Spoonflower and Other Distractions

The Box, packed full
of fabric. Plus ribbon.

Some of you may know that I have a fabric jones. I don't sew (too fiddly), I don't do fabric collage (too crafty), I don't seem to use it in any way whatsoever, but I love a gorgeous piece of fabric and I have an extensive fabric collection: end pieces, remnants, quilters' quarters ... you name it. I have never had any idea what I wanted to do with my fabric ... I've made some of it into bookcloth for special projects, but other than that, what I want to do with it is a mystery.

Recently, I've found a wonderful outlet for taking some of the other artwork I'm doing and turning it INTO fabric. This feeds both my fabric jones and my artmaking jones without actually increasing the size of my already massive fabric collection. It's called Spoonflower, and it allows you to upload patterns and configure them into a design that you can then purchase as a fabric swatch, sample, or full-on bolt. The upside is, after you "proof" you design by ordering a sample to make sure the colors and so forth are to your liking, you can make your designs available for purchase by other people.

A sample of what's in
The Box. I have probably
a hundred different fabrics. 

The process couldn't be easier: upload design, tweak size and arrangement, order proof, make it available for sale. Spoonflower handles all the details, including printing with eco-friendly processes on a variety of high-quality fabrics and order fulfillment. You (the designer) receive 10% of sales of your design.

I've uploaded six different images, some from my adventures in encaustic, some from my experiments with oil painting, and one photographic image. I love the crazy 60s pattern they make when printed in mirror image, although I'm sure it won't be to everyone's taste (maybe not to anyone's taste). They aren't for sale yet, but you can see my designs here. Here is a screenshot to further entice you. Make sure to click on each one to see the fabric presentation this way, which is how I envision it.

Spoonflower screen shot ... my designs

I hope to upload a couple more design experiments from my existing artwork and then order proofs and make them available for the general population. I'm obviously not so skilled a fabric designer that I anticipate making big bucks from this venture, but it's fun to see my artwork take on a new form and it feeds my fabric jones in a nice way that keeps me from acquiring more fabric for my hoard.

If there is a fabric freak in your life, send them over to Spoonflower. There's lots to see if they just want to buy or browse, and it's free to sign up if they want to become the Next Great Fabric Designer.