex smaller scale design sprung to life through my love for the natural world. I’m a long-time admirer of fungi and feel they are just as beautiful as many flowers, so incorporating them with flowers was a natural progression for this creation. I knew I wanted to capture the organic textures left by using watercolour paint as details within both the flowers and fungi, so this design had no chance of going digital until it was time to create the repeat. I feel this design would look stunning as a blouse, cushion or even a shawl.
“Floral Fungi”
“Floral Fungi” robe mockup
“Favourite Things” Collection designs cushion mockup
I’m excited to bring our stories together and see what you create with my designs. From “Cats and Dogs” to “Butterfly Collector” to “Bugs”; “Book Worm” or “Donuts” there is just as many awesome fabric bases to choose from at Digital Fabrics as there are designs to choose. You will only be limited by your imagination for what we could achieve together. Please share your projects with me via Facebook or Instagram, I just can’t wait to see what you make. Thank you so much for your time and happy creating!
Sami in the studio with her fur babies
If you want to collaborate with us on The Designer Project initiative and become part of this creative club, please apply! Send us an email with your portfolio and why you want to be part of this and sure, we will be in touch.
We couldn’t be more excited to announce that the ultra-talented, Goulburn-based Sami Sparrow is our latest feature artist in The Designer Project. Sami is an artist, author and designer who explores her creativity through illustration, design and painting. Sami’s current creative pursuits include creating cute and vintage inspired illustrations for surface designs, some of which have been made available for our Fabric Shop online – introducing the ‘Favourite Things’ Collection.
Sami’s ‘Favourite Things’ Collection brings together a variety of fun and heart-warming designs inspired by the things the artist loves. The collection features artwork created from watercolour paintings and digital illustrations, balancing rich and muted colours with both soft textures and graphic shapes. Each of the designs have a distinct personality and we have shared some project ideas below for each of the lovingly made prints so keep reading!
‘Indoor Plants’ is inspired by the type of ceramic plates everyone’s nanna had when you were growing up and an adoration of house plants. The small-scale print features motifs painted from Sami’s own collection of plants and are bursting with inky details.
‘Indoor Plants’ would be a fantastic choice for a plush cushion cover, curtains, table or kitchen wear – this surely has someone on your Christmas list sorted!
‘Cityscape’ is inspired by the skycrapers crammed into small spaces seen in cities around the world. The design really captures the way light and shadows play on the hard surfaces and edges of these structures throughout the day.
Strong shapes of the ‘Cityscape’ elements would be the perfect for the power suit or blazer.
‘Dragons’ is inspired by the often misunderstood mythological creature. Sami’s dragon motifs have been carefully hand-painted using watercolours, revealing their cute and sensitive qualities, and are set against a rich charcoal backdrop.
We think the ‘Dragons’ print should be used for a silky set of pajamas or summer bedrobe.
The ‘Floral Fungi’ design is dripping with texture and detail and celebrates fungi illustrations nestled amongst floral illustrations. The small-scale artwork puts a quirky spin on a botanic print.
‘Floral Fungi’ would be perfect for a cute button up shirt with short sleeves or Gypsy style dress.
‘Butterfly Collector’ is reminiscent of a specimen drawer from a natural history museum, proudly presenting a collection of stunningly intricate butterflies. The print is available in two colourways, with the ‘Pink’ colourway mirroring the delicate nature of the motifs whilst the ‘Charoal’ colourway results in a design which feels much more dramatic.
‘Butterfly Collector’ would be a fabulous choice for a long slinky dress with spaghetti straps.
‘Donuts’ is a super fun print with big bold donut motifs and the adorable scattering of sprinkles throughout. ‘Donuts’ is available in two colourways ‘Magenta’ and ‘Purple’ with both feeling playful and vibrant.
‘Donuts’ would be such a fun idea for board or boxed shorts, Hawaiian style shirts for the little ones and big kids alike.
‘Caravan’ is a fun celebration of pastel automotive history and reveals Sami’s love of vintage style prints. The design is available in two colourways, with the ‘Yellow’ looking like a lemon coloured dream and the ‘Grey’ offering a more versatile print.
‘Caravan’ would be a great choice for a quirky a-line skirt.
‘Bugs’ has been created from Sami’s strong curiosity in the natural world, and a particular fondness for the beautiful intricacies found amongst bugs and insects. ‘Bugs’ is available in two colourways ‘Blue’ and ‘Leaf Green’ with each colourway providing a rich colour palette for the vibrant motifs to be set against.
‘Bugs’ could be a fantastic choice for fun table accessories such as table-runners and napkins.
