Softie designing dilemmas,

It has occurred to me over the last week, while working on a variety of different animal softie patterns, the issue of colour, and how much the colour and fabric choice has to do with what, as the designer, you are aiming to convey.  I've found myself automatically reaching for fabrics featuring browns and oranges to use for a fox, greys and blacks for the badger and so on.  Would the badger pattern work as well made in reds and blues?, I'm not sure, but no doubt, now the pattern is cracked, I will be giving it a try eventually.

BADGER (close up)

I've also found myself attempting to work at odds with my own natural style.  When I design and make a softie, whatever creature it is, the finished product is more often than not, slightly cartoon like.  This isn't deliberate, it just seems to happen.  No matter how much I try to stay realistic, cute and stylised keeps creeping in.  I think it is a by-product from having worked in the craft kit industry.  When I'm designing, as I mostly design projects for magazine editorials, I'm constantly aware of the fact that I know what I can do sewing wise,  but a pattern design needs to be executed in a way that would appeal and feel manageable to a less experienced sewer.

BADGER

(the fox has gone back to the drawing board by the way, it came out a little too cartoon like, even for me!)

I'm happiest working on patterns.  It doesn't concern me to, for instance, have my cat pattern featured in a magazine or book for anyone to make.  Doing so, is healthy for the creative process, the cat pattern is just one pattern.  Once it's been published, it spurs me on to develop a new cat pattern, one that has evolved from it's predecessor, and beyond.  And if I continue doing that, maybe one day, the more realistic style I crave will begin to materialise.  It's the journey and the bits in between which are the fun part anyway.

While we're on the subject of patterns, the Spring issue of the online "UK Handmade" magazine is out today.  There's a chicken softie pattern from me in there amongst other lovely projects and articles.

ps.  I've finally had a more detailed response from Flickr as to why they deleted my account.  It was linking to this blog underneath my images.  They have admitted that the deletion may have been a little hasty, and made my new account 'pro' for free.  I guess that is the closest to an apology I'm going to get!