Announcing the StoryPatches Design Challenge Winners

We’re thrilled to announce our winner is Heleen van Buul! Her design bird family tree was voted tops by our community. Heleen will receive a $300 cash prize from StoryPatches and a licensing contract to create a line of quilt labels plus $300 Spoonflower credit and a press release. All other entrants in the top 10 receive $100 in Spoonflower credit. Thanks to everyone who entered, and stay tuned for tomorrow’s announcement of the July Design Challenge!

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About Our StoryPatches Design Challenge Winner, Heleen van Buul

Heleen is a Dutch graphic designer turned surface pattern artist living in The Hague. She started out as a freelance graphic designer after receiving degrees in graphic design and industrial design engineering. After the birth of her two children she became inspired to design for kids and started creating fabric prints and other graphics for the junior market.

Briefly outline how you got started in surface design (and when did you start)?

I had been a graphic designer for a while, mostly doing corporate identities and advertisements. I frequently used patterns as part of my designs and loved making them. Then one day I stumbled upon Spoonflower and just loved the idea of making patterns for fabric. I started designing a few geometric patterns for some pillow covers in my home. After that I discovered I love surface pattern design so much, I decided to focus more on that.

Do/did you have another career before this? (And other work experiences relevant to design?)

Since I was little I loved drawing and designing. In college I went to study industrial design engineering at the technical university of Delft (Netherlands). I learned that I wanted to do more two dimensional design, so later I also went to art school studying graphic design graduating in 2009. While still in art school I started working as a freelance graphic designer, which I’m still doing combined with surface pattern designing.

Describe your creative space:

I have a small room in my house I use as an office, which I have filled with all sorts of things that inspire me and put me in a good mood like plants, seashells and a lot of drawing and painting tools.