‘Floating Butterflies’ features a variety of beautifully illustrated butterfly motifs which appear to be gracefully flying throughout the design. ‘Floating Butterflies’ is available in three gorgeous colourways ‘Green’, ‘Pink’ and ‘Purple’.
‘Floating Butterflies’ would be a fantastic choice for a formal style hair scarf.
‘Book Worm’ is inspired by Sami’s love of books, with children’s books in particular inspiring many of Sami’s illustrations. This small-scale print is available in two colourways, with the ‘Blue’ colourway offering a fairly monochromatic design whilst the ‘Maroon’ colourway feels more decadent.
‘Book Worm’ would be a really cute print for mens shorts.
‘Cats and Dogs’ is a celebration of our furry friends and allows both cat and dog people to unite! The figurative design is available in two colourways, with the ‘Turquoise’ colourway allowing the motifs to really pop whilst the ‘Lavender’ colouray feels more delicate.
‘Cats and Dogs’ would be a fabulous choice for makeup and cosmetic pouches, tote bags or fun pet accessories.
The suggestions listed above and really just ideas to get your creative juices flowing. The possibility with each of these designs is truly limitless. Each of the designs featured in the ‘Favourite Things‘ Collection are available to print onto any of our gorgeous stock fabric print bases.
The third creative powerhouse to feature in The Designer Project is artist and designer Anna Markula. As part of the instalment Anna has made a range of her captivating designs available in our Fabric Shop online and we are so thrilled to be able to offer these for printing on any of our stock fabrics! Anna herself has put together this blog which invites you into her creative studio to see what goes into Girl and the Deep Blue Sea designs.
Hi everyone! Anna here from Girl and the Deep Blue Sea – I’m so excited to have some of my pattern designs available through Digital Fabrics. Girl and the Deep Blue Sea is all about fun, vibrant, tropical vibes and I hope you enjoy this blog post about my design process.
Anna Markula in her studio
I created Girl and the Deep Blue Sea to allow an escape from the everyday…. a shimmering, vibrant, lush, neon-esque tropical island surrounded by crystal clear waters bursting with colour and life!
My goal with my designs is to capture a certain feeling or a fleeting moment, like water ripples in the sun, or that overwhelming joy from dancing to your favourite song.
One of Anna’s many moodboards
Anna’s creative space
I love creating Pinterest boards with images that capture the feeling of Girl and the Deep Blue Sea, and often gain inspiration for my designs from this. I also have a huge photographic library from years of travelling, and am constantly inspired being outdoors in nature, especially at the beach or snorkelling a coral reef!
I work with a variety of mediums, mostly acrylics and watercolours. I love to experiment with different art materials to get a particular look I am after.
I like to work from a moodboard, but will often see (or dream!) the final design in my head and then I will work out how to create it.
‘Blue Diamonds’ design
‘Blue Diamonds’ design used for a beach throw
Process work for the ‘Blue Diamonds’ design
When I’m ready to start a new design, I set myself up with my moodboard images, some fun music (like Pnau), and the colour palette and art materials I want to work with.
I love to then spend a few hours just painting and creating lots of motifs – and usually drinking lots of green tea too!
Creative process behind the ‘Palm Swirl’ design
‘Palm Swirl’ design
‘Palm Swirl’ design used for a cushion
I then scan everything into Photoshop and start the fun part of turning the motifs into a repeat pattern. I will often layer my artwork with photographs to create a unique design, or sometimes I will create a design purely from my photographs such as Blue Lagoon.
The absolutely most exciting part of the process is seeing my designs in real life as lovely fabrics, and imagining what could be created with them.
‘Bird of Paradiso’ design
Anna at work in the studio
Anna’s ‘Summer Nights’ Collection
I hope you enjoyed this blog post, and that you are inspired to bring some Girl and the Deep Blue Sea into your life!
If you want to collaborate with us on The Designer Project initiative and become part of this creative club, please apply! Send us an email with your portfolio and why you want to be part of this and sure, I will be in touch.
We are so thrilled to share the next artist in focus for The Designer Project along with her stunning range of vivid textile designs that are guaranteed to whisk you away. Introducing Anna Markula and her collection ‘Summer Nights’! Anna is a professional ecologist (wow!) who has spent years working on incredible projects in the field all around the world. After having her daughter, Anna decided to pursue a more creative career, and with the ocean as her muse, she created Girl and the Deep Blue Sea. Anna now creates unique pattern designs, custom illustrations and photographic prints. Girl and the Deep Blue Sea is the perfect fantasy escape filled with tropical vibes, lush iconography and playful designs.
Anna’s latest collection ‘Summer Nights’ perfectly captures the essence of warm nights with fragrant floral air and a salty ocean breeze, and is available now in our ‘Fabric Shop’ online. Below, we’ve put the focus on each of Anna’s designs, providing a little insight into each and sharing the types of projects we think they’ll be great for, so keep reading!
