My Fabric is Real!

If you get my quarterly newsletter this may not be new news to you. But for everyone else, I have an exciting announcement: I have fabric! This has been a long-time dream of mine to be able to offer my designs on fabric and it is finally here! There are currently 50+ designs, in multiple colorways and 20 different types of fabric to choose from. More designs are added regularly so be sure to come back often.

I am partnering with a sister company of Canwil Textiles called Canvas ETC. They are a U.S-based, minority woman-owned company, that has served as a wholesaler to many businesses since 2002 and now is offering retail services catering to makers and crafters.

They are based in Auburn, GA with their facility for printing in India, where they adhere to high environmental standards in reducing waste and lowering carbon footprint. They also offer cut and sew services which are realized in Blue Ridge, GA so they can help you complete your individual projects, all made in the U.S.

If you have questions about anything you see on the site, just let me, or Canvas ETC, know and we’ll do our best to accommodate your request; and if you love a design that you don’t see on their site, just let me know and I’ll do my best to make that available for you.

Thanks for your support and I look forward to seeing what you do with these new fabrics!

Vivense Home & Living

So very exciting to see my designs on both furniture and fabric for Vivense Home & Living. They are a wonderful modern furniture and lifestyle brand based in Istanbul, Turkey. It was a joy working with them to select these vibrant designs for their new home collections, which are now available on their website as well as in their showrooms. Here are just a few items available in store now. 

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May Instagram Fave - Lily & Hopie Stockman

Made my May Instagram pick just under the wire this month! I just love Block Shop scarves and one of the sisters behind the company is Lily Stockman. I thoroughly enjoy her images of her colorful studio, paintings, her dog, and her travels. Take a look at her site and feed and enjoy!

And if you want a double dose of awesome images, her sister Hopie's feed is equally wonderful. If you love textiles, color and travel both feeds are worth a follow.

All images are © Lily Stockman

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Katja of Sweden

I love that I am following in the steps of another Katja in textile design and I also love that her designs resonate so much with me—their bold patterns and bright colors really speak to my own design aesthetic.

Katja was born Karin Hallberg in Sweden, and later lived in NYC, where she went to Parsons School of Design. She created wonderful patterned fashions and later designed home textiles as well. 

I didn't realize the connection before, but I have a picture of myself standing in front of a Katja Bedding display in the window of NYC Macy's. The picture was taken in the early 80s and I'm pointing to the large sign of her (and my) name in the window display. It was the first time I'd come across my name anywhere in the United States. I was very excited about it and now I know whose designs they were advertising!  I later bought some of her towels and sheets for my dorm room in college. Funny to think of that now. I wish I could find that photo to share  with you. 

You can read some more about her here.

Printed Fabric Production

If you are curious to know how a fabric ended up at your local fabric store, this is a a fascinating 15 minute look at the creation of printed fabric from start to finish. From the point when the gray goods are delivered to the factory, until the rolls are sealed in plastic and ready to ship off, this video gives a very detailed and informative look behind the scenes at a printing production factory in China. You can see just how many steps are involved in the process for both flat bed, and rotary screen printing processes.

You can also see that it's quite an intense job involving lots of chemicals, solutions and dyes. It's hard to for me to imagine working in an environment like that day in day out and it makes me appreciate the more eco-friendly approach that many companies are taking nowadays.

YouTube video by Richard Gross

On My Inspiration Board

Do you love Pinterest? Do you collect a gazillion images but then never look back through them? Women are gatherers after all. We love to scoop up pretty things and then store them away. It's in our nature.

I make a point to go back through my boards and gather up images that are speaking to me at that moment. Obviously I love them all because I chose to hoard them in the first place. But it's fun to think of a theme or trend you are feeling at the time and revisit them. 

So what have I been feeling this week? What's on my inspiration board and speaking to me right now? Well it's definitely bold and bright—did you expect anything less from me? 

Click through to my Fabric Textile Print and Pattern board for sources 

Moyo Magazine - Issue 8

I've just been reading the latest issue of Make it in Design's Moyo Magazine. If you are a lover of all things patterntastic, then take a look through this great FREE online publication that the site offers. It has 112 pages of great interviews, insider tips, tutorials, Q&As with people in the textile industry, and more. Click here for access to Make it in Designs's Moyo Magazine's Issue 8 and prepare to get inspired.  

Collections

I like to change things up, so I'm always working on something different—experimenting with different mediums and painting techniques. I love to move from design to design, but sometimes I get swept away and need to remember to focus in on the bigger picture—and think about how the design could work as part of a collection. 

This has been my focus this week as I go back through my individual designs to see which would be good candidates to elaborate on. I actually really enjoy doing this, I just don't do it enough.

Take a peek at a few collections I have put together. What do you think?

Designer Spotlight: Missoni 2016

I was really taken with the new line from Missoni for 2016. They have always been at the forefront of bold and colorful knitwear and this collection just took my breath away. I then come to read on Style.com, that this collection was inspired by the great Sonia Delauney. No wonder I love it! There is currently an exhibit at the Tate Modern in London celebrating Delauney's vibrant artwork. You can really see the influence of her work in these Missoni pieces. I find it very exciting to see how great artists and designers can influence each other.

Who influences and inspires you?

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Sonia Delauney - The EY Tate Exhibition, London

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Sonia Delauney - The EY Tate Exhibition, London

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Source: Missoni images are from Style.com

Katja Designs on Guildery.com

Hello Friends! I'm so excited to announce that two of my collections have launched on Guildery.com. The first one, Santorini, has a laid-back, beachy vibe. If you can't afford a ticket to Greece, I say cuddle up on the couch with an array of pillows that emulate the azure waves of the Mediterranean, like these!

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The second collection Ballari, takes you to India with dusty tones and a boho, block-printed vibe. Check out some of the coral, turquoise and brown hues I've dreamed up for my home. I'm just imagining the possibilities!

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Ballari Collection

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Santorini Collection

Justina's Jungalow Prints

She had these printed on Shutterfly. How cool and so fresh!

My homegirl has been on a crazy roll lately. Not only is Justina Blakeney's latest amazing book out, (check out The New Bohemians with photography by Dabito) but she has taught herself how to create patterns. I just love how she makes things happen. I mean, she got it in her head that she wanted to do this and then figured out a way. No formal training—just a vision and some confidence. How admirable is that!

Her patterns are a reflection of her jungalow lifestyle—full of lush greenery, palm fronds and flowers (and a lovely hint of Josef Frank). She not only painted the designs, put them into repeat, but then had them printed by Shutterfly and made into products that she can have around her home. To top that, she then did a collaboration with a local LA designer, Eva Franco to make a line of clothing. Now that's what I call an inspirational mover-and-shaker. 

Exclusive Eva Franco dress with Justina's pattern.

Images are via her website and Eva Franco.

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