Hello everyone! We're so excited to have Sara Lawson of Sew Sweetness here on the Jolly Jabber. Sara is well known handbag designer and pattern-maker and this year, she has collaborated with Art Gallery Fabrics to launch her first every fabric collection, Jungle Ave! Keep on reading to learn more about her inspiration and projects.
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Table Runner - 'Tasty' Jaybird Quilts |
Q: Tell
us a little about the Jungle Ave collection. What were you inspired by?
A: My
collection is inspired by city living. I live in
Chicago, and even though it is a metropolitan city, I was curious to explore
the softer side of the city. I thought about people living in apartments or in
highrises, and how they could still keep potted plants on their balcony or have
small patches of soil to plant vegetables. I combined the floral elements of
these ideas with the images of asphalt and riding the subway (here in Chicago,
it’s the elevated train, or ‘el’). The images of the elephants come in because
I wanted to play with the idea of an ‘urban jungle’; the elephants perfectly
marry the floral idea with the grittier images of the city, such as the black
polka dot print or the fuchsia text print.
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Top Left: Spiraled Jungle by A Quilter's Table, Top right: Elephant Quilt by May Chappell, Bottom: Colorful Quilt by Elizabeth Dackson |
Q: What
is your design process when beginning a new collection?
A: First, I
brainstorm an umbrella theme for my prints, and at the same time, adapt a color
story, which is a grouping of colors that I would use in every print in the
line. For Jungle Ave., because I was working on an urban jungle theme, I
researched and pinned (on Pinterest) lots of images, from quilts to animals to
clothing to the runway. I also sketched out a lot of ideas, which I then
translated to the computer. Some of my digital designs did not end up working
for the line, but it was all part of the process. I completely cleared my
schedule for about 6 weeks to work on the designs; they definitely didn't come
to me over night! But the hard work was definitely worth it, and I think Jungle Ave is definitely a representation of ‘me’.
Q: What
design trends are you currently exploring?
A: Polka
dots and text prints are always near and dear to my heart. I also love
large-scale prints, which is something I always like to use when making bags or
clothing.
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Elephants - from the book 'Stuffed Animals' by Abby Glassenburg |
Q: How
would you describe your style?
A: Fearless!
I love bright, bold, and large - the louder the better. My favorite print
from the line is definitely ‘Elephant Skyline’. I have always been a big fan of
the ‘focal print’ out of any fabric line, and I think this is definitely the
focal from Jungle Ave. There’s just so much organic movement going on, with the
hills, elephants, and buildings. Also the colors are so strong. I can see this
fabric being used in a million different things, from dresses to bags to little
boys’ pajamas to a baby’s cloth diapers.
Q: What
projects do you hope to see made with Jungle Ave?
A: Since
I am a bag-maker, I've already made bags in all of the fabrics for my pattern
line. I'm excited to see more clothing and quilts. I've seen a few quilts so
far made in my fabrics that I absolutely love, so the line definitely works
well in quilting too!
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All of the Dresses are Serendipity Studio except for bottom right which is April Rhodes |
Labels: Art Gallery Fabrics, Designer Interview, Designer Tidbits