Tag Archives: diy projects

Madeline Hawkins – The Designer Project

It’s been such a treat sharing these wonderfully sweet designs by illustrator and pattern designer Madeline Hawkins. We hope that you’ve enjoyed all of her amazing prints as much as we have!

To coincide with Madeline’s ‘Scenes from a Daydream’ 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 approach to creating surface patterns and what inspires her work.

Keep reading to find out more about Madeline Hawkins and her beautiful designs!

‘Madeline Hawkins’

Heya! I’m Madeline, Artist behind Wilder Studio. I create whimsy illustrations, from which I design into repeat patterns for textiles. I work from my home studio based in Murwillumbah, NSW – a beautiful, creative and vibrant town where my little family and I reside. I have lived and breathed drawing since I could hold a pencil and have in recent years found a love of home textiles. When I put two and two together and began teaching myself online, I knew I had found where I wanted to play – textile pattern design!

‘Madeline Hawkins in her studio’

I’m super excited to have an array of Wilder Studio repeat patterns available here at Digital Fabrics. This collection of handcrafted, stand-alone patterns speaks of romance, femininity, nostalgia and wonder. Inspired by the likes of Lewis Carrolls ‘Alice in Wonderland’, these patterns are an ode to day-dreaming.

‘Madeline creating in her studio’

An ideal start to a morning in the studio consists of music, a brew and a little playtime- sketching or painting anything that comes to mind with no pressure to turn it into anything. Then I’ll get stuck into whatever I have on the to-do list.

‘Madeline working on original paintings’

‘Madeline colour matching her design’

When designing a repeat pattern for a client, I generally write down a bunch of descriptive words of what the general feel is I’m wanting to create, and a rough description of the colours, layout and orientation and any other parameters the brief has set. I then have a little rough sketch of motif ideas. Sometimes these may be used in the final design, otherwise they are set aside with the rest of my notes for when I begin illustrating. I love using watercolors and gouache for romantic florals, but I’m most fond of inkline pens, poscas and pencils for whimsy, detailed illustration.

‘Close up of Madeline’s studio’

I love watching my illustrations come to life on fabric and seeing others make something with a piece of my imagination. It’s really a collaboration with other creatives. I think there’s the most magic in collaboration. The coming togetherness of it. Expressing ourselves and inspiring others to do the same. A ripple effect of creativity. It brings me deep joy as I hope my prints inspire joy in others.

‘Madeline’s studio’

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!

Brianna Pawlik – The Designer Project

We have absolutely loved sharing these beautiful designs by designer Brianna Pawlik and hope you’ve loved her designs as much as we have! To coincide with Brianna’s “Sink and Sun” 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 approach to creating surface patterns and what inspires her work.

Keep reading to find out more about Brianna Pawlik and her stunning designs!

‘Brianna Pawlik’

Hello! I am Brianna, Owner/Surface Pattern Designer of Lulu Pawlik Collections and Mumma of three cheeky cherubs. My nickname is Lulu and my designs are the perfect combination of all things kitsch and coastal. My treasured hand drawn and hand-crafted designs and patterns can be printed on any surface such as beautiful fabrics, clothing, homewares, accessories, stationary, wallpaper, even footwear. They are crafted for beautiful brands and businesses to license and use on their products, to stand out from the crowd and offer something unique for their customers!

‘Brianna’s Studio’

My patterns are playful with a retro vibe and my love for the sea and surf are key elements. I find wonder and inspiration from the ocean and a lifestyle growing up on the east coast of Australia. Family surf holidays and travel adventures run through my designs, in combination with my love for vintage coastal treasures and retro eras.

‘Design sketches’

Before I became a Surface Pattern Designer, I created a women’s clothing label called Miss Lulu which I designed and manufactured myself successfully for many years. After my first baby, I found little to no time to pattern make, source fabric, sample, sew, press and sell my clothing collections. At this new point in my life, homewares and mumma accessories danced around in my mind.

‘Sewing printed Linen Deluxe fabric’

I went on to create a small slow made accessories label, The Sailor Siren & Co. after my second baby which took on a similar design aesthetic to my clothing label. I create retro coastal inspired accessories for mummas and bubs, with natural fibres and sustainability in mind. It was always a struggle to find the fabric prints that I desired for my style and creations. This is what naturally lead me into the world of surface pattern design.

