Tag Archives: artwork

‘Aussie Cuties’ Textile Collection by Meredith Simpson

We’re super excited to announce that our next featured artist from The Designer Project will be ever so talented, Meredith Simpson!

The ‘Aussie Cuties’ collection was inspired by our beautifully unique Australian native animals. Meredith feels that we are so lucky to have such wonderful creatures that are native to our home and finds them so gorgeous to draw. Created from pastel pencils and that she finds to be the perfect medium for capturing the texture and softness of animal fur.

Keep reading to find out more about Meredith Simpson and her adorable animal designs!

‘Walter Wombat’ is a fluffball full of fun. Paired with our beautiful native gum blossoms, this print is pretty and playful.

‘Walter Wombat’ would be such an adorable design for kitchen homewares and garments such as aprons!

‘Native Cuties’ is a super cute print that features four of our iconic native animals: koala, echidna, platypus and wombat. The natural colours of the animals and the green gum leaves against the bright white background make the colours shine!

We love ‘Native Cuties’ for some fun fashion accessories like tote bags or even some kidswear!

‘Keeley Koala’ is the most gorgeous green print that features the cute Keeley koala together with her favourite eucalyptus leaves!

‘Keeley Koala’ is the perfect print for sweet accessories such as pouches and bags!

‘Quinn Quokka’, this cheerful, adorable print features the always smiling Quokka! The watercolour flower detail and warm colour palette make this such a joyful print that will make you want to smile too.

We think ‘Quinn Quokka’ would be an amazing design for home and interior projects such as Cushions!

‘Titch the Tasmanian Devil’ is a celebration of all things Tasmanian! This lovely print features Titch the Tasmanian Devil together with the beautiful Tasmanian Blue Gum.

‘Titch the Tasmanian Devil’ is a super fun print that would be perfect for projects such as a DIY laptop case or homewares such as Tea Towels!

‘Native Cuties 2’ is a sweet print featuring three of our unique native animals: dingo, quokka and Tasmanian devil together with our beautiful blue gum leaves. The natural colours of the animals and the native foliage against the bright white background make the print come to life!

‘Native Cuties 2’ would work perfect for some cute fashion garments like an adorable skirt or even some kidswear!

All of our project ideas above are suggestions only as the sky’s truly the limit with Meredith’s adorable animal collection! Each of Meredith’s designs can be found in our Fabric Shop, so head on over to be inspired for your next DIY project!

Emilie Otto – The Designer Project

We have absolutely loved sharing these fun loving designs by creative Emilie Otto and hope you’ve loved her designs as much as we have! To coincide with Emilie’s ‘Life of the Party’ collection being made available to all of our customers through our Fabric Shop online, the artist herself has put together a guest blog which further explains her one of a kind creative process and what inspires her work.

Keep reading to find out more about Emilie Otto and her unique design process!

‘Emilie Otto’

Hi, I’m Emilie Otto (aka Em).

Let’s get creative friends, I’m so excited to share these fun filled fabric prints with you all! It has been one of my wildest dreams since I can remember to create bold, eccentric and joy filled designs to inspire people to create and feel authentically themselves. I am never someone who likes to blend into a crowd or follow the leader and I wanted these designs to reflect this.

‘Emilie painting in her studio’

This a slice of my first collection “Life of the Party” an eccentric mix of colourful coordinates. Curated for fun lovers, sun-seekers, and most importantly good times! These designs are created from hand carved stamps, which have been elevated using a variety of digital techniques. The bright colour palettes embody my favourite parts of summer. These designs where made to suit fashion and accessories projects, but the sky’s the limit.

‘Carving design stamps’

These designs didn’t come about in a conventional way, in fact it woke me up at 2am! I couldn’t stop thinking about carving little stamps and creating little still life artworks. It all happened within a matter of hours, I was listening to my favourite playlist hand carving wine bottles, crabs, lemons, and a range of flowers. I fell in love instantly and after finishing the carvings I could head back to bed for some more sleep.

‘Emilie using her handmade stamps’

Most of the designs are inspired by items I have in my studio, which spark happiness. Items have been collected from thrift stores, gifted, and saved to remind me of special moments. I love bright colours and love high contrast patterns, so these colour combinations feel very true to my style as a designer.

‘Emilie painting in her studio’

All of the designs I create are something that I would love wearing, most of the time they don’t start out with a purpose in mind. I focus on enjoying the making process and more often that not they turn into whatever they were meant to be, these stamps started as card designs but evolved into statement fabric designs.

‘Clothing Mockups of Designs’

Here are a few clothing examples that really get me excited, they have an element of comfort, are carefree and also let people’s personalities shine through. Any of the fabrics in this collection would work well on their own, they can also be mixed and match to really turn up the fun.

‘Emilie Otto’

My studio space is full of dancing lights, disco balls and prims hanging from the windows along with artwork from other designers who inspire me. It’s a chaotic space, but I always feel so inspired when I sit down at my desk and start painting.

