Thursday 1 October 2009

so...i need opinions please!





well, not much happening lately really. getting into the groove of a new school year, filling etsy orders (it went a little mad last week when i was featured on re:nest's list of favourite etsy stores and they used an image of my work which was very exciting!) and today i need to fill a new wholesale order and *try* to finish a wedding sampler commission. (they look like this.)

today started as many others, got the kids to school just about on time, blah blah. then food shopping. boring. put it away, had some lunch, blah blah. and then the postman turned up with a little package for me. from spoonflower, and my heart went pitter patter, for the samples i sent for a few weeks ago had arrived! very very excited to show you these, and the colours are totally spot on. i'd done loads of reading about this on other people's blogs - colours were not the same on the samples as they thought they were going to get, but mine are more than perfect, i love them.
so...i did one little design, and changed it in 3 ways. firstly a small scale white on red (the main 'bowl' shaped flower is 2" tall) - perfect little design for christmas things, methinks. secondly, a medium scale print in multicolours on white (the flower here is 3" tall) then a mega scale print with a turquoise background in multicolours, the flower is almost 6" tall.

what i really want to know is - if i get yardage printed would it sell? i was thinking of 5 yards of each to try out...and also, should i scale the large turquoise print the same as the white? or do you think the large scale would sell? lastly, which is your favourite? i think it would make great bags, and quite honestly, i'd love some curtains made from it! and frankly, if it doesn't sell, i'm more than happy to use it myself :)

after this essay, as a reward for 'listening' to me rambling on, i'd like to propose a little giveaway...answer my questions in the comments section and i shall pick a winner at random on sunday evening (say 8pm) who shall receive a set of my fabric fridge magnets - multicoloured and mix of designs. is it a deal?
edit: the red fabric at the top is actually much clearer in real life - the white lines, while still delicate are much clearer than shown here :) for much better pictures, go to my flickr photostream. you'll need to actually click on the red fabric to view it really clearly.


32 comments:

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susy said...

my opinion is...WOW!!
I like the red and white. Not so loving the multi (but I'm a one-color girl myself).

Personaly, I might bump up the line weight on the design, just to make it really pop- but it looks great as is.

I think it would DEFINITELY sell. It is lovely, and the mega-scale could be really interesting! Congratulations! : )

Unknown said...

hello!

First thing I thought was that the line seemed a little thin, especially on the red where it gets a bit lost. My favourite is the red colour, indeed fab for Christmas time.

Mega scale would work really well on notebooks, that could be the central focal point ?

Swirlyarts said...

Freebies for giving opinions on fabric? Count me in! Anyway I love the white and the turquoise ones best (I'm a colour girl) and I think the scale is best on the white one - I tend to use smaller scale prints and that's what I look for when buying. The colours are definitely great on those 2 as well. I love the pattern too but it does seem to disappear on the white on red. The red one does link well with your other fabrics though.

I think they would definitely sell as they are bright and cheerful!

LPFish said...

The BLUE - no doubt in my mind x love it x i wouldn't buy the other 2 but that is just me - i'd buy the blue!

Michelle Engel Bencsko said...

My quilters cotton SF fabric sells- not as good as my more typical upholstery weights, but it does move. (I am assuming this is also quilter's weight?) Mostly I sell fat quarters. I think that this weight- and the price you have to sell it for, in order to make the profit, is a little too expensive for most people to do larger projects, but they seem to splurge if they want something special for the smaller projects. But with heavier weights, people are used to paying more and I think the relative pricing translates better to the buyers.

Interestingly, I design with a lot of colors at times, but I'm sort of a minimalist when it comes to personal preference... so I'm a fan of the red (or blue, or green, or whatever color you choose!)

However, the nice thing about digital printing is you can do as many colors as you like, so I feel that the multi-colors are more geared towards this medium whereas you could probably pull off the monochrome in a screen print (as you often do).

I love the idea of the large scale, and because you can run yards of it, it would make a great impact.

I agree, it's worth the chance- if you don't sell it, you will use it, but my dear, I believe all things Summersville appeal to many, so there's little chance of it sitting on a shelf for long.

Good job and good luck!

Susan Schwake said...

Love the multi Lu - the large bold print sends me too. The white thin line on the red is tough. ... what I mean is the line is so thin that it gets a little lost on the beautiful red. It's such a great pattern - it adapts well to large and small.

I would totally love to have the large pattern on pillows. Or tea towels or aprons. or or or!

laurafallulah said...

My opinion is that they are all three beautiful. I love them just the way they are. I would have the red with small to make things to sell and the white multicoloured one in medium would be great for large purses. But for me personally I would have the large scale blue. See something for everyone. I think your first instincts with these is right, perfect just the way they are.

discocowgirl said...

I personally LOVE the white (my heart just skipped a beat when I saw it on your flickr!). The blue comes a close second, to use on larger projects, but it would probably work out too expensive for me due to the yardage required.

sandySTC said...

I think they would sell. I love them all. I could see myself purchasing fat quarters (I just learned about fat quarters last month, but nevermind that).

I would like to use these together in a bookbinding project. I love things that are "the same only different".

I don't sew, but I think one could make an interesting clutch purse using the white and the red together.

