These are two of my favorite designs and colorway from my newest collection ZaZa Zoo. I’m sharing them with you now because for the first time, since I started designing fabric, these designs/colors may not be printed. Becoming a strike-off {which is a sample printing of the design on fabric, from the mill, to check for color, registration, etc.} may be as close to becoming fabric as we get. {please note that the photo above is from an Iphone and the colors are a bit more saturated and than in person. the elephants are on a white ground and the lion mane daisy is also white.}

There has been some reservation about me sharing this publicly, that somehow the idea of communicating a creative challenge might weaken the entire collection or worse yet my brand?!

But if you know me, then you know that keeping it real is as much a part of my brand as creating sincere art and design. This is just part of working commercially as a creative. Sometimes ideas work and sometimes they don’t for any number of reasons.

Why I’m not concerned about sharing this with you? is because I’ve created designs that I LOVE in colors that I LOVE. I delivered the designs on time. I am proud of them, and I am super excited about them, whether they make it to fabric or not. Typically I don’t share and market designs ahead of their release, but maybe from now on I should? Honestly the industry is moving so fast, it’s hard for anyone to know the best best course of action in releasing and promoting a new product to give it the strongest introduction into the market. At this stage, for these particular designs I did what I knew to do, and what happens from here is pretty much out of my control.

Working in fabric, a designer is always working on new lines months in advance. Last year I doubled up, designing 2 collections at once hoping that I would be ahead. Why? to remove extra, unecessary pressure. Because as you know, I’m no longer into adding extra stress to my life and business. I’m over the whole idea that working under deadlines produces better work. I’ve become wiser over my years of being in business and while the majority of the creative industries likes to rush and cram things into place, I do not. I would also add that it’s not just industry actually, it’s personal. People in general seem to be rushing and cramming things into place all the time these days and then they wonder why they have no sense of balance, ever? But that’s a whole other subject for another time. What I’m trying to say here is I’m not playing this game any more. I chose to go be self-employed to have these choices and for that I will always be thankful. Having freedom and the right to choose is the pay-off that comes from the stress of living with uncertainty every day.

However even in all of my best attempts to be ahead, my newest line, ZaZa Zoo was rushed out and sold at Spring market the same time as Just for Fun, the collection about to ship. In my opinion this did not give either collection a chance to stand out on their own. If I were a shop owner, with a budget, and I wanted a curated group of fabric from a lot of different designers to give my customers the best selection from what’s new, I would probably only choose from one of the collections. Now, I could be totally wrong but I do feel that ZaZa Zoo wasn’t given an opportunity to stand out on its own. Or the quilting industry just doesn’t like, or isn’t ready for some of the colors I chose. Regardless, it is what it is. I’ve been assured that two different lines will never be shown together on the table again. 

I would love to see these out in the world, I think you will love sewing with them, but it’s not up to me. It’s up to you, my shop owners and my customers. This is the last week to place orders with Andover before they place an order with the mill to get these printed. 

We’re all doing the best we can to create innovative fabric designs that you will be thrilled to use. Whatever the outcome, it’s all fine.  Just wanted you to know, should you love these as much as me.