finalist

Announcing the Fabric8 Finals: Vote for your favorite collection!

June 7, 2012

After hundreds of entries and many thousands of votes, we’re finally down to the finalist collections in our Fabric8 contest, a competition to discover the next textile rock star for one of the world’s leading fabric companies, Robert Kaufman Fabrics. You’ve had a chance to read about each of the eight finalists, and now is your chance to vote for your favorite among the collections they’ve developed over the last few weeks. Unlike our usual contests, this week you get only one vote. Choose carefully and help launch the professional fabric career of one of the many talented members of the Spoonflower community.

The finalist collections are:

Sberrens Fabric8 final collection: Breezy Bloomswww.spoonflower.com/collections/17833
Kayajoy’s Fabric8 final collection: Flight Patternswww.spoonflower.com/collections/16982
Anderson Lee’s Fabric8 final collection: Painted Petals www.spoonflower.com/collections/17762
Valley Designs’ Fabric8 final collection: Fabric Garden www.spoonflower.com/collections/17852
Snowflower’s Fabric8 final collection: Sea Garden www.spoonflower.com/collections/17720
Heather Dutton’s Fabric8 final collection: Tea Time www.spoonflower.com/collections/17674
Mahoneybee’s Fabric8 final collectionwww.spoonflower.com/collections/17711
CJLDesigns’ Fabric8 final collection: The Scented Garden: www.spoonflower.com/collections/17645

Fabric8 Finalist Profile – Tamara Serrao

May 28, 2012

This is the sixth in our series of profiles of the eight finalists in the Fabric8 contest, a competition from Spoonflower and Robert Kaufman Fabrics to discover a handful of the world's best amateur textile designers. Today we're profiling Canadian designer Tamara Serrao. Look for our penultimate Fabric8 designer profile tomorrow!

Dappled Migration by Kayajoy, Tamara Serrao

I was born in northern Ontario but when I was 4, my family sailed to Trinidad to live. There I grew up exploring the outdoors in a sunny and colourful environment. I left Trinidad to come back to Canada at age 17 but tropical birds, insects, fish, and flora were an enormous part of my younger years and remain ever present in my memories and imagination. Today I live in Montreal, where I long for the colour and warmth of summer for far too many months of the year.

I have a bachelors degree in art, with a major in textiles and a minor in art history. While in school, however, my main focus was in weaving. It wasn’t until last year, after many years of not being involved in textiles to any great degree, that my sister introduced me to Spoonflower and I quickly became addicted to the design process. I set myself the goal of entering as many of the weekly contests as I could manage so as to push my boundaries aesthetically and technically. I have learned so much through this exercise.

When I’m not designing fabric, I'm either at work designing packaging and labels, trying to cook an interesting meal (I stress “trying”), or being creative with my kids. In the summer I love being on our rooftop deck, planting beautifully coloured flowers in every available spot and enjoying the fresh air and sky.

I grew up with a mom who sewed most of our clothes. Delving into fabric shops, bags of ribbons, boxes of buttons, and stacks of patterns are some of my earliest distinct memories. I learned to sew at a very young age and have gone through phases of fervent stitching, embroidery, quilting or knitting when the inspiration has hit.

My favorite period has been the anticipation of and first years of my children’s lives. I still have the quilt my grandmother made for me when I was a baby and I wanted my kids to each have that tactile keepsake of their own. In typical parenting fashion, my firstborn’s was pretty much finished before she was born.

But my son’s quilt was only finished a couple of months ago. (He is now 4.)

I also enjoy making baby clothes because the scale is perfect for me. I get a great sense of accomplishment from such adorable, small, quickly finished projects.

Having two young children, I read a lot of kids’ books. Some of my favorites are Where the Wild Things Are, Iggy Peck Architect, Grandpa Green, and The Red Shoes. I derive so much inspiration from ideas and styles of illustration in our younger home library. My favorite musician at the moment is Michael Kiwanuka. His voice is spellbinding. As for fabric designers, that’s a tough one to narrow down. There is quite a range for me, from Amy Butler to Kate Spain to Lizzie House to Skinny Laminx. My list of favorites goes on and on. Probably due to the fact that my own work is usually quite detailed & controlled, I'm really enjoying the paintings of Lulie Wallace and Michelle Armas right now.