1. 271 votes for bird family tree – coordinates by heleenvanbuul
2. 251 votes for Stitched Together by littleknids
3. 246 votes for HAPPY CAMPERS by bzbdesigner
4. 238 votes for Sweet family stories by cjldesigns
5. 231 votes for SF-StoryPatches-Coordinates-Prints by kerryn_art
6. 221 votes for Bear Cub by spottedpepperdesigns
7. 199 votes for SF-StoryPatches-Coordinates-Quail-family by corazón-designs
8. 196 votes for Rabbit relatives by juliesfabrics
9. 190 votes for EVERY FAMILY TREE IS A LITTLE FUNKY by katerhees
10. 182 votes for VintageFamilyTree by cassiopee
11. 171 votes for Heart of the Family Tree by robyriker
12. 166 votes for Nesting in the Family Tree by tiffanyheiger
13. 165 votes for family tree- periwinkle by ottomanbrim
14. 163 votes for chestnuts and oak leaves by karinka
15. 161 votes for Cats-familytree by la_fabriken
16. 159 votes for Cloisonné Story Collection by ceciliamok
17. 147 votes for Avian Family Tree by lprspr
18. 142 votes for roosting: my fledglings at home and afield. by vo_aka_virginiao
19. 137 votes for Together under the rain by axelle_design
20. 134 votes for StoryPatches pattern for kids by holaholga
21. 134 votes for papageno-family-yard by gaiamarfurt
22. 127 votes for Home-Sweet-Nest by nouveau_bohemian
23. 127 votes for Togetherness by ms_jenny_lemon
24. 124 votes for Family tree by weejock
25. 124 votes for Forest Family by orangefancy
26. 122 votes for Family-Collection by thepatternparade
27. 121 votes for Enter the Family by susan_polston
28. 119 votes for Unified Family Life by rubydoor
29. 118 votes for Rabbit Family Reunion. by slumbermonkey
30. 115 votes for Forest family by analinea
31. 114 votes for Happy Chicks by modra
32. 113 votes for Elephant Family Tree by snidgy’s_designs
33. 113 votes for bird love trees 4 in 1 by scrummy
34. 112 votes for Familie by abbyhersey
35. 109 votes for retro-family-picture by lisahilda
36. 106 votes for Family Tree Story Patch by cbronsky
37. 105 votes for SF-StoryPatches-Coordinates-Family_Tree__Bruxamagica by bruxamagica
38. 103 votes for Family Road Trip by papercanoedesign
39. 100 votes for In Every Tree there is Love by Solvejg Makaretz by solvejg
40. 99 votes for Family Tree by lbehrendtdesigns
41. 99 votes for storypatches I spy animal families by anchoa
42. 97 votes for Story Patches Coordinates – Family Tree by mjmstudio
43. 95 votes for StoryPatches Family Tree Coordinates by feralartist
44. 95 votes for Family Forest by cleolovescolor
45. 93 votes for family_folklore by mimipinto
46. 88 votes for Families of birds by svetlana_prikhnenko
47. 87 votes for SF-StoryPatches-Coordinates-entry-lucy-menzies by luluvic
48. 87 votes for Family of butterflies by kociara
49. 87 votes for we are family by designed_by_debby
50. 87 votes for Folk Tree and Coordinates. by pixabo
51. 85 votes for Family Topiary Trees by paula’s_designs
52. 84 votes for Blue bird family tree by aprilone
53. 83 votes for highland family by prospectroadstudio
54. 83 votes for Cradle Embrace Guide Lift by mariaspeyer
55. 81 votes for A Mother’s Love by meghanwallace
56. 81 votes for The Meaning of Family by jennifer_todd
57. 81 votes for Tweet Tweet Birdie Family Tree #Storypatches by beckra_sew_indigo
58. 79 votes for The Bears Adopt Goldie by mag-o
59. 78 votes for Birds of a Feather by kirstenkatz
60. 77 votes for The_Whild_Family_Tree_Coordinates by relwhild
61. 76 votes for foxtemplate by kmoses2886
62. 76 votes for My_Family by floramoon_designs
63. 75 votes for Love, Family, Home by pamelachi
64. 75 votes for Love_Grows_Here by skyannjoy
65. 73 votes for The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree by cate_rose
66. 72 votes for StoryPatches by carolynbelefski
67. 71 votes for Family Stories by gnarllymamadesigns
68. 69 votes for Our Family Collection by lizzieludesign
69. 68 votes for Family in bloom by gnoppoletta
70. 68 votes for Familly_Steampunk by un_temps_de_coton
71. 68 votes for Home is where the heart is by julia_diane
72. 68 votes for Dayhix_Family by dayhix
73. 66 votes for Quiltcompetion by harriet_plumb
74. 64 votes for The Family Tree-Coordinates by nissalynn
75. 64 votes for Family of Beavers by tangolikeamango
76. 64 votes for Home Among the Gumtrees – Coordinates by pinky_wittingslow
77. 63 votes for Starfish_design_Fat_quartet by art_on_fabric
78. 63 votes for SF-StoryPatches-Family_Tree by cathy_ann
79. 62 votes for Forest Fox Family Storypatch by pinkowlet
80. 61 votes for Shapes-09 by kblack
81. 59 votes for Story_Patches_Family_Tree_quadrants by maceymack
