Tag Archives: prints

Nicole Spencer – The Designer Project

We have absolutely loved sharing these divine floral designs by Queensland-based designer Nicole Spencer and hope you’ve loved her designs as much as we have! To coincide with Nicole’s “Take Delight” 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 Nicole Spencer and her stunning designs!

Hello! I’m Nicole, the face behind Ebb & Flow Surface Design. I am a wife to one, mum to 5, painter to some and emerging as a surface designer to many. My family I and live in Bundaberg, QLD, a town not far from the beach, which is our happy place. I love to paint, enjoy a hot morning coffee, have the sand between my toes and just be with my family. Being a stay home mum to 5, I realised a few years ago I had no hobbies and needed to do something for myself. I quickly fell in love with watercolour painting, and over time it’s grown from doing painting commissions, to digital prints, and now to wanting to see my work on all sorts of surfaces and textiles.

I’m constantly inspired by the seasons we face, the beauty of the world around us, and I love how I can incorporate story telling into my designs. Ebb & Flow not only creates designs, but captures elements from the beautiful world we’re in, and uses those to bring encouragement through the ebbs and flows we face in life. It finds beauty in the seasons of growth and in the seasons of change, and always aims to create joy in the simple things.

My process usually involves a few different elements, mostly watercolour painting, sketching, scanning random objects from the yard… weeds weirdly have the prettiest shaped leaves and always looking amazing in designs! Let me walk you through a design I put together this summer. “Take Delight”, is a collection I created, inspired by the reminders I had to embrace the pauses in life, (even the unexpected ones), and to choose to take delight in the simple things in front of us.
I had inspiration from both flowers in the garden and a gorgeous basket of florals I received over Christmas. I just loved the colours in this bouquet, and was able to use this to create a colour palette for the collection.

Like I mentioned my designs can include lots of different elements. For my one design in this collection – “Sunny Days”, I was able to pick some flowers out of the garden, pull apart some petals and create my own flowers on paper to scan in for design. This is the fun part where I love to play around with shades and textures. Remember how I said I love to incorporate random things. The centre of some of my florals in this design, was actually created by using a photo of the fabric on my bed head.

Watercolour painting has become a real love of mine, and a big part of my process. These paintings are often inspired by things found outside. I love when my daughter walks home from school and finds random flowers and leaves for me on the way home, it always brings a smile to my face, and gets the creative mind ticking over. The wattle in the picture was actually one of her treasures she found for me.
I think designing for me is a process of joy, discovery and creating beauty. I love using what’s around me to create designs, and I hope you find the joy in them too.

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!

‘Take Delight’ Textile Collection by Nicole Spencer

It’s come that time again to introduce our newest featured artist of The Designer Project for the month of November! Introducing the lovely and amazing Nicole Spencer from Ebb & Flow Design.

Ebb & Flow creates designs that are full of florals and nature, with colour palettes drawn from the beautiful outdoors. Nicole loves to create designs that flow across the page and as you can see, she kinda has a thing for flowers!

Each of Nicole’s beautiful designs can be printed onto any of our fabrics. Keep reading to find out more about Nicole Spencer and her ‘Take Delight’ Collection!

Fresh Pickings is a combination of both paintings and elements of things picked from the garden. We love how it dances across the page and is a sweet reminder that seasons change and beautiful things await us. The blue tones of this design work so well with the floral motifs.

Fresh Pickings could work for a variety of fashion and home projects, perhaps some lovely pillowcases and napkins? Or maybe a new beach kaftan!

Sunny Days is full of wonderful summer florals, with a few hand painted elements. Inspired by summer days, fresh sunflower blooms, and the warm sunshine, it’s a fun print for the warmer days ahead.

We think Sunny Days would be such a fantastic print for homewares such as picnic rugs or tea towels, perhaps even some sweet, summer pants!

Hidden Beauty, a gorgeous print that features hand painted elements. With the florals peeking out from the foliage in this design, it reminds you not to miss the little moments of beauty hidden in the unexpected moments.

Hidden Beauty would be perfect for kids clothing such as dresses and pants or even a lovely matching pants and top for you!

Swept Away showcases soft pink leaves and petals, scattered across the design. Think the wind carrying all the freshly fallen leaves across the ground, reminding you that as one season ends, a new one begins.

Swept Away is such a versatile print! We think it would be amazing for homeware projects such as cushions, tea towels and throw blankets!

Sunshine Swirls, a sweet and simple print. It incorporates painted elements, scanned in florals as well as different textures. Full of warm, sunny colours to make you think of twirling around the yard, with a picked flower in hand.

We this Sunshine Swirls is such a wonderful design for fashion garments such as long flowing skirts and dresses.

Pick a Posy is a lovely design that incorporates small painted elements. It’s a sweet reminder of little posies, gathered rustically but little hands, small gestures of big love – joy in its simplest form.

Pick a Posy would be the perfect print for summer dresses for yourself and the kids, or even a sweet little baby swaddle!

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

‘Life of the Party’ Textile Collection by Emilie Otto

We couldn’t be more excited to announce that our next featured artist from The Designer Project will be none other than the amazing Emilie Otto!

Her ‘Life of the Party’ collection is 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 the best part of the Australian Summer.

Keep reading to find out more about Emilie Otto and her fun loving designs!

Play Time Ocean Blues is a feel-good vibrant print, featuring a few items that you would find at a celebration with friends. The colours are inspired by warm sunny days and sparkling blue oceans.

We think this is the perfect print for some funky swimwear, can’t you picture it as some board-shorts or a bikini?

Picnic Rug Candy is a vibrant gingham print, inspired by picnic catchups with friends. The colours are warm and are like those you can enjoy during a candy-coloured sunset.

This print would look fantastic for fashion garments and homewares! We love this colourway for a super fun picnic blanket or perhaps a summer dress.

