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How to Make Better Prints and Patterns

I was trying to explain to someone the other day, how i feel about textiles and surface design. For me it goes way beyond a 9-5 job. It does not switch-off ever. Even on vacation, i am hunting around for patterns occurring or reading a book to inspire my next collection. Surface design and pattern creation is how i make sense of the world. You see; I like stacks, lists, clusters and themes, yet i am shamefully unorganized—lets call it "artsy". Surface and textile design is one of the places in my world where i'm able to create some order. Through trends, media and fashion, I somehow am able to make the mess in my mind into something i'm willing to share and can get behind.  That is why it is so personal to me, i have too be 100% behind it to say i love it or am proud of it.

It absolutely drives me bonkers when a apparel designer gives me a brief to knockoff some other designers work and then asks me the dreaded question... "Do you like it?". Clearly i have to much pride to handover something that i didn't do my best on, but "if i like it" is irrelevant as it's not really mine, the concept wasn't birthed from my own vision or experiences. I feel this is where the apparel designer has to have the savvy and conviction to truly direct the outcome and be able to verbalize direction, beyond sharing an image of someone else's garment they like... Personally, if someone asks "Do you like it?" they're needing affirmation and moral support because they are unsure themselves.  This is why i believe it is crucial to have your resident expert on print (with their stacks of print knowledge filed in their noggin) in concept design meetings. To often print is thought of as the "cherry on the top" in the design process of a garment rather than a true ingredient in the baking process. The fabric, the cut, the color, the fit all have an impact on the type of print the garment should have.

The value of design has transcended to the mainstream in many industries, recently, the role of print in that process still needs that transformative moment. When we finally get print in the concept design meetings, it will result in a more fluid design process where ownership and direction is collaborative. Prints will become more original and then when the inevitable question "do you like it?" comes it will be easier to give an impassioned answer.

Takeaways to make better prints

1.  Know your craft and it's evolution. Be willing to share and educate the entire design team and buyers.

2. Make stacks, pin up and engage dialogue through moodboards. Keep your eyes open to common threads and trends.

3. Be available and prepared to collaborate. Bring your POV but also be sensitive to everyone else's.  We are better together.  It is not war.

4. Constructive honesty. Be able to give feedback and rationale. 

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Great Pattern and Surface deigners to Follow on Instagram

There seems to be an increased awareness of surface and textile design. Here are some of my favorite Instagrams to follow if you love the art of the repeat. 

@Cathynordstromdesign

@KittyMcCall

@SurfacesPatterns

@FashionTextileMuseum

@This.Patterned.Life

@ChloeHallillustration

Oh and @PatternOccurring if you don't mind. 

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Fabric Printing 1955

Thankfully were've moved on since 1955. This chap is a little chauvinistic.  

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Pattern Occurring Picks - Tea Towel Fetish

I simply can't get enough vintage tea towels.  What is up with me? It's not that i love washing up. There are just so many great ones and they are so nostalgic. I could happily plaster them all over my kitchen walls. Then it wouldn't matter that my kids wipe their sticky hands everywhere. 

I am sure you'll agree they are super.  Below are my picks for best tea towels in store now. 

Oh, and here's a few i made earlier.

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Papper Occurring Picks - Tea Towel Fetish

I simply can't get enough vintage tea towels.  What is up with me? It's not that i love washing up. There are just so many great ones and they are so nostalgic. I could happily plaster them all over my kitchen walls. Then it wouldn't matter that my kids wipe their sticky hands everywhere. 

I am sure you'll agree they are super.  Below are my picks for best tea towels in store now. 

Oh, and here's a few i made earlier.

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The Art of Tommy Bahama

Hello, it's me (said in an Adelle style). I was delighted to be featured on Tommy Bahama's webpage.  I think it goes to show how much they value textile design, when they choose to showcase the craft of design.  

When joining I was blown away by the talent, expertise and precision of my team. At Tommy Bahama, time is actually given to make and refine designs, which results in a higher standard of work! That is something that i've always valued, labored drawing.  I find it barmy when i've worked elsewhere with textile designers who do not like to draw or who do not make the time to draw. Shocking! I believe if you don't take that time to develop and refine your drawing, that it results in poor repeats and overly simple motifs, so sad. 

The tag line for Tommy Bahama is "make life one long weekend". So far? yep this is as good as it gets, drawing and painting tropical flowers for a living.  Only occupational hazard is i want to go to all the tropical destinations. 

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Pattern Occurring - Should I work In-House or Freelance?

2015 was a rather unexpected change for me. I had a successful freelance business working with clients like Anthropologie, Mod Cloth and Lands' End.  However I got 3 calls from different people on the same day telling me i should apply for this particular temporary job in Seattle.  I was so not interested especially when the woman that interviewed me 2 days later was dressed as a witch.  I didn't put two and two together that it was halloween that weekend.  I just thought "Oh hello, yet another bonkers Brit trying to be arty." When i was offered the position i thought "what have i got to loose?" If i hate it i can leave. Oh and yes i did hate the first few weeks, change is hard. Fast forward a month and i was hoping that the team would keep me on a permeant basis and the witch and her team were treating me like a valued team member. Gosh that felt splendid, i had truly missed prattling on all day while i designed.  

