Saturday, August 1, 2009

What I get to do!



I totally need a break from painting so here goes. Some of you were wondering what I do. I get to design fabric for a company called Fabrics by Spectrix. I have been licensing my artwork to them for the last 15 years. My youngest daughter was just brand new. I knew nothing about designing fabric and so this was a new thing when our distributor of our patterns Peace Creek Collections called to see if I would be interested. My husband and I prayed about it and made the decision to go ahead and try it. We had to learn how to do repeats and everything that goes with getting everything ready for sale and then for screens that they use at the fabric mill. Now looking back it makes me kind of laugh, because we had a new baby girl, we had just been put in the Country Women Magazine. We were receiving up to 350 pieces of mail a day. I remember nursing and opening mail at the same time. We also had a bubbly 3 year old that loved everything that momma did and was always such a big helper. Plus I was 42 years old. I loved it though. I have always been this energizer bunny type person so what that you add a little more stress to your life.


We ended up designing a collection called Plant a Little Love. I had two color ways.
One in blue and the other in barn red. We also were able to go to the mill out in New Bedford Mass. We loved it.



This is the border print of the Blue color way for Plant A Little Love


This is the large patch. Wow this was along time ago, but it brings such wonderful memories back to my mind. The people that are at Fabrix by Spectrix have been a blessing to our family.

We took the two girls, their brother and a nanny with us. We learned a lot. We watched 120 thousand yards running off the press. By the end of the day I felt like I had had that many babies. It was totally beyond incredible. I have lost count on how many fabric lines we have done, but it has never gotten old. It is like a dream come true for a stay at home momma to get to do something so fun and so special. I am working now on two new collections for 2010. One will be called A Country Harvest and the other Winter Thyme. They are coming along and I will be sending them off on Monday to be viewed by Wal Mart. Please pray for us. You never know if you will get excepted. If you all have any other questions I would be happy to answer them.


While we were out east we drove all over. My husband graduated from Yale and so he took us there to see the college. To think that Christian men founded Yale. We wonder what it is like now.

Blessings,
Linda

8 comments:

  1. I love your blog and enjoy being in such a positive place!! Thanks, Arlene

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  2. What darling designs! I enjoyed reading about your fabric designing 'early days'. Again I say, how very talented you are! And also very blessed to be using your God-given talents doing something you obviously love. Blessings, Tammy

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  3. That is so fun that you design fabric. What a sweet deal to do something you love, while staying home, and taking care of those you love!

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  4. Dear Linda,

    How fun! What a blessing indeed! Your fabric is charming :) It's wonderful to see someone use their God-given talents and be blessed as He has blessed you and your family :)

    Have a wonderful day!

    Sharon

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  5. I love your fabric. But I have a question--why are you showing it to Walmart, if they are discontinuing their fabric? At least out here in Colorado, as they remodel their stores, they are taking out the fabric, which is so sad.

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  6. Sorry, I didn't mean to post that as anonymous! I'll try this again with my name!

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  7. Linda, I'm so impressed with your talent! What lovely fabrics. I'm crossing everything I have, in addition to my prayers, to bring you success!!

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  8. Hi Roberta, The reason we sell to Walmart is when 9/11 happened it changed the whole craft industry. We had been with the quilt stores, but they were all struggling to stay a float. We had to keep our company going and made the choice to go with Walmart. I know that a lot of stores are quitting the fabric. Not sure what will happen with us. Maybe it will help Joanns, and Hobby Lobby. We will start selling our fabrics on our store as soon as we can.
    Thank you for asking.
    Blessings!

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