Picnic Rug Dawn is a vibrant gingham print, inspired by picnic catchups with friends. The colours are cool and soft like those you can enjoy during a dreamy early morning.

Another amazing print for a range of fashion and home and interior projects, think flowing pants or cushions!

Stripey Bubblegum is a bold geometric print; it is a statement and fun take on traditional tartan. The colour combination is what make this print POP, which was inspired by watermelon flavoured candy.

This design is perfect for some summer accessories such as bucket hats or tote bags/beach bags!

Stripey Violet is a bold geometric print; it is a statement and fun take on traditional tartan. The colour combination is what make this print POP, which was inspired by wildflowers.

We think this print would work so well for a statement beach towel or even a new onepiece.

Sunday Sesh Mint is a hand carved print inspired by long days in the sun with friends, sipping on your favourite drinks. The colour combination is what make this print POP, which was inspired by Mint & Pink Gin cocktails.

This design is so perfect for beachy/pool attire, think a loose over shirt with matching shorts!

Sunday Sesh Violet is a hand carved print inspired by long days in the sun with friends, sipping on your favourite drinks. The colour combination is what make this print POP, which was inspired by Lemons & blueberries.

We love this print for a fun kaftan to throw on at the beach!

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

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!

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!

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

Amanda Laing – The Designer Project

We have absolutely loved sharing these beautiful floral designs by Brisbane-based designer Amanda Laing and hope you’ve loved her designs as much as we have! To coincide with Amanda’s “Garden of Memories” 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 Amanda Laing and her stunning designs!

Amanda Laing

I’m Amanda Laing, a surface pattern designer from Brisbane, Qld. My inspiration comes from my surroundings whether they be the natural world or the built environment. I am always finding things that catch my eye and love to express it visually through colour, form and pattern.

“Rosie – Watercolour Painting”

With a background in Interior Design and Art teaching I design surface patterns for both paper and fabric. Paprly is my small business designing for wrapping paper, gift cards and tea towels.

“Eloide + Pink Petal Gouache Paintings”

I teach art workshops in primary schools and just completed a graduate certificate in visual arts. I also have a background in commercial Interior Design and Art Teaching. When it comes to surface pattern design, I’m pretty much self-taught and constantly being driven by the need to design and make things.

“Daisy Drop – Fabric Design”

Personally, I prefer hand drawing to digital and use a wide range of media from pen, watercolour, gouache and paint. Experimenting with textures and layering is also something that I love, as well as experimenting with different mediums. As a result, my style is wide and varied. My designs are both naïve and realistic prints but always with the aim of trying to create unique and original work.

You can check out more of Amanda’s work via her Instagram @mandalouau or view all of her lovely products on her website https://www.paprly.com.au/

“Lace Mimosa – Fabric Design”

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

Bold Designer Prints – Live Colorful Collection

Back in 2016 we worked with designer Elba Valerde from Live Colorful to create a range of prints for our Fabric Shop which perfectly encapsulated her fun and vibrant style. We thought the change in season made for the perfect time to revisit one of our brightest collections; the Live Colorful Collection, and hopefully inspire some creative DIY projects for the Winter months!

The Live Colorful range has been inspired by the beauty found in nature. Floral and botanic shapes have been photographed, studied and doodled, translating intricate forms into minimal, playful shapes.

Selecting a vibrant yet restricted colour palette was also essential to creating these designs. The use of primary colours, white and hot pink, give this range a carefree feel. The chosen colours paired with simplistic shapes results in a collection that is both timeless and fun, with a touch of Scandi textile flair.

The Live Colorful Collection can be used for cushion covers, tablecloths, table runners, napkins and curtains, just to name a few. Check out our DIY resources for both curtains and bean bag covers using these designs for more inspiration!

Whilst the range was originally designed with homewares in mind we’ve found this bold style of design is perfect for fashion applications as well! We’ve included some images below of similar prints to show you how they can be used in your wardrobe!

Image via Pinterest

We’d love to know what you think of the Live Colorful Collection, so get in touch!

Trend Forecast – Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia 2019

The City of Sydney once again played host to Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Australia for 2019 with a string shows, events and parties set against the gorgeous backdrop of our harbour city. This week long celebration of Australian design brings out the most stylish of industry insiders, whose fashion ends up being as much of an attraction as those being paraded down the catwalk!

We’re always on the lookout for textile design inspiration and what’s really caught our eye this year are all the playful prints being seen in Men’s fashion. We’ve collated a few of the key street style prints we spotted during MBFWA that have a perfect partner design in our Fabric Shop!

#1 – MINIMAL FLORALS

Photographer: Christopher Queyn

This print teams a restricted colour palette with graphic motifs and an uncomplicated layout to prove that sometimes simple works best. Soft canary yellow is always a winner in our eyes!

Get the look! Our ‘Turmeric Flower’ approaches colour and form in a very similar way. The print celebrates traditional block print designs and keeps to a minimal colour palette of marigold yellows, denim blues and white.

#3 – SPLATTERED FRENZY

Photographer: Christopher Queyn

This print is absolutely bursting with energy and we love that it feels like it was snapped up from an artist’s work desk!

Get the look! Our ‘Hand Dyed’ print features similar splattered elements throughout the design, focusing on inky watercolour textures rather than the painterly style shown above.

#3 – NAÏVE CHIC

Photographer: Jack Steel

We love the use of childish illustrations as textile motifs and think this print’s use for a beautifully tailored garment is a match made in heaven.

Get the look! Our ‘Vanity Fair’ print is inspired by playfulness and decadence. It’s warm tan background is the perfect bed for sweeter than sweet watercolour motifs.

We’d love to know what you think these designs, or any of the others in our Fabric Shop, would be perfect for – so get in touch!

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