‘Brianna’s workspace’

Now as a busy Mumma of three, I can dream and create beautiful, playful, coastal, kitschy patterns that I want to see in the world and I hope other brands will love too. Lulu Pawlik surface pattern design collections are just for you to purchase and print on your beautiful products for your adoring customers. They are sure to stand out and make a wow statement!

‘Brianna and 2 of her children’

Follow me and my journey on Instagram or get in touch via email to connect about exclusive custom pattern designs or collaborations for your brand or business. I have a beautiful pattern library of ready to go patterns, that are exclusive to your selected product categories and yours forever after purchase.

Here is a little insight into my design process. Each design element or motif begins as individual hand drawn pencil sketches that are then inked in a bold felt tip pen. I also love watercolour paints for a more imperfect playful vibe. My motifs are then scanned and vectorized in Illustrator. Beautiful pattern repeats are then created with intention, time, and magic! Colours will vary depending on the surface and texture of the selected fabric, paper, or product, so test prints and samples are then a must to confirm the final desired looks. As a sewer I like the hands-on feel and authenticity of sewing up my mock-ups for shoots and display.

‘Palm tree illustration’

Want to get your hands on some gorgeous Lulu Pawlik pattern designs printed on your choice of beautiful fabrics?! The Designer Project at Digital Fabrics displays a selected range from my Sink & Sun collection that you can have printed on any fabric you choose, for your own textile products. You can order by the metre to create magic and please share what you make with me!

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!

‘Sink and Sun’ Textile Collection by Brianna Pawlik

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 Brianna Pawlik will be our designer for the month of July!

Brianna finds wonder and inspiration from the ocean and a lifestyle growing up on the east coast of Australia. The “Sink and Sun” print collection is inspired by coastal treasures and remnants from holiday roaming. Think vintage finds like sailing hooks and sinks, bountiful sunshine, seashell collections and playful waves. Soft pink and blue, a muted navy, yellow, tan, and rustic red runs through the patterns. The retro muted colour palette contrasts with old school, bold ink strokes to take you back to easy times, slower days, and getaway good vibes.

Each of Brianna’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 Brianna Pawlik’s beautiful collection!

The ‘Gypsy Skull’ print is all things kitsch and boho. Inspired by bohemian island gems. The bold hand drawn motifs pop out against the soft pink background and golden sand spots, to create a simple yet kitschy boho feel.

We think ‘Gypsy Skull’ would work super well as some beach towels or even throw blankets!

The ‘Ocean Folk’ print features a retro hand drawn sun and rope frame. Inspired by ocean roaming from sun up to sun down. The muted retro inspired colour palette of soft yellow, pink and blue against the tan background, is reminiscent of warm, hazy coastal holidays.

‘Ocean Folk’ would be so amazing as some lovely home projects for your kid’s bedroom such as curtains or cushions!

The ‘Compass Coins’ print is inspired by holiday roaming for lost coastal treasures and sea remnants. It features hand drawn vintage compasses and wondering eyes. The muted retro inspired colour palette is reminiscent of slow hazy coastal getaways.

‘Compass Coins’ is the perfect print for the sweetest kids’ bed sheets or even some throw blankets!

‘Flower Shields’ is a fresh coastal inspired print featuring the sunken ship and sunrise shields and retro flower motifs. The playful muted colour palette contrasts with the old school, bold ink strokes for that perfect combination of retro, kitsch, and coastal vibes.

The ‘Flower Shields’ design would work great for some fashion accessories like tote bags or even some pillow cases!

‘Hook Sun Sink’ is a simple, understated print. Featuring the hand drawn old school sailing hooks, retro suns, and water droplets in a tan colour on a fresh white background.

We think the ‘Hook Sun Sink’ print would be absolutely perfect for some cute kidswear such as some little t-shirts or tights!

The ‘Peace Suns’ print is all about sunshine and good vibes. Dominated by simple lines and marks to create the Ying yang and peace sign suns that ooze rays of warmth and goodness. The navy and white is a simple, coastal and gender-neutral colourway to suit a range of textile products for yourself or home.

‘Peace Suns’ is another adorable print that we think would work great for some kid’s clothes, a cute matching set perhaps!

