I can't believe I forgot to show you these!!!

I have been getting so carried away with things just recently that I forgot to show you the bags I made with the fabric I told you about in this blog post!

So here are the bags I made with my Foxy Loxy fabric...

...and the fabric with the pear design.

Both are now for sale in my shop.  

Playing around with fabric design

I have always had an interest in fabric design and printing, but unfortunately missed my opportunity to follow this path earlier in my life.  I would love to go back to school to study, but instead I have been doing a little playing around with images for pleasure.  

A few years ago I discovered a company based in America called Spoonflower, that provide a service to enable you to create fabric, with your own designs without having too commit yourself to spending large amount of money.  I loved this idea, and it has been at the back of my mind since.

But, where do you start?  I have many sketches of images I think I might like to use at some point, but wasn't sure how to create a design from them, and then I came across this book.

by Laurie Wisbrun

Oh how I love it.  Not only does it gives detailed and step by step tutorials, showing you how to design patterns both by hand and digitally, it gives an insight into different printing methods, has fabulous images, interviews with designers and feels lovely to the touch!

So, with my book by my side, I started exploring Photoshop and Illustrator (both of which I only have limited knowledge, and would have been totally lost without help from Google!!), and had a little play around.  This was the outcome:

I cleaned up the sketch that I had done  for the template for my Foxy Loxy cushion (a Christmas present I made for myself, upcycling two pairs of trousers my sister had given me!), which I later used on my Foxy Loxy Journals. 

I learnt how to create a straight block repeat pattern, and after having a play around with some colours, this is what I ended up with.

After I had done that I thought I'd have a go at a half-drop repeat, and found a pen drawing I'd done years ago, that I had used on a card design while I was making cards (as Foxy-S Designs!).

I'm really please with the outcome and I'm looking forward to creating something from them, although I haven't fully decided what yet.  I may have to make another Foxy Loxy cushion so the the original Foxy Loxy cushion doesn't get lonely!

What do you think?  Washbags?  Cushions?

Working in Pairs

I appear to have been working in pairs the past week.  It has been quite relaxing doing so, and has meant that I have seen the finished product much quicker.  Very satisfying. The past few months I have needed to make quickly and have had too many things on the go, making it too much of a production line to make it too satisfying.  

Last weekend, I took a little step back and decided that I would leisurely complete a few cushions ready for a couple of events I have in the next week.  I loved these cushions when I made one for my niece (she is still taking hers to bed with her!), they are so cute, and the plan was/still is to make some in the New Year, but I couldn't resist.  These won't be available in my shop until 2012, but I do have a couple that will be available to buy at the Contemporary Arts and Craft Fair, Astley Park, Chorley, on Sunday 4th December, and I am also happy to take orders.

Today's mission was a new design bag. I had previously decided that I would like to use my pear design on a wash bag. I'd intended to do this for a while, but hadn't had the opportunity, so I seized the moment and took advantage of my quiet house (everyone was out, lovely!) to make a pair of pear bags.  I had intended just to use one pear, off centre, but I liked the three of them together.  I'm wondering though whether I should have used contrasting thread on the pears, and make the stitching more of a feature.  What do you think?