I hope that these designs bring some energy and fun into your next DIY project.

Em xo

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!

‘Scenes from a Daydream’ Textile Collection by Madeline Hawkins

It’s come that time again to introduce our newest featured artist of The Designer Project for the month of August! Introducing the wonderful talented Madeline Hawkins.

Madeline is an illustrator, pattern designer and artist living on Bundjalung country, creating from her home studio. This collection of handcrafted, stand-alone patterns speak of romance, femininity, nostalgia and wonder. Inspired by the likes of Lewis Carrolls ‘Alice in Wonderland’, these patterns are an ode to day-dreaming.

Each of Madeline’s beautiful designs can be printed onto any of our fabrics, which means you can order custom designer fabric that’s tailored to you. Keep reading to find out more about Madeline Hawkins and her ‘Scenes from a Daydream’ collection!

Pink Gin at golden hour! ‘Sadie Haze’ shows off her neon water colour petals against and delicious honeycomb backdrop.

‘Sadie Haze’ is a fantastic print for some luxurious pyjamas and hair accessories like scrunchies!

‘Posie Pink’ is ultra feminine and super sweet. This tossed print sends dainty floral motifs in various directions and speaks of an old fashioned romance.

We think ‘Posie Pink’ is a great print to use for soft accessories and baby clothes.

‘Posie Picnic’ is a fun take on her sister – ‘Posie Pink’. Sporting a gingham backdrop and sending her dainty floral motifs in various directions. Afternoon picnics were made for her.

‘Posie Picnic’ is a divine print for any homeware products. We would love to see this on some Tea Towels or even oven mits!

‘Peggy Plaid’ is a little vintage inspired number with cheerful cheek! She was made for both sophistication and play! A fun plaid with a delicious combination of colours.

We think ‘Peggie Plaid’ is a great print for a springtime pant suit or perhaps as some statement pillowcases for your bedroom.

‘Maggie May’ is all the whimsy, nostalgic thoughts dancing like stardust. Wildly scribbled pansies in vivid green and the yummiest pink make Maggie the dreamer she is.

‘Maggie May’ is the absolutely perfect choice for spring garments like slip dresses and skirts and accessories such as bandanas

Dreamy ‘Lola Lilac’ is the lullaby before we slip into dreamland. A ditsy tossed floral number, her combination of soft berry blue and silky lilac tones is oh so flattering.

‘Lola Lilac’ is a great choice for full piece swimsuits, camisoles and men’s button up shirts.

An effervescent, wildly cheerful moment of ‘Juni Bloom’ leaves you radiating for the day. Her clashing colours and large, innocent blooms invite you to play!

‘Juni Bloom’ is an excellent choice to create show-stopping homewares and fashion pieces!

‘Julia Joy’ wears large acrylic painted pansies in the most enchanting pastels. She is the dance between soft and bold. The ‘head in the clouds’ type, but sophisticated. She is a joy to gaze at and to get lost in her spectrum of colours.

We think ‘Julia Joy’ is such a beautiful choice for flowing garments such as maxi dresses, blouses and even some men’s shirts.

Let ‘Joan Meadow’ take you on a trip, through boundless fields of wildflowers in the misty spring mornings. Joan knows the way. It’s zero business and all play.

We would love to see ‘Joan Meadow’ used for spring fashion! We’re thinking flowy dresses and skirts, perhaps some lovely pants!

Collecting pebbles creek side in the summer glow of the afternoon, ‘Georgie Pebble’ sports an array of lovely organic shapes. She is joyous, imaginative and her colours reflect the warmth of the incoming sunset.

We think ‘Georgie Pebble’ would be a gorgeous design to use for swimwear and tea towels.

Complete Strawberry Shortcake vibes. ‘Francess gingham’ is a classic gingham with the most sugary sweet colour combo.

‘Francess Gingham’ is the perfect statement print for playful tableware, bedding and picnic rugs.

All of our project ideas above are suggestions only as the sky’s truly the limit with Madeline’s beautiful ‘Scenes from a Daydream’ collection! Each of Madeline’s designs can be found in our Fabric Shop, so head on over to be inspired for your next DIY project!

Britney Munday – The Designer Project

We absolutely loved sharing these amazing prints by Victoria-based designer Britney Munday! To coincide with Britney’s beautiful “Pressed Flowers” + “Retro Resilience” collections being made available online to all of our customers, through our Fabric Shop, the artist herself has put together a guest blog which further explains her one of a kind approach to creating surface patterns, a bit about herself and what inspires her work.

Keep on reading to find out more about Britney and her creative style!

‘Britney Munday’

Hello all!

I am Britney, the designer behind B.A. Munday Designs and I am thrilled to be a part of Digital Fabric’s Designer Project. I am currently based in the Gippsland area of Victoria but originated from the United States. One thing that has stayed constant in my life is living in rural communities that have a love for simplicity and nature.

