The Joy of Designing Fabric with Spoonflower

Alice
I wonder if I've been changed in the night? Let me think. Was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is 'Who in the world am I?' Ah, that's the great puzzle!
from Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

If you were to ask me 10 years ago if I would ever be doing this I would have laughed.
It is amazing how greatly (quickly?) your life can change, isn't it?
In a heartbeat of finding out about a web business called Spoonflower, I was ready to dive in and design some fabric.
Huh?
 Me?
 Yes, anyone, even little calamity kim can now be a fabric designer and have yards of cotton fabric printed to create with.

At first you sign up to be invited to Spoonflower and then once you get there you can view all the other fabrics created by other people or start downloading photos to play with yourself.
 I have to admit I was intimidated and frightened.
I clicked off and didn't go back until one day about 2 weeks ago when I was strolling through some Flickr Groups and found myself in the Spoonflower Group. It made me want to try- what could it hurt?
It was 18 dollars a yard and I just spent at least 16 dollars a yard on some Heather Ross fabric. (that's how I justify stuff- its like losing a 20 dollar bill in the laundry- or maybe it just flew out the car window- I'm not saying I am like the great Heather Ross at all- no that's not what I meant).
So I put a few different photos in the Spoonflower thing and started trying out designs- it mirrors, flips, and even hooks up to picnik (over at flickr) to help you edit your pictures or designs.
 I used a photo I had taken of some paper roses that I made with Alice in Wonderland and that white rabbit paper dolls in the center of the flowers.
 I enhanced it- juiced up the color a little with the edit feature and then added some dark edges and then mirrored it- it came out pretty cool.
I didn't know really what I was going to do with it, but when the fabric arrived in the mail today,  I knew I wanted to make a journal cover.
At least I did after I stopped spinning around the room dancing with it waving in front of me like a sail on an enchanted ship or maybe a wonder woman cape.
This is the back of the quilted cover-some Jane Sassman fabric- I love her aesthetic and there were caterpillars so it needed to be used.
This is the inner back page. The quilted journal covers that I make are removable and hand washable. I just need to add the sewn in bookmarks and this will be ready to go into the etsy shop.
I am really not good at setting goals-
 I make what I want,
when I feel like it-
dahling, if you could imagine me in my smock, with a long cigarette holder and an even longer cigarette, as I adjust my french beret and sigh weary sighs of exasperation at the kind people who beg me to fill my etsy shop with more than dust bunnies and cobwebs- oh, that's supposed to be funny-
would that I were a comic or could draw one so you'd see my joke.
I don't smoke.
I don't wear a watch.
I am not a "great artist".
I can't afford someone to motivate me or coach my life and help me stay the course- get on track- fill the shop- make some sales-
I want to give it to someone else to sell for me!
 I just want to make and do.
stitch and sew.
create and enjoy the process.
do you get that?
This is my job- this is what I do.
 I make stuff all the time.
all I am saying is that I WILL TRY to get some stuff on here to sell.
I have a few things at Picasso Moon but really am thinking ahead to Atomic Holiday Bazaar this Dec and what I want to have available there.
Dec will be here before I can come up out of my artistic castle in the clouds...
I want to paint some designs to get printed with Spoonflower and maybe make some dolls to sell as kits- we'll see.
For now, I'm going to go make another cup of earl gray and enjoy this fine day.
xo,
have you seen my thimble, lately?
I seem to have misplaced it...
love & happy stitching,
calamity kim
still smiling that big happy proud of myself smile
thanks for stopping by and come back soon

I hit save and then immediately thought I should add that with my luck I will probably get hit with a meteorite or part of a rusty satellite, or fall in a black hole (like on bugs bunny) or a pack of gum and an ink pen will be left in the washer or SOMETHING awful is sure to happen to balance this good stuff out... say a prayer that no new calamity befalls me to break my happy heart... thanks, i'll need it!