fabric, goats + geese

A few weeks ago, Spoonflower was doing a fundraiser/promo - they were giving away two free fabric swatches (of your own design) so customers could test out quality, printing, fabrics, etc. As part of the promo, they were fundraising for Heifer International, an organization that provides livestock, training and services to small farmers and communities around the world. Since I've always thought designing my own fabric would be awesome, this was the perfect opportunity to give Spoonflower a go and give a little charity at the same time!


I designed my first swatch in a new colorway of a design I made over a year ago and was previously in my blog header. Instead of using the creamy yellows and muted greens of the original design, I made this colorway more fall-like with a rich brown, deep blue, golden yellow, and popping orange... sure feels like fall to me. I ordered this sample in a bamboo-cotton blend- super soft and silky.


Because I've been having a rough time finding the just the right way to produce my own labels, I used this as a way to test out printing labels directly on fabric. I chose a nice thick upholstery weight cotton. Came out pretty spiffy - text is clear, colors are great, and I love the hefty feel of the fabric.

I couldn't believe how quickly the samples arrived and how high quality they were. I'll definitely be using Spoonflower in the future when I get up the gusto to make more designs. They also did a great job raising money for Heifer - see a video wrap-up here.

p.s. - my Etsy shop is up and running! Not fully stocked yet, but up and running nonetheless. I'll be listing new items frequently, so be sure to stop on by every now and again. Think about handmade for the holidays! :-) There is a link on the left sidebar of my blog, as well as a showcase of some of my items.