
heleen_vd_thillart
Meet the Designer: Heleen van den Thillart

Christmas Birds in Snow by heleen_vd_thillart
If you’re someone who’s curious to delve into pattern design for the first time, we have just the interview for you. This week we’re getting to know Dutch designer Heleen van den Thillart, who joins us from the heart of Rotterdam, Netherlands where she lives with her spouse and two children. Heleen discovered Spoonflower as a way to earn money doing something she loved while raising her young family. She had never designed patterns for fabric before, so using Spoonflower’s design challenges as a springboard, she decided to commit to it for a year. Not only is Heleen now publishing new designs weekly, but she’s also secured licensing deals with companies large and small. How cool is that? Keep reading because we promise you’ll be running for your art supplies by the end of this post!
My day starts with…
“Early morning snuggles with the whole family. I do not function before 7 o’clock in the morning, so my kids (ages 1 and 4) are allowed to crawl in bed with us to cuddle and play. During the day I stay home with them which sometimes can create a struggle to get work done since they don’t have the same nap schedules. I make up for it in the evenings, though, unless I don’t have the energy to work after a day with the kids. That’s when I will watch a movie or binge a series on the couch. But, I love to draw and design so it’s often not a problem to sit behind my desk in the evenings. It doesn’t feel like work at all. Except when I have to do my taxes, but nobody likes that anyway, right?”
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Announcing the Family Recipe Design Challenge Winners

Lemon Meringue Pie by heleen_vd_thillart
There are so many family traditions we look forward to during the holiday season, but the front-runners are often the family recipes that get passed down generation after generation, year after year. With so many delicious submissions for this week’s Family Recipe design challenge, it looks like we all may have a few more dishes to add to our dinner tables this year! Compliments to grand prize winner, heleen_vd_thillart who will be receiving a $200 Spoonflower credit for her family favorite, Lemon Meringue Pie. We also want to congratulate second place (jill_o_connor) and third place (hollybender) winners who will be receiving $100 and $50 in Spoonflower credit, respectively. If you’re still hungry (like we are), check out the top ten blue-ribbon recipes!
No time to DIY? Order your Family Recipe Tea Towels through our sister brand, Roostery. No sewing required!
1. 354 votes for Lemon Meringue Pie recipe tea towel by heleen_vd_thillart
2. 296 votes for Strawberry Jam Recipe Tea Towel by jill_o_connor
3. 235 votes for Hard Boiled Eggs by hollybender
4. 232 votes for MAJA_SwedPan by maja_a
5. 230 votes for Bean Salad Recipe by esthermols
6. 226 votes for Grandmas Oatmeal Choc. Chip Cookies by thestorysmith
7. 225 votes for fried rice by kfay
8. 222 votes for Grandma’s Trifle by cjldesigns
9. 220 votes for Baileys Hot Chocolate FQ Teatowel by thepeachtree
10. 212 votes for Handmade Pizza Recipe Tea Towel by heatherdutton [Read more…] about Announcing the Family Recipe Design Challenge Winners
Announcing the Whimsical Watercolor Cityscapes Design Challenge Winners

“Holland in royal Delft blue watercolors” by heleen_vd_thillart is the winner in the Whimsical Watercolor Cityscapes design challenge!
After seeing all of the entries in this week’s design challenge sponsored by our friends at Skillshare, we had to call in a friend to help with judging because we caught the travel bug! Luckily, our special guest judge, Samarra Khaja, best known as SammyK in the Spoonflower community and city motif expert, was ready to help!
A big congratulations goes out to this week’s challenge winner, Heleen van den Thillart (aka heleen_vd_thillart) for her winning design, Holland in royal Delft blue watercolors! Inspired by the 9 years she spent in Delft, Holland, Heleen’s design has won her the grand-prize of $200 in Spoonflower credit and a 1-year Skillshare Premium subscription. The 2nd place winner, sarah_treu, will receive $100 in Spoondollars and a 6 month Skillshare Premium subscription. The 3rd place winner, torysevas, will receive $50 in Spoondollars and a 6 month Skillshare Premium subscription. The rest of the top 10 winners will receive $20 in Spoonflower credit. See all the top 10 winners.
1. 376 votes for Holland in royal Delft blue watercolors by heleen_vd_thillart
2. 361 votes for Salt Lake City by sarah_treu
3. 358 votes for norden_city by torysevas
4. 356 votes for New York watercolor by scrummy
5. 315 votes for CITY by j9design
6. 292 votes for Pastel City by miranema
7. 242 votes for in the Spanish South coast by analinea
8. 239 votes for Once Upon A Time by ceciliamok
9. 227 votes for La Nuit Parisienne by susan_polston
10. 223 votes for City Life by Friztin by friztin
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