Well, Clara can go ahead and add fabric designer to her resume. With her 23 month photo in the can (see the full photo project here), it means the next monthly picture in line is the big 2-4… otherwise known as age 2.
And since we concluded her first year of weekly-fabric-backdropped photos…
… with a custom fabric design that we made through Spoonflower by scanning her name drawn out in marker on paper (and tiling it in Photoshop), we though we’d make it a tradition and create more homemade fabric for her second birthday.
We thought about doing something similar with Clara’s name for our she’s-two fabric (perhaps in Sherry’s handwriting instead of mine) since we liked how personalized it felt, but then we realized it could be even more special if we left it to someone else. Enter our latest fabric designing project- it’s a bit more subtle than last year’s but it’s so much more meaningful to us because… Clara drew it herself!
It basically just involved some Clara scribble, photographing said scribble, playing around in Photoshop, and tiling it in Spoonflower, but we’ll get to that in a minute.
It started on Easter afternoon when we broke out a big sheet of paper and some markers and let Clara do her thing:
We gave her an orange and pink marker, since they’re her current favorite colors (and the ones we’re planning to use for her party) but eventually she requested a black one and we handed that over too. Gotta let the artist do her thing.
She was definitely in the zone. Which was good because we were determined not to interfere so the drawing would truly be hers.
And although it might be hard to see them in the final work of art, Clara not only incorporated her party colors – but also her party theme, which is, by her own request: “WORMS!” (the girl is so in love with worms that she regularly tells us she dreams about them and looks out the window and says “Oh, hi worms.”). It’s kind of hilarious.
Here’s the final result… which had us scratching our heads thinking “how exactly is this going to become fabric?” and wondering if maybe we should’ve “assisted” a bit more.
But sometimes you’ve just gotta trust the artist and her “vision.” So I snapped this pic of it straight on (since the paper was too large to scan):
Then using Photoshop we put the design on a plain white background (by upping the contrasting and then selecting and deleting the rest of the background). The black marker sort of turned navy, but we didn’t mind, so we went with it. Still not looking very much like patterned fabric though, is it?
Just like with the first-year fabric, we figured we might be able to make it look more “pattern-like” by repeating it. So we duplicated the layer and began playing around with different ways to tile it in order to make an abstract pattern out of the bean’s masterpiece. Here’s what it looked like when I duplicated the layer once, rotated it 180-degrees, and placed it on top of the original drawing:
Then we took a second copy of the original (also rotating it 180-degrees) and lined it up on the bottom:
Confusing, I know, so here we’ve put a red box around the original rectangle (and two blue boxes around the flipped and shifted ones) so you can hopefully see how they’re layered a little better:
But of course if we want the Spoonflower program to tile the pattern accurately, we had to crop it in a way that it would repeat seamlessly. So I just found an easy reference point for where I could cut it off at the top and bottom, like this:
So here’s what the pattern looks like cropped and without those colored boxes on each section. The alternating orange circles with the navy squiggles and the dark pink splotch were starting to look kinda cool. At least to proud parents like us.
But we’d have to upload it to Spoonflower and see it as a sheet of fabric to really see if were were on to something…
Spoonflower actually gives you a lot of options for resizing and adjusting how your pattern repeats. We didn’t really explore this much in our our last fabric-designing adventure, but here’s just an idea of the different ways you can tile your pattern (the one on the bottom right with the stripe was achieved by adding a bit of white space on each side of our JPG before uploading it to Spoonflower).
After some contemplation we chose the Basic Repeat just like last time (we initially liked Mirror Repeat, but Sherry said it was a bit female-form-ish and once we saw that we couldn’t unsee it – or stop giggling like twelve year olds). So then Basic Repeat became the favorite. It’s kind of ikat-esque, and not obviously kid-scribble until you get closer, which is part of the fun. So we ordered two yards of it for $36 + $3 shipping (for a total of $39) thanks to a discount at checkout for uploading our own design. Yes, it’s still more expensive than our usual fabric budget, but you gotta splurge sometimes, right?
