5 Tips and Tricks for Searching the Spoonflower Marketplace | Spoonflower Blog

When challenged with the task of picking out designs from the Spoonflower Marketplace for her newly launched quilt pattern Freshly Squeezed, Lorna Slessor of Cloth & Crescent Quilts got right down to business thanks to her tried-and-true tricks for searching a growing marketplace of designs. Looking at the designs featured in her quilt, we think it’s safe to say she nailed it! Keep reading to find out Lorna’s five tricks for picking out just the right collection of designs for your next quiltor any project.

5 Tips and Tricks for Searching the Spoonflower Marketplace | Spoonflower Blog
The Freshly Squeezed Quilt featuring designs printed on Petal Signature Cotton™.

Lorna: If there’s one thing we’re not short of in 2020, it’s choice. Searching for a design of dogs in Halloween costumes? Look no further. Want some fabric with avocados doing yoga? How very 21st century of you (also, yep, it exists). But occasionally, just occasionally, all this choice can be a little daunting.

Fear not, though, fellow sewist. I’ve been looking out for you and your occasional indecision and have compiled a list of the easiest ways to search the Spoonflower Marketplace to find all the designs you never knew existed. It’s a breeze, trust me!

5 Tips and Tricks for Searching the Spoonflower Marketplace | Spoonflower Blog

If someone else has already done the hard work for you, make the most of it! The team at Spoonflower knows their market inside out, and they put together a beautiful magazine showing off gems of fabric designs several times a year. Flick through the pages for project inspiration and the latest in fresh prints—it’s a great way to grasp design scale too.

5 Tips and Tricks for Searching the Spoonflower Marketplace | Spoonflower Blog

Not only are these a perfect way to see some of the latest trends and seasonal must-haves in the fabric world, design challenges are a brilliant and easy way to discover new surface designers. You’re sure to find something you can’t live without when browsing the winners and runners-up of recent challenges—they’ve been voted champions by the Spoonflower community for a reason! Why not join in the fun and vote for an active challenge while you’re at it?

5 Tips and Tricks for Searching the Spoonflower Marketplace | Spoonflower Blog

Curated Collections

From paper cutouts to mid-century modern, advanced geometry to abstract painterly, there are tons of collections curated by designers, shoppers and the team at Spoonflower that are sure to satisfy any work-in-progress you wish to tackle. Just search for any theme you like under Collections, and you’ll find yourself with a pretty full basket before long. (There are even quilting assemblages, hurrah!).

5 Tips and Tricks for Searching the Spoonflower Marketplace | Spoonflower Blog
5 Tips and Tricks for Searching the Spoonflower Marketplace | Spoonflower Blog

You could while away the hours scrolling through pages and pages of every kind of pattern, or you could shortlist your options by hovering over Fabric in the navigation and diving into categories like Top & Trending, Occasion, or Color. Believe it or not, you can whittle down pretty far in your search (we’re talking specific breeds of dogs).

5 Tips and Tricks for Searching the Spoonflower Marketplace | Spoonflower Blog

Down to the Details

If you’ve got a specific theme in mind (perhaps those yoga-loving avocados I mentioned earlier), then go ahead and search it up. Instagram isn’t the only thing that benefits from a few filters though—sort your search results at the top by New, Fresh Picks and Best Selling to make sure that you’re scrolling through the freshest avocados around.

5 Tips and Tricks for Searching the Spoonflower Marketplace | Spoonflower Blog

Armed with these tips and tricks, the only problem you may encounter when searching the Spoonflower Marketplace now is having TOO much fabric in your shopping cart…and, personally, I can think of worse troubles to have.


About the Author

Lorna Slessor  - Cloth & Crescent Quilts | Spoonflower Blog

Lorna Slessor is the brain/pair of hands behind Cloth & Crescent Quilts. By day she works as the Operations Editor for Love Patchwork & Quilting magazine, by night she can be found in front of her sewing machine with a scary movie on in the background. Inspired by landscapes, film and illustration, Lorna loves making graphic quilts with a playful twist. Find more of Lorna’s work over on her Instagram @clothandcrescent.