I was completely ecstatic when I learned that I was one of the Fabric8 finalists. I had just flown into Halifax in the late morning to spend some time with my mom and dad. Not being one of the most technologically advanced individuals around, it took me a good hour to get wi-fi running on my laptop. My email was the first thing I checked and there at the top was a message from Stephen saying I was in. I literally squealed with delight!

I would say that 95% of my fabric design work thus far has been created using Illustrator. I am a self-taught computer graphist and have been learning as I go. I have, however, been wanting to get back to drawing and painting for some time now, so the Fabric8 contest was just what I’ve been waiting for. It hasn’t been as easy as I'd thought it would be, though. It's literally been half a lifetime since I’ve used watercolours, so I've gone through whole days of sketching, drawing with technical pens, experimenting with paint, scanning, manipulating with Photoshop, and then starting all over again from scratch the following day. I think I'm finally on track, and I'm creating a collection based on sunlight and wind with fantastical patterned butterflies being the main characters. As always, colour and pattern are driving me.

Dappled Migration by Kayajoy, Fabric8 finalist

Fabric8 Finalist Profile – Sara Berrenson

May 21, 2012

This is the third in our series of profiles of the eight finalists in the Fabric8 contest, a competition from Spoonflower and Robert Kaufman Fabrics to discover a handful of the world’s best amateur textile designers. Today you can read all about designer Sara Berrenson. Look for our fourth designer profile soon!

Watercolor Blooms by Sberrens, Sara Berrenson

I was born and raised in LA, and currently live in Santa Monica. I attended college at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where I majored in art and design. Getting out of LA for a bit to go to school was one of the best decisions I ever made. Not that I don’t love LA, but it was so nice to live in a quaint little town where you always run into people you know! And it was so beautiful too, surrounded by rolling green hills and wineries.

I’ve always loved fabric and I started sewing around age 8. First it was doll clothes, then it progressed into clothes for myself. I made a lot of really cool vests – it was the early 90’s after all! – leopard print, neon floral, a print of little tiny buttons, with buttons. (Who doesn’t want to wear buttons on buttons?) Then I started sewing pillows for the bed, curtains, you name it. I loved going to the fabric store with my mom – still do! – and can spend hours looking at all the cute prints. At this point, I have so much fabric I could be considered a borderline hoarder. But that’s ok. Thanks to Ikea it is now organized chaos.

For as long as I can remember I’ve also loved art, so it seemed like a natural progression to combine my two loves of fabric and art. That’s how I got started designing fabrics. I heard about Fabric8 through the Spoonflower website, and am so excited to be a part of this contest!

When I’m not designing fabrics, I love traveling, being outdoors, and doing crafty projects. I have a huge love of interior decorating. Every second Sunday of the month you can find me at the Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena, hunting for cute furniture to refurbish or knick-knacks for my apartment. The rest of the time, I’m hiking in the Santa Monica mountains, bike riding, running on the beach, drinking a mocha at a coffee shop, going to wine tastings, watching American Idol, horseback riding, reading, sewing, painting, drawing, and obsessively swapping out the fabrics on my couch pillows.

I do a lot of sewing and crafting, maybe too much! I need to cut back because the crafts are taking over my living room and kitchen. Since I live in a one bedroom apartment, there’s not really enough room to have a designated workspace. So I have to decide whether I’d rather have my couch or kitchen for the day. Usually the couch wins, which means a lot of eating out!

Whenever I see something, I think “Oh, I can make that!” Then after several failed attempts, I realize I definitely cannot make that, and it’s best to buy it from the crafters who do it best. The project that I am probably most proud of is a Halloween doll created for the Aids Foundation charity auction. I called her Creepy Cute because she had a gigantic pumpkin head and wore a sweet little pinafore dress. It was my first (and last) time creating a doll. It was a lot of work, but it was for a great cause!

