I recently uploaded a brief video to Flickr showing some of the projects that have been completed using Spoonflower fabric by two Spoonflower designers and me during a four month period. As usual, I didn't get as many projects completed as I wanted. Since the weather has cooled off now, I can work in my little house, "Summersgaze" longer during the day.
The video appears here: Spoonflower Projects Apr. 2012-Aug. 2012
I have more ideas and fabric than time, but with autumn comes a resurgence of energy so I hope to complete more projects. Looking forward to my shipments from Spoonflower. It's always like Christmas when the orders arrive.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Friday, September 7, 2012
Fat Quarters
Fat Quarters on Spoonflower
Aside from finding the terms "fat quarters" amusing, I am also attracted to the size of a fat quarter of fabric. It is not intimidating -- 21" by 18", yet it's bigger than an 8 x 8 swatch. One can get a better feel for a design, plus, let's face it, it's less expensive than a yard of fabric. For those of us who paint or sketch, a fat quarter of fabric is the same as a waiting canvas.
The above highlighted link will take you, not to Spoonflower, but to Flickr, where there is a 60 second film clip featuring designs created specifically for the fat quarter. While I enjoy looking at photographs of swatches, I also enjoy combining motion, music plus the fabric swatches. The designs on Spoonflower are art, after all, and art and music are an unbeatable combination.
Aside from finding the terms "fat quarters" amusing, I am also attracted to the size of a fat quarter of fabric. It is not intimidating -- 21" by 18", yet it's bigger than an 8 x 8 swatch. One can get a better feel for a design, plus, let's face it, it's less expensive than a yard of fabric. For those of us who paint or sketch, a fat quarter of fabric is the same as a waiting canvas.
The above highlighted link will take you, not to Spoonflower, but to Flickr, where there is a 60 second film clip featuring designs created specifically for the fat quarter. While I enjoy looking at photographs of swatches, I also enjoy combining motion, music plus the fabric swatches. The designs on Spoonflower are art, after all, and art and music are an unbeatable combination.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Something a little different
I made a little film clip using Muvee Reveal (the trial version). The film features the designs I sized at four fat quarters per one yard of Spoonflower Kona cotton. Also, "Only the Cat Saw" is on this film clip. "Only the Cat Saw" is my entry in the Spoonflower zigzag cheater quilt design. Hope you enjoy the clip. I had fun making it.
Just click on the link below to Flickr and the film should come up. It's just a minutes in length.
Flickr
Just click on the link below to Flickr and the film should come up. It's just a minutes in length.
Flickr
Sunday, September 2, 2012
My Tree Frog Green Art Wall
At the above link on Flickr you can see my Tree Frog Green Wall of Art. I recently put designs for sale on Spoonflower from my collection "Fly Away Clothes." Some of the designs are based on the large collage in the white frame. This collection can be viewed here.
The collage on which the collection "Seems Like Old Times" is based also be seen hanging above my collage, "Flyaway Clothes."
At the suggestion of another Spoonflower designer, Phoebe (feebeedee), I've also been experimenting with putting my fat quarter designs on one yard of fabric. Then four fat quarters can be purchased for $18 rather than, say, four fat quarters at $11 per fat quarter. Designers such as Su_G in Sydney and feebeedee have been at this far longer than I have and when one of these ladies makes a suggestion or offer a criticism, I listen. (If you click on the highlighted Su_G and feebeedee, you can visit their Spoonflower shops.)
My "Four Fat Quarters on One Yard" collection.
My next post will be: I've discovered fractals! Woohoo!
At the above link on Flickr you can see my Tree Frog Green Wall of Art. I recently put designs for sale on Spoonflower from my collection "Fly Away Clothes." Some of the designs are based on the large collage in the white frame. This collection can be viewed here.
The collage on which the collection "Seems Like Old Times" is based also be seen hanging above my collage, "Flyaway Clothes."
At the suggestion of another Spoonflower designer, Phoebe (feebeedee), I've also been experimenting with putting my fat quarter designs on one yard of fabric. Then four fat quarters can be purchased for $18 rather than, say, four fat quarters at $11 per fat quarter. Designers such as Su_G in Sydney and feebeedee have been at this far longer than I have and when one of these ladies makes a suggestion or offer a criticism, I listen. (If you click on the highlighted Su_G and feebeedee, you can visit their Spoonflower shops.)
