Cake, Paper, Scissors!

I've been working on a couple collections and getting designs adjusted for Spoonflower's new color profile, and took an unexpected break from writing posts. The collections are done, though one is on the back burner until I can adjust the colors. The other collection will get its own post in a few days, and a design recap will be posted also. Now, it's time for cake.

This week's Fabric of the Week contest at Spoonflower is the theme of paper collage cakes. Designers had to create prints featuring cakes in some form, entirely out of paper. The entries cover a wide range of different cake varieties, but unsurprisingly, a large number are of cupcakes. The contest will definitely tempt your sweet tooth.

I decided to go a simple but fun route for my entry. I was partly inspired by several Cake Wrecks, but wanted to create a usable print. I created a windowpane plaid made up of rotated sheet cakes covered with sprinkles. I used paper in several colors, scrapbook scissors, glue, and a hole punch to create this print. Here is my entry, I Want Sprinkles Plaid Large.

I Want Sprinkles Plaid Large. Click image to see it in yardage. Fat quarter, 21"x18" view shown.

This version is a larger scale, both for the contest view and for projects needing a larger scale such as tote bags. I think it would also make a fun apron for a baker or cake decorator (a non Wrecky one, of course).

I have another version in a smaller scale, perfect for clothing. I think the smaller scale would make a fun straight or pencil skirt. I like how the plaid becomes the focus, and the sprinkles add a bit of fun to offset the pattern.

Click image to see I Want Sprinkles Plaid Small in yardage. Image is of swatch view, 8"x8".

Both fabrics are available for sale. I may make some more coordinating prints out of paper later if the inspiration strikes.

Voting for the Paper Collage Cakes contest ends Wednesday evening. You can vote here for your favorite entries.

Retro Rainbow Hat and more!

This week's Spoonflower Fabric of the Week contest called for Hat Patterns that fit on one yard of fabric. I am not much of a hat wearer, besides cloche hats, and even then I typically only wear them in the fall and winter. I wanted to design something for summer, and something I would possibly wear. Unfortunately, I had to get my computer fixed last fall, and lost saved files and bookmarks of hat resources. Luckily, I found an awesome vintage hat pattern.

Click image to go to the fabric page.

My entry is Retro Rainbow Hat. This vintage pattern is made so that the hat can accommodate a ponytail. I thought that detail would be perfect for summer. I had to modify the pattern a bit and fix some errors before I added my designs to the pattern pieces. The crown of the hat has faux stitching in faded rainbow colors on a light tan background. The brim is made up of "petals" that have faded rainbow arcs on them that follow the shape of the pattern pieces. The lining pieces are solid colors of the rainbow colors used for the design. I guessed at the sizes needed for the bias cording, and gave them rainbow stripes on a tan background. Since there was extra space, I also included pattern pieces to make two keychain fobs. I am currently waiting for the fabric to arrive so I can make it! More details on the hat will come in the project post.

You can vote for this week's Spoonflower contest here. There are not many entries this week, but they are still great and cover a variety of styles. Voting for this contest ends Wednesday.

I'm on a slight retro kick, and it started with this entry, "Retro Sewing Stripe" for the Sewing Celebration contest. It finished 47th out of 111 entries.

Click image to go to fabric page.

It's in a much softer colorway than I'm used to doing, but it works well for this design. The fun stripe is made up of zigzag stitches, pins, straight stitches, buttons, needles, and bobbins.

The Book Love fabric contest was one of my favorites because I love books. I haven't been reading as much as I would like lately, but nothing compares to a good book. "Ode to the Keeper of the Books" was my entry, and placed 99th out of 143 entries.

Click image to go to fabric page.

The print is made up of elements representing three major genres (horror, adventure, fantasy) over an open book. In the background are the words "horror adventure fantasy" repeated in a transparent brown. The whole print uses transparent colors at certain areas, and adds to the idea of imagining book scenes. It was fun to do, even though it took quite a while to create. I still have to get a proof of this to see how it will print. (I have no idea at this point!)

For the Bag Pattern contest I entered "Creativity Tote", which finished 44th out of 76 entries. The kit prints on one yard of fabric.

Click image to go to fabric page.

"Creativity Tote" is an art tote bag that can grow with a child. It has pockets to hold items such as crayon boxes, scissors, pencils, markers, glue, glitter, paints, and whatever else needed to create works of art. The right side is designed to have elastic to hold coloring books, construction paper, coloring pads, and art paper pads up to 9" x 12". The tote has a flap with hook and loop tape closure that allows the tote to expand. I also included a name tag on the back of the tote for the child's information. The white shapes print pieces are made so that the child can draw on the pattern pieces to create images from the shapes. I haven't made this kit available for sale yet.

I have some patterns done for upcoming contests already (!), but I will wait to show them until it's time for their contest. Please check out the Hat Pattern contest at Spoonflower, and vote for your favorites.

Winter Wrap Up

This post will be a summary of some projects and designs from this past winter. It's officially spring; when did THAT happen? (I know it was yesterday, but where did the time go)? Well, I will try my best to get back to regular posting. Starting with this post.

1. Cookie Advent Calendar found here at Spoonflower.

I designed this Advent Calendar for the Spoonflower Advent Calendar contest. The yard sized kit includes cookies, oven mitt (not pictured), cookie sheet, and instructions. I used hook and loop tape to attach the cookies to the cookie sheet. I also put a piece of board inside the cookie sheet (left the top open then sewed it shut) to add some stability to it. The idea is that the oven mitt (I will add pictures of it to this post later; I thought I had a good picture of it) holds the cookies until they are needed for the countdown. I did make a few changes after getting my fabric and making it. The "7" heart cookie wasn't the right red I used and I changed the "1" and "13" to black since the white didn't show up well against the yellow. "Cookie Advent Calendar" finished 9th, and was my second time making the Top Ten.

2. Road Trip Collection. Complete collection can be found here at Spoonflower.

Printed swatches of the current collection

My "Road Trip Coordinates Sampler" placed 170/200 in the Coordinates Contest at Spoonflower. There were a lot of great collections! I'm really happy with how the designs printed. I do have another stripe that I will add to the collection, but it will but solid colors. I'm really happy with Film Strip Stripe. It actually lines up with 35mm film, frames and perforations! (Well, the film I compared it to wasn't Kodak, so the perforations didn't line up at a certain point, but I'm sure it would line up exactly with other film). I still have ideas for two more prints, but haven't started them yet. They will eventually be added to the collection.

3. Contest results!
* Evergreens- Retro Evergreens 108/149
* Coordinates- Road Trip Coordinate Sampler 170/200
* Cityscape- St. Louis Skyline Border Print 57/180
* Art Deco- Deco Geometric Teal Medium 136/275
* Jellyfish- Dangerous Beauty 69/226
* Bicycle- Simple Bicycles Green 65/199

I am working on two contest entries right now. One is a kit, and will have new coordinating prints. The other is a print being done is a style I haven't done before. So far, so good. I will have an easy project in an upcoming post.