I don’t watch a lot of tv, but I’m always reading a book. Some of my recent favorites are Ahab’s Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund, Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, The Help by Kathryn Stockett, and Await your Reply by Dan Chaon. I pretty much love all kinds of music, but lately have been listening to a lot of upbeat poppy stuff when I design. Some favorites are Lenka, Miss Li, Florence and the Machine, April Smith and the Great Picture Show, The Sounds, and my boyfriend’s band, Capital Cities.

I am constantly inspired by other artists and fabric designers. I spend way too much time on Pinterest, but that’s how I’ve discovered a lot of great artists. One of my favorite Etsy artists is Ashley Percival who does adorable illustrations of owls in glasses. Also BerkelyIllustration, who does all sorts of animals in suits and ties. (Can you tell I love animals?) I’m also super inspired by the fabric designs of Luli Sanchez, Imogen Heath, Amy Sia, Tanya Brown, Lilly Pulitzer, and I have a few Florence Broadhurst patterns framed around my house.

When I heard I was one of the Fabric8 finalists, I was shocked! And super excited! Then I had to reread it to make sure that I read it right the first time! I was actually in the Starbucks drive-through at the time. They must have thought I was really, really excited to get my caramel macchiato.
After reading the theme for the contest, I was so excited because I love the look of watercolor, especially on fabric. I debated on what to draw for about 2 seconds, then I knew I was going to do a floral print. Figuring a lot of people would enter flowers, I thought perhaps I should consider a different subject but I absolutely love floral prints–in clothing, in my living room, in my fabric hoarding collection–so I couldn’t resist! After narrowing that down, I just started painting. I wanted something cheerful with a sporadic placement of the flowers, as if they had been tossed up in the air, and it just evolved from there.

Fabric8 Finalist Profile – Heather Dutton

May 18, 2012

This is the second in our series of profiles of the eight finalists in the Fabric8 contest, a competition from Spoonflower and Robert Kaufman Fabrics to discover a handful of the world's best amateur textile designers. Today we're offering a lovely interview with Heather Dutton. Look for more profiles next week!

Afternoon Tea by Heatherdutton, Heather Dutton

I was born in Maine but we moved around a lot when I was really little. We eventually settled back in Maine when I was about 8 years old and I grew up in the small college town of Orono.

After I graduated from art school at the Savannah College of Art & Design, I lived and worked out in San Francisco for a number of years. I later moved back to Maine, bought a great old farmhouse and now I live in the adorable seaside town of Kennebunk.

I got started designing fabrics when I was working as a fashion designer in San Francisco. I’d always had a passion for fabrics and part of my job at the time was to work with the in-house textile designers and a handful of print studios to develop and pick prints for the clothes I was designing. I’d always loved drawing and doodling different ideas that popped into my head and after watching the textile designers, I started to get drawn more and more into the world of surface design. Eventually I was lucky enough to find a job that combined fashion design with a little bit of surface design and from that moment on I was hooked. I do think it's funny that I design patterns for a living but 95% of my clothes don’t have a single decorative pattern or design on them. I think I own 2 or 3 things with a print and I hardly ever wear them. What’s that all about?

About a year and a half later I branched out on my own and started Hang Tight Studio. I heard about Fabric8 on the Spoonflower blog and I was crazy excited when I saw that you guys had teamed up with Robert Kaufman for another big competition! I was a little intimidated by the theme of “pen & ink” since I’m seriously watercolor challenged and it’s not a style that I’m used to designing in. To be totally honest, I almost didn’t even enter. A few days before the deadline to enter I got completely inspired and I decided that it was crazy not to at least give it a try. I’m ridiculously happy that I did now and it was really fun to branch out and do something a wee bit different.
When I’m not designing fabrics I love working on new goodies for my Etsy shop, hunting down cool vintage treasures at local flea markets, and going on fun adventures with my sweet Sussex spaniel, Emma Jean. We both love walking on the beach or being out in the woods. Living in Maine, there are tons of cool places to discover.

I love to sew and make little goodies for around my house or for friends and family. I recently made my very first handbag using my Chillout fabric and it makes me giddy every time I use it! Sometimes I have to pinch myself that it’s so easy and affordable to have my designs printed onto fabric thanks to Spoonflower. Sewing has always been fun but it’s kicked up a notch when you’re sewing something using fabric that you designed!