So you may be in a similar situation, asking yourself should i go it alone or jump into employment? Here were my reasons to return to employment. I hope this helps you in your decision.  

1. Community - Being part of a team

2. A Desire To Learn - As a freelancer you need to go in, preform your task and hand over the deliverables.  From my experience clients are busy and have very little time or desire to invest in your personal growth.

3. Follow Your Work To Production - When working independently as a contract freelancer it is very rare that you get to see or hear where your designs end up.  In house you get to see strike-offs, samples and fashion show.  You can get direct feedback from the buyers, all of which is educating and exciting.

4. Be Given A Review And Goals To Work Towards - Sounds funny, as most people might dread review time.  I myself hadn't had one since 2008 so it was odd at first, but I feel reviews are essential to growth. This process gave me tangible goals i needed to achieve over the following 12 months. Onward and upward!

5. PTO: Payed Time Off! - What is that? I hadn't had that in 8 years. Guilt free vacation. 

6. Benefits - This is not something you civilized folks in the UK don't need to worry about as much, but here the struggle is real, healthcare insurance is required to survive. 

7. Simplicity and rhythm - From my experience freelance can be feast of famine.  You can be traveling all over to work with various clients. Now I love knowing where my desk is and what the expectations are. Life can get very complicated. Not to mention direct deposits every fortnight. That is music to my ears.

8. Christmas and birthday parties -  Need i say more? 

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Pattern Occurring POV - Pantone Color Of The Year, Marketing Gimmick?

Pantone is a part of my every day life.  I start each day with a china pantone mug of tea made to the perfect shade of Pantone 16-1331. I am admittedly colour obsessed and trained at the Pantone Color Institute a few years ago. I am a fan and could not do my job with out the aid of my trusty Pantone swatch books. I also start to get impatient when the year comes to a close because i want to know who will be THE NEXT PANTONE COLOR OF THE YEAR......

If you haven't had your head up your bum, you wouldn't have failed to notice that 2016 had two colors for the first time. Serenity and Rose Quarts. I am a fan and had been seeing these colors frequently since the Gucci 2014 A/W collection.

For me these colors were not new to fashion but were new to high street fashion and especially as make up colors. I had my bets placed else where until i heard that pantone was releasing a new book of additional 210 colors.  Then i knew Aha! Pantone wants to sell this new book, hence this would be where the color of the year would come from.  Call me cynical, i just know that innovation is what drives commerce or rather commerce is driving the need to be "different/innovative". Hence i doubt that core colors will ever be the pantone color of the year.  Every line is going to have a classic blue, camel, black or grey. You can always buy such items but "for this year only you can purchase a fetching shade of blue lippy!" Even if the color of the year is just a marketing gimmick to make each year feel different, i still love the game of anticipation and prediction.

[patternoccurring]

Pattern Occurring POV - Pantone Colour Of The Year, Marketing Gimmick?

Pantone is a part of my every day life.  I start each day with a china pantone mug of tea made to the perfect shade of Pantone 16-1331. I am admittedly colour obsessed and trained at the Pantone Color Institute a few years ago. I am a fan and could not do my job with out the aid of my trusty Pantone swatch books. I also start to get impatient when the year comes to a close because i want to know who will be THE NEXT PANTONE COLOR OF THE YEAR......

If you haven't had your head up your bum, you wouldn't have failed to notice that 2016 had two colors for the first time. Serenity and Rose Quarts. I am a fan and had been seeing these colors frequently since the Gucci 2014 A/W collection.

For me these colors were not new to fashion but were new to high street fashion and especially as make up colors. I had my bets placed else where until i heard that pantone was releasing a new book of additional 210 colors.  Then i knew Aha! Pantone wants to sell this new book, hence this would be where the color of the year would come from.  Call me cynical, i just know that innovation is what drives commerce or rather commerce is driving the need to be "different/innovative". Hence i doubt that core colors will ever be the pantone color of the year.  Every line is going to have a classic blue, camel, black or grey. You can always buy such items but "for this year only you can purchase a fetching shade of blue lippy!" Even if the color of the year is just a marketing gimmick to make each year feel different, i still love the game of anticipation and prediction.

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#matthewwilliamson where is your #ss16collection 😞😭#fashion #trend #pattern #print #design

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#henrythe8th in #repeat #offwiththeirheads all the #cool bits of #british #history #lightreading #tea

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The #perfect #autumn #fall day #400fairview #tommybahama #geometric #green

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The #new #digs are #prettysweet #400fairview #Seattle #architecture #design #tommybahama

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#parisfashionweek #driesvannoten #springsummer16 #girly #pattern #purple

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#folkme #folk #patterns have returned to the #runway #fashion #design #springsummer16

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#stellamccartney #velvet #boot #getonmyfeet #fall #trend #pattern #design #1960s #yeahbaby

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#victoriabeckham @nate_torion one is for you buddy! I hope you are in #peace with your hero #alexandermcqueen all the #shoes are comfortable in #heaven