‘Collection of painting by Britney’

As a child I was very shy and never was one to draw attention to myself; art was the exception. After moving to Australia, I put on hold any artistic endeavours and focused on living life, getting married and having kids. There then came a time when I had been a mom for so long, I forgot what I even liked anymore. That’s when Surface Pattern Design entered my life. I have spent the last 2 years cultivating my artistic style, connecting with other artists, and loving the idea of bringing beauty to the world with my designs.

‘Raw floral sketches’

I recently found out I have ADHD which means my style is always flowing and adapting to whatever my brain is passionate about in that moment. I usually stick to florals but will sometimes throw in a geometric or abstract design just for kicks. The same goes for the medium I use to create the artwork for the patterns. Sometimes I draw solely on the computer, other times its pencils, pens, and painting. I love to learn and try new things and designing affords me that opportunity every day. The result is a style that is true to who I am; colourful, passionate and a bit all over the joint.

‘Britney’s Gouache paints’

There are no limits to what I can be inspired by. Inspiration, for me, often comes in the form of listening to podcasts, reading, movies, music and of course Pinterest. Art seems to be an embodiment of all the things passing through my brain and being absorbed into my heart. My desire to keep progressing and creating is motivated by the stories of people who have built their lives by following their passions.

‘Floral Paintings by Britney’

At the end of the day, I absolutely love what I get to do. Not only do I get to display my inner joy on fabric, I get to communicate with people from all over that only want me to succeed. Having that kind of support is new to me, but it makes a world of difference. I appreciate the opportunity Digital Fabrics has given me in being able to connect with so many people on their platform.

I love seeing people find their own joy when they use a fabric I designed and hope I can continue to bring that to others for years to come. To follow my life as a designer, find me on Instagram @munday_designs

‘Natures Garden’ Textile Collection by Gabrielle Marlow

We couldn’t be more excited to announce that our next featured artist of The Designer Project will be none other than the absolutely delightful Gabrielle Marlow!

Gabrielle is based in the Southerland Highlands of NSW. She loves drawing and painting and using pure paint pigments to create her beautiful designs, as well as working with oils and pen and wash as well. We love how she takes inspiration from everything around her; picking flowers on walks in nature or photographing flowers, plants, foliage, insects, birds, and other animals.

Her ‘Natures Garden’ collection was inspired by everything around her; picking flowers on walks in nature or photographing flowers, plants, foliage, insects, birds, and other animals. This range features beautiful Australian floral motifs with a couple floral designs taking inspirations from some classic Indian inspired florals

Keep reading to find out more about Gabrielle Marlow’s wonderful designs, which are all available in our Fabric Shop now!

Australian Floral with Red Bottlebrush

Bright and cheerful red bottle brush and sweet pink wax flowers and foliage on a beige background. There are single pinkish white wax flowers as well as little wax flower sprigs with buds. It has lovely soft grey green foliage with little brown berries that bring this Australian wildflower design together on a soft light beige background.

This design would make some amazing statement cushions that are sure to bring character and colour to your home!

Australian Springtime Bush Flower

Inspired by bushwalks and nature study sketches as well as the classic Millefleur designs from the Arts and Crafts movement. This design features sweet small springtime flowers: Flannel Flowers, Pink Boronia, Yellow Paper daisies and more.

This design as bedsheets…yes please! We think it would be great for any bedding projects and even some fashion garments, perhaps a fancy dress or a lovely little skirt.

Bright and bold Australian Floral

An Australian floral design with red Waratahs, red Bottlebrush, and lots of pink and cream coloured dainty native flora in an Ogee Classic design on a rich dark red. Surrounded by Ogee shaped floral chains with sweet wax flowers creating a rich and joyful Australian wildflower design.

We think this is such an excellent print for Home and Interior projects. Imagine this on some statement curtains!

Kangaroos, tiny Fairy Wrens and Springtime

Vintage style Australian flora and fauna design features watercolour paintings of kangaroos and springtime wildflowers on a soft pale yellow. There are also some cute little fairy wrens dotted around this design.

This design would work so well for fashion garments, especially pyjamas! This printed on our Cotton Poplin and turned into some adorable pyjamas? We think yes.

Pink Flannel Flowers

Pink flannel flowers only flower after extreme heat from fires and Gabrielle created this design to celebrate the regeneration and beauty of nature coming back after the bushfires. It’s a deliciously pink floral design, quite loose and sketchy with soft greens to complement the flowers.

Pink flannel flowers would just be so lovely as any and all fashion garments! A beautiful flowy dress or a cute little top.

Colourful Indian Floral

This bright and detailed Classic Indian floral design is full of many rich warm colours. There are lots of different flowers and leaves that Gabrielle said were so delightful to draw, paint and use for this design which is classic and yet playful at the same time.

We think this would be the perfect print for fashion projects! Can’t you just imagine this on a beautiful linen set?

Dainty Indian Floral

Another beautiful Indian Floral is such a colourful and warm design with dainty stylised flowers. It features tiny flowers in Blue and Gold scattered around on a rich coral red background.

