After being profiled by Uppercase Magazine last month for their Surface Pattern Design issue, it’s been great to connect with people from all over the world who have a love of repeat patterns!
You might be wondering, what is surface pattern design, anyway? As my creative work has expanded beyond my own product collection for Cotton & Flax, I’ve been working more as a freelance surface pattern designer. I use the term surface design from time to time, forgetting that it’s “insider” terminology.
Surface Pattern Defined
Surface pattern design is artwork that I create specifically to be applied as surface decoration. This could include patterns, illustrations, hand-lettering, and artwork in all sorts of styles, as long as they’re made to enhance the appearance or functionality of a product. For me, this usually means a two-color minimalist pattern design, but the style options for pattern design are endless.
I usually design patterns for use on fabrics — this is why I call myself a textile designer and a surface pattern designer interchangeably. My patterned home decor products, as well as the fabric yardage collections I create for Robert Kaufman Fabrics are all examples of my surface pattern design work. Surface pattern designers also create artwork for use on stationery, apparel, book covers, and gift items. In fact, I’d argue that murals are also a form of surface pattern design!
My creative career covers a lot of ground: business owner, artist, teacher, textile designer, and surface pattern designer. Having my creative work highlighted by Uppercase Magazine made me realize that I haven’t talked much about my transition to focusing on surface pattern design for select collaborations. I’m hoping to share more of my experience as a freelance designer here, especially with more partnerships in the works for 2020!
In the meantime: see more of my pattern making process, and explore my roundup of contemporary fabric designers!
The fabric industry can feel a little opaque sometimes. I get lots of emails from textile design students who are looking for advice, and I totally relate to that thirst for knowledge. There’s tons of info out there about talented fabric designers, but if you don’t know any famous textile designers’ names, it can be tough to know where to start.
The Crafter’s Box is different than a lot of other creative workshops out there. They focus on workshops led by experts, who guide you through every step of a creative project, and provide live feedback during a monthly maker chat in their forums. The materials they send for each project are always beautiful — this month, we’ll be sending a gorgeous flax linen throw, which will look beautiful with the vibrant cobalt blue and black inks we’re including for the project. It can be used as a blanket, or a tablecloth for all your summer adventures!
I hope you’ll join me for this workshop! You can 
I’ve talked about my commitment to running a 
Caitlin has been creating beautiful wall quilts from Cotton & Flax scraps, and I absolutely love the results. She does a great job of finding the perfect project for even the smallest scraps that I send her.
I love seeing a new piece of art come to life using fabric that would have otherwise been wasted, and her beautiful approach to modern quilting has led to some gorgeous pieces that I’d be proud to display in my home.
I was hoping to share my favorite home decor books from 2016 before the end of the year… but better late than never! These books are just as relevant as ever, and I think you’ll find lots of great decorating tips and interior design inspiration in each of these picks.
