This week, we're really pleased to be bringing you a virtual chat with Spoonflower designer, Virginia Odien, also known as Vo_aka_VirginiaO. Viginia's been with Spoonflower since almost the very beginning, has nearly 200 designs available in her Spoonflower shop on which to feast your eyes, and has won three fabric-of-the-week contests here. So it was no surprise to us to learn that Virginia also recently won a fabric design contest on Connecting Threads! Beating out thousands of other contest entries, Virginia's "Laundry Day" design was the starting point for her brand-new fabric collection Hello Sunshine, now available for sale through Connecting Threads. Read on for more about Virginia and a chance to win a pile o' fabrics at the end!
You’ve been on Spoonflower for over three years now, almost from our very beginning. Were you designing fabrics even before that?
Oh no, I’d never even thought about designing fabric before! I was simply someone who played around making graphics in graphics programs for fun. I started designing once I found Spoonflower and thought, “I can do that…I think.” I entered the 2010 calendar contest (where I didn’t have to do a repeat, hallelujah! ) and came in second place after Danielle Hanson. Yahooooo! That second place win created a whole new paradigm for me and I had to figure out how to make a repeating design! Back in the day, I had to take home-ec and typing classes. Doing art wasn’t really an option and oddly, it just never entered my mind that I could be taught to hone my doodling skills!
What do you do for a living when you're not designing fabrics?
My background is in project management and customer service. Currently I work in the media relations and marketing department of a university, doing whatever needs to be done. The more creative and complex the solutions I can come up with, the more I enjoy my day job. But really my heart and soul is in my night work at home, project-managing my creative processes and finding new solutions to creating new designs. It's really like playtime for me and I love managing myself since I never talk back (much)!
What inspired your new Hello Sunshine fabric collection?
A Spoonflower contest! I entered and won the leprechaun contest by wanting to create something different than pots of gold and little green men so I went with a humorous look at a leprechaun’s laundry.
I’m sure lady leprechauns think male leprechauns are handsome but I could only draw ugly leprechauns so I went with their laundry instead. I included their smallclothes and voters loved seeing their underwear and where they kept their family jewels. (Oooh, can I say that here?) I thought the Connecting Threads quilting audience might like a more general theme of laundry and I wanted something that evoked a light-filled, breezy summer day. The August heat also inspired me. I thought it would be a great way to remember summer when winter arrived and you might want to curl up under a fabulous, summery quilt.
Some of the prints in Virginia's "Hello Sunshine" collection, including her winning "Laundry Day" design.
What other things inspire you in your design work?
Oh, I have a big list for this question! My family for sure. I have a big group of fellow Spoonflwer designers who I talk to almost daily and we all give each other encouragement, hurrahs, and congratulations. They all bring a sense of humor to the table. Then there are my customers; I’m inspired by their comments and feedback, their emails, and their willingness to buy my designs to make things for themselves or others. I love when customers send me photos of their finished projects–fat quarter projects, yard projects, they’re all thrilling to see.
I recently sold 69 yards of one of my designs, “Gear Up.” I was curious to know what someone would do with THAT much fabric and it was the best thing ever! It was purchased by the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library for their summer reading program titled, “Gear Up!” The different branches within that library system used their fabric to decorate the libraries, and they're going to hold a contest for the best decorations. I couldn’t have asked for a better use of my fabric! I’m a chronic reader and libraries hold a dear spot in my heart. It inspires me to think about young readers expanding their horizons with a combo of graphic art and literature. Here's a photo of one of the displays. When I get photos of all of them, I’ll post them to my blog.
Do you sew yourself? Do you try to imagine how someone might use your designs when you’re working on something new?
I do sew! My mom began teaching me when I was knee-high to a grasshopper. In a past career I was the costumer and stage manager for a civic light opera and when my kids were small, I was their Halloween costume master! I absolutely consider end use, and I think it’s critical to imagine how your design will work for the end use. I really enjoy creating novelty fabrics for quilters on one end of the spectrum, and designing for crafts or decor on the other. I also think about what I don’t see in fabric stores. I want to produce things that are sometimes a little quirkly or humorous and that will stand out as slightly different. That’s why you’ll see in my Spoonflower shop bacon, armadillos, steampunk squids, roller derby, hedgies, a honey badger, scooters, and trailers as a few examples. It’s also fabulous that I can offer different media on fabric. I have watercolor designs, photographic designs, crayon or colored pencil designs, and computer generated designs.