How amazing look this design look as some kidswear? Even some cute bed sheets for the little ones!

Social Links
www.planetwombat.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabriellemarlowdesign
fb: https://www.facebook.com/ahappyplaceforeveryone

‘Assortment of Life’ Textile Collection by Geneva Richards

It’s come that time again to introduce our newest feature artist in The Designer Project and we are so excited to announce that the amazing Geneva Richards will be our designer for the month of April!

Her style is strong, feminine but not bold or girly which you can clearly see in her ‘Assortment of Life’ Collection She is drawn to bright colours, animals and motifs that make her happy, and surrounds herself with things that inspire her. She finds inspiration everywhere and anywhere, from her rural upbringing in New Zealand, charismatic Australian birds, dreamy colour palettes, iconic retro wallpaper or even an interesting texture.

Each of Geneva’s designs can be printed onto any of our fabrics, which means you can order custom designer fabric that’s tailored to you. Keep reading to find out more about Geneva Richards beautifully unique designs!

‘Howdy Partner’ was mainly inspired by Lady Gaga’s album Joanne – hence the sparkles! Geneva wanted to go all out cheesy retro cowgirl and we love it!

We think ‘Howdy Partner’ would make the funkiest furniture, perhaps it will be your next statement armchair?

‘April Showers’ is something a bit delicate while still maintaining Geneva’s signature bold lines with a lot of texture. Each leaf and flower was drawn using Procreate’s scribbly pencil brushes before turning it into a repeat.

‘April Showers’ would work perfectly for any and all fashion DIY projects or even upholstery.

‘Honey Bee’ is inspired by delicate florals imagined with an almost cartoonish line art. The idea was for the bees to be a bit unexpected and quirky so the design stands out amongst a floral arrangement.

We would love to see ‘Honey Bee’ as a super sweet pyjama set or even some kidswear!

‘Just Bananas’ started as some scribbled up rough banana shapes – and I mean scribbled! This design was made completely in Affinity Designer and we think the messy and free process really comes through in the finished design.

We think ‘Just Bananas’ would work perfectly for bedding and blankets. Snuggling up with some cool bananas on a cold day!

‘Tiger Queen’ features the tiger motif which was one of Geneva’s very first illustrations and he’s become part of her signature style – he has appeared as a print, in patterns and even re-imagined as a leopard! We love how it’s been paired with some beautifully simple leaf motifs.

We think ‘Tiger Queen’ an amazing design that can work for such a range of projects, whether it be a stylish pair of pants or some new cushions for your home.

‘Magical Unicorns’ started as a loose sketch before being digitised in Adobe Fresco and made into a pattern using Illustrator. Full of smooth, graceful shapes and dreamy pinks and purples, accessorised with a punchy yellow so it appeals to your inner child without being too ‘my little pony-ish’

‘Magical Unicorns’ is such a dream design for all kids projects! Some fun new clothes perhaps? Or maybe some adorable curtains for their bedrooms.

‘Retro Blooms’ is a wonderful exploration of lilac with a bit of an unexpected pairing of yellow which provides a fun contrast. The shapes are directly influenced by ugly retro wallpaper of yesteryear. It’s a bit of a merge between trendy modern colours and retro shapes and the simplicity makes the juxtaposition work.

We love how ‘Retro Blooms’ can work for a range of different projects, both fashion and home!

‘Kitty Kats’ features an array of adorable cat heads! These cats started as vector blobs which were then given ears and silly little faces to turn them into cats. Each shape is a little wonky and Geneva wanted to give them wonky colours as well so they have a fun cartoon feel and a little bit abstract!

We think ‘Kitty Kats’ would look so cute as some cozy pyjamas or even a funky fun dress. It would also look adorable as a lovely warm blanket or bedding!

All of our project ideas above are suggestions only as the sky’s truly the limit with Geneva’s stunning ‘Assortment of Life’ collection! Each of Geneva’s designs can be found in our Fabric Shop, so head on over and elevate your next DIY project!

Textile Collection Ella

It’s that time again! Our design team has been busy at work to deliver you a brand new range of elegant designs. We’ve chosen to create seasonal feeling prints, contrasting in style to our previous floral filled collection, and guaranteed to inspire. Introducing our new Ella Collection, which is available now in our Fabric Shop now!

For this collection we were inspired by continuous line drawings which sparked the creative process of creating gorgeous, minimal designs. We took inspiration from the Divine Feminine, researching the female form, facial features and bohemian iconography. Picasso and artist Kris Trappeniers were also used as a reference to help guide the illustrative style of the collection. We then began to hand-draw a range of illustrations, experimenting with different pencils and markers before settling on the use of a black fine-line marker, to create a universal look to all the designs.

Picasso

Kris Trappeniers

Once we had a series of illustrations, we selected the drawings we wanted to use for the designs and scanned them for further development. Both Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop were used to clean the hand-drawn artwork and experiment with scale and layout.

