Lynette Anderson is a true Christmas lover. Her new fabric line, Starry Night for RJR Fabrics, showcases the wonder of preparing for that special holiday. You can spot all of her furry friends taking part as always, like Hugo the dog and Felix the Cat. They’ve got some penguins for company this time, and they really wouldn’t mind helping you decorate your home either! Read on Lynette’s take on the grouping and the wealth of project ideas she has.
A: Many things inspire me and I have a special love for the Christmas holiday season and start planning the decorations for my home in October, of course nothing gets put up until the 1st December…well maybe a few days before the 1st, but sshhhh, don’t tell my mum! We recently moved house and even I was surprised by how many boxes of decorations I have that are just for Christmas, I bet a lot of readers can equate with me on that! Let me tell you a bit about this fabric collection, the gorgeous feature print comes in three colourways it has sweet little Christmas holiday scenes scattered on it. You can find my Hugo dog pulling a sledge with Felix the cat on board and some darling little penguins that we saw on a recent trip to Tasmania, of course in real life the penguins were not decorating the tree but on my fabrics they are having such fun. I hope people will have fun ‘fussy’ cutting this print.
Q: What is your design process when beginning a new collection?
A: I use my favorite 2B pencil and eraser and I scribble ideas. Sometimes I scribble words and sometimes its just quick unrefined sketches and then I begin the real work. My designs grow organically, in that I start with a small idea and then as I begin to work with the fabrics I frantically draw and then stitch more to fill the spaces. My designs often take 3 months to come to fruition but then sometimes the design is very instant, the design time also depends on the size of the project. I am very lucky as I have a huge design wall in my studio where I can have several projects hanging at once
I like complete silence when I am working, which is probably due to the range of ideas that are zooming through my head all the time and its also as I talk to myself when I am working…probably a bad habit and yes, I have noticed that I do answer myself! The silence in my studio is interrupted by the gentle snores from my best furry dog friend, Hugo who usually lies on my feet when I am working. Fat-cat loves to lie right on top of the paper I am trying to use which of course insures he will get touched, even if it is to move him out of the way and Felix the cat keeps snug behind my computer. My pets are very inspirational and appear in many of my designs, they love the modeling side of their jobs and take it very seriously!
Q: What design trends are you currently exploring?
A: I design my fabrics with me in mind, I love slightly off colors, colors with a hint of grey, colors that please my eyes. When working with my fabrics I enjoy mixing past fabric collections with new, this gives an interesting depth to the design
A: My Starry Night fabric collection is very versatile, there are some sweet ‘itty bitty’ prints which can easily be incorporated into non seasonal projects as well as seasonal ones. I have had fun making Christmas quilts big and small and I hope quilters around the world will enjoy this collection as much as I am. One of my favorite projects is a collection of 12 Sweet Ornaments which can be collected monthly each ornament comes with its very own specially designed little wooden button which we cut in our studio from my original drawings.
Q: How do you describe your style?
A: Simple, fun, sweet, naïve but not primitive…..my style is predominately combinations of stitchery/embroidery, appliqué and simple piecing and since its popular I can’t see myself changing direction at the moment.
A: Simple, fun, sweet, naïve but not primitive…..my style is predominately combinations of stitchery/embroidery, appliqué and simple piecing and since its popular I can’t see myself changing direction at the moment.
Q: What is the biggest sewing faux pas that has happened to you?
A: I can’t think of anything really terrible that I have done sewing wise but I can say that much as I love my Bernina she really only ever gets to go backwards and forwards in my studio, poor girl. However I did put a zip in once by machine, that was back in the 80’s when I was brave and young….these days I know I prefer to stitch by hand as it all happens at a much slower pace and I am in control!
A: I can’t think of anything really terrible that I have done sewing wise but I can say that much as I love my Bernina she really only ever gets to go backwards and forwards in my studio, poor girl. However I did put a zip in once by machine, that was back in the 80’s when I was brave and young….these days I know I prefer to stitch by hand as it all happens at a much slower pace and I am in control!
3 comments
LOVE your fabric…
I am in love with StarryNight line. So many possibilities. The ornaments are so sweet. I love anything "Christmas"
Well done.
cheers
maggie
maggiemine42@gmail.com
If I won the drawing, I would be buying a fat quarter pack. Too hard to decide which one yet. I don't want to fall in love with too many—yet.