82. 57 votes for Sailing & Whaling Co-ordinates by golden_bloxxer
83. 57 votes for Bunny’s family by lapinecurieuse
84. 56 votes for FamilyTreeCF by joanferns00
85. 55 votes for scandinavian trendy hipster kids nursery baby design, strips squares circles dots, geo abstract pattern set, coordinates collection by ekaterinap
86. 55 votes for Fingerprints by graceful
87. 55 votes for SOOBLOO_LIFE_S_STORY_WRIT_LARGE-01 by soobloo
88. 55 votes for Family – Interwoven Stories by dovetail_designs
89. 54 votes for roadtrip_story by bekahwilk
90. 53 votes for family1 by lerhyan
91. 52 votes for Lovely Purple Hearts and Arrows by katelai
92. 52 votes for SF-StoryPatches-Coordinates-Template by maya88
93. 52 votes for Family_of_Dots by beaulle
94. 52 votes for US by zapi
95. 51 votes for Family Tree Coordinates by negin_designs
96. 50 votes for Pets_are_Family_Too by gingercreasy
97. 50 votes for FamilyTree by andalouz
98. 50 votes for quilted_with_love by ruthjohanna
99. 48 votes for StoryPatches Family Tree Coordinates Design Challenge by lokokina
100. 47 votes for Watercolor Family StoryPatches by jessicabeauchamp
101. 47 votes for Native American Indian Tribe Families by heckadoodledo
102. 46 votes for SF-StoryPatches-Coordinates-langina by langina
103. 45 votes for Tree Family Coordinates by eclectic_house
104. 45 votes for StoryPatches-FamilyHands by chinaberries_studio
105. 44 votes for The Back 40 Large by misschiffdesigns
106. 44 votes for hearts_and_fun-ed-ed by serjerin
107. 43 votes for elephant patches by artminx
108. 43 votes for Family tree colorful patchwork by svetlana_kononova
109. 43 votes for Family Unit Story Patches Coordinates by ps:hello_studio
110. 42 votes for family_2 by dxvoisin
111. 42 votes for warli family by raahi_bhansali
112. 42 votes for Family Is… (StoryPatches Family Tree 4in1) by hootenannit
113. 41 votes for family_copy by kellymaureen
114. 41 votes for new beginnings coordinates by alphabetsoup
115. 40 votes for Family Tree Design, large scale by amy_g
116. 39 votes for Spoonflower_Storypatches_FamilyTree_SpreadTheLove_Dandelion by basementquilting
117. 39 votes for For Love and Liberty by greenedevine
118. 38 votes for Creature_families by amanda_jane_textiles
119. 37 votes for Family_contest by catherine_rose
120. 37 votes for Eternal Sunshine by seesawboomerang
121. 36 votes for Quilt Labels – Rescue, Angel, Loyal Friend by sherry_savannah
122. 36 votes for Family Tree Embroidery by amyjeanne_wpg
123. 35 votes for ladybug families by fallingladies
124. 34 votes for Shake Our Family Tree and a Bunch of Nuts Fall Out Family Tree Coordinates Acorns by mommy_brain_arts
125. 34 votes for Spoonflower-design-challange by sonalikukreja
126. 34 votes for Duck Family Coordinates by gypsymothdesign
127. 33 votes for patches by craftwithcartwright
128. 32 votes for A Home to Roost by van_winkle
129. 32 votes for Hearts__hands_and_minds by fiz
130. 32 votes for designfinal by safet
131. 32 votes for Story Patches Family Coordinates by lemonlabdesign
132. 31 votes for HGAGA by barbaramckibben
133. 30 votes for LIFE AFTER BABY by bluevelvet
134. 26 votes for Family_Vacay by peek_a_boo_panda
135. 25 votes for we are all family by keweenawchris
136. 25 votes for family2 by patriciaramsauer
137. 24 votes for Family Patchwork by pommynewyork
138. 23 votes for Woodland Families by willowbird_studio
139. 22 votes for 4in1 kissing cousins family tree coords by sef
140. 21 votes for SF-Story Patches entry -Blue Lagoon Holiday by flutterbi
141. 21 votes for TWOSF-StoryPatches-Coordinates-Template by marygrace
142. 21 votes for Storypatch_LCMcD by scifiwritir
143. 20 votes for Family by ibijau
144. 20 votes for Dino Family StoryPatches Contest by conor_fr
145. 19 votes for ps_i_love_you_squared by katawampus
146. 19 votes for Weathering Family by woolranch
147. 19 votes for Family_Entry_Mary_Baker by therealmarybaker
148. 19 votes for DayAtTheBeach by sorn
149. 18 votes for Family Coordinates by patternsoptional
150. 18 votes for SF-StoryPatches-Coordinates-Template by hannahhh
151. 17 votes for Together by tuittu
152. 17 votes for StoryPatchesEntry by leobean
153. 15 votes for living_branches_blended_families by blueiris10
154. 14 votes for Making and sharing memories by mongiesama
155. 13 votes for Story_Patch_Family_Design_2016 by missy626
156. 11 votes for Story Patches Family Large Motif by jinjer
157. 9 votes for Celebrating the Women in my Life by b2b
158. 5 votes for colspn by seska