Different colours and tones were tested during the creative process for each design. Before we settled on a soft, earthy colour palette to compliment the feminine nature and simple elements of the collection. The warm colours, inspired by nature, create a harmonious flow throughout the range. For one of the designs we found two different colourways worked particularly well, and decided to feature both of them in the final collection.

The prints include various scales throughout the collection which we think are perfectly suited to fashion applications. The minimalist artwork and diverse colour palette makes them incredibly versatile for a wide range of creative projects. We’ve included some reference imagery below to help get those ideas flowing.

Image via Pinterest

Snippets: Chats With Creatives, Textile Designer Katy Dee of Shiztastic – Series 3, Snippet 6

Snippets. Chats with Creatives.

Here at Digital Fabrics we love everything print, pattern and colour and we love to know what makes print designers tick.

This series we are focusing on textile designers as our creatives to get into the nitty gritty of the thing we love the most, textiles and surface design! We have asked a different set of questions relative to this and as always we hope to inspire others by sharing snippets of these creative stories.

Today we are talking to Katy Dee, the textile designer behind the colourful print based brand: Shiztastic.

All of her designs begin as paintings and collages before she digitally edits them and creates repeat and placement prints that she turns into fabric with us then they are made locally or by her into a range of fashion accessories and most recently homewares!

You can find her products online here or you will find her at a local market, she has previously be seen at Makers and Shakers, Finders Keepers, and The Slow Fashion Market which is coming up again in Sydney in September!

Tell us a bit about yourself, your brand/label name what your creative practice is, how and when you began:

Hello, I am Katy Dee. The creative lady behind ‘Shiztastic’, a fun print based label focused on creating cheerful textiles for you and your home. I consider Shiztastic to be part of the slow fashion movement and like to think that when someone purchases from me they have a treasured item that will last them a long time and be loved. Everything is proudly printed and made in Sydney.

I have been making things since I can remember, over my time I have studied glass, jewellery, ceramics, and found sewing about ten years ago. I started off using vintage fabrics and making softies and would sell these in London at the Spitalfields markets. When I moved to Sydney I studied Digital Textile Design at night at Tafe and became obsessed with print and pattern!

Then life took me and my husband to Malaysia for a year where I learnt to screen print and was so inspired by the colourful surroundings, which on our return led me back to textiles and I began working here at Digital Fabrics! Since then my product range has developed and changed and currently focuses on fashion accessories and homewares which I sell online, in stores and at markets around NSW.

Where do you call home and what is your favourite thing about where you live?

I have called the Eastern suburbs of Sydney home for the last ten years and I do love being near the beaches, you can’t beat a swim & a picnic at Bronte on a Sunday afternoon. I also love being so near Centennial Park, I find nature to be a big inspiration to me and every time I go I find a new nook or cranny to explore. My latest discovery was the Wild Play Park area which practically has a Jungle inside!

What 3 words best describe your creative style.

Bright, playful and bold. A cheerful riot of colour!

What led you to Textile design and what is your favourite thing about working with fabrics and/or print?

I have always loved fabrics and surface design, it took me a while to figure out that the two were linked though! I studied all sorts of things before screen printing and then Digital Textile design at Tafe before getting a job at here Digital Fabrics which I recently left to focus on shiztastic. I worked here for 3 years and gained so much knowledge and experience within Digital Printing, I still find the process fascinating and the quality amazing.

I love fabrics because their possibilities are quite endless and you can create almost anything! I love coming up with new ideas and thinking about what I can make next, to be able to use my own illustrations and artwork to create prints is so fun and the colours you can achieve with digital printing are so vibrant which obviously I love.

Tell us a bit about what kind of studio, space or practice you run? Do you sell online or license your prints, do you do commissions or lots of freelance and what do you like doing the most?

Currently Shiztastic is mainly product based, I design all the prints and then I make collections of products including fashion accessories such as scrunchies, headscarves and hair ties and I recently launched a homewares collection which has really fun cushions, pot pants and tea towels in it. I would like to start licensing my prints and doing more freelance work and am working towards this so watch this space…

Tell us about your creative space, what are your tips for keeping a creative studio space organised? What would your dream space look like?

I have always had a craft ‘space’ of sorts, first it was a table in our dining room, then a craft corner and it has slowly evolved into a studio space in our spare room. I wish I could say it was organised, sometimes it is but mainly it is piles of colourful stuff and things! My dream space would actually be a shop one day with a creative studio/showroom out the back.. I imagine lots of wood, plants, baskets and somewhere I can make a lot of mess.

Tell us about how you get your creative juices flowing, what is your process? Do you have a source of inspiration you want to share with us?

I have always been inspired by almost anything, it could be a fruit sticker on a lemon or a walk in the park. Botanicals and abstract versions of them feature heavily in my work and often they are nothing like their reality but that’s ok with me! My process can be a bit random, I might get an idea for an overall feel and look and work backwards or I will be inspired by a road trip or an evoked memory.