The list of fabric designers that I admire is a mile long but some of my absolute faves are Amy Butler, Heather Moore (Skinny Laminx), Khristian Howell, Joel Dewberry and the brilliant husband and wife team Brejer (Breanne and Jeremiah Simpson). I’m a bit of a movie freak and I honestly don’t know if I could pick a favorite but one of my favorite books would have to be The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. My fingers are crossed that someday it will be made into a movie.

My first reaction when I found out that I was one of the Fabric8 finalists was a seriously stunned “WHAT???!!!!” That was quickly followed by a racing heart and complete giddiness! There were so many incredible designs in the semi-finals round and even though I had my fingers crossed that I’d make it through, the other designers had set the bar pretty high. I was in my studio getting ready to start my day when I found out. I was so excited by the news that I didn’t get very much work done that day. It’s a huge honor to have been selected out of so many amazing designs and I can’t thank everyone enough for all the votes and support!

It sounds kind of silly but my creative process for this design started when I was doing dishes. My favorite coffee cup looks like a deep tea cup and as I was washing it I got a visual flash of all the different elements that ultimately ended up becoming a part of my design. Doilies, birdies, biscuits, tea cups and a swirly-edged pocket watch. It seriously was a burst of inspiration and it was actually “THE” moment that I decided I was going to enter to the competition. The next morning I couldn’t wait to start sketching all of the elements that had popped into my head. I didn’t know exactly how the design was going to take shape but once I scanned my sketches into the computer, turned them into vector art and started moving them around, the design just sort of fell into place.

Since I’m watercolor challenged I did the next best thing and finished the design by faux painting it in Photoshop. My hat goes off to the other designers who actually painted their designs! I don’t have my whole collection planned out yet but I’ve been playing around with a couple of coordinate designs already. There will definitely be more doilies & birdies popping up, some fun tea tins and a vintage inspired floral. My mind’s racing with ideas and I’m excited to dig in and finish the rest of the collection!

Project Selvage Finalist Profile: Patty Sloniger

April 21, 2011

Windy Day by Pattysloniger, Patty Sloniger

I currently live in Houston, but grew up in Maryland.

I’m married to a wonderfully supportive husband (who doesn’t mind losing me for days at a time to Spoonflower-related projects) and have two sweet cats who “help” every chance they get.

As for trying my hand at designing fabric, it all started when I dusted off the sewing machine my mother had given me years ago. I started regularly visiting local fabric and craft stores, and while I found some very nice fabrics, I also felt like there was a lot missing. So, I went online to search for more and that’s where I stumbled across Spoonflower. I knew immediately it was something I wanted to do, and as soon as I received my first swatch I was hooked.

Recently, I pieced together a crib-sized reversible quilt that I made out of all Spoonflower fabrics. It’s relatively simple (in line with my sewing skills), but I love the idea that it’s full of all these fabulous, unique fabrics, some of them by designers I've gotten to know through this community.

A few of my favorite books are Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived by Ralph Helfer, and any book by James Herriot. Animal stories always get me.

The inspiration behind my collection “Backyard Baby” were my own memories of growing up. What I remember most about childhood is not sitting inside watching tv or playing video games, but outdoor adventures. Sometimes they were grand, like tagging along with my brother to build forts in the woods or swinging on ropes over creeks. Sometimes we just stayed in the yard and played hide and seek. On magical evenings, we caught fireflies in jars so we could watch them work their magic up close. For me, this collection evokes warm, nostalgic feelings, and I hope it inspires a return to this sort of play as young ones grow up.

Project Selvage Finalist Profile: Drea Roman

April 21, 2011

If By Ocean – Beach Block by ttoz, Drea Roman

I am proud to represent the Midwest: born and raised in Minnesota (though I hold lots of love for the Spoonflower state as my first career took me to the woods of N. Carolina… but that's a whole different interview). I am a mother to an active and spirited little boy who just turned three and a wife to an amazing husband who is my creative sounding board, comic relief and rock. I am more than blessed to have wonderful family and friends who inspire, support and believe in me — I just don’t know where I would be without them!

