HANDMADE IN TORONTO

Tuesday 25 June 2013

My Process: Creating the Marmalade Images + "Taking Requests" Contest

Since I've been spending quite a bit of time over the past week creating new patterns for my jewellery, I thought I'd take a little time to explain a bit about this process.  When people initially look at my pieces they usually think that they are embroidered.  Which, of course, they are not.  Embroidering these tiny patterns would be next to impossible, and even if it were possible, it would likely drive me to drink!

The patterns are actually tiny pieces of printed linen, which I design myself, using a few tools and some much practiced techniques.  First of all, I do not consider myself great artiste.  Growing up, I loved to make things, but wasn't much of a drawer.  In my 20s I took some art classes, and was fortunate enough to discover that drawing is a skill that can be learned.   With this perspective, some practice and confidence, I began to incorporate my own designs into my jewellery collection in 2010.

I decided it was time to add a little mouse to my collection.  I asked myself:  Would anybody wear a mouse?  and then I thought...hey, I'd wear a mouse!  After all, I've called Amelia "mouse" since she was a baby! So here's the cutest mouse I could muster...without being cartoonish, that's usually my goal.
I like to start with a sketch, pretty simple right!?

I then scan my sketch into the computer, so that i can start the process of designing the fabric.

I like to use Adobe Illustrator to draw the actual digital image.  The tool I use is called the pen tool.  It isn't like a normal pen that creates a line where you'd like one.  Instead, you direct the pen tool to create a series of anchor points and vectors, which allows me to manipulate and alter my drawing until the shapes look right.

This process really works for me, since each of my characters has to fit into a tiny circle, so I often have to alter proportions to make this possible.

Here's the horse that I was working on last week...(As you can see, I let Amelia add her own personal touches to the sketch!)  This one took a good deal of manipulation to make sure that the image will be visible in the 3/8" circles that it will fit into.  That's the beauty of this technique:  You can draw big, then shrink to small, and see what you've got, then go from there...



This isn't actually the final horse...sometimes I just keep tweaking and tweaking.  Make it bigger, shorten the nose; shrink it down, see how it looks...repeat!

Here are a couple more new patterns I worked on today:  My favorite animal is the bear, so it's about time that this guy joined the collection.


These little friends are now ready to be printed onto fabric!  I always get really excited to see them come to life, first as linen, and then as jewellery.


CONTEST DETAILS:
I'm still going to be drawing a few more designs before sending this batch to print...
So, because I often get requests for favorite animals or images, I'm going to do a little contest:  If you read this and have any ideas for patterns you'd like to see added to my collection, tell me in a  comment on my blog or facebook page, and if you have time, tell me why you'd like this design added (I'm genuinely interested!) If I end up using your idea, you'll be entered into a draw for a necklace (in the pattern that  you suggested!)  Fun right?!  Check out my website to see the patterns that are already a part of the Marmalade collection:  marmaladedesigns.ca