In terms of inspiration, as corny as it sounds I think there is beauty everywhere, sometimes you just need to look a bit harder. We can all get a bit bogged down and obsessed with Instagram [which I love and hate!] and sometimes it is good to step away from it all and remember why you love what you do.

Do you have a favourite medium and/or method to work with, if so what is it and why?

Paint, with ink as a close runner up! It is messy, unruly and fun. Most of my designs begin as paintings and drawings which I then either collage by hand or digitally edit before turning them into repeats of various scales. There are just so many options with a painting, and once it is scanned those options just grow. I love still seeing the brushstrokes and marks in a design and feel it gives it a handcrafted look which is important to me.

How do you think somebody else would describe your style?

Loud, bright and quirky. Always wearing colourful earrings!

What would your dream creative project or collaboration look like? Tell us why you would love to collaborate with them and what you find inspiring about their work?

I would love to collaborate with Gorman or Mister Zimi because their prints are fabulous, daring and always so colourful and celebratory of life. There is also a UK brand called Lucy and Yak that make the most amazing Dungarees and I would love to do something with them so maybe the universe will help me out. A girl can dream..

Where would you like to see your work featured?

Ooh, well, on all sorts of things… weirdly I would like to see it on a bus, on glassware, and on a recyclable cup but I am very open to ideas and could imagine my designs on a wide range of things in the future. It will be fun and bright and made to make people smile.

Read about what Katy is up to: Website, Instagram, Facebook.

Snippets: Chats With Creatives, Textile Designer Audrey Gachet – Series 3, Snippet 4

Snippets. Chats with Creatives.

Here at Digital Fabrics we love everything print, pattern and colour and we love to know what makes print designers tick.

Today we are chatting to Audrey Gachet a Sydney based textile designer and illustrator who’s love of the beach and nature is reflected in her hand painted watercolour designs. Her work is elegant, classic and contemporary as well as being proudly printed and made in Sydney. She works mainly with fabrics and creates gorgeous textile pieces for the home as well as creating art prints, we love it all and can’t wait to share her inspirations and story below.

You will find her products online here or look out for her at a market, she has previously exhibited at Life Instyle, Makers & Shakers and Finders Keepers.

Tell us a bit about yourself, your brand/label name what your creative practice is, how and when you began:

I’m Audrey Gachet, I’m a designer and Illustrator based in Sydney.

Growing up in the south west of France, my creative journey started from a very young age, when I used to hang around my mother’s atelier. Being an artist herself, I was influenced by my mother’s art and you would often find me painting and creating all sorts of things in her studio.

After studying Graphic Design & Illustration in Bordeaux and London, my career as a designer really took off when I moved to Australia and worked with Australian brands, creating lifestyle products. I learnt a great deal from them and it allowed me to understand and appreciate the hard work that goes into creating products and developing them.

I created my label in 2018 and launched my first collection of luxurious homewares and fashion accessories, which I now sell online and in various boutiques across Australia.

Like many designers, sustainability is important to me. I wanted to make sure that I created designs that don’t impact negatively on the environment and I also wanted to choose natural fibres that don’t require much energy to produce and that are renewable.

The other important point to me was working with local businesses to bring my product to life, so all of my designs are hand-made by artisans in Sydney. I work with a local digital printer and maker to ensure the heart and soul of my work is translated in every product.

Where do you call home and what is your favourite thing about where you live?

Sydney is now my home. Living close to Sydney’s magnificent beaches and botanical beauties, I feel deeply inspired by the Australian lifestyle – nature informs a big part of my work. Having grown up in the French countryside, I’ve always been drawn to the simple and authentic aesthetic, so there is always a bit of France injected into my work.

What 3 words best describe your creative style.

Raw, Organic, Delicate

What led you to Textile design and what is your favourite thing about working with fabrics and/or print?

I have been interested in textile design from a very young age. I learnt to sew and started designing my own clothing, bags and homewares such as cushions for my student apartment.

As a designer now, working with fabric and prints allows me to continue to indulge that love for colour and texture. Being able to create a tactile experience, for example by pairing interesting fabrics together, is something I really enjoy doing. It’s very important to me to generate a sense of visual envy and of wanting to touch and feel the final product.

Tell us about how you get your creative juices flowing, what is your process? Do you have a source of inspiration you want to share with us?

The creative process – giving life to an idea – really excites me more than anything. Taking inspiration from my everyday life, I am quite drawn to colour combinations and texture. Whether it’s from what I see in the streets, from books, in exhibitions, on social media, or along my travels – everywhere you look there is inspiration! As a creative it is important to observe everything around you and be open to all forms of art, not just your own niche.

Do you have a favourite medium and/or method to work with, if so what is it and why?

I enjoy working with watercolour to build up delicate shades and layers of fine details and to manipulate white space and light which amplifies the surrounding colours.

I also really love the freedom that working with watercolour gives you – it is a technique that is not easily mastered but you learn to play with it and truly appreciate the unpredictability it brings. It allows me to have a free gesture which sometimes leads to aesthetic ‘imperfections’, but these possess their own unique beauty.

