Between worlds

The field of fabric design made me stuck between the analog and digital worlds.

I love to hold a pencil or a brush, touch the paper and perceive the process of creation with all my senses. However, the desire to show off to friends made it necessary to scan. And when I wanted to create a fabric pattern, much more was needed.

Being happy from the “crazy faces” fabric and jacket, the next path was clear to me. I will continue drawing and painting as before, scan the final images and then assemble them into a pattern on the computer. If I learn how to use graphics tools better, it can’t be that hard, right?

I put effort and time into this method, but I still ran into some limits, mostly because of resolution and file size. Look and judge.

Colored pencils origin:

Watercolor origin:

Because I wasn’t satisfied enough, I tried to create simple things digitally. The first success was the mandala, which I presented in one of the previous posts. Unfortunately, it was also the last success for a long time.

I realized that drawing and painting digitally is a completely different discipline that requires a change in mindset. I seriously doubt I can do it. Despite the fact that digital creation never attracted me.

Look at my early attempts.

Something inside tells me it’s too soon to give up and the desire to create fabric design is still strong. I would like to find a way to combine the best of both worlds and still be myself.

Be sure I will keep you updated on progress. In the meantime, I welcome your comments and recommendations.

Love and hugs,

Ivana

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Obsessed with fabric design

Having my own patterned jacket meant a milestone on my path to the world of fabric design. Since then, I have been deeply dived there.

Apart of ordinary life I tried to be more familiar with the computer graphic tools and was looking for new inspirations and possibilities. No wonder I discovered the Spoonflower platform soon. There is so many fabulous designs and creative people who make them! Additionally, there is the option of printing on cotton materials, which I have missed so far.

Of course, certain rules must be followed, and ordering samples of your own designs is one of them.  So, I selected a few patterns and a few cotton materials, paid, and waited. Waited, waited, and waited. The order itself was printed within a week, but delivery from the U.S. to the small country in the middle of Europe took almost a month!

Except of the delivery time, I was happy with what I received. My obsession became deeper, my passion to create and get more as well.

I know, that looking at a picture is not the same as touching the fabric. However, I would like to share the experience, so I scanned the fabric samples and here they are.

Crazy faces on the lightweight cotton twill. I was extremely curious to compare local print on softshell (see my jacket from it) with the U.S. print on cotton. First, I love this twill. It is strong and light at the same time, with typical twill texture. Colors are more orange on softshell, more red on twill. Definitely, I could imagine sewing from it.

Birches on the organic cotton knit. It could be a bit heavier, but 100% cotton knit goes well with a light summer dress.

Viva magenta snowflakes on the cotton poplin. I am extremely satisfied with the fabric, even though the white is not “shining white”.

Daisy on the petal signature cotton. A very basic cotton fabric that shows the print well, but I have no idea what to make with it.

Mandala pattern on the cotton spandex jersey, which contains 93% cotton and 7% spandex to make it stretch.

Medicinal herbs on the 100% organic cotton sateen. I considered this material and the pattern for the bedding, but the fabric is too light for my taste. Which doesn’t mean it’s perfectly fine for many others.

Do you have your own experience with the Spoonflower platform, fabrics, wallpapers, designs or designers? I would appreciate to hear some feedbacks and/ or recommendations as I am a newbie there.

Thanks a lot, in advance!

With love and hugs,

Ivana

From doodling to jacket

I’ve never been the mandala type. I can appreciate their precise beauty, but it doesn’t suit my nature. When I tried to draw mandalas and listen to my inner voice, the result was not symmetrical or classically beautiful. I got crazy colorful doodles instead. So, they lay at the bottom of a drawer for years.  

I gave them a second chance to live when I learned how to create tile patterns. Using a very simple method I succeeded, and the “crazy faces” pattern was born. Among many others, this one most reflects who I am.

Crazy faces pattern

For a long time, I wanted to sew clothing from fabric with my own pattern on it. But I don’t like to wear synthetic fibers that most printers print custom patterns on. That’s why I postponed my dream until recently. My “crazy faces” pattern kicked me forward and I decided to order a softshell for a winter jacket.

printed fabric

I should note that I sew everything by hand, so the winter jacket was a big challenge and took a long time.

me in jacket

Eureka, it’s done! I like to wrap myself in an energy that is all my own. I feel safe and happy.

Love and hugs,

Ivana

Path to patterns

I’m still a newbie, but I can look back and make a few notes about the path. If you are familiar with digital graphics, don’t read any further or you will burst out laughing.

The first step was to understand how the seamless pattern works. Believe it or not, I did it completely non-digitally, using scissors and masking tape. It was a huge test of patience, but I succeeded! The only weakness was that the borders between the quarters of the paper, which I moved on the masking tape, were visible in the final image. Which led the non-digital method to digital retouching, unfortunately. And I had no idea how to do it in the beginning.

Being immersed in the basic tools of digital graphics, I discovered a simple possibility how to create seamless patterns from existing images. Yes, after such an effort, I needed something simple with a quick result. In principle, the program blurs the edges and blends with the duplicate.

Now, I’m at the stage where I’m learning to work with layers. Selecting segments and grouping them into patterns can be fun for people who know how to do it. I like getting results, but it’s still exhausting for me. Please give me feedback, I need a kick for more attempts.

Thanks all of you for reading and support!

Love and hugs,

Ivana

Hand-drawing tiles

Somewhere in the depths of my heart, a dream had been hidden for a long time. The dream of wearing clothes with my art on it. I mean to sew clothes from the fabric on which my art is printed.

From many reasons I considered this dream unrealistic. But something has changed. Maybe I gained more self-confidence, maybe I just met the right website at the right time. Even a local company offers printing on fabric with a customer design at reasonable price from a small quantity! Is it really possible?

Having no other excuses at this end, I had to deal with how to create a digital pattern from my artwork. Which is a totally new world with zillion questions every minute.

I had no idea how to arrange the pattern if I didn’t want to leave a white background. To be honest, I don’t know until now. Any good advice is welcome!

What I did was a manual method using scissors, duct tape and a lot of patience. It meant cutting paper into quarters and moving them during drawing, thus simulating the continuity of the edges.

Then just check the continuity on computer and retouch remaining edges after scanning, and look at the finished pattern!

If it seems simple, then know that the whole process took me more than 20 hours. Plus many more hours of searching on internet and learning of graphic editing. But I am ready to create a real pattern and improve my skills.

Next, I would like to create a pattern from existing artwork that was not originally designed as a pattern. A long way ahead.

In case you have a good advice for a beginner like me, I will be very grateful!

Love and hugs,

Ivana

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