Needlepoint Flasks and Wallets

Graphic designers who create repeating patterns dream of seeing those patterns on products. I've been lucky enough to see my designs on Kleenex boxes, rugs, fabric, paper, sheets and blankets.

I'm certain, though, for every 500 pattern designers, there's one client looking to buy. This means the odds are not great in making a sale. Do you give up being a graphic designer in the surface art arena?

Heck, no.

I took on freelance jobs that were a bit outside of what I normally did, and learned a ton of new skills that I now put to use for a list of great clients.

One of those clients is Seth at Needlepaint.  I've blogged about Needlepaint before when I did a series of Christmas stockings.

My recent contribution is the wallets and flasks which turned out to be some of the most fun I've ever had designing professionally. There's just something about pixel art, which is basically what it is, that appeals to me. Elements in an image are pared down to the most essential, and the color palette is limited, too.

As of this posting, all the flask designs at Needlepaint are mine. I'm so proud of this work. And there's scarcely a repeating pattern in sight.

The Softer Side of Tracy Miller Designs

Like most repeating patterns designer, I have SO MANY florals!

I've pulled 18 of them together in my current favorite format, which is sample swatches accompanied by a vectorized vintage image. In this case, the two ladies were from the cover of a 1935 issue of Home Notes Magazine.

World's Largest Collection of Re-Imagined Feedsack Patterns - 28 Vector Repeats for Sale

I'm just putting that statement out there because I can't believe anyone else would do it!

TracyMillerDesigns

Valentine's Day - Vintage Reimagined

This time I expressed my passion for vectorizing vintage images on an old Valentine.

I may have over-designed my version, seen in the lower of the two images below, but I wanted something bright and bold.

 Mission accomplished.

Scented Drawer Liners for Baby - Elodie Essentials

I've had the great luck of being a part of several startup companies by developing the repeat patterns that go on their products.

One such company is Elodie Essentials, which features my designs. So far, the line includes two versions of drawer liners for baby, but Lisa, the owner, and I have been hard at work getting the next designs ready for production.

Next time you need a unique gift for a baby or baby shower, remember these scented drawer liners!

Antique Seed Catalog Cover

From my archives of collected images, I chose a Burpee's Seed Catalog cover to "vectorize."

Working on this is how I spent many hours of my Christmas time off.

Fresh

This was another super fun ad to replicate.

Baseball Ticket Transformed

Like most designers, I collect digital images for references. I have hundreds (thousands?) and they keep me inspired and motivated, and give me ideas when my creative well has run dry.

This baseball ticket is another example of a great original image, a thing of vintage beauty.

My version is below. I call it A Ticket to Life.

Halloween Sewing Projects: Trick-or-Treat Bag and Bunting

I'm posting this again, because there's still time!!!

Halloween Trick-or-Treating is just around the corner, so get busy!

Buy the panel here: Trick-or-Treat Bag Panel

Download the complete-with-photos instructions here: Bag Instructions

Here's what you'll end up with! It's a great size, pretty much the dimensions of a plastic grocery bag.

And you can also make a Halloween bunting with my Spookalicious fabric collection.

Vintage Image Birthday Card

My last post showed my before and after of lady from a fashion plate that's in the public domain.

I spent a weekend turning her and a few others into birthday cards.

Again, I have used my own patterns for the dresses, backgrounds and upholstery, and used a secret recipe to rough it all up.

This is what I'm doing with my life.

The Research is In!

Just for fun ...

Digital Collage

I've loved so many collages and have always aspired to make them. I'm not a "blank canvas" artist/designer though, so I face fear when beginning.

Lucky for me, I have a library of over a thousand vector repeats and a hefty library of digital images, mostly vintage. A lot of them are already clipped. (Another thing I do in my spare time.)

It was simple then, to begin with a design I love, likely a pattern I've recently completed. This is the case here ... in fact, I've featured several of the designs in this collage in the last few weeks.

Digital Scrapbook Paper

I've got SO many design collections, many of which go to Modern Yardage.

But, they're also perfect for scrapbook papers, and Etsy is the perfect place to sell them in digital format. Once the listing is posted, Etsy does all the work.

There's some overhead on my end, of course, formatting it all for the listings, but now that I have a process in place, I should be able to work my way through my collections.

Accuquilt Quilt Block Contest

I took my newest pattern collection, Merriweather, and applied it to a quilt block I created for Accuquilt's contest.

Fingers crossed!

Television Ad - Vivid Vision?

I love this Vivid Vision ad that's in black and white! Or sepid rather than black, really. 

Not exactly vivid.

I did my own version, keeping the same off whites and off blacks.

Happier Life

I continue to spend my free time interpreting old ads. FUN!!!

Sometimes I spend that time combing archives of images and collecting those that will lend themselves to my vision.  It's like online shopping, but it's free!

Here's a great example of my new image and the original advertisement.

This Astral lady has a great dress I could "paint" with a pattern I just created. The chair behind her worked well, too.

Pantone 18-1438 Marsala - Color of the Year 2015

Pantone 18-1438 was announced a little while ago, and when it was, designers quickly begin looking for ways to use it, for color palettes in which it works well.

Marsala is a fun one, defies being pigeon-holed. It's neutral enough for home decor and muted enough not to clash with most skin colors.

I like it as shown here with Pantone 14-5714, a color that Pantone included in its 2015 forecast.

Oh, and as you see, I've vectorized another advertisement, this time an old Palmolive soap ad.

Tracy Miller Designs Soup

Here's my version of a Campbell's Soup ad, revamped.

Old Wallpaper Advertisement

This is another fun way to fill an existing image, in this case a wallpaper ad, with your own designs:

All of these patterns are mine.

She Looks Like Blythe ... My New Paper Doll

I have an actual Blythe doll - her name is Ever Wild - and have even developed some clothing patterns for her that are for sale at one of my Etsy stores.

During this holiday season, I've had a few slow work days, which means I've had time to catch up with some half-finished projects.

My Blythe-like paper doll is one. It's done!

I originally was going to do several pages with lots of outfits and accessories, but I decided to pare it pare it down to just one 11.5" x 17.5" sheet.

Once I've received the first printing and approved it, I'll add it to the other prints I have for sale at my other Etsy store.