Designing fabric is a case of a set-back leading to an opportunity (at least I like to look at things that way). I am an Architectural Drafter and this trade tends to lend itself to the mercy of the economy, so when I was laid-off I found myself searching for ways to find worth and keep my creative brain moving… enter Spoonflower!

I had always dabbled in all kinds of artistic genres and found this new and challenging because of the added dynamic of repeats. I love the saying, “You'll miss 100% of the shots you never take”… I am not even close to a pro at this, but I do see myself grow with each contest and design that I put a little more of myself out there, so when this amazing opportunity came up with Michael Miller, I squashed the little “you'll never make it” voice and said, “Why not try?!”

I just finished a little baby outfit for my best friend's sister who is about to become a new mommy (sneak peak–shhh, her shower isn't until next week. There is something I just love about piecing together collections with a particular family/baby in mind and giving from the heart in that way.

One of my favorite books is Rain of Gold by Victor Villaseñor, which just speaks to me and is an amazing read, having many different dimensions to it. I love the movie Heat and Last of the Mohicans amongst many others. I love many songs, in fact I am a closet car-singer and dancer. [Confession from my teen years: I would sing When the Children Cry by White Lion in front of my living room mirror over and over. I even included a little dramatic dance to go with it that went well with my big bangs, permed hair and rolled up pants. Ahh, the 80s…]

My favorite fabric designer? Easy! Besides the crew at Michael Miller, of course, they are my fellow Spoonflowerians! I haven't been more inspired than I am now, and I often find myself saying, why didn't I think of that!?! So thank you for the constant push to get the most out of myself.

There’s a line I love from Henry David Thoreau: “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” That always spoke to me—to “live deep” as he goes on to say, and, as I interpret it, to understand that simplifying isn't always about taking away, but about adding meaning to what you already have and who you are at the core.

The inspiration for my collection? Every summer my husband's extended family meets out on the East coast, piles into a beach house and just spends time together. There is the obvious ocean concept – most elements we like to see at the beach, but to me, this design also came from the feeling of family, youthfulness (because even grandma finds her inner teen out there!), love, and the pure art of relaxation. It is the picture of the simple things in life with a little quirkiness thrown in… just like my family.

T♥toz Designs
www.ttoz.etsy.com

Project Selvage Finalist Profile: Antonia Manda

April 21, 2011

Good_Night by Antoniamanda, Antonia Manda

I live in rainy Portland, Oregon with my husband, son and two standard poodles.

Having studied fine art, I drifted to design and illustration, but have always played around with surface design.

There is a flock of tweedy birds hanging above my computer that I made recently out of tweed scraps. (I can't help but pun.)

Lately I have been appreciating some mid century artists and designers, like Ruth Asawa for her elegant shapes, and Alexander Girard for his playfulness.

With my design I tried to come up with an illustration that would evoke a story. I liked the idea of a child enraptured with the night, and I wanted to make it both exciting and reassuring. I imagined all the animals that inhabit the night, and the boy safe and cozy in his home.

Project Selvage Finalist Profile: Crystal Wilkerson

April 21, 2011

CW_BabyAnimals by CreativitybyCrystal, Crystal Wilkerson

I've lived in Casper, Wyoming for almost two years and I grew up in Tyler, Texas. I have three funny, sweet, and creative kids. Maci is seven, McKay is six, and Chloe is three.

I've been designing digital and paper scrapbooking products for three years now and I've had several friends and family members encourage me to take my designs to fabric. I had two people email me about the Project Selvage contest and encourage me to enter. I'm so glad I did!

Thinking about things that I'm making right now… I'm currently trying to finish up the yearbook for my kids' elementary school. I will be SO happy when it's done!

Lately, I've been dancing around the kitchen with my kids in the morning to this song: "Good to Be Alive" by Michelle Featherstone. You should try it! It's a great way to start the day.

First and foremost, I love bright, happy, fun color combinations. When I thought about decorating a room for a baby boy, it had to include cute baby animals and stars. Oh, and then I threw in some words that make me think of babies. That pretty much sums up my collection.

