Fabric8 Deadline Is Nigh!

To all you design procrastinators out there, the deadline to enter the Fabric8 contest -- a competition to find eight of the best amateur textile designers in the world -- is upon us!  The contest is co-sponsored by the good folks at Robert Kaufman, who plan to offer the grand prize winner a contract to become a professional fabric designer. Entries can be submitted for only a few more days -- the deadline is this Tuesday, April 24th. 

The theme for this contest is "Pen & Ink," and we're looking for modern designs that evoke the style of pen and ink drawings that are colored with watercolor paints.  For visual inspiration, check out the Fabric8 Pinterest board of watercolor/pen&ink images.  Note that you don't have to use real pen & ink and watercolors to create your original designs, though you certainly can if you like.  Read more about how to create your pen & ink designs here. 

The winner of the Fabric8 contest will receive a contract with Robert Kaufman fabrics, a $1000 advance against future royalties, a Wacom Cintiq 12WX Pen Display, and $250 in Spoonflower credit.  Get those entries in and good luck to you all! 

Our First Hat Pattern Contest

This was a tough contest to enter. We asked designers to create fabric patterns for making hats that can be printed onto a yard of fabric. How well some of these patterns will work when people actually get around to sewing them remains to be seen, but I can't wait to check out the project photos! For fans of short contests, you'll be pleased to note that there are only 42 entries this week. Vote for your favorites and we'll let you know the results next week.

Vote For Hat Patterns

The intrepid entrants this week are:

1. "mon joli chapeau et sac pour l'été" by nadja_petremand 
2. A party's On! by paragonstudios 
3. Birdiehat by cinqchats 
4. Butterfly Hat by annalisa222 
5. chapeau by hohoh 
6. Cloche Hat - Cut and Sew 23.5" by stitchwerxdesigns 
7. Cloche Hat Trio by kdl 
8. Cloche Hat with matchin Rose Brooch (view to see rose brooch project sample) by nezumiworld 
9. Computer Science Baby Hats and Bib - with bonus for knit fabric! by mongiesama 
10. cupcake chefs hat by p_kok 

Fabrics that celebrate sewing - vote for your favorites

While finding yourself sewing with sewing fabric might be disorienting for some, we're very pleased to be able to offer 112 or sew (sorry, had to) fabrics up for voting this week. Choose your favorites, and we'll be back next week with the winner!

Vote For Sewing Fabrics

The participants this week are:

1. "A Stitch in Time..." - By Rhonda W. © 2012 by rhondadesigns 
2. Rainbow spools (click to view full rainbow) by mariao 
3. "couture oh couture rouge M" by nadja_petremand 
4. 2012-03-25 by designsbyanna 
5. A Button A Thimble A Sewing Needle Too! by dancingwithfabric 
6. A stitch a day.... by amel24 
7. A Stitch at a Time by robyriker 
8. A Time to Mend! by petals*fair 
9. ABC Essentials of Sewing by nezumiworld 
10. AliPink_5 by wiccked 

Fabrics For Book Lovers: Vote In Our Latest Contest

The theme of the fabric design competition this week is books, or, more specifically, a love of books. We've got about 150 entries to choose from, so vote for all your favorites and we'll announce the winner next week.

Vote For Book Fabrics

The participating designs and designers are:

1.            A book gives your mind a place to fly by glimmericks 
2.            A Book Lover's Medley by robyriker 
3.            A maze of books by chameleonfire 
4.            A Neverending Story by annosch 
5.            A Wise Old Bookend by addilou 
6.            An Open Book by kdl 
7.            Ancient text in Dubai by zsmama 
8.            animals reading by babysisterrae 
9.            Antique Library by teja_jamilla 
10.            audubon refrence books by codalion 

What's Your Bag? Cut & Sew Bag Pattern Contest

The competition this week is for cut & sew patterns that, when printed on a full yard of fabric, can be used to make your own bag. The entries  -- all 75 of them -- show an amazing amount of diversity and creativity. Enjoy voting! We'll show you the winners next week.

