OCTOBER/ NOVEMBER 2009

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QUI LTI NG ARTS MAGAZI NE

ONLI NE EXTRA
minding

YOUR
business
BY JANE DVILA
Before you send a submission
to a fabric company, nd out
how theyd like to receive
it. Most companies prefer
to receive submissions in a
specic way; for instance,
original art or good-quality
copies by mail, or digital les
by email. Some may want
designs shown in full repeat,
while others need just the
general idea because their art
departments will take care of
putting the designs into repeat.
If you know what the company
expects, youll increase your
chances of being accepted.
Kathy Miller of Michael Miller
Fabrics encourages aspiring
fabric designers to visit a
couple of well-known textile
and surface design shows (see
links below). These are a great
opportunity for a potential
designer to get an overview of
the market.
Printsource Textile and
Surface Design Show:
printsourcenewyork.com
Surtex

Surface Design and

Licensing Show:

Joyce Robertson, the General
Manager at Westminster
Fibers, suggests that you avoid
submitting designs that look
similar to fabrics that the
company already produces.
We encourage designers who
want to submit their artwork
to review our websites and
the websites of other fabric
companies to see what fabric
is already in the marketplace.
Joyce adds, A collection needs
to be cohesive and the patterns
should work together as a total
group.
Joyce further recommends
that potential designers pay
attention to whats going on
in a broad sense. Sewing
projects are now a lifestyle
so become familiar with the
latest trends and then create
your designs while considering
what the consumer is going to
use this fabric for. The answer
should be all of these: home
decorating, crafts, apparel,
quilting, etc.
In summary, arm yourself
with as much information as
possible. Do research on whats
currently on the market by
visiting websites, checking
out ads in magazines, and
attending design shows. Find
out what the trends are by
paying attention to the whole
design world around you:
fashion, quilting, home dcor,
and color forecasts. There is a
wide range of helpful websites
and blogs devoted to design
trends. Look carefully at fabric
company websites and ads to
nd the one that best ts your
artistic style and then contact
them to see how they would
like designs submitted. A little
preparation will go a long way
on your road to success as a
fabric designer!
DESI GNI NG
A
s a follow-up to Jane Dvilas article,
here are a few more tips and points
to consider if youd like to design your own
fabric line
fabric