Project Selvage Finalist Profile: Drea Roman
If By Ocean - Beach Block by ttoz, Drea Roman
I am proud to represent the Midwest: born and raised in Minnesota (though I hold lots of love for the Spoonflower state as my first career took me to the woods of N. Carolina... but that's a whole different interview). I am a mother to an active and spirited little boy who just turned three and a wife to an amazing husband who is my creative sounding board, comic relief and rock. I am more than blessed to have wonderful family and friends who inspire, support and believe in me — I just don’t know where I would be without them!
Designing fabric is a case of a set-back leading to an opportunity (at least I like to look at things that way). I am an Architectural Drafter and this trade tends to lend itself to the mercy of the economy, so when I was laid-off I found myself searching for ways to find worth and keep my creative brain moving... enter Spoonflower!
I had always dabbled in all kinds of artistic genres and found this new and challenging because of the added dynamic of repeats. I love the saying, “You'll miss 100% of the shots you never take”... I am not even close to a pro at this, but I do see myself grow with each contest and design that I put a little more of myself out there, so when this amazing opportunity came up with Michael Miller, I squashed the little “you'll never make it” voice and said, “Why not try?!”
I just finished a little baby outfit for my best friend's sister who is about to become a new mommy (sneak peak--shhh, her shower isn't until next week. There is something I just love about piecing together collections with a particular family/baby in mind and giving from the heart in that way.
One of my favorite books is Rain of Gold by Victor Villaseñor, which just speaks to me and is an amazing read, having many different dimensions to it. I love the movie Heat and Last of the Mohicans amongst many others. I love many songs, in fact I am a closet car-singer and dancer. [Confession from my teen years: I would sing When the Children Cry by White Lion in front of my living room mirror over and over. I even included a little dramatic dance to go with it that went well with my big bangs, permed hair and rolled up pants. Ahh, the 80s...]
My favorite fabric designer? Easy! Besides the crew at Michael Miller, of course, they are my fellow Spoonflowerians! I haven't been more inspired than I am now, and I often find myself saying, why didn't I think of that!?! So thank you for the constant push to get the most out of myself.
There’s a line I love from Henry David Thoreau: “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” That always spoke to me—to “live deep” as he goes on to say, and, as I interpret it, to understand that simplifying isn't always about taking away, but about adding meaning to what you already have and who you are at the core.
The inspiration for my collection? Every summer my husband's extended family meets out on the East coast, piles into a beach house and just spends time together. There is the obvious ocean concept – most elements we like to see at the beach, but to me, this design also came from the feeling of family, youthfulness (because even grandma finds her inner teen out there!), love, and the pure art of relaxation. It is the picture of the simple things in life with a little quirkiness thrown in... just like my family.
T♥toz Designs
www.ttoz.etsy.com