My "Four Fat Quarters on One Yard" collection.
My next post will be: I've discovered fractals! Woohoo!
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Fabric Design using digital photographs
Many of my designs on Spoonflower are based on photographs or scans of original artwork. The fantastic thing about living in this moment in time is that we live in the age of digital. We can take pictures of objects and work with them instantaneously rather than going to a dark room and developing our photographs or, even better, throwing a roll of film in a drawer until we get around to taking it for developing to one of those tiny Kodak Photomats that used to sit out in the middle of shopping center parking lots.
Our digital photographs can be manipulated using Adobe Photoshop or Corel Painter Essentials, just to name two. There are also online editing sites such as PicMonkey and Sumo. The more I work with this kind of software, the more I learn how cool pixels are. For instance, one morning a beautiful morning glory was blooming outside our front porch so I got the camera and took this picture:
I came back into the house and took the SD card out of the camera, opened up Adobe Photoshop and ended up with this photograph:
Now, whether or not I choose to inflict this design on Spoonflower(!), or perhaps I ask myself the question, "Isn't a purple morning glory more beautiful than a psychedelic one?", that this can even be done is amazing to me.
Happy designing!
Our digital photographs can be manipulated using Adobe Photoshop or Corel Painter Essentials, just to name two. There are also online editing sites such as PicMonkey and Sumo. The more I work with this kind of software, the more I learn how cool pixels are. For instance, one morning a beautiful morning glory was blooming outside our front porch so I got the camera and took this picture:
Now, whether or not I choose to inflict this design on Spoonflower(!), or perhaps I ask myself the question, "Isn't a purple morning glory more beautiful than a psychedelic one?", that this can even be done is amazing to me.
Happy designing!
Monday, August 20, 2012
Texture Maker
Two great things about Spoonflower is that I'm continually learning something new (like fat quarters can be used for more than just throw pillows!) and that the designers are generous with their tips and information about how to improve designs. One designer, Phoebe, has a shop on Spoonflower which you can visit here: http://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/feebeedee. One day while on Spoonflower I saw that Phoebe had mentioned Texture Maker to help in making seamless repeats. I messaged Phoebe and asked for more information. She told me what was involved and how to get started using it. She also gave me several tips. Thank you so much, Phoebe.
What is nice about Texture Maker created by Reichart Software Engineering is that you can get a 30 day free trial. When looking for it on line, do a search for Texture Maker 3.1 using the years 2012 or 2011. There are older models out there, but Texture Maker 3 by Reichart is the most recent that I could find. Thirty days of a free trial is a good deal.
An example of what I've done with Texture Maker so far can be viewed here: Circus Ribbons.
So, Spoonflower -- it's really about more than fabric design!
What is nice about Texture Maker created by Reichart Software Engineering is that you can get a 30 day free trial. When looking for it on line, do a search for Texture Maker 3.1 using the years 2012 or 2011. There are older models out there, but Texture Maker 3 by Reichart is the most recent that I could find. Thirty days of a free trial is a good deal.
An example of what I've done with Texture Maker so far can be viewed here: Circus Ribbons.
So, Spoonflower -- it's really about more than fabric design!
Saturday, August 4, 2012
A Field Guide to Fabric Design by Kimberly Kight
As I've mentioned before, there are many talented designers on Spoonflower. They can work absolute magic with the designs they upload. Someday I'd like to be like them!
Kimberly Kight has written "A Field Guide to Fabric Design." Her blog is www.trueup.net. The softcover book, 160 pages in length, is divided into three sections. I'll get my only criticism of the book out of the way first: there is no index. Even if the Contents page is comprehensive, I find an index is always helpful. Now on to the good stuff.
The book's first section deals with the basics of design and color, i.e., how to develop a style and the use of color. There are four different kinds of patterns: one way, two way, tossed, and four way print. When designing on Spoonflower, designers can automatically put their uploaded designs into a basic repeat pattern, a half drop repeat, a half brick repeat, or a mirror repeat. My goal right now is just to achieve a seamless repeat. Kimberly mentions that the eye is naturally attracted to a one way print; however, the disadvantage of a one way print is that more fabric is wasted in cutting out a pattern. A tossed design, one that has no up or down, is print in which less fabric is wasted because pattern pieces can be cut any which way and the finished product will still look great. The section also covers set layouts as opposed to random layouts. There are excellent tutorials for designing repeats by hand and also by computer and why we need to PROOF!