Vote For Bag Patterns

This week's participants are:

1. Grandma's shopping bags by mariao
2. "Hidden Friend" Bag by jumping_birds
3. 'At Sea' Bag Pattern by jenniferdenty
4. toadbag has the munchies! - by megamoniek
5. -Sakura_bag_pattern- by melimiliá
6. 1 Dozen Party Loot Bags - Pheasant Garden by kayajoy
7. 8 egg-hunt bags by sef
8. A bag with a face by chameleonfire
9. A Blooming Boat Bottom Bag by dianne_annelli
10. A Blooming Handy Bag By Rhonda W. © 2012 by rhondadesigns

Urban Sightings Fabric Contest Finalists - Vote for your favorites!

Our contest this week is an unusual one for a couple of reasons. First, we're inviting you to vote for a collection of juried fabric designs, which is a change from our generally inclusive approach to contests. The 45 designs up for voting were selected as finalists by judges from the Textile Center in Minneapolis from a pool of 236 entries. All of the fabrics were inspired by one or more of six photos taken in and around the Prospect Park neighborhood in Minneapolis, MN, where a  new light rail line is being constructed through the center of the neighborhood. The Textile Center plans to exhibit the top ten fabrics in its gallery to celebrate the art that can be found in everyday surroundings and the daily transition of the neighborhood landscape during this large construction project. One winner, selected by curators of the gallery, will receive a free, copy of Photoshop, and all of the top ten will receive $50 in Spoondollar credit!

Vote For 45 Finalists

The finalist designs were: 

1. 1057410_rrrrrrrrrrrrrsp-tex2 by dragonfly2356 
2. 5-TxtCtr_Urban_Stgs_1_IMG_3113T20120314103115-001 by manywoman 
3. Abandoned Tangle Town (We all take the light rail now!) by sew-me-a-garden 
4. Another brick in the pavement by cassiopee 
5. Arc by spellstone 
6. Beauty in Everything by lina_lissner 
7. bike_yarn by rokinronda 
8. Brick by Brick by katieschrader 
9. Caution_No_Parking by betsypreston 
10. City Sightings by gracedesign 
11. cones descending a staircase by ottomanbrim 
12. Cones on Drying Concrete by margotten 
13. DELINEATION by scrummy 
14. Follow the Urban Brick Road by sarahwalden~peacoquettedesigns 
15. follow_the_yellow_brick_road by topfrog56 
16. I *HEART* PARKING AT THE TEXTILE CENTER by 1squarepeg 
17. Imagine Beauty All Around by gg33 
18. King o' Pork by boris_thumbkin 
19. Knitcycle Hits the Bricks by mammajamma 
20. Mon_night by mniigeat 
21. neon city by sarah_joseph 
22. No barking by lien_geeroms 
23. NO PARKING by robyriker 
24. park the bike and go for a walk by katarina 
25. road_curves by wiccked 
26. snakeroad by karmacranes 
27. Spoonflower_contest_urbansightings_AnneLouiseLaugesen by anne_louise 
28. St_Augustine_Urban_Sightings_ by catail_designs 
29. Submission for Urban Sightings by lijlijlijntje 
30. Take the detour route by cynthiafrenette 
31. Texas Modern Crop Squares Coral by jacinda 
32. textilecentrebiketile_edited-1 by frances"fancy_felter" 
33. Traffic and Triangles by gsonge 
34. Traffic Patterns by susanpolston 
35. Under construction by gergana_mollova 
36. Under Construction by animotaxis 
37. Under construction urban spot by fantazya 
38. Urban Daffodils by a_most_peculiar 
39. Urban Euphoria by natbrynkids 
40. Urban Impressions by audettesa 
41. Urban Meanderings by glimmericks 
42. Urban Scallop by labrattish 
43. Urban Sightings Stripes by mongiesama 
44. Urban stripes by demigoutte 
45. urban-girl by tessiegirldesigns 

 

Spoonflower Staff's Craft Smackdown: Introducing the 2012 Staff Challenge

Our Staff Challenge turned into nothing short of a DIY-war, with the  Spoonflower office scattered with crazily ambitious, half-finished projects for weeks, and team members bleary-eyed from working on them until the wee hours. So it's a huge relief to have reached the final stage, in which we give all of the regular Spoonflower contest designers a break so that you all have a chance to vote for our work for a change. We hope voting is almost as fun as making these projects has been!  

