to this fabric!
Not many designers know what they’re doing when asked to submit a fabric line. A few lines down the road we may act like we do, but the truth is it’s a bit scary. It’s like being in the middle of the ocean and not being able to see the shore…you don’t know what’s ahead and wonder why you ever left your safe space on land.
I just heard that my fabric is in the warehouse, being cut and put onto bolts and it will ship to the stores this week! A perfect time to share with you how it was created at the very start. Like many things in life you just have to jump right in and do your best. That’s what I did. Pushed the insecurities down and jumped in! Yes, there were some “what if they don’t like it?” that my husband and friends had to listen to. I think those will always be there.
Henry Glass had asked for a baby fabric and since I love lambs it was easy to start! I drew pencil sketches of all the lamb scenes you see in the fabric. Then I added the little things you see mixed in…hearts, heart bouquets, butterflies, birds, and anything else my heart desired. It was so much fun!
Of course you have to have co-ordinates like stripes, checks, prints, and dots so those were next. Then came the color. I got out my water colors and painted! I attached color chips, sample fabrics in the colors I wanted and sent my package off to New York! They took my drawings, put them into the computer, cut, pasted and colored and sent back my first fabric line on paper for me to see. Me! Me to say yes, no, hello? It was just too cool!
I’m feeling so much more experienced now. Can you imagine after just one line? (: Now I have more fabric in the works for spring market. My goal for this year is to learn how to use Adobe Photoshop to play with fabric. I’ll never give up the drawing part. It’s what feeds my heart. But I have to admit it would be fun to put my lamb in Photoshop and see how she looks wearing pink little dots!