What other sorts of creative projects do you enjoy? Do you and your family do creative or crafty things together?
I’m a beader and you can see some of my work on my old beading blog. I also sew, paint watercolors, knit, crochet, embroider, string beads, create stained glass, do mosaics… you name, it I’ve done it! Mostly my family lets me do all the crafty things while they all play musical instruments or sing. We enjoy making music together (although we're not Partridge Family types), and we also enjoy going to plays and concerts together. Oh, and eating…we have a lot of creative conversations while noshing together!
You’ve entered quite a few of the Spoonflower fabric-of-the-week contests and have won three of them, the desert, woodland creatures, and leprechauns contests. What’s been your favorite contest theme so far and why did you enjoy it?
Oh, good question! I’ve really enjoyed the ones that I’ve won or where I placed in the Top 10, but really I so enjoy the challenge of almost every single contest. The contests make me stretch artistically and challenge me to make more interesting designs quickly. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Spoonflower and its thousands of followers. I cut my artistic teeth on your site and the encouragement that others have given me provided me with the courage to put my stuff out there for everyone to judge. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this ever-changing process over the last 3 years.
Do you have any other design collections in the works that you’d care to share with us?
Yes, I do! I’ve just released my Mod Scooters and Sidecars collection and my new Americana collection. I’m currently working on creating a collection for my focal design, Mātuhi – the New Zealand Bush Wren. If anyone out there is looking at one of my designs and wants a collection to go with it, just send me an email. Let's talk!
Thanks, Virginia! And now if all this talk of fabric collections has whetted your hunger to build your stash, we think you'll be pretty darn excited about this week's giveaway. The kind folks at Connecting Threads have provided us with a generous five fat quarter bundles of Virginia's entire new Hello Sunshine collection to give away–that's 19 different prints for five lucky folks! To sweeten an already awesome giveaway, we're also including 5 of Virginia's Spoonflower designs, hand-picked by Virginia herself: "Small Bacon," "Armadillos Wandering the Desert…", "Matuhi – the New Zealand Bush Wren," "Paisley Ahoy Koi, Oh Boy," and her "Hi, Ho, a Merry-O" bunting kit.
To enter this giveaway for a big ol' stack of fabrics, just leave your comment below or on the corresponding Facebook post, and do include your Spoonflower screen name or some other means of tracking you down in case you're one of our five winners. Entries close next Tuesday, 8/21 and we'll announce a winner on 8/22. Good luck, fabric stashers!
Last week, we offered a giveaway that a lot of you seem to have been really excited about. We offered up Meg McElwhee's lovely new Ashland dress pattern plus four yards of Spoonflower fabric to make it up in. The winner of that giveaway was Jennifer Pagliai. Congratulations, Jennifer! I hope you sew up something beautiful!
What a great giveaway this one is!
These fabrics are gorgeous!!!!
Beautiful fabric! tobosbunny on Spoonflower! 🙂
I love your fabrics! So lovely – will definitely be using some of these in upcoming projects!
Those fabrics are adorable! voxwoman on Spoonflower
Lovely! angalese on spoonflower
Wonderful! Twozdai on spoonflower
I was so happy to hear that Vo had won the CT contest, and the collection is so awesome! (robyriker)
SUCH neat fabrics!! Thanks so much for the chance to win!! 🙂
Lovelly Giveaway!! <3 AkaiRingo on Spoonflower
Thanks for the luscious giveaway. janprytz on spoonflower
Lovely fabrics:D! email: techie_chick24@hotmail.com
I would love to win one of these lovely bundles!
Beautiful fabrics, I love all the quirky designs.
HELLO! SUCH PRETTY FABRICS!
THANKS FOR SHARING!
msstitcher1948@yahoo.com
Virginia’s story is so inspiring. Thanks Spoonflower for this opportunity.
Mesmerize on spoonflower.
Oh such pretty designs! Love them all!
sellcrystal2 at yahoo dot com
What a nice giveaway! Those fabrics are gorgeous! ajc1696 on spoonflower
I love that Hello Sunshine collection! I’m lupingirl on spoonflower
these sure would be fun to put in a quilt. pick me!
I love that Leprechaun laundry line!
michelletripper(at)yahoo(dot)ca
Love the fabric, ravenztarot on spoonflower
“I also sew, paint watercolors, knit, crochet, embroider, string beads, create stained glass, do mosaics… you name, it I’ve done it!” ME, TOO! I’m keeping my fingers crossed! mX Xm :)phawkenson on Spoonflower.