When designing a new collection or set of work what is your process and how long might you spend on this?

Gathering inspiration from a multitude of sources – be it colours, textures or shapes – always kick-starts the process. The next step is to organise my materials and plan what I would like to focus on and what I want to communicate through a collection. Then comes my favourite part of the process – I start painting. The process continues on through printing and production, with a full project taking from six months to a year, from initial inspiration to final product.

What would you say is the biggest challenge when running your own business, what is your favourite and least favourite part?

Having a business is a challenge on its own; you are constantly multitasking and working on all the facets of the business – sales, marketing, web designing, production coordination etc. Although, staying focused on what you are good at is the biggest challenge. You have to make sure you make time for what you love doing, which for me, is the creation process.

What advice would you give an aspiring textile designer in today’s challenging and competitive environment? Are there any resources you would recommend or websites that you couldn’t live without?

Persistence and consistency in your work is important. That’s why being passionate about what you do keeps you going. Make the things you wish someone else would make for you – I keep repeating this to myself and stepping back from my design, thinking would I love having this? If it’s a yes then I will go ahead. Sometimes you get stuck with creating your own designs. But being surrounded by other creative helps as well and make sure you keep meeting new people and network.

What would your dream creative project or collaboration look like? Tell us about why you would love to collaborate with them and what you find inspiring about their work.

I would love to collaborate with Anthropologie. I have been a big admirer of their colourful and textural designs and it is quite an institution for homewares and fashion lovers and designer.

What projects or collaborations from last year stuck out, good or bad and what is coming up over this year that you would like to plug!

I am currently in collaboration with the Australian clothing brand The Ark. It’s an exciting project which should come to life this summer 2019!

Read about what Audrey is upto: Website, Facebook, Instagram.

Nailed It: Q & A Style Interview With Roberta Montorfano From Betta Design Studio

Nailed It. Creative business success story

Here at Digital Fabrics we love finding a new and interesting success story on a brand or business that is inspiring to the creative community. We thought it would be useful and informative to find out how these creative businesses nailed it, lessons learned on the way and tips they might have. We have asked them to share important “How to’s” and growth hacking tips for start-ups and emerging designers. Read it, get motivated and nail it yourself!

This time we have a Sydney based Textile designer to get your creative juices flowing and your mind ticking! We are chatting to Roberta Montorfano the artist and designer behind the Textile Studio: Betta Designs, a brand that is full of bohemian delight and florals to swoon over. She is also one of our workshop teachers!

We had the pleasure of asking her a few questions about how she is nailing it and what she has learnt along her journey so far and what she plans for the future of her business.

Who is behind Betta Designs Studio– tell us a bit about who you are, what you do and what services does Betta Designs offer?

Hello, my name is Roberta – I am a dreamer, pattern lover, artist and full time textile print designer!

My background is half Mexican – from my mothers side; and Italian- where I was born and spent most of my life. I have always been a curious soul wanting to see the best and colourful side of life, trying to find the best way to communicate myself and who I am through art and patterns (that you can also wear if they are textiles!!)

With Betta Design we offer collections of exclusive textile prints services:

– Collections of exclusive designs ready to go prints in high resolution Photoshop files.

– Custom design for any particular print idea and request

– Creation of different colorways and print manipulation

– Mood boards and trend research

– open to any artistic collaboration ideas

What did your creative journey look like and how did you begin designing textiles? At what point did you start your textile studio ‘Betta Design Studio’?

My journey with Betta Design has been very natural, looking backwards I can see all the dots connected to each other.

I have always wanted to have a pencil in my bag to draw and colour something since I was young; art and anthropology have always been my favourite subjects at school and when I had to choose my University career I decided to keep art as a ‘hobby’ and studied ”languages and cultural mediation” (dreaming of becoming a some sort of National Geographic photo journalist).

While I was trying to study Chinese I found a job opportunity as a sales rep for a textile studio in my hometown, which required me to travel a lot around the world (Brazil, Japan, USA, China, Europe…) When I soon after realised what I was selling and how inspiring and creative was the textile design world I automatically pursued my textile design career as well. So after working for a very well-known local print studio in Italy for few years, I decided to challenge myself: travel and move to grow and learn and seeking new dreams.

Betta Design Studio was born in my room in Bondi in 2014 after a strong desire of sharing my passion for pattern and print ideas, art and textile.

You have a very interesting background and heritage, do you think you can tell us about this and how this has inspired you and in what way do you believe it has translated into your work across the years.

My background is very interesting, two countries that have such a strong art identity:

I grew up surrounded by colours, patterns, textile. I come from Lake Como that used to be the Italian capital of silk, my dad has always worked in textile producing made in Italy silk scarves and ties. Our house was full of Mexican art and style and handmade beautiful traditional designs, it has been always around me.

I have always felt so lucky to be who I am and to be born from such a rich mix of roots.

My strong curiosity for art and the desire to create combined with my passion for travelling and exploring art and cultures brought me into textile and my passion grows every day more and more.