Vote For Staff Challenge Projects

The fearless teams and projects in the challenge are:

1. Danielle & Turner's Tattoo Knit Shirt 
2. Darci & Tim's LED World Map
3. Caitlin & Thomas's Framed Fabric Photos
4. Gart & Allie's Streamlined Bicycle
5. Anna & Jesse's Rocket Play Tent
6. Chad & Melodie's Sofa-From-Scratch
7. Kim & Jennifer's Reproduction Vintage Hankies
8. Holly & Jake's Spoonflower QR Code Quilt
9. Jaysen & Kelly W.'s Re-upholstered Heirloom Chair
10. Kelly B. & Mary's Fabric Teepee
11. Stephen B. & Lindy's Ocean Mobile
12. Sarah & Adam's Upcycled Fabric Dresser
13. Stephanie & Deron's Chevron Sofa
14. Caroline & Janet's Yoga Knitwear
15. Stephen & Beth's Giant Plush Unicorn

Attack of the Robot Quilts

For the uninitiated, we should probably begin by explaining that a cheater quilt is a piece of fabric designed to look like patchwork or applique that allows a quilter to avoid piecework and concentrate on quilting. The challenge to designers this week was to create a robot-themed cheater quilt design that fits onto a single yard of our fabulous Kona cotton. Have fun voting!

Vote For Robot Cheater Quilts

The participants this week are:

1. I, Robot by forest&sea 
2. Inside the robot by mariao 
3. "BOT-imore" Album Cheater Quilt by floathandmade 
4. "Robots for Girls" by bulldogsandbabies 
5. 'Howdee Yul' quilt by amel24 
6. 18th century karakuri tea serving doll by chameleonfire 
7. A Robot in Love Cheater Quilt by cynthiafrenette 
8. All my circuits by tscho 
9. AllGearedUp by beckydolley 
10. Attic Window Robot Cheater Quilt by joofalltrades 

Keeping Your Toiles Local

Our contest  this week required designers to create fabric designs inspired by the 18th-century style of toile de jouy, but using as their subjects the histories of the designers' respective towns. The result provides an entertaining set of fabrics, but also a nice set of mini-history lessons for a handful of cities you may never get a chance to visit. We're imagining these fabrics as curtains for a lucky bunch of  local libraries.

Vote For Your-Town Toile Fabrics

The intrepid designers this week are:

1. A Medieval Woodcut - Brugge by forest&sea
2. A Hannibal Home by paragonstudios
3. ABC_Cheese_Tilba_toile__blue-bone_ by pavlova_is
4. Aberystwyth_Toile by moobug
5. Alton, Hampshire & The story of Sweet Fanny Adams by kimberly-ann
6. anaheim - the happiest town on earth by cheyanne_sammons
7. Anderson, South Carolina - The Electric City & home to Hot Air Balloon launches by amy_lou_who
8. Annandale, Virginia by glimmericks
9. Antique Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, P.Q., Canada. by fantazya
10. Arizona Rough Riders by galinaz

I Like Bike Fabrics - Vote for your favorites!

 

Moving from the ocean to land (in a string of contest themes that is starting to look suspiciously like a fabric triathlon), this week's contest theme is bicycles. Father's Day is still a ways off, I know, but I can tell you right now that a tie made from an appropriately small bicycle print would be an outstanding present!

Vote For Bicycle Fabrics

The participants this week are:

1. "B is for...Bicycles" (Pink Version) by jubilli
  2. 2_wheelers by circlealine
3. A BICYCLE BUILT FOR [THE SQUARE ROOT OF] TWO by theboerwar
4. A Bike with a Heart of Gold by thatrossiart
5. A Blooming Twirly Ride by vo_aka_virginiao
6. a perfect day by scrummy
7. A Spring Ride by kdl
8. Alice_Nicol-_Spoonflower by alice_nicol_designs
9. All You Need For Speed by tscho
10. An Ode to My Bike by my_zoetrope

Jellyfish Fabrics As Far As the Eye Can See

Despite the risk of wearing you out with ocean motifs, our contest theme this week is a tribute to the sea creature most of us love to look at but hate to bump into: the jellyfish. Can't you see these prints going over well on a pair of boxer shorts? 

