Fresh

I am striving to keep my blog up to date. My life has been a whirl wind for the past five months. It is now starting to settle and I am developing a design routine. I am looking for inspiration in the small things of everyday life like this moth that I found on our patio and this Button Orchid I bought at our local arboretuem. What great pattern and textures these will inspire.

I also gain inspiration by looking at other artist's blogs. Check out this beautiful handmade and embroidered shirt by Allison Moorer. Visit her site at: http://www.1turtledove.blogspot.com/

Website

I am one of the most computer illiterate people you may ever meet! It was a challenge to get a blog up and running and now...I am proud to announce I have created a website for my portfolio. Feel free to check it out at: designsbyber.googlepages.com! Let me know what you think!

The image to the left is one of the latest quilted wall hangings I have created for my senior studio. You will find this work and many others on my website!

I also had a link a couple of weeks ago to an amazing designer's website, Natalie Chanin. I now have her book, Alabama Stitch Book and it is wonderful! It is resonably priced and is full of recipes, patterns, and step by step instructions for one of a kind handmade items! If you don't buy any other book this year you should buy this one!!!

Creative Inspiration

Today I had the opportunity to meet the inspiration designer, Natalie Chanin! She is the owner and designer of the company Alabama Chanin. It is always an inspiration to meet a successful designer and receive valuable feedback, ideas, and encouragement. Natalie and her company are also concious of the world around us. All items her company makes: clothing, jewlery, and home products are grown and made in the USA! They also use organic cotton, recycled materials, and eco-friendly pigments. In a time of economic struggle she has also worked to provide jobs for the people in her community! She has really challenged me as a designer to think of where my materials come from, where they are going, and how they impact everyone directly and indirectly. Thanks Natalie for being such an inspiration! Check out her blog at: http://www.alabamastudiostyle.blogspot.com/

My mother is also a constant inspiration! She is the most talented fiber artist, mother, and friend I have ever known! I am so proud of her for creating her first blog...and she made it all on her own. Check out what she is doing at: http://www.creativecaregiver.blogspot.com/

Because I think every post should have a picture, I wanted to include a project I have been working on using, applique, machine, and hand embroidery techniques. I will post more current projects soon!

Jewelry

In an effort to create a new textile product, I have been experimenting with felted and crocheted jewlery. Let me know what you think!

These scarves are my most recent creations. All warps are 100% cotton. Most were hand dyed, some were commercially dyed. All were an attempt to explore color futher and push the material limits. They were also used to explore the shape of a scarf- long, short, contained, fringed, etc. I hope you enjoy!

Designing

Why do I design?

I can't help but design. My mind is always turning, thinking about color, texture, movement, and pattern. This process is uncontrollable and often unstoppable.

My design process...

I begin with a form of inspiration... a magazine clipping, a piece of antique fabric, a flower...and expand upon this with sketches. I then develop a color scheme and begin creating samples...dyeing fabric, stitching, bleaching etc. Then I create the final piece!

What do I design?

Personal:

My favorite things to create are functional textiles. I enjoy dyeing, weaving, crocheting, printing, quilting, and stitching scarves, wraps, bags, and blankets. Everyone relates to textiles...they hold memories, scents, stories...textiles are woven into our lives so it is important that they be durable, soft and comfortable, and beautiful.

For Business:

I am currently an intern for a company in their Research and Product Development Department. I create digital repeat designs for woven and knitted fabric which will be digitally printed or screen printed onto the fabric. In the future I would like to continue to work with the construction and development of woven, knitted, and/or printed fabric. My ultimate goal is to one day have my own line of fabrics and accessories.