Love these! Thanks for the chance to win =)
richak21 at sbcglobal dot net
O I could make so many wonderful things with one on these collections of fabric!
love your fabric … hello sunshine would make a great wallhanging … thanks for the chance to win some …. darlene
That was a great interview and rather inspirational! I’d love to try my hand at designing fabric and this collection is so much fun! I can imagine all kinds of projects for these beautiful fabrics!
Cute fabric! Would make a fun quilt!
mmmm…yummu yummy…so many could be’s. But I find that the fabric decides for itself what it wants to be once laid out on my cutting table :-0
I’ve already got a few of her prints saved. Wish you had flannel.
cathrynlane@gmail.com
What an inspiring story! Have loved the Gear Up fabric since the Steampunk challenge. Thanks for the chance to win – SewCherie on Spoonflower.
Armadillos! Love those things. Thank you for the giveaway, my spoonflower name is alim
These are lovely! I’m Katarra on Spoonflower.
WONDERFUL! WTG VO!!! 😀 xxx
Love, love, love these!
Wow I would love these fabrics. Pick me, Pick me.
Beautiful 🙂
Username: ewood1875
Woohoo! Congrats Vo! I adore your collection, and all of your Spoonflower designs are just great!!
SF: cynthiafrenette
what lovely fabrics! tb0969
VO has some very creative designs. Would make cute kids quilts!
Great collection, Vo! Congrats once again. kayajoy
These are great designs and I love this fabric. Wow it would be fun to win this. I think I might use some of it to add to some children’s comfort quilts, plus a small table cloth.
Oh my….beautiful fabrics! I would just love, love, love to win!!
kvanella (at) gmail (dot) com
Congratulations, vo! This would be great to win. – evenspor
I’d LOVE to win this stack of fabric. What a wonderful line. I love each and every single piece. thanks for the chance
~a
What a great giveaway! Thanks so much!
What lovely bright fabrics. I would love to have these. khowardquilts
A interesting story and a great giveaway ! <3
The fabric is beautiful. It would be fun to win this giveaway. Thanks
Yes, Virginia, you are a gifted designer…I’d love to make it into your fabrics into wonderful things.
Those fabrics are beautiful!!!! I have been eying the collecting on connecting threads!
So lovely I am waiting for my order from Connecting Threads to arrive! And, oh, how many more things can I make with these added to it?! 🙂 Good luck, Everyone!!!
A whole pile of Virginia Odien fabric..? Why yes please thank you.
These are sooo cute! malinda – animegirlie at gmail dot com
Congratulations VO, I would love to win some of your lovely fabrics!
email: therudolphs(at)sympatico(dot)ca or retrorudolphs on Spoonflower 🙂
Very inspiring interview! pinky_rue on spoonflower
I just love the fabric in the giveaway, thank you so much for the opportunity to win! awolk at rogers dot com
Just think; it all began with Spoonflower!
Congratulations Vo!
What beautiful fabrics! I would love to win! alissa(dot)slagle(at)gmail(dot)com
Love these fabrics! The leprechaun laundry print is hilarious!
Virginia, your winning collection is delightful! I’d love to win one of these bundles of your talent! ~ Tallulahdahling on Spoonflower.
What fun patterns – especially “laundry day”!
What a wonderful stash!
-moonfern
I love the diversity of the designs.
(LeighR here)
I love the fabrics. So pretty!
Thanks.
Hueiseiong
fab fabric love it
Love this fabric collection!!! I’s gorgeous!
mrsrachelsbooth@gmail.com
Thanks to Connecting Threads and spoonflower for this great giveaway. spoonflower id: MarciaW You can also use my typepad email to contact me. I saw this collection in the CT catalog and it’s a good one. It’s nice that a fabric artist can get noticed via their spoonflower work and branch out.
BIG BIG congratulations Vo! This is sooo exciting!
Wonderful job on the designs, and I know I MUST get my hands on one of those fat quarter bundles.
~Ravenous @ Spoonflower
What a gorgeous giveaway… I love all of the designs!
(spoonflower: wendyklassen)
Love the fabrics! Thank you for the chance to win. Here’s hoping!
Very beautiful. Thanks for the opportunity to win this package!
Lovely fabrics…thanks sew much for this chance to win!