Vote For Jellyfish Fabrics

The participants this week are:

1. 120209_06 by lovelyrinah
2. Agua Viva by kirpa
3. alphabet jellies in red by thatrossiart
4. amazing jellies by paragonstudios
5. Angelly Delight by appletree
6. anumanuva_curious_light_483 by anumanuva
7. Arnold in Love - Rasperries & Buttercream by giddystuff
8. Aztec Jellyfish by forest&sea
9. Azure Jellyfish Seas by tmthompson
10. backfloat by jellybeanquilter

Ditsy Sea Creatures: Vote for your favorites in a school of small prints

This week we resurrected a variation on a popular but difficult theme from one of our fall contests: ditsy prints. Ditsy refers to very small prints designed to scatter rather than to repeat in an obviously symmetrical way. Ditsy prints are popular for apparel sewing.  Deciding which of the contest entries best capture the idea of ditsy through the use of sea critters is the mission before you today, should you choose to accept it.

Vote For Ditsy Sea Creature Fabrics

The participants this week are:

1. Hawaiian Sea horses by mariao
2. Sea Gifts Wrapped in Ribbons of Seagrass by inscribed_here
3. A Beach Ditsy by illustrative_images
4. A Buncha Lobstahs by dianne_annelli
5. a ditsy sea by paragonstudios
6. A Sea Menagerie in Blue by thatrossiart
7. Acres of Clams ditsy by georgeandgracie
8. Algae by grafite
9. ANEMONES by kriskross
10. Arctic Ditsy Sea Creatures - Soapstone by aldea

Art Deco Collage: Vote for your favorite art deco inspired fabric designs

In this week's challenge we asked designers to produce fabrics inspired by the art deco movement while at the same time restricting themselves to no more than four colors. This was a tough one, but we're really looking forward to printing the winners next week. I'm thinking they'll be perfect for pillows and curtains, or maybe lampshades!

Vote For Art Deco Fabrics

The participants this week are:

1. Art deco Lotus by mariao
2. *Stars* Art Deco by branchaplumes
3. 1920's Paris by fable_design
4. 1ArtDeco by positivenegative
5. 20s Glamour by blboutique
6. 30's Zephyr by holly_helgeson
7. 4-Colour Art Deco Tree by phantomssiren
8. a deco garden by the_collectionist
9. A Sewing Arts Deco Damask by cynthiafrenette
10. alternating_lines by charlene_sawyer

Taking Fabric to the Streets

 

We asked designers in this week's contest to create fabrics inspired by graffiti (or street art, if you prefer). The results are enough to make you to want to reupholster an entire subway car.

 

Vote For Graffiti Fabrics

This week's participating designs and designers:

1. 544_-_Copy by jgmfaux
2. A GRAFFITI LOVE LETTER by karenharveycox
3. A Tribute by vo_aka_virginiao
4. ABC...street by cassiopee
5. Animal graffiti by alexsan
6. arabor by joancaronil
7. Arrow Graffiti by franny711
8. Art Thou Mine? By Rhonda W. © 2012 by rhondadesigns
9. a_round__the__corner_color by leolietje
10. Bad Wolf Street Art - fabric images show closeups by laurels

Vote for your favorite outdated technologies on fabric

Our competition this week centers around yet another topic near and dear to the hearts of geeks, outdated technologies. Whether it's Atari joysticks, rotary phones, cassettes or computer punch tape you remember most fondly, you're guaranteed to find at least one fabric to tickle your nostalgia in this week's design contest.

Vote For Outdated Technology Fabrics

Our intrepid designers this week are:

1. my desk is a total shambles! by mariao
2. Plastic Fantastic!! by inscribed_here
3. 1851 Singer by spiringsdesigns
4. 1951 bulletnose Studebaker by edsel2084
5. 3 1/2" Floppy Disks by robyriker
6. 45_RPM by mammajamma
7. 50s kitchen devices gone mad by kikibaai
8. 70's phone... "Yello!" by luluhoo
9. 70s chic by blboutique
10. 8-Bit Good Times by ravenous

Vote for Cityscape fabrics

In the latest round of competition we asked each entrant to create a fabric design inspired by the cityscape of her or his favorite city. The field displays a few trends -- people really love London, New York and Amsterdam, for example -- but the designs themselves are very diverse. We're looking forward to seeing the top ten on fabric next week.

