A few years ago when I was coping with chronic migraines I started taking a bunch of different classes. One of the classes was surface pattern design.
It was a very random side trip in my art journey. I never really had a particular interest or even knowledge that such a thing as surface pattern design existed. It was just kind of a "hm, that's sounds kind of interesting, I'll take it" type of experience. And I truly started from scratch. I didn't have any design or graphic art background that most of the other students had, so some of my early work? Heinous. But, some of it surprisingly good and I'm even starting to revisit some of the ideas. It's been a consistent pattern as I learn anything new such as lamp work, polymer clay, metal clay. I start with really ugly things (but with interesting possibilities) and some surprisingly good stuff. I'll share another post on the surface pattern design journey.
What I love about surface pattern design is being able to make things I visualize for my home into seamless repeats for pattern and objects. Learning how to create repeats that I can use as backgrounds on my blog? Score! (Yep, I made that bright yellow/green organic plaid on my blog.) Creating my own fabric for use in clothing and pillows. Bonus!
by Jenn Borek
Zazzle
I've searched some of the various third party customization stores and I settled on Zazzle for the level of control I had over the products my designs would be on. I earn a design royalty on each object sold with my design on it. If I promote the product, I can also earn an additional commission. I've ordered products from Zazzle for my own home and have been very pleased with the results of the pillows (my favorite!) and the wall art and cards. Their service is excellent and the prints have turned out very well.
Recently, I started decorating my home in a beach/ocean theme. I'm not a huge fan of the ubiquitous motifs (that are everywhere especially once you move to Florida). I decided I wanted to embrace beach living through color. The varied blues and green are what take my breath away about being near the water.
I got my pillows yesterday and I'm in love! I made four designs in the brighter palette for this effortless boho vibe.
And to maximize the designs, each pillow has a "bright side" and a "subdued" side. The subdued side is two-toned. Flip the pillows to mix it up.
If you're a "matchy-matchy" type of person, just order two of the same pillow.
Spoonflower Fabric
In addition to pillows, I got two yards of the fabric through Spoonflower. The colors in the fabric pop a little more than on the Zazzle pillows. I'm going repaint and reupholster some bistro chairs with this fabric. Can't wait to get moving on that project!
I really, really love the pillows I ordered through Zazzle and fabric through Spoonflower. I've been very happy with the quality and service of both companies.
If you are digging the fabrics or pillows, order yours through the above links! I earn commissions on each sale.
If you want to design your own, both have "create your own" options on each. I have been very happy with their service and can happily recommend them to others.
