GeekSugar

Nice and New: Spoonflower Custom Fabrics

CasaSugar — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 05:30:00 PST

Vertical integration needn't apply only to the corporate monopolies of the world. Thanks to Spoonflower, a new custom fabric retailer, your sewing and upholstery DIY projects can be made 100 percent by you, down to the last thread. Just sign up, create a design and save it in TIF, JPG, PNG, or GIF format, upload your design, and then choose your fabric size, and Spoonflower will send you your personally designed fabric. There's no minimum order, and all fabric is printed on quilting-weight cotton and costs $18/yard. You can also order custom swatches for $5 for small projects or before you make a big order. The site also allows you to explore designs by other crafters, which is a wonderful source of inspiration. I think I'll freshen up on my Textile Design 101 before I make any purchases . . .
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Become an Armchair (er, Deskchair) Designer With Spoonflower

GeekSugar — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:46:46 PDT

Lord knows I have been Googling in vain for a couple years now for an online service that would convert my own designs into a fabric I could sew with. Ladies and gents, that day has come! New website Spoonflower is promising to do just that!

Though it's currently in beta, right now you can add your email to a list to receive an invitation (mine's in; fingers are crossed). Regardless, I am so psyched. Being something of a crafty geek, I can't wait to throw together some custom designs for home stuff as well as DIY laptop sleeves and monitor covers!

A yard is about $18, which if you sew, you know is a leetle pricey but not terrible (plus, it's custom, so hello!). Need more convincing? Check out the flickr pool of some awesome designs!

Three Options For Re-Creating the Yellow Headboards From Season 9 of Project Runway

Elka Karl — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 07:00:59 PDT

For season 9 of Project Runway, the designers are housed once again at the Atlas New York. The rooms this year are a bit more design-forward than they were in the past, though somewhat "safe," as the judges might say - standing out neither in a good nor a bad way. You can't argue with the yellow and gray color palette, though I'm dying for a little more pop of contrasting color somewhere in the room. The one element that I truly loved was the pattern-forward yellow headboards. Designer Anya Ayoung-Chee, shown seated on one of the beds, certainly surprised me in last night's premiere episode - I couldn't believe that she'd only been sewing for a few months. And even without sewing skills, she, or anyone else able to follow a few simple steps, such as this DIY upholstered headboard tutorial, could easily upholster her own bed to create something similar to the designers' rooms at the Atlas. I've found three fabrics that are close matches to the fabric used in the headboards from the show. Combine the fabric with a tutorial and a free afternoon, and you've got yourself a beautiful new headboard.

My favorite fabric choice is this Yellow Circles Fabric ($32 per yard for upholstery weight fabric) from Spoonflower. Its aesthetic and modern geometric patterns are an edgier take on the show's headboards. Keep reading for two more fabrics that reflect the headboards seen on Project Runway, including the exact match.