Friday 29 March 2013

Peacock Cushion

While redecorating my house recently I made this embroidered cushion for my living room. I have a theme throughout the room of browns and creams and there is a strong natural feel to the other decor. I have hung curtains I hand made from sari fabric which has large sunflowers on it. I have also displayed two of my favourite felt samples and have a triptych of printed leaves I created while completing my Foundation Diploma.

Below is the Peacock Cushion. I hope you like it.





Below are the felt samples I have framed and have displayed in my living room.




Friday 22 March 2013

Surface Pattern Design Ideas

Below are some surface pattern design ideas for my newest purchase from Jeri at Delicious Patterns. These are just try out samples. Hope you like them. Feedback as always is much appreciated.


Saturday 16 March 2013

Final MC Squared Design Business Cards

As I'm trying to get some work together for sale I decided to rework business cards. Hope you like them. I like all of them so I'll just get the different designs printed when the mood takes me. I can NEVER make up my mind when it comes to design lay outs for business cards. Hope you like them.





Tuesday 12 March 2013

More from Jeri at Delicious Patterns

Below is one of the patterns that Jeri Shaw at Delicious Patterns has on reserve for me. I have photoshopped one of my surface designs into the illustration. This is how I intend to make up the garment for sale at a later date.

Hope you like it. I love it as it has a real 60s look. Anyone remember the GoJos? This hooded robe looks very like something they wore when they danced to Reflections on Top Of The Pops in 1967. Catch it on YouTube!


Sunday 10 March 2013

Surface Pattern Design Try Outs In A Fashion Based Context

I have been experimenting with various surface pattern designs to see how they appear as the print on dresses. This is because, as I have mentioned in a previous post, I am planning to make my garment from the Vogue pattern out of digitally printed fabric.

Below are a few test examples.  They are not complete by any means as I am continuing to experiment with different scales and positioning of the repeat pattern on the dress fronts.

Feedback would be appreciated.






As you will see two of the photographs have been repeated. In the first case this is because I have used the same surface pattern design in two differing scales and have also changed where the repeat is shown on the dress front and in the second case the surface pattern design has been inverted.

Saturday 9 March 2013

Delicious Patterns Purchase

I finally received my first purchase from Jeri Shaw at Delicious Patterns today. [it was the Vogue Fabiani evening gown] As I'm working on other design work at present I probably won't get around to making the garment for a while yet. I plan to make the garment in fabric digitally printed with one of my surface pattern designs. I am planning to get some samples from various digital print companies first to find the best supplier. Obviously I will post photos of the completed gown when it's made.

I certainly won't have to search for a pattern supplier now as I couldn't speak more highly of Jeri and will definitely become one of her regular customers. At present I have 2 more patterns on reserve and 1 still on it's way to me. I strongly advise everyone to check out her online shop [web address is given in my earlier post.] The selection of patterns she stocks are very diverse and many are very rare.

Friday 8 March 2013

Lark Lane Project

While studying for my Foundation Diploma in Art & Design I was allowed to complete a project of my own choosing. As I have a passion for architecture, I decided to focus my project on a quaint little street called Hadassah Grove, off Lark Lane in Liverpool. Lark Lane is a kind of 'trendy' area and Hadassah Grove is one of it's little side streets.

I focused on this street as I felt it was like a little time capsule. When I first walked into the street I felt like I'd stepped back into Edwardian times as the houses date from this period.

Below are some of the research photographs I took and the drawings I created from them. I have previously posted several of the Lino prints that I produced for this project.







From the drawings I initially created from these images and others, I replicated them using a graphics tablet to create the images below. As I'm not too confident with my drawing I prefer to draw very freely and much more graphically than conventionally.





I also played around with blocking in some colour and created several alternate colourways. Below are a sample of how they looked when coloured.






I'm not so keen one the first image when colour was added. I think it works much better as a black and white illustration. My favourite by far is the illustration of the Amorous Cat Book Shop. I'm planning to get some prints created of this illustration for sale at the upcoming craft fair in Lark Lane in a few weeks time.

Thursday 7 March 2013

Copyright

Please be aware that any of the design work I create that I place on this blog is covered by copyright. I have had to contact someone to remove imagery from their blog that is my design work.

I am more than happy to allow people to highlight my work on their blog as long as I am credited for it and they ask me in advance. This individual's use of some of my work however insinuated that the designs were their creations and not mine.

Wednesday 6 March 2013

More New Scarf Design Ideas

I am currently working on creating a few different collections of 40cm x 140cm scarves. I'm trying to make collections of 3 to 4 scarves in each little mini collection.

As mentioned in my previous post, I'm currently not sure what fabric will be used when these scarves are digitally printed. I do however plan to have the scarves reproduced on a variety of fabrics. Once printed I will be advertising them for sale via this blog site.

Here are samples from my newest test collection. I'm not too sure of them at the moment but thought I'd start posting work while it is in its early stages to show how my designs progress and change before they become the final design.

Feedback would be appreciated.






Tuesday 5 March 2013

New Scarf Designs

After feedback from several visitors to my craft stall on Saturday, I have reworked earlier surface designs into prints for scarves which will measure 40cm x 140cm. I plan to have these digitally printed but am not too sure as yet as to what fabric I will use. I may get samples made in several fabrics of varying weights and transparencies to see which fabrics/transparencies work the best with these motifs.

Below are the four designs. I Hope you like them.







Sunday 3 March 2013

My wonderful new purchases!

I finally gave into temptation and bought myself 2 fantastic patterns courtesy of the lovely Jeri at Delicious Patterns.

Anyone who has a passion for unique and rare vintage patterns should visit www.etsy.com/shop/deliciouspatterns and I promise you won't be disappointed!

Here are the patterns that I've bought. All I have to do now is wait for them to arrive. Shame I have no patience!



Saturday 2 March 2013

A Very Productive Day

I had some of my most recent hand made creations on a craft stall today and managed to sell some of my work. I also got some wonderful feedback on my work.

As well as having work with me for sale on my stall, I'd also taken 2 sketchbooks with examples of the variety of work I produce (digital, embroidery, lino prints etc) Several people were interested in purchasing some of the work they had seen in my sketchbook. The scarf design (as featured here in an earlier posting) was one of the most popular examples of the work showcased in my sketchbook.

I'm planning to attend a craft fair in Lark Lane in Liverpool in 3 weeks time, so will be focusing on creating Easter based creations for sale, as well as a variety of other pieces. I will post photographs of the products I make once I have recharged by camera batteries (why do they always run out when you need them?)

All in all, it's been a productive day and I'm pleased that I got such positive feedback from the people who attended today. I'm definitely going to take on board some of the suggestions I was given about practical application of some of my surface designs too.