The EmbroideressFriday, February 02, 2007
Doing It Right
I seldom fall into the "right way" "wrong way" trap when it comes to embroidery. Your way may not be my way but that doesn't make it the "wrong way."
When it comes to putting designs into the marketplace, I probably did it the wrong way. I started in 1996 at an EGA Regional Seminar. I plunked down hard-earned money for a sales table and then needed something to sell. I looked at all my design research notebooks and found that I had a lot of designs suitable for blackwork. So I started out with 100 Blackwork Charts (which is still selling, thank you very much stitchers of the world). If anyone out there has a copy with a funky colored cover and photocopied pages, you have a very early incarnation of the book.
If I'd had a little more commonsense or a little more time, I might have developed a true design notebook by that time. Mine was just page after page of charts from textiles in museums. I'm doing a bit better at that job now thanks to the inspiration of Jane Lemon who brought a few of her notebooks along to a class and let us students leaf through them.
Nowadays designers are starting out "right" and building design journals/notebooks/scrapbooks very early in their careers. I have enjoyed Elizabeth Marshall 's posts about this process in her blog Quieter Moments
Notebooks full of ideas are your treasure so start saving those observations, graphics, colors, bits of fiber and other inspirations. You'll never lack for a design idea.
When it comes to putting designs into the marketplace, I probably did it the wrong way. I started in 1996 at an EGA Regional Seminar. I plunked down hard-earned money for a sales table and then needed something to sell. I looked at all my design research notebooks and found that I had a lot of designs suitable for blackwork. So I started out with 100 Blackwork Charts (which is still selling, thank you very much stitchers of the world). If anyone out there has a copy with a funky colored cover and photocopied pages, you have a very early incarnation of the book.
If I'd had a little more commonsense or a little more time, I might have developed a true design notebook by that time. Mine was just page after page of charts from textiles in museums. I'm doing a bit better at that job now thanks to the inspiration of Jane Lemon who brought a few of her notebooks along to a class and let us students leaf through them.
Nowadays designers are starting out "right" and building design journals/notebooks/scrapbooks very early in their careers. I have enjoyed Elizabeth Marshall 's posts about this process in her blog Quieter Moments
Notebooks full of ideas are your treasure so start saving those observations, graphics, colors, bits of fiber and other inspirations. You'll never lack for a design idea.
Labels: Needlework Design
Comments:
Post a Comment