Great collection–really cute!
Spoonflower name: gardengnome
great giveaway! flowerchild22
These a beautiful fabrics….oh what fabulous creative potential. I would love to own these.
Those armadillos are awesome! No Spoonflower name but my email is darktownstrutter at gmail dot com.
So beautiful! I’m itching to get creative. 🙂 fourleaf on Spoonflower.
I agree with everyone–the fabrics are wonderful and I’d love to be one of the winners.
The fabric is wonderful. I sure would like to win it.
So much talent…I adore that Armadillo fabric; it’s so fun. Thanks for the chance.
Spoonflower: auntiethesis
How exciting!
Your beautiful designs inspire me!
Thank you for sharing your talent.
Andy Bee Designs at gmail dot com
what cool fabric – lots of ideas what to do with it here 😉
Beautiful! I would love to make something out of bacon!!! and – my stash would LOVE these fabrics 😉 superchelseald
Oh, my goodness! Those armadillos! I’m going to have to have some of that (and the other fabrics, too), for sure. 🙂
Would love to win, contest ends on my deceased daughter’s birthday babscorbitt@gmail.com
Very talented! Lovely to hear more about this designer. (mkbemish)
What a great prize! Thanks!
my Spoonflower name is gussek
I love these fabrics pick me pick me 🙂
I sooo need armadillo fabric. 😀
I would love to win – fabric is gorgeous and as a New Zealander I have been looking for New Zealand bird fabric so would love to get the bush wren fabric!!! sarajspeight(at)yahoo(dot)co(dot)nz and I think my spoonflower name is sarajspeight?
amazing , beautiful and diverse designs 🙂
spoonflower: padeshahoo
mail: sarahnemati@yahoo.com
Oh, what a generous giveaway! So many fabrics! My Spoonflower handle is captainstitchypants 🙂
so pretty…
Oh CRUMBS that a pretty stash…can safely say I don’t have anything else with armadillos on it…awesomes.
Spoonflower monicker is bucketofuzz 😀 Best of luck peeps! x
I love these fabrics! I really like the laundry drying on the lines, and the armadillos are so cute!
Thanks for the chance to win!
(RachML)
What a beautiful colection. I want then all. policunha on Spoonflower.
Lovely fabric
That is such a sweet and fun collection! I really appreciate it when designers consider the crafter and possible projects when coming up with a collection. I am not a quilter, but I love whimsical patterns for children’s clothing, decor, etc.
–digitalmisfit
I could totally use these! My Spoonflower name is curlysquilts. Thanks!
Fabric! Nothing would bring me more joy then a new stash to work with.
http://brindyayn.com
Another amazing giveaway….Thanks Spoonflower!
Great designs! Love them ALL! 🙂
What a beautiful prize! Pick me please?
Lovely! I’m sazzra 🙂
would love to win these to start new projects.
What fun fabrics! thanks for the chance to win!
KateCC
Oh, how I could use these pretty fabrics, I’m counting the ways!
Thanks for the chance my Spoonflower screen name is kitlittle
those are very pretty designs..
Fabrics are TDF! I am so excited to have found spoonflower and I hope to design something in the near future. Love all your fabrics, everything is so unique, so colorful, just wonderful! i do hope to be a lucky winner!! 🙂 My spoonflower screen name is alexandrabenson
What a fantastic giveaway! These fabric designs give me goosebumps. Rare and not to be ignored! My spoonflower name is heatheracton.
These are beautiful! Would love to make something with them.
Lovely fabrics! eyespotdesigns
What a great initiative – an interview with the designer!
Virginia is not only a talented artist but also an amazing person, with incomparable sense of humor! It was nice to see in her shop Doctor Who and Daleks!
It was very interesting to read this interview and I wish her further victories (and believe that they will be)!
-istar1
-zamoskvoreche@gmail.com
I always participate in the designs of the week contest as a voter, but this is the first time I’ve entered a giveaway. I love Vo_aka_VirginiaO’s designs and I really love how delighted she is that it was *libraries* buying all that cool Gear Up fabric! Thanks for this chance to win such a neat prize!
When i saw this collection in the new Connecting Threads catalog that just arrived in the mail i said to myself “this is gorgeous, it looks like a Spoonflower designer”…and then saw that it indeed is! i’d love to win 🙂
Love her fabric!
Spoonflower Ali Coe
alibear167 at gmail
This would be a great gift! Missyd
Lovely fabric!