What does a day look like in the Betta Design studio? Do you have a routine to follow or do you work in a more ad hoc way?

It’s very hard to describe what a typical Betta Design day looks like because it really depends on what is going on. Let’s say that Betta Design never stops even at night, a bit unpredictable each day because there are so many tasks and exciting things to do every day: finding new ideas, preparing files, creating new prints, lots of admin sometimes, resourcing new projects, new opportunities, traveling and showcasing our designs around as well as painting and drawing and colouring the world with patterns!

This is what typically happens in a day but I have to say that at night is when I am more productive and full of ideas (it’s 12.52am right now!)

Florals and botanicals are clearly a huge inspiration to you, was this always the case and where do you get new inspiration from?

Styles can change from day to day, when an inspiration or a new idea comes you can only follow it. I love to change a lot: animal prints, bohemian, borders, florals, abstract prints, a bit of geometrical sometimes, tropicals.. there are infinite ideas in our minds!

Actually florals are not my best style. I love drawing florals, especially botanicals or watercolours but I am more a bohemian type. I like to design different sort of style depending on the request, the trends and ideas. But my soul is gyspy, so ethnic and bohemian prints are my favourites!

Obviously I love drawing florals, that’s why we run the Floral Workshop together!!

What does your creative process looks like? Can you take us through your design development steps and which is your favourite and why?

There are different ways I develop a print, a creative process is quite personal and different from each textile designer.

Betta Designs never stops – my eyes are everywhere I can see patterns all around me: it could be watching a sunrise, on the bus, walking around the park full of trees and flowers, at the market or looking at a tile outside your friend’s house. Inspirations can come from anywhere!

I remember one of the first print I created it was in my first or second collection: a water effect digital print. Very bright and vibrant and blue! I started from a photo that I took during a coastal walk in Tamarama, a photo of perfectly smooth waves from the top of the rock. I still remember that moment, the perfect combinations of shades of blues and whites. Then I got home and I started playing with it in Photoshop and I created a print that I called ‘Splash’ (I used to give actual names to my prints). That print was sold to a great swim local label.

This is my favourite part of the design development process – The natural one, when the idea just comes by itself and you create something that is new and interesting.

Going back to your question I was getting too emotional; whenever the inspiration comes from (a catwalk trend or a picture you took from a flower on your balcony) the design process is quite standard:

– Creation and preparation of the elements. This is my favourite step, usually the most creative one. Drawing and preparing the elements, choosing colours and movement.

– Designing the print: display the elements and put them in repeat. This is the most “technical process”.

– Try different colorway options and check the file at the end.

Can you share your go to online resources for textile design trend research and inspirations?

I tend to use more books for inspiration but as in online resource I manly keep myself updated on trends on wgsn.com on weconnectfashion.com and blogs, I use Instagram and Pinterest to share and get inspired.

You are represented at some of the international textile trade shows, what goes on at the shows and what do you get out of them.

Yes, we have tried some trade show, the most recent one was the London Print Textile Fair. Trade Shows are a great opportunity to connect with other customers and it’s a window for new opportunities and to grow. We are also represented by agents in Australia, US and Europe.

If you were to start your creative journey all over again, would you do something different and if so what would it be?

You know when they say “it was meant to be”? – I strongly believe that we have a path to follow and mine led me here where I am now. So no, I would not change a single thing of what I did so far. Textiles is more than a passion and is a way of living. My creative journey has been very natural for me and I hope I will always stay as exciting and inspiring as it currently is every day.

What skills do you think are necessary to have in order to become a textile designer that specialises in developing fabric prints for the fashion market?

– Definitely a strong passion for patterns and colours

– love to create and drawing skills

– strong eye and observation skills to constantly look around yourself and always inspire and get inspired

– strong knowledge of Adobe software (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign..)

– lots of patience and determination to keep believing in yourself and your art because it’s worth it!

What words of wisdom do you have for others wanting to do what you do?

It’s not an easy industry like many other creative carriers. It’s challenging to constantly be creative and share hoping that someone else will like what you have drawn (and eventually wear a dress with your design).

So many times I have asked myself what I was doing and why, but I could never stop because my imagination was bigger than any fear of failing. And failing is actually a good thing sometimes. Whatever your passion is just follow it, it’s never going to be wrong as long as it makes your soul smile.

“Creativity means enjoying any work as meditation; doing any work with deep love.”

What would you like to see in the future of Betta Design Studio, any dream collaborations, projects or ideas that haven’t come to life as yet?

In the future of Betta Design I can see so many things that I don’t even know where to start. So I try to stay optimistic while trying not to overwhelm myself with expectations either. I would love Betta Design to keep learning and keep sharing prints around and get inspired by collaborating with different people and projects hopefully around the world and I will do my best!

Thanks Roberta, what a fun and colourful read full of inspiration.

You can follow along with what Roberta from Betta Designs is upto Website, Instagram, Facebook

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