All of our project ideas above are suggestions only as the sky’s truly the limit with Brianna’s wonderful collection! Each of Brianna’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

‘Pressed Flowers’ + ‘Retro Resilience’ Textile Collections by Britney Munday

It’s that time again where we introduce our newest feature artist in The Designer Project and we are so excited to announce that the wonderful Britney Munday will be our designer of the month!

We’re so excited to have her on board and that we’re able to share not only one but TWO of her amazing textile print collections with you all, ‘Pressed Flowers’ and ‘Retro Resilience’.

Britney is based in the Gippsland area of Victoria but is originally from the US! Her style is what she describes as ‘organised chaos’. She tries to make sense of the varieties of colours and motifs by placing them in a structured way. Her love for all things bright and colourful means no colour palette is out of bounds, but she does tend to stick to the general “floral” motif.

All of Britney’s designs can be printed onto any of our fabric base cloths which means you can order custom designer fabric that’s tailored to you! Keep reading to find out more about Britney Munday’s beautiful designs!

‘Pressed Flowers’

‘Mixed Florals’ is a fun, playful print that pulls together elements from all the designs in the “Pressed Flowers” collection to create a fun and carefree design.

We’re loving this arrangement of florals and think it would work the best as some stunning statement pants or perhaps some lovely curtains for your home!

‘Tossed Bouquet’ is a cheery yellow design featuring small bouquets of flowers. It brings to mind childhood memories of picking flowers for mom in the backyard.

This print is absolutely perfect for any and all fashion projects! It can work for such a variety of garments, especially a lovely flowing skirt.

‘Ditsy Daisy‘, a print that is simple and sweet and suggests clear blue skies and rolling prairies.

This print would work beautifully for any fashion project! It will suit any and all garments, from sweet dresses to a lovely shirt.

‘Plentiful Daisy’ is a lovely design that keeps the eye moving and grooving with subtle vintage feels. It showcases a variety of pinks, oranges, yellow and off white that can be seen throughout the collection.

This design is such a fantastic print for fashion. It could be used for a variety of garments…the ideas are endless!

‘Falling Petals’ features small scaled elements, which makes this a perfect blender print. It represents the swirling of petals in a gentle breeze and showcases the soft peach colour that is also utilized in the “Mixed Floral” print in this collection.

The sweet pinks and white combo makes this ideal for fashion projects, we think it would work best for some adorable kids wear! Perhaps some cute pyjamas for your little ones.

‘Retro Resilience’

‘Star Flower’ is a larger scaled vintage floral motif which goes perfectly with the other designs of the collection. One colourway features a beige base with a floral motif coloured with fun and bright pinks, blues, and ochre; the other colourway features a blue base, with the floral coloured with white, blues and ochre.

‘Star Flower’ is such a divine print! We think this would work perfectly for heaps of fashion projects, from a cute skirt or dress to some lovely pyjamas.

‘Waving Geometric’, a groovy geometric print that stands out in the “Retro Resilience” collection as true to the 60’s and 70’s feel. One colourway featuring cool blue and green colours with brown outlines and the other colourway soft warm tangerine and blush colours with ochre outlines.

We think this design would work perfectly for any home and interior projects, whether it be a funky blanket or some statement curtains!

‘Checkered Beige and Lavender’ are fun checked patterns that will make any project pop. The first colourway ties together many of the pinks, oranges, and blues from the rest of the collection and the second colourway ties together the lavender and teal colours.

We are obsessing over the ‘Checker’ designs. These prints would look so cute as a matching top and pants, as well as some funky bed sheets!

‘Window Plaid’ is a classic blender print that can be used for a variety of projects. One colourway uses a simple beige and ochre colour palette and the other colourway uses more of a cream with lavender colour palette.

We think ‘Window Plaid’ is a perfect print for a variety of both fashion and home projects. We can see this as some stylish pyjamas and also some lovely statement cushions.

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

Gabrielle Marlow – The Designer Project

We have absolutely loved sharing these beautiful floral designs by Southern Highlands based designer Gabrielle Marlow and hope you’ve loved her designs as much as we have! To coincide with Gabrielle’s “Nature’s Garden” collection 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 and what inspires her work.

Keep reading to find out more about Gabrielle Marlow and her gorgeous prints!

