Thursday, January 31, 2008

Fun with color and design

I'm having a great time designing the items that I will make and sell. I love color, and since my first retail location will be on the beach at Tybee Island, Ga., the brilliant blues, pinks and yellows I enjoy are perfect.

The first item I came up with are purse-size mini-totes, and now I'm working on larger tote bags. Each of these has a front panel that can be a feature fabric, a patchwork block, an applique design or something I haven't thought of yet.

For the smaller items, I've been making zipper bags with applique designs, glasses cases and, now, cell phone bags. This was an idea from a friend, who has lots of teenage relatives. She said the cellphone bags are a popular item with the teens and tweens.

So I came up with a simple drawstring bag pattern, appliqued with hearts or other designs and made in bright pinks, blues, yellows, lavenders and other fun colors. They are great fun to do. My latest idea is an eyeglass case shaped like a flip-flop, complete with straps.

I get inspirations everywhere, but have chosen not to use patterns designed by anyone else. So I'm designing my own patterns, and as I have new ideas, refining the designs or completely changing them. The colors, the fabrics and the idea of the beach and ocean are providing the inspiration.