Vote For Cityscape Fabrics

The full list of entrants:

1.  Paris streetsigns by mariao 
2.  This Is My NY by sammyk 
3.  3 Paris Cityscapes And The Eiffel Tower By Kristie Hubler by fabricatedframes 
4.  55150031-Blue Sky Windows by josephinefletcher 
5.  8 Bit Sydney by erinibbertson 
6.  A Philadelphia Winter in Rittenhouse Square by saramlenton 
7.  AGRA taj_mahal_collection by kirpa 
8.  Alexandria, Virginia by glimmericks 
9.  Along Idaho Street by brandymiller 
10. Amsterdam by fluffygeek 

A contest to create four coordinating fabrics: Vote!

This week's challenge offers one of the most difficult themes we've put together for a regular contest. We asked designers to come up with four coordinating fabrics laid out to be printed on a single yard of fabric. So you're voting not just for a single design, but for a collection. Fun, no? The work submitted for this contest is just amazing.

Vote For Coordinating Fabrics

The designers this week are:

1.   "Hot Stuff" Coordinates by jannasalak 
2.   'a time to garden' collection by scrummy 
3. 03jan12_1_coordinates_contest_entry_from_FireFlower by fireflower 
4.   4 coordinates by anne-m-bray 
5.   4 for 1! by mariao 
6.   4in1 garden coordinates by jumping_birds 
7.   8 Fat Quarters / 2 Yards in Any Fabric by pond_ripple 
8.   A Hint of Spring Coordinates, Seed, Bloom, Grow and Flourish by kdl 
9.   A moonlit moth fandango by coggon 
10. A Pink Bouquet Fat Quarter Collection by robyriker 

What's the recipe for beautiful fabric? Let us know by voting in our recipe fabric contest!

Our contest theme this week, admittedly, offered a bit of a challenge purely on aesthetic grounds. How do you create a beautiful fabric design inspired by a text-based composition with very few aesthetic elements attached to it at all? We asked designers to produce fabrics inspired by recipes. The results, as always, showcase a broad range of imaginations.

Vote For Recipe Fabrics

This week's intrepid designers are:

1. A Fruity Pomegranate Ale Recipe by quiltsmith
2. A Perfect Cup by brandymiller
3. A Recipe for Tea Kisses by karenharveycox
4. allylynn's shape glyph-ed by allylynn
5. bean dip by georgeandgracie
6. Beebe's Skillet Cornbread by maplewooddesignstudio
7. Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies!!! by sammyk
8. bluebird by chickendream
9. Button Soup by eclectic_house
10. cocktails (dark) by scrummy

Evergreen Fabric Design Contest - Vote for your favorites!

We only allowed the entrants in this week's evergreen-themed design contest to use four colors, a restriction that somehow always manages to bring out the best in our talented community of fabric designers. I just wish there was time to print and use some of these fabrics for gift wrapping!

Vote For Evergreen Fabrics

Our contest entrants this week:

1.       A Bonsai Evergreen, Sunset Shadows by quiltsmith 
2.       A Forever Evergreen by thatrossiart 
3.       A patterned forest by neurotickle 
4.       A Stitch of Evergreen by kdl 
5.       Abies concolor (western white fir) on its natural color by georgeandgracie 
6.       Abstract Evergreens by eclectic_house 
7.       Aligators Are Evergreen in the Everglades by vo_aka_virginiao 
8.       An Evergreen is Crafty by cynthiafrenette 
9.       An Olympian Evergreen by robyriker 
10.       Ants collecting pine needles by mongiesama 

A fabric contest with bells on... are you ready to vote for your favorites?

Our fabric design contest theme this week is bells, which turns out to have produced a somewhat wider variety of interpretations than we expected. Please note that none of the included designs actually jingle. Now dash on through the votes... and we'll announce the winner next week!

Vote For Bell Fabrics

The participants this week are:

1.  Xmas Bells* by katarina 
2.  1libertybell by terry_handel 
3.  A BELL FOR GIVING TWO by karenharveycox 
4.  A Bush Chime - on rich cream.  By Rhonda W.  © 2011 by rhondadesigns 
5.  A Pair of Small Silver Bells by quiltsmith 
6.  Aesop-- "Belling the Cat" Gold Bells on Blue by pond_ripple 
7.  All the Bells and Whistles by sammyk 
8.  Amoebells by ravenous 
9.  bell by onegreyelephant 
10.  Belle Ringers - Pastels by beesocks