Becoming a designer with Art Gallery Fabrics

Here is my collection for Safari Moon




I am Thrilled to Annouce that I am now a designer with Art Gallery fabrics. I waited a long time to get here and it was a lot of hard work. I have been a huge fan of Pat Bravo. Her designs jump off the shelves when you see them in the stores. I couldn't beleve one day I read on her blog that she was from Argentina and I jumped out of my chair. That is where my parents are from. My father is a famous composer and jazz musician named Lalo Schifrin who grew up in Argentina. I imedieatly wrote to Pat and told her I was a graphic designer and who my fater was. She wrote back and wanted to see my work... Talk about jumping out of my chair again! You have no idea how nerveous I was. I had to give myself a week to prepare a presentation to her. I was sick to my stomach with nerves! I did not hear back right away in fact it may have taken a week or so to hear back. Well can you imagine...I wanted to bite the head off of anyone who was near me. I was so so nerveous.

When I finally got my letter back I will never forget. I thought I was going to be rejected. I read the first line of the letter and nearly feel out of my chair again!! She wrote back and said after seeing my work she thought I would be perfect for Art Gallery Fabrics. Well then I danced around the room! It was Saturday night no one was home for me to celebrate this victory. But Getting into a fabric company doesnt always mean that they will accept your designs every time. I guess we think yay we did it but this is acturally where the hard work begins...

  

I worked with Pat for seven months before finally launching. I had created some beautiful designs but she was really trying to pull out of me something that was unique and differnt.
I think I felt like during this process that it was pulling blood out of a turnip. You could be a great actor but wrong for the part. So many things have to come together to make a good collection and,
There is so much design out there and she was pushing me to go farther. So I decided to do a lot of research online and found that I love exotic places and illustrating them.  When I looked at some African fashions and all the patterns and noticed how colorful and bold they are, I gravitated toward that style. I decided to tell a story with my fabrics. I buckled up after almost giving up and created something totally differnt.  I sent the new designs to Pat after International Quilt Market Portland 2013 and she flipped over them! I was thrilled.

I also submitted 3 colorways and we had to decide on just two. I love warm colors but seeing all the African designs out there, there were so many emerald, blues, and green strong colors that seem to fit and pop with these design. And this was the birth of Safari Moon. And getting a place in the fabric design world.

I am inspired by  all the bloggers out there and love seeing all the beautiful hand made quilting, sewing going on. It is hard not to be intimidated by all that but I just want to be part of this wonderful world of all you creators out there.

From me I hope that my designs will capture your heart. I want to tell stories with my designs and create illustrative whimsical adventures for the quilter to escape to.

Much Love, 

Frances

Thanks Sara Lawson of So Sweetness for this beautiful interview~

SO SWEETNESS INTERVIEW HERE