‘Blue Lagoon’ is a gorgeously ornate print featuring photographic motifs with a tropical theme, including hibiscus’ and shells. The mid-scale artwork pairs the detailed design with a minimal colour palette to ensure it feels timeless.
‘Blue Lagoon’ would be a fantastic choice for a training swimwear, rash west or accent cushions.
‘Bird of Paradiso’ is a playful textile print pairing graphic shapes with a bold colour palette. The design has been created using hand-cut paper motifs and is inspired by Birds of Paradise flowers.
‘Bird of Paradiso’ would be the perfect print for a fun Summer playsuit!
‘Blue Diamonds’ is a bright, abstract design inspired by days spent at the beach. The detail rich artwork achieves this look by layering different techniques including underwater photography, shibori and watercolour paintings.
‘Blue Diamonds’ would be a great choice for statement activewear garments such as rash west or a pool party outfit.
‘Palm Swirl’ is a beautifully hypnotic design featuring hand-painted palm leaves with a marbled background. The mid-scale print instantly calms with it’s soft colour palette and gentle flow.
We think the ‘Palm Swirl’ print would create an incredible table-set or upholstery fabric, the perfect flourish for a coastal inspired interior.
‘Pink Flutter’ is a fun and graphic print featuring quirky motifs and statement pink background. The small-scale artwork has been created using hand-painted elements ensuring that the design has texture throughout.
‘Pink Flutter’ is just asking to be made into the cutest possible low-back one-piec kids swimsuit for Summer!
‘Pink Palms’ pairs a simplistic layout with a striking colour palette to create a design which feels fun! The design features hand-painted palm tree motifs which are approximately 5cm in height.
We would love to see ‘Pink Palms’ used for a retro feeling bandana or ponytail scarf!
‘Yellow Flutter’ is a playful design featuring hand-painted, abstract motifs nestled in a bed of sun yellow and is sure to put a smile on your face. We think this small-scale print is a fantastic statement design for your wardrobe.
‘Yellow Flutter’ would be an ideal choice for a retro feeling bandana or ponytail scarf!
We are so excited to have Anna taking part in our The Designer Project and can’t wait for you to all fall in love with her designs just as we have. Each of the designs featured in the ‘Summer Nights’ Collection are available to print onto any of our stock fabrics and our suggestions above are ideas only, the possibilities for each of the designs is truly endless.
Have you seen the latest print designs bursting with colour that have made their way into our Fabric Shop? These new delights are by artist and designer Katy Dee who is the powerhouse behind print-based label Shiztastic. All of Katy’s designs begin as an original artwork, using typically hand-painted and collage elements. Once the original pieces have been scanned, Katy then begins the process of layering, manipulating and arranging the elements in both Photoshop and Illustrator to create gorgeously playful prints. Her designs draw heavily from nature, kitsch and 80’s fashion and the simple joys which can be found in daily life and travels. Below we’ve the put the spotlight on each of Katy’s designs which are now available online, sharing ideas around what we think each design would be perfect for!
‘Pink Chintz’ is a big, bold floral design inspired by vintage wallpaper. The design features Katy’s favourite colour combination of red and pink, and with a design like this, it’s easy to see why this pairing is so adored. ‘Pink Chintz’ is a mid to large-scale design and provides a fun pop of colour for any wardrobe or space.
We’re getting strong female power suit vibes from this abstract floral, and think more is definitely more!
Image found via Pinterest
Next up is ‘Picnic Fun’, which is a playful print design full of fruity motifs that are in season all year round! This large-scale design features gorgeously hand-painted elements collaged together on a classic rug style background.
We think ‘Picnic Fun’ and a summer dress are a match made in heaven!
Image via Pinterest
Move over leopard print, there’s a new kid on the block! ‘Wild Thing’ puts a funky twist on an animal print classic by using textural hand-painted brushstrokes and a statement colour palette. This is a mid-scale print that’s easy to wear.
Wild Thing fabric design printed on Aerocorp fabric base
We would love to see this design used for a half circle or A-line skirt and think it will work well either paired with a plain or patterned top. Dress this design up or down, either way you’ll make a statement.
Image via Pinterest
Prepare for nostalgia! ‘Painted Love’ is inspired by the 80’s and a love for double denim. This fun take on a striped design is a mid-scale print and is suitable for both fashion and interiors.
Painted Love fabric design printed on Ponti print base fabric
With the design’s retro energy we just can’t un-see high-waisted pants with rolled ankle cuffs!
