Print Your Own Fabric at Spoonflower
This is sure to appear on every design blog known to mankind, and I hope it does because we have to spread the word! The second I read about Spoonflower on Whip Up I thought about the many designers who write in asking for help in bringing their patterns to fabric. I wish I had clear cut answers for everyone, but often I just don't know what to say since I was not trained in textiles and have very little knowledge of that industry as a whole. Of course, I wouldn't mind if someone who is in the business, including teachers, could give us some feedback because there are so many out there hoping to turn their designs into textiles. Do you know much about how one can get started?
Until we know for sure, if you aren't looking to become the next Hable Construction and want to print your designs in smaller runs, Spoonflower in NC is certainly an option. I'm so excited about this company. They've launched a site where you can upload a pattern or image of your choice and they will print it onto 100% cotton fabric and have it delivered within a week from ordering. AWESOMENESS. During beta, you can only order up to 5 yards (this may increase in the future) and the best part is that you can request an 8x8" sample swatch for $5 or a 21x18" fat quarter for $11 before you commit. The fabric is $18 per yard.
Spoonflower also helps when it comes to figuring out how to create a repeat pattern in their FAQ section. BIG HELP. You can view a slideshow on the entire process here.
What do you think about this?
(image from spoonflower)