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By Danika Herrick on March 8, 2024
By Courtney Napier on February 12, 2024
The other day I heard the word “ditsy” in relation to fabric pattern and wondered, “Does that mean ditsy, as in ditzy, or scatterbrained? How does that design work?” Well, it turns out that they’re not related!
And while the terms ditsy design, ditsy print, and ditsy pattern are used interchangeably, there are other terms for these designs too. Some places, like Pattern and Design, also call this a “tossed/random surface pattern repeat”, which evoke a ditsy design’s main feature, which are non-directional motifs.
A ditsy pattern has two key characteristics to keep in mind: tiny and random. Like that time you tossed glitter or rice or something and thought about how cool it looked before you realized you now have to clean it all up!
You can see Spoonflower community “ditsy” themed patterns here. There are a lot of ditsy flower-themed patterns, but ditsy animals and ditsy food make a good showing too!
A more cultural touchstone of the design are the small floral patterns that covered a million ruffled dresses in the 1980s and ’90s, which had little emphasis on strict gridded patterns, making room for a gentle playfulness to emerge. However, as our friends at Seamwork mention in a post on the history of floral prints, ditsy prints were popular in the 1960s as well.
What makes ditsy patterns especially fun is that they lead with a sense of whimsy over perfection, making them ideal for projects like baby bonnets, masks and quilts, where pops of playfulness add to their overall charm.
As ditsy patterns are non-directional and don’t need to be lined up a specific way before cutting, they are great to use in projects without a designated top or bottom, such as quilts. Having the freedom to use any cut of your fabric leads to less overall waste, too!
The possibilities are endless (and also random, apparently)! If you need help turning it into a seamless repeat pattern look no further than our design tutorials!
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Betsy is a writer and stitcher who joined the Brand Marketing team in July 2021. In her spare time, she talks to people about their choice to make things by hand and related lessons learned for her project Dear Textiles. She also aims to befriend all the dogs she meets and is forever looking for the perfect dress pattern with pockets.
2 comments
Awesome ideas! Thank you so much for this inspiration!
Thanks, Niara! Glad to hear you like them! 🙂
Best,
Betsy
Spoonflower
great information, thank you so much