Gabrielle Marlow

Art has always been a part of my life; until recently, I was focusing mainly on traditional art, painting horses, pets, and animals as well as landscapes, still lives and florals. I have always had a tremendous love and fascination for surface pattern design.

Two years ago, I came across some very good online courses in digital illustration and surface pattern design. Now, I am fully immersed in creating designs for fabric. They are used in fashion and home décor, it’s wonderful.

Fairy Wren Sketches

The Southern Highlands, NSW is the place I call home. Living and working from home in Balmoral Village I am surrounded by nature, my inspiration. I can walk into the bush or the garden, pick flowers and draw them. Or I photograph them and return to my studio to paint. I then use them in a wide variety of surface pattern designs.

Gabrielle’s bushland inspiration from her walkAustralian Floral with Red Bottlebrush

I love drawing and painting and using pure paint pigments. I use a real painting as my initial design. Art on paper. I pick flowers on walks in nature or photograph flowers, plants, foliage, insects, birds, and other animals to use as inspiration. There is nothing quite like being outside and immersing oneself in nature to get truly inspired. Handpicked botanical collectionKangaroos, Tiny Fairy Wrens and Springtime

I use an ordinary pencil for the initial sketch or drawing on paper, then watercolour paints on artist quality paper. Sometimes I work in oils and pen and wash as well. It just depends on what I feel like doing and what it is for. Some of my best artworks are scanned, digitised, and made into illustrations and repeat surface pattern designs though!

Digital Fabrics_ The Designer Project_Bright and bold Australian Floral Gabrielle’s website: www.planetwombat.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabriellemarlowdesign

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ahappyplaceforeveryone

‘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!

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Geneva Richards – The Designer Project

It’s been such a treat sharing these beautifully unique designs by designer Geneva Richards, who’s based in our home town of Sydney’s Inner-West. We hope that you’ve enjoyed her designs as much as we have!

To coincide with Geneva’s “Assortment of Life” 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 approach to creating surface patterns and what inspires her work.

Keep reading to find out more about Geneva Richards and her wonderful prints!

‘Geneva Richards’

Hello! My name is Geneva and I’m the illustrator behind Studio Geneva. I’m so thrilled to be a part of the Designer Project!

I only discovered the world of surface design in 2020 during my pandemic career shift into illustration and design. A creative career is always something I wanted and I also love writing; so I took an extremely broad degree at university, studying communications where I explored visual and digital communications as well as public relations, advertising and marketing. I worked in the public relations industry for a few years in beauty and tech before shifting my focus back to my true love – design – in 2020.

‘April Showers – design in progress’

For my personal work, I like to take a prompt from my list of popular motifs and create a pattern based on the prompt. This helps me just start a design and focus on creating without worrying about the result. Building an exciting collection of books about design and illustration, as well as folders of inspirational images I’ve gleaned from the internet, and even scraps of paper from magazines or wrapping paper all help me to make my design decisions (I like to think of myself a collector of ideas but really, I am a trash goblin)

‘Design notes + details’

When designing for a client, I explore inspiration, moodboards, colours, motifs and collections before drafting ideas and beginning the pattern design process.

My actual design process is probably best described as ‘chaotic’. I’d love to say that there’s a specific way that I make patterns but there just isn’t! Sometimes I sketch motifs in a sketchbook, sometimes I make a digital sketch, sometimes I just throw some shapes around and see what I like. Sometimes I decide what colours to use in advance, and sometimes I change my mind 30 times. I take the time to explore different ideas and programs in my projects in order to create striking patterns and designs.

‘Kitty Kats Cushion Mock-Up’

I mainly sketch either by hand in a sketchbook or on Procreate on my ipad. I use Photoshop to re-colour and arrange my textured raster patterns, or I colour my designs on Adobe Fresco before transporting them to Illustrator. I use Affinity Designer to create seamless repeat patterns right on my iPad. Depending on where the mood takes me, I might use one or two, or all of these programs for a single project!

‘Magical Unicorns Sketches’

For me, surface design is about creating, expressing and exploring rather than the result. I hope you enjoyed this peek behind the curtain!

Geneva x

Check out more of Geneva’s work at studiogeneva.com.au or visit her Instagram @studio.geneva for all the amazing inspo she has to offer.

‘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!

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