What beautiful fabrics and such a fantastic giveaway.
what a great giveaway! and I loved Virginia’s story too 🙂
wiccked
Bacon-wrapped armadillos!
-lemonadefish
This is awesome Virginia!
Please let me win this one – fantastic fabrics – upcyclepatch on spoonflower.
So lovely! http://www.leahmarieflores@gmail.com
What gorgeousness. Now wonderful dreams of great things to create with these fabrics.
sjleblang@gmail
love these! onebatchick at hotmail dot com
GORGEOUS fabrics!!!!! Love both sets!!!
The Hello Sunshine line is so darling. You really have
a unique way of designing. The laundry one and the
St.Patrick’s day laundry is too cute. I do also like
the color combinations you choose. Looking forward
to seeing what you design next. Thank you.
More fabric? Yeh!!! Can’t get enough of it and these are just stunning. I enjoyed your interview.
Wish I was that clever! So many things that could be made from them!
Beautiful collection!
I love laundry day and it collection, since the first time I got to vote for it on CT. I am excited to see more beautiful fabric. It would be fun to make something with any of the collection.
I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really would LOVE to win this fabric!!!! You have no idea how much!!!!!!!
Oh, how lovely! Would love to win these!
What a sweet collection. Would love to have.(lydianna)
I love the Armadillos print!!
@AliseTamara
Thank you for sharing your inspiring story and for the opportunity to enter the drawing to build up my fabric supply!
What gorgeous fabrics from a very talented designer. I remember that leprechaun laundry fabric! It was a hoot!
–mawaridi
This is an inspiring story! Mousmonkey is my spoonflower id.
Lovely fabrics!!
Aaaw I’d love to win me some pretti fabrics. 😀
Can’t remember my Spoonflower name right now. :O
verklighetsflykt(at)hotmail(dot)com
What beautiful designs. diannc@aol.com
Great fabric and giveaway, I am inspired by looking at these designs!
I would love to win this!
Blessings!
Namaste’
From Debra J Webb
melodyangel@mac.com
Very inspiring story! I appreciate your sense of humor. It sounds like you have the family I thought I would have when I grew up. That was my family when I was still a child.
These are SUCH beautiful designes. Especially loving the Laundry Day pattern 🙂
What beautiful fabrics! Oh what I could make with all this.
Love the creatively designed prints… And super excited about this giveaway!
Please pick me! New fabric is always welcome!
I really love the colors you use! They are beautiful and calming!
I’d love to win! heatherkowens at yahoo dot com
A huge slew of beautiful Virginia Odien fabrics is just what I need to get in the crafting spirit. Congrats on the beautiful collection, Vo and thanks to SF for this amazing giveaway!
This fabric is so fun! Distracteddebra @gmail dot com
Virginia, your fabrics are just fabrics!! How I would love to win one of these bundles! Thanks Spoonflower and Virginia for making this giveaway possible. Have a great day! Fran ebayfranstuff@gmail.com
I really want to win this, Annabella1
Wow so cool! I just discovered this blog. I have yet to try Spoonflower, but I love looking at what people come up with. walkskiprun at g mail
I love hearing about people’s creative processes!
I’m a big fan, that ould be amazing!
What a charming design. I’m a big fan of Spoonflower
Oh, how I’d love to win this one! Gail/Buzz
This is a super awesome giveaway!!!!!!!! 😀 ♥
And I just loved to read more about Virginia :))
PS.: catru on spoonflower
Love to sew these up into something cool! Gracias!
Thanks for the chance to win 🙂
these are such fun fabrics, great work.
I’m ready to win! VO rocks.
Wow, what a great giveaway. So many cool things are just waiting to be made with all that lovely fabric!
great fabrics! these would definitely be fun to play with!
Wow! Prolific and talented! Armadillos? Leprechauns? I am impressed!
celiamalia at gmail dot com
Fun collection! I’d love to put them to use. 🙂
crafts[at]oursideofthemountain[dot]com
oh please please let it be me!!
Beautiful fabrics! EviLivLuv on spoonflower.
Love the Armadillo and Leprechaun laundry fabrics!!! She has so many interesting designs!!
Virginia. I have the orange checkered fabric from your hello sunshine collection that I used for a previous quilt. I am trying to use the remainder for a binding but do not have enough. I checked the connecting threads site but it is no longer available. Can you tell me where I might find more yardage thanks