Naming Patterns
One of my favorite parts of the design process is naming the patterns I’ve created. Each collection I design includes a set of leading ladies. The Winding Roads Collection has three: Colleen, Gladys, and Nathalie.
Colleen
Nathalie
Gladys
They are each named after a town I passed through while riding through the Virginia countryside this past summer.
Colleen - Colleen is a tossed blue chicory pattern that came about unexpectedly while I was recoloring and rearranging motifs in Adobe Illustrator. Half the time I felt like I didn’t know what I was doing when I was creating the Winding Roads Collection, but this pattern was a constant reminder to let go and be free.
Gladys - Gladys is one of the first patterns I created while I was bumbling my way around Adobe Illustrator back in March. I’m quite fond of her, and I had fun recoloring this one in different shades, including pink and gold.
Nathalie - Nathalie is one of my favorite patterns in the whole collection. She is the first geometric pattern I created. It took me a while to figure it out, but it was totally worth it. It reminds me of a country quilt and makes me want to go back to those lazy summer days riding down backroads, highways, and byways.
My second collection, Blooming Christmas, has four leading ladies: Lauren, Myrtle, Sonja, and Annette.
Lauren
Sonja
Myrtle
Annette
These patterns are very special to me, because they are each named after a loved one who passed away around the holiday season. It’s my way of remembering them and honoring their life.
Lauren - A dancing ribbon pattern named in honor of one of my college roommates who passed away unexpectedly last October. She was incredibly smart and generous, and I’ll never forget her bright smile.
Myrtle - A Christmas cactus pattern named in honor of my great aunt. She gifted my mom a Christmas cactus years ago that seemed to last forever. It bloomed every year in early Spring and again in the Winter, and actually inspired the whole Blooming Christmas collection.
Sonja - An elegant pattern named in honor of my Aunt Sonja who passed away last December. She was always so friendly and sweet. She had a big heart and her love for others was limitless.
Annette - A cheerful floral ribbon pattern named in honor of my Aunt Annette. I was just getting to know her and looked forward to having another aunt to share stories with and make new memories. She was so kind and wise. I’m thankful to have her watching over me now.