Designing Fabric & Imaging Software

I have done just about everything else with fabric so why not design my own patterns? Seriously, I have an idea that I am working out and would require designing my own fabric. I may or may not tell you the idea in the future but in the mean time, I will share two discoveries with you.
First, a friend of mine posted a picture on Facebook and mentioned that she used Paint.net to edit her picture. I was immediately intrigued. Since my computer was fried in a lightening storm, I have rebuilt it and considered purchasing Adobe Photoshop. I used Photoshop as my previous photo editor and have been happy with it. However, I am always interested in saving money where I can and thought I would check out the new program. It is terrific so far and is able to do all of the things I looked to Photoshop to do. I recommend looking into it for yourself.
Second, Spoonflower is a company that will print your fabric designs. You can also purchase stunning and unique fabrics designed by people who know way more about fabric design than myself. Fabrics created on the site can be sold to public and the creator earns a percentage of the selling price or the fabrics can remain private so that only the creator can print them. My design above evolved from a photo of a leaf in my back yard, edited with Paint.net and then again with Spoonflower's picture editing software Picnik and then edited once more with Paint.net. I don't claim it to be brilliant but the end result is interesting and I can see more experimentation is in order. Maybe I will even enter one of Spoonflower's fabric design competitions one of these days.

Willow Wisp 3, at last!

Here she is, the third of the Willow Wisp dolls made from the Becky Holloway pattern, this time in peacock colors. I love the body on this doll. The pattern for the body is challenging but worth the effect. After the work on the body, clothing and beading the doll is pure joy. I have made some minor alterations to the pattern this time, particularly with the wings. Her 'hair' is made from feathers, as directed in the pattern, however, I have been using feathers from a trim rather than larger feathers. I used organza as well as tulle for her skirt and tulle for the bodice.


Here you can see the beading on the bodice. I did it free hand with no particular pattern, just a selection of colors. Her face is drawn in color pencil with some pigma pen accents. The wing shape is designed and painted the wings based on pictures of butterfly wings but not intending to mimic any particular insect.
Here is detail of the back of her wings. I tried to make them a little duller. I used Pebeo Setacolor acrylic fabric paints in translucent and iridescent colors. The doll has taken me about three years to finish, but at last she is done. Please go to my January 15th, 2009 and March 25th, 2008 entries to see the previous versions.