Or maybe curtains with a red valance/swag and the white as the curtains. For a more tailored curtain, the blue would be magnificent. I would love it in my kitchen or in the summer, in my dining room. (i like to brighten it up in the summer).

You do beautiful work.

Karen said...

love the middle one and yes, I'm sure it would sell. If not, you have amazing curtains!

MegPS said...

I think you've either got to go mega-large or cutey-small.
Yes, the red one is quite christmassy and I can see it being very popluar for crafty projects.
The blue one would be great as an oilcloth for kitchen tables - is that an option?!

Ana Gonzalez said...

I think the white background is the most commercial to stamp more yards. Do not be afraid to really sell it. Lucky

Jan said...

I'm sure they'd all sell very well for you, but I personally like the middle one with the medium-sized motifs. I think it has the most versatility, too, to test the waters for you on this method of printing. They're like the 3 bears - so I guess the middle one woudl be Mama Bear!

BB said...

Hm, my personal favorit is the red. It reminds me of Westfalen fabrics from Germany (which I adore) with a more modern kick.
But then I also really like the blue. This light blue together with red is one of my favorite color combinations right now.

And about the size: I like the smaller size better for some reason. I guess the bigger size works better for me if there is more "volume" to the pattern.

cheryl N said...

I think all 3 samples are lovely. My favorite is the multi with white background, but then I look again, and love the bigger patterned blue background. The red is nice, too---but I love multi-colors. I definitely think all 3 would sell.

florcita said...

Would it sell? hmmm well, I saw you on Cuteable, then followed to your Flickr and came here looking for a link where I could purchase soome of that gorgeous red fabric. So would it sell... dunno, I WOULD DEFinetely BUY! hahaha

I like thw white one too, for some reason I think you apreciate better all the different colors on the flowers and the design on a white background more than the turquoise. This is not to say that the turquoise isn't nice... I like it too. I actually thought of a nice beach tote when I saw it...
I think they are very sweet and colorful designs and would become extremely popular...
Good luck with them!

robinsnc said...

White is definitely my first choice! Blue is nice too. The red is lovely, but having seen the other two, I'm not as interested in it.

Flora said...

I find red colours come out oddly blurred on blogger too, when they actually look fine in reality - weird eh?

I think they're all delicious - white is my favourite though - it looks like one of your colour-it-yourself picture prints which I also love.

Cristin said...

I adore the teal print just the way it is! Well done! And if I would purchase the red in a heartbeat ;-)

Sue L said...

Love the red, I can imagine it made up in oh so many ways.

Claire said...

I really like the middle one as a pattern with the bright colours-it's more like art than fabric! But putting on a business head I think the red would be more 'sellable'!!

Does designing them on spoonflower and selling them on make for expensive fabric for customers compared to other quilting fabric?

Rachel said...

Ooh, they're all fab and I'm sure they would sell (I'd buy some at least!). I really like the red and turquoise ones best.
:)

Kristen said...

love them all - especially the large scale print... they would be pricey due to spoongflowers high cost but it would be fun to splurge on say a fat quarter and add some pop to a simpler farbic

Shelley Weeks said...

Hi Lucie!

It's always a good idea to ask around - especially when you are committing to forking out cold hard cash for something!!

Personally I much prefer the red and white - I guess from my knowledge of your work (via flickr) this seems much more like your style.

Commercially - hmm, again I think the red will be the most popular and then the second colouring. I think the last option is a little too garish - might have the marmite effect!!

I design for the high street so maybe "off the high street" peoples tastes may differ. Don't know if this helps!!??

Shelley
x

Wendy said...

I LOVE the white fabric! And indeed it would go quite well in my living room, so please sell it and I'll but some yardage to make pillows! :)

She Draws said...

I do like the middle, the multi on white, but I also like the others but since you often have one colour designs I think a multi would be nice and also matches your DIY posters.

Someone mentioned earlier that commercially the red and white will be more popular but I have seem many fabrics in multi & I think it's very "in" at the minute with the kind of Folk and Eclectic style that never really goes out of fashion. I think it will be very easy to use with many different projects that people might want it for.

Kristy said...

I love the red for my own preference but think that the other two word work really well in quilts.They remind me of Prints Charming fabric a little .

The Rainbow Room said...

Being the Rainbow Queen my favourite is so obvious - I totally love the middle one, it's so colourful and I like the smaller scale of it compared to the turquoise one.
I am sure you would sell these they are fab!

Lisa Stevens said...

I guess I'm more into the white line on the red....of course it would look great in many colourways....
I'm not so into the multi coloured, but that's just me, and reading the comments above, I don't think you would have a problem selling any of them!

Jesse said...

Love the white on red! It reminds me a bit of shwe-shwe fabric. Personally I prefer the larger scale for the colourful one (and I like the blue and white equally) because small-scale might be too pretty and 'florally'.

sarah*spunda said...

LOVE it! yep, I think it would sell. $5 per yard is a super bargain....I like the turquise print large....I love a huge print juxtoposed on a little girls top. And lastly, the large turquoise print is my fave. Done up in a little a-line swing dress trimmed with the red with white pockets!

Nell said...

I blinking love the bottom two! I think the blue takes the biscuit, maybe my favourite thing you've done...very pleasing to my eyes/brain x