Under the heading of "Know Your Color," there are ideas for developing color palettes and how these schemes can be applied in Illustrator and Photoshop. The upsides and downsides of following trends are included as well as where to go for inspiration.
Another important part of Section One is the Copyright Primer. It covers how important it is to do your own work and it also talks about protecting your original work. Public domain designs are discussed. Also this helpful web site is included: www.copyright.cornell.edu/resources/publicdomain.cfm.
In Section Two, printing the design is addressed. There is an excellent tutorial on fabric construction and the different weaves that are involved. After a discussion of weaves, there is a discussion of knits. There are lots of illustrations and photographs. She goes into fiber types and weights and yarn qualities. There six pages devoted to which fabrics are conducive to digital printing and hand printing among other methods. Kimberly also goes into lino block printer and rubber block printing. Again, her instructions and illustrations are extensive. Inks are also covered. There is a section on digital printing. Spoonflower is covered as well as other digital printing services.
Interspersed with the tutorials and basic information are discussions with designers about the various topics covered in this book.
The final section covers the world of fabric design: building your brand, going pro, design school? There are also three pages at the very back of the book devoted to resources such as reading material, software, digital textile print services, supplies, websites, design programs, and trade shows.
This book is well worth the price. I have marked and highlighted many of its pages. In the evenings, when I'm tired of sitting in front of the computer, I read and re-read its pages. Kimberly Kight did a great job and I highly recommend this book.
Kimberly Kight has written "A Field Guide to Fabric Design." Her blog is www.trueup.net. The softcover book, 160 pages in length, is divided into three sections. I'll get my only criticism of the book out of the way first: there is no index. Even if the Contents page is comprehensive, I find an index is always helpful. Now on to the good stuff.
The book's first section deals with the basics of design and color, i.e., how to develop a style and the use of color. There are four different kinds of patterns: one way, two way, tossed, and four way print. When designing on Spoonflower, designers can automatically put their uploaded designs into a basic repeat pattern, a half drop repeat, a half brick repeat, or a mirror repeat. My goal right now is just to achieve a seamless repeat. Kimberly mentions that the eye is naturally attracted to a one way print; however, the disadvantage of a one way print is that more fabric is wasted in cutting out a pattern. A tossed design, one that has no up or down, is print in which less fabric is wasted because pattern pieces can be cut any which way and the finished product will still look great. The section also covers set layouts as opposed to random layouts. There are excellent tutorials for designing repeats by hand and also by computer and why we need to PROOF!
Under the heading of "Know Your Color," there are ideas for developing color palettes and how these schemes can be applied in Illustrator and Photoshop. The upsides and downsides of following trends are included as well as where to go for inspiration.
Another important part of Section One is the Copyright Primer. It covers how important it is to do your own work and it also talks about protecting your original work. Public domain designs are discussed. Also this helpful web site is included: www.copyright.cornell.edu/resources/publicdomain.cfm.
In Section Two, printing the design is addressed. There is an excellent tutorial on fabric construction and the different weaves that are involved. After a discussion of weaves, there is a discussion of knits. There are lots of illustrations and photographs. She goes into fiber types and weights and yarn qualities. There six pages devoted to which fabrics are conducive to digital printing and hand printing among other methods. Kimberly also goes into lino block printer and rubber block printing. Again, her instructions and illustrations are extensive. Inks are also covered. There is a section on digital printing. Spoonflower is covered as well as other digital printing services.
Interspersed with the tutorials and basic information are discussions with designers about the various topics covered in this book.
The final section covers the world of fabric design: building your brand, going pro, design school? There are also three pages at the very back of the book devoted to resources such as reading material, software, digital textile print services, supplies, websites, design programs, and trade shows.
This book is well worth the price. I have marked and highlighted many of its pages. In the evenings, when I'm tired of sitting in front of the computer, I read and re-read its pages. Kimberly Kight did a great job and I highly recommend this book.
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