Image via Pinterest
‘Untangled’ features a beautiful colour palette of blues and pinks and inspired by a whimsical land of mazes. This mirrored print is simply stunning and so easy to get lost in it’s design. This large scale print is suitable for both fashion and interiors.
We’re wanting this magical design to carry us away into a slumber that is just as dreamy, and think chic loungewear and pajamas are the perfect way to use this print.
Image via Pinterest
‘Leaf Glitter’ is a bold mid-scale botanic print with a retro feeling colour palette. Inspired by camping trips in the woods on a sunny winters day, with an imagined forest floor full of brightly coloured leaves and plants.
‘Leaf Glitter’ is just begging to be turned into a fabulous kimono, ideal for those days where the weather is a little undecided.
Image via Pinterest
‘Sunset Garden Party’ pays homage to Katy’s mum’s garden, remembering it at sunset during an English Summer. The sun is setting, birds singing, and it feels as though all the charming flowers and plants are singing along too. This monochrome mid-scale print is a timeless design full of beautifully hand-painted textures and elements.
‘Sunset Garden Party’ would be a stunning choice for a shirt dress with it’s simple colour palette and bold graphic feel.
Image via Pinterest
We couldn’t be happier with Katy being the first artist involved in The Designer Project, making a selection of her designs available in our Fabric Shop online. The possibilities are endless with each of these designs, and can easily be translated across both fashion and interiors. Our suggestions above are just initial ideas to get those creative juices flowing and can’t wait to see the versatility across all the creative projects you use these fabulous designs for!
We thought we’d try something different and put together a guide that’s sure to get you beach ready. Let’s talk Summer essentials! Think durable tote bags, deluxe beach throws, quirky board shorts, divine kaftans and fun swimwear of course. Whether you’re an expert with a sewing machine or just getting a feel for custom textiles, the end of year holidays are the perfect time to start a DIY project. There’s nothing more satisfying than using your art to create something that’s both unique and practical to enjoy. In this article we go through our stock fabric top picks for the season and the popular beach products they’re perfect for so keep reading!
Image via Pinterest
COTTON LINEN – 97% Cotton / 3% Linen & 250gsm
Let start simple! Have you seen Turkish Towels or gorgeous Beach Throws? They’re trending Summer essentials and we think our Cotton Linen is the perfect fabric to use.
Cotton Linen is a wonderfully textured natural fibre blend with a durable weave. The fabric has a warm off-white base colour and a matte finish. To use this fabric for a beach throw simply print your custom design and then cut & hem the edges – easy!
Image via Pinterest
COTTON VOILE – 100% Cotton & 75gsm
Want to make your own kaftan or sarong for the warm weather? We think this is another simple project with our Cotton Voile being the perfect fabric for the job!
Cotton Voile is light-weight and super soft and can be compared to muslin, especially after washing as this fabric will only get softer over time! It has an off-white base colour, is semi-sheer and has a matte finish. This fabric is light and airy to wear making it perfect for poolside wraps and ultra-chic kaftans.
Image via Pinterest
Image via Pinterest
CANVAS – 100% Polyester & 300gsm
Interested in custom beach totes? Look no further! Our Polyester Canvas is just what you need to create a sturdy tote bag!
Our Polyester Canvas is a first choice canvas fabric which is highly durable and softens over time the more you use it. This is a plain weave fabric with a bright white base which ensures vibrant printing results ideal for beach accessories. This fabric is also easy to clean and is water resistant making this the ideal choice for beach bags.
Image via Pinterest
Image via Pinterest
VESNA (ECO-LYCRA) – 85% Recycled Polyester / 15% Spandex & 230gsm
For swimwear garments we recommend checking out our Vesna (Eco Lycra)! It’s an absolute must have fabric to rock an eco-friendly bikini this summer!
Vesna (Eco-Lycra) is an innovative fabric made using recycled plastic bottles! It has an off-white base, a smooth surface and moisture wicking properties. The fabric produces vibrant print results and the surface’s slight sheen will make your artwork pop! The Vesna has an even four-way stretch, a chlorine rating between 4-5 and a UPF rating of 50+ making it the perfect choice for your custom swimwear.
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AEROCORP – 100% Polyester & 125gsm
Ever considered creating your own board shorts? We think our Aerocorp fabric is an excellent choice to bring a custom pair of boardies to life!
Aerocorp is a light-weight, microfiber fabric with a smooth and fine texture. It has a bright white base and a matte finish and has excellent colour reproduction when printed. It also provides moisture management and breathability, making it super comfortable to wear – perfect for lounging by the pool.
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Ready to start your creative summer project? Order your custom fabric today! If you’re still unsure which of our fabrics will suit your project best, please get in touch!
