Spoonflower feeds our Creative Nation

I was lucky enough to happen upon an article in April's Canadian House & Home about a clever website called "Spoonflower". This unique company allows all of us creative types to express ourselves through the design of custom fabric. I believe this is so true what Spoonflower has to say about the interest in crafting exploding right now.

I quote;

"The handmade revolution is being waged quietly. On blogs, in sewing groups, on Etsy storefronts and in homes, a lot of people have decided to make and to share things they think are beautiful.
We really liked the idea of expressing yourself through making new things. So we decided to make a company".

Ever heard about the documentary "Handmade Nation"? Handmade Nation is a movie that documents the movement of artists, crafters and designers that recognize a marriage between historical techniques, punk and DIY (do it yourself) ethos while being influenced by traditional handiwork, modern aesthetics, politics, feminism and art. Fueled by the common thread of creating, Handmande Nation explores a burgeoning art community that is based on creativity, determination and networking. More about Handmade Nation, it's creator, filmmaker, Faythe Levine, check out HN's blog here. Illustrations were created by Portland's, Katie Bingaman - Burt. Katie's equally cool blog "Obsessive Consumption"is here.
The Handmade Nation book is now available in print through Amazon here. This book is so popular it is already in it's third print. Bravo!

image - sublimestitching.com

I for one am jumping aboard this creative bandwagon. I have been on the hunt for months for the perfect fabric for a tablecloth for our dining room table. It's not like I can't find a fabulous pattern, it's that when I do, it's out of my range. Using Spoonflower, I can keep the cost way down and be proud of something that was created by "moi". Your design is printed on quilting-weight cotton and perfect for pillows, drapes, and more. Additional fabric options, including upholstery-cotton will be offered this spring. Swatches are available for $5., or a fat quarter for $11. There is no set up fee and yards of fabric are $18. Turnaround is extremely timely; shipping from Mebane, NC to all over the world.

Your designs are private unless you give Spoonflower permission to go public with them. SF even holds a "fabric of the week" contest for us all to vote on our favorite design. Find Spoonflowers website here or their blog here. Do you tweet? Follow SF on twitter here.

Bye the bye:

CH&H points out three important things they learned in the process worth sharing:

CONSIDER SCALE: On your screen, patterns can look bigger than they really are. For a true sense of scale, it is helpful to grid the repeat on paper and then use the on-screen guide to assess the print's size.

COLOUR CORRECT:The finished fabric was about 10% lighter than anticipated. If you're trying to match a colour exactly, opt to have an swatch mailed to you first.

IT WAS EASY: The entire process took less than five minutes.

I would love to know what you all think. Will you Spoonflower?

{go forth & shop responsibly}
embrace your creative side