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April 2, 2009

Softie designing dilemmas,

It has occurred to me over the last week, while working on a variety of different animal softie patterns, the issue of colour, and how much the colour and fabric choice has to do with what, as the designer, you are aiming to convey.  I've found myself automatically reaching for fabrics featuring browns and oranges to use for a fox, greys and blacks for the badger and so on.  Would the badger pattern work as well made in reds and blues?, I'm not sure, but no doubt, now the pattern is cracked, I will be giving it a try eventually.

BADGER (close up)

I've also found myself attempting to work at odds with my own natural style.  When I design and make a softie, whatever creature it is, the finished product is more often than not, slightly cartoon like.  This isn't deliberate, it just seems to happen.  No matter how much I try to stay realistic, cute and stylised keeps creeping in.  I think it is a by-product from having worked in the craft kit industry.  When I'm designing, as I mostly design projects for magazine editorials, I'm constantly aware of the fact that I know what I can do sewing wise,  but a pattern design needs to be executed in a way that would appeal and feel manageable to a less experienced sewer.

BADGER
(the fox has gone back to the drawing board by the way, it came out a little too cartoon like, even for me!)

I'm happiest working on patterns.  It doesn't concern me to, for instance, have my cat pattern featured in a magazine or book for anyone to make.  Doing so, is healthy for the creative process, the cat pattern is just one pattern.  Once it's been published, it spurs me on to develop a new cat pattern, one that has evolved from it's predecessor, and beyond.  And if I continue doing that, maybe one day, the more realistic style I crave will begin to materialise.  It's the journey and the bits in between which are the fun part anyway.

While we're on the subject of patterns, the Spring issue of the online "UK Handmade" magazine is out today.  There's a chicken softie pattern from me in there amongst other lovely projects and articles.

ps.  I've finally had a more detailed response from Flickr as to why they deleted my account.  It was linking to this blog underneath my images.  They have admitted that the deletion may have been a little hasty, and made my new account 'pro' for free.  I guess that is the closest to an apology I'm going to get!

15 comments:

  1. How cute!
    I've noticed the deletion on Flickr, very disappointing thing.
    Vero

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  2. Oh my,I guess I'd better check my flickr account,I don't know if it's linking or not.
    Anyway- I love your patterns and your blog-I've been reading it for awhile...
    I have been trying to get a 'stuffed bird' done this week for Easter presents,and it's just so different going from drawing to stuffed animal and I'm not having any luck.It's not as easy as it seems:)sometimes drawings don't quite work out the way we, or at least I want them too.
    Love the badger btw...
    Have a great weekend-
    Andrea

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  3. It shows how creative you are that you even thought of doing a badger! I think he is adorable!

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  4. i too have just jumped into the pattern making thing. i love how you speak of the publishing and sharing of patterns to others. i find it hard to 'share' too. i was in the duldrums for a bit, but now the interest is back again. love the badger and the thought of the fox, i can only imagine. for me- it is hard to determine my style. who am i and what do i like in the things i make and portray. realistic is a hard things because we compare so much and are judgers, but then the cartoon-stylish ones get the same treatment. is there really a happy middle ground? still trying to find it.

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  5. I love Mr Badger - he is just right. Gorgeous.

    Pleased that Flickr seem to have done a small *something* to make amends. Doesn't make up for all the images and contacts you (presumably) lost though, does it? :-(

    x

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  6. He is adorable!Thank you for the ispiration to create! Glad to hear you got your flicker back, and congrats on the magazine article too! have a fun weekend~Tam! :D

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  7. I adore the cartoonlike features of your creatures, and the fabrics you choose are just divine. I also love your stitching. On the issue of colour, don't you find you are not only drawn to colours for certain creatures but are also drawn to colours depending on the season, the year? I used to hate orange. I can't get enough of it now. Interesting...

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  8. your designs are unique to you, just like a thumbprint or signature. you can spot your work a mile away which i a good thing. you should be able to do that with most artists think about it if picasso changed his images to be more realistic???? wouldnt work would it? love your work
    %*_*% rosey

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  9. Thanks for the info about Flickr. The badger is adorable. Just looked at the issue of UK Handmade- your project is adorable. Keep up the good work...

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  10. love the badger -- so much personality! I'm glad Flickr made some sort of amends, what they did was ridiculous.

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  11. Your badger is just so cute! :)

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  12. Some of my images on Flickr are linked to my blog. I do not remember seeing anywhere in the Flickr sign-up rules that said you could not. You are not selling from your blog, your blog gives more detail about your pictures than can be said on Flickr. Sounds like an over zealous person at work at Flickr.
    Love your owl, that ius how i found you.

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