LizzyDish and how it came to be.

I wanted to reveal a little... share a little about LizzyDish.

I have received several, several emails asking about fabric design, and how I got started and where to go and what to do... so because I am not so hot at responding to every email, I wanted to share it with everyone. I want to be a helpful peep.

click here to read about how I got the deal.

Designing:

I always draw everything first. I always have about 3 sketch books with me. One of them is usually for lists, one is devoted to a specific project, and the other is for random stuff.

My style is either extremely sketchy or extremely graphic. I love flat! You can see all my influences in my work... Edward Gorey, Mary Blair, Saul Bass, Charles Schultz, David Weidman, Quinton Blake, Marimekko, and anything Mario Brothers or Legend of Zelda.

But I draw all the time. Church, class, especially airports. Some of my very best stuff comes from airports, and my most interesting stuff happens at about 3-4 AM.

For LizzyDish, the whole thing started with this sketch.

I took it the computer lab, scanned it in, and traced it with the pen tool so I could figure out some colors, because I wanted to carve some blocks and print it.

this is what I ended up with, I wrote about it here. I was really excited about it.

from there I carved three blocks.

the picture was from a terrible article written about me in the school paper. They knew it was bad too. Misquotes, misinterpretations... everything that could be wrong in an article was, but it was a cute picture, with the blocks of LizzyDish in hand.

I made an edition of twenty of the print:

 
I wanted it to appear like something out of a 1950's or early 60's cook book. Something you got from your mom or were excited about finding in thrift store or at a garage sale. I kept that in mind while I was designing the line. Especially were the colors were concerned.

Color is such a huge thing to me. So I kept the colors true to things that were happening during those decades. One color way reflects the color trends of Fiesta Ware that was being produced, another the idea of retro kitchen appliances, and the third: the craze of Beach Party movies and the love the US had for the new state of Hawaii.

I always make a color chart. The colors tend to change along the way, but it is where I start... after the initial drawings.

I also create a logo. The g-designer in me can't help but brand everything I do.

It is some months later and my part is done (for now), now it is in the hands of my Andover peeps, and the peeps at the mill. It will be up to you peeps to make stuff with it, and how great will that be? I already have some projects planned that will be a lot of fun.

so this is my break down

• get an idea
• start sketching
• draw it in the computer
• plan out color
• work out all possible accompanying patterns
• make a logo!
• edit edit edit edit edit
• submit

this is what works for me. Leave a comment if you have any other questions or what your process is. I can't wait to get my hands on this fabric. The line is actually extremely versatile and can be used for so much more than the kitchen, but think of the APRONS!

i hope that you are as excited as I am.

here is an FAQ that I will update as I receive questions!