Project Selvage Finalist Profile: Cynthia Frenette

April 21, 2011

Baby Seas by Cynthiafrenette, Cynthia Frenette

I live in Mission, British Columbia, Canada, with my husband Norm, our dog Starr, and cat Bucky.

I've been a sew-er and designer/artist all my life and have a crazy passion for fabric. I've gotten into quilting again after a few years away from it, now with all the cool fabrics out there, and love the idea of designing fabric and a pattern to go with it, for a quilt (or several- can you tell I'm addicted?) of my own. It's always been my dream to design fabrics professionally, so this contest is definitely a fantastic opportunity and I'm so excited and honoured to be in the top ten!

I'm always making stuff. I've just finished some quilted art pieces for a show at Quilt Essentials in Abbotsford BC, which I combined my illustrations and painting with quilting. I recently entered one my pieces in a quilt show, my very first quilt show, and won second place for art quilts! I'm also going to be at GotCraft in Vancouver in May, selling some of my own fabric designs (printed at Spoonflower of course) along with some of my art and quilted goodies! There are never enough hours in the day are there?

A few of my favorite things:
Book: A Tree Grown in Brooklyn
Movie: What About Bob? I know it's goofy but I love it!
Song: Ok I can't choose just one song, I love pretty much all music. Anything I can chairdance to as I work or sew is a hit!
Fabric designer: Oh boy can I just say I love them all!
Poem: I love anything by Shel Silverstein.

I was thinking it would be cool for it to have a bit of a West Coast feel, since we're on the west coast of Canada, and feature different animals or creatures that live in or near the ocean like Beluga whales and otters. I was trying to think of things I used to do when I was a kid with my brothers, going to the beach or the aquarium and learning about the things that lived in the ocean.

I called my collection "Baby Seas" (ABC's, get it?) and the rest of the collection will have a bit of a learning and alphabet flair to it, like "B is for Bubbly Belugas" or something along those lines!

Project Selvage Finalist Profile: Kelly Grooters

April 21, 2011

FOX_TAILS by Petunias, Kelly Grooters

Hi, I’m Kelly. I have my own little studio in our home in Hudsonville, Michigan. I have four kids: Simon (five) with a big heart, Sierra (four) a slightly dramatic princess, Alison (almost two) an accident waiting to happen and Alexander (five months) is always smiling. I also have a wonderful, handsome husband of six and a half years, James.

After my first son was born I became a stay at home mom. I was inspired to create unique handmade items for him. PETUNIAS grew from there. I now have a SLIGHT addiction to fabric. A year and a half ago, my sister introduced me to Photoshop and I immediately wanted to make my own fabrics to work with. I love being able to come up with a new fabric that will work just perfectly for the project I have in mind. Now I am continually trying to learn more about the Adobe Creative Suite to make my designs the best they can possibly be.

I love to follow along with the Spoonflower contests and see what everyone contributes. I was very excited when Project Selvage was announced and was encouraged by several people to enter. This was a perfect time for me to join in the fun.

I run an Etsy shop (www.petunias.etsy.com) when I’m not chasing after my kids, so I’m lucky enough to get to create new things every day. You can see all of my latest projects in my Etsy shop, but my favorite items to make right now are my custom fabric baby quilts. I get excited every time I pull a completed quilt out of the dryer. Each one quickly becomes my new favorite. We use several around my house and I imagine that each one I sell also goes off to a loving little girl or guy.

I’ve always admired Amy Butler. Each fabric she creates is amazingly beautiful.

These little foxes have been lurking about in my brain for a long time. I finally got them down a few weeks ago and they seemed a perfect fit for the Project Selvage Contest! I am hoping the baby boys out there find them delightfully entertaining. And the color palette is meant to please the modern mama. I would love to do my little boys’ room in the fabrics as soon as I can squeeze in the time. Right now I am having fun imagining duvet covers, pillow cases, quilts, curtains and artwork on the wall.

Thank you so much SPOONFLOWER for giving all of us the chance to be fabric designers, it is so much fun!