Monday 26 March 2012

design work

As I have already mentioned I'm designing surface pattern for numerous things- mainly focusing on interiors. I have been busy designing lightshades using my patterns, and the use of the lasercutter. I've photographed them to see what they would look like. And I've also found something that would make them fire retardant so I could make a mockup if I wanted :)



experimenting with lasercut paper patterns to see what they would look like as light shades.

I've also made some last minute design ideas for more surface patterns (as if I didn't already have enough!) and I'm quite pleased with them...they're rather funky looking. I think they are more kid like and would look good in kids interiors, or as an accent cushion somewhere. 

wallpaper or bedding design on a large scale

kids interiors

soft furnishings maybe?

wallpaper would look good in this design!

I'm sure I've already mentioned my colours printed out wrong on the fabric I chose for my designs. If not well now you know! I had to print a sample of pantone colours and hopefully be able to chose from them to get my colours spot on. They've come out OK, although I'm still not 100% happy with the red and the cerise pink. I'm having to second guess at them really which I could do with not doing! So far I think these are what I want printing on fabric to make my cushions, lightshade, and cot mobile...other patterns will be printed large scale on wallpaper using the banner printer.








BUSY BUSY BUSY

xoxo one stressed Nat

Thursday 22 March 2012

starting to get a dab hand with this Photoshop milarky!

I never thought I'd say this but I actually love Photoshop- its my new best friend! Spent hours playing with it, and pretty much taught myself my own little ways of doing things (whether its right or not is a different story)  and I am pretty proud of what I've produced with it. I've decided for my final show I want to have a couple of final wallpaper designs printed, a few cushions made up and then some of my designs printed on notebooks and mugs for display to, and sort of set up a little interior. Along with my portfolio that will have other fabric samples in and photoshoped images to show my designs :) plan? PLAN!

I'm still working on the colour booboo I had with my fabric samples- that's been delayed some what unfortunately but I will find out what's what on Monday! fingers crossed. In the mean while I'm busy putting my patterns into setting and working into my fabric samples as much as I can even if they're not correct.

Also I've spent today mounting some of my work up making it look all smart for my show and for my portfolio....I wish card was free!

Lots more experimentation to follow, including some vinyl printing :) But for now look at what I've done :)



ciao xoxo Nat 

Wednesday 21 March 2012

Look what I did!!! Very proud of myself- perhaps my photoshop skills arn't as bad as i thought!! happy how things are coming along :) Take a nosey of what I've done...









hope you like :) share and pass it on! 

xoxo Nat :)

Monday 19 March 2012

I've been practising my efforts to put my patterns into settings and onto objects. Its a good way to visualise how my patterns will work, and how well they work on what objects. It is also a good way of designing cushions and things. Take a look and let me know what you think...


the wallpaper designs and cushions are my own work

xoxo Nat :)

an old project

I haven't really done anything interesting on my recent project at the moment...its all been slowed down with the fail of my fabric prints (which im trying to sort tomorrow)

So i thought I'd share some of my work i've done in the past...









all these patterns where designs with the collaboration of 2 words I picked from a list. Gardens and music. This was the outcome. I've had a lot of positive feedback from this work from everyone- it is one of my faves. I designed it with nursery interiors in mind but a lot of people have said how much they would like it in their own bedroom! :)

xoxo Nat

Tuesday 13 March 2012

not bad for a first attempt

I've had another go at putting my patterns into some settings, theyve turned out ok but still need some tweaking. Need to tackle the cushions and bedding next. Oh how i hate perspective! 




what you rekon?

xoxo Nat

interior pattern

I've tried to collect up my patterns and show how they would work in an interior. I've tried to put them in an actual room but its taking longer than I thought and I'm struggling to make them look realistic so that that needs a lot ore work! As a substitute here's what I have done...



xoxo Nat

Monday 12 March 2012

when something works :)

been to collect my laser cuts and etching from kath my technician today. I'm well pleased with how they've turned out. Now I can start thinking what cool stuff I can do with them. Whether it be something practical for the home- or simply to decorate my degree show space!!! Take a look :)







xoxo Nat.

Project inspiration

I've put together an inspiration board/moodboard of images for my recent project "under the microscope" It is a collection of images inspiring colour, style, and subject matter. This is where my inspiration for all my patterns I've posted recently.

xoxo Nat :)

Wednesday 7 March 2012

patterns galore!

Got far too carried away making patterns today. My aim was to work with my early experiments and make some less complex ones and some really complex ones so that my collection is more diverse. I ended up making 53 patterns! Aswell as that I decided on what files I want printing on fabric- but theres too many and I have to remove three (too hard!)





I'm tired. And I'm working hard. But I hope it pays off. Heres a sneaky peak... :)

xoxo nat

Tuesday 6 March 2012

work update

Hello :)

Thought I'd do a quick update on my work! Been playing with some more patterns today. I like my early design developments but they need concluding, and experimenting with further to get them just right. I'm busy putting together some tiff files ready for kath (my technician) to get them printed on the digital fabric printer (deadline sneaking up eeekk). I've been playing with the complexity of my patterns, and the scale to make sure I get a variety of samples to play with. Here's a few of what I'm working on.
more of a motif, it could be repeated but I quite like it as it is. Maybe HUGE with big gaps inbetween each one?
like this but more space between each one I think!
bigger print. I like this :)

for those funky minded people out there, this is one of my early patterns expanded. imagine this but the discs the size of pizzas!

I love this one. I've had to do some simpler designs to go in my collection, Yet still funky . I think this works well small and large :) very pleased.

Even more so simple. I could imagine this on a wall :)

BIG motifs!



Simple black and white, for the less brave.

I really like this, especially in blue. This will be part of my collection :)

Hope you like them. They still need a bit of tweeking. I'm rather stressed at the moment trying to get this sorted, it's proving difficult to be strict and choose certain colours and patterns when there all so pretty!

Next step- get some fabric samples printed. Check the colours are ok, and start picking my collection eeek! I'm also going to work into a few of my printed samples to add texture like I previously mentioned in my posts! 

Anway, Busy bee, 

xoxo Nat.

Monday 5 March 2012

sample work

my new stitched sample for my current project hhmmmm.

The back of a stitched sample I quite liked the look of.
Well I can't decide whether today has been a productive day or not. I've done a bit more work for my website so that was successful. And I've created a couple of stitched samples for my current project 'under the microscope' which has been both successful and not... I can't decide whether I like them or not....and if I do I'm still thinking in the back of my mind "what can they be used for".

Of course not everything has to have a further purpose other than experimentation, if it doesn't work out right then that's fine, at least I've had a go. And not everything has to be practical either. It could purely be just a nice sample piece to look at, with no other purpose at all. But me being me likes things to have a purpose, and to be leading somewhere. So on that note, I'm kind of stuck a little bit!

Here's a few snaps and scans of what I produced today, any suggestions to improve or what they can be used for would be helpful. I'm picturing some textured cushions, or a throw perhaps, to co-ordinate well with my pattern collections....

Free stitch cell sample. 

stitched cell sample closeup

small applique sample and machine stich

could perhaps see this large on a cushion or something

just a small knitted sample inspired by cross sections of roots under the microscope

I have uni tomorrow, where I'm going to try some laser cut, etching, and embroidery machine samples to see what they turn out like and hopefully they will give me ideas and inspiration to move my project forward to the next level of development.

xoxo Nat.