Not only do we plan to use it for the backdrop of her big birthday photo, Sherry wants to sew something memorable with it (along with the Clara fabric from last year) – so we’ll keep you posted on that. She’s already made a birthday banner, a quilt, and a beanbag from other weekly photo fabrics.
Fast forward about a week and our fabric arrived. Woot. These photos don’t really do it justice (it’s bolder/brighter in person), but it’s awesome. It probably won’t be winning any fabric design awards or anything, but it’s the coolest thing we’ve seen in a while.
We have to wait a few more weeks before Clara is officially 24 months old to put it to use for a photo session…
… but Clara decided she couldn’t keep her hands off of her own creation, so we had a little playtime with it in the guest room…
…which turned into a little impromptu photo shoot as well. She liked hiding under it.
And gazing lovingly at her creation.
At one point she even asked to take a nap under her “blanket.”
This is the expression I got when I reminded her that naps involve closed eyes:
Then fabric playtime turned into pillow playtime. And there was some hiding…
…and some spirited “Clara popping out!” (her words, every time it happened).
Receiving her scribble fabric makes us even more excited for Clara to hit the big 2 year mark, though we’re also in disbelief. It seems like just yesterday we were designing fabric for her… and now she’s doing it on her own. Well, sorta.
Anyone else use Spoonflower lately? Or do something else with your son or daughter’s artwork?
Psst- Check out Clara getting her Rihanna on here on Young House Life.
Jaz says
What a neat idea! Thank you for sharing your process…I am intrigued.
How fantastic that Clara loves worms and that you are going to throw her a worm-theme birthday party! Love it! …can’t wait to see your plans. This reminds me of that book, Diary of a Worm.
YoungHouseLove says
Someone else recommended that book! We’ll have to check it out for her asap!
xo,
s
Dusa says
She looks like such a big girl in the first photo. Dang, where does the time go?
And yay Worms!
AnnMarie says
I don’t know if someone already wrote this because, well, there are already a ‘few’ comments but ….in her original design you can kind of see the word LOVE, using your imagination of course….but how cute and cool is that?!
YoungHouseLove says
No way! I love that. Clara puts the love in Young House Love! Haha.
xo,
s
Nicole@LifesTidbits says
LOVE the idea of having Clara do her own drawing. I had no idea making your own fabric was so DIY friendly!!!
Nancy says
If you haven’t already read it with Clara (although odds are you have) you MUST check out this awesome kids book: Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin (Author)and Harry Bliss (Illustrator). She would love it!
YoungHouseLove says
So cute! We definitely have to pick that up!
xo,
s
Elizabeth@Spoonflower says
I’ve been a long time reader and I was lucky enough to land a job at Spoonflower a year ago. I must admit, I was thrilled when I saw another Spoonflower related post on your blog!
It’s always so amazing to see what members of the Spoonflower community are doing with their fabric! We’re so lucky to have such amazing and talented supporters. Thank you for also sharing your tips for creating a repeat; I’m sure they’ll be immensely helpful to new community members!
Best Wishes and Happy early Birthday to Clara!
Elizabeth Carr
Spoonflower
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! We heart Spoonflower!
xo,
s
Ali says
Ahhh! That video is heart-meltingly adorable.
Kahley @ Ambiance says
I absolutely love this idea:) Imagine the confidence you just instilled in that sweet little girl by making her artwork into fabric! I think you guys are wonderful parents, and Clara has a long happy road ahead of her with you two as her guides:)
$warfel says
So Clara is too cute and love the fabric! But on an unrelated note, PLEASE tell us what yall are thinking about these eliminations on The Voice. I just can’t take it!
Xo
swarfel
YoungHouseLove says
Ahhh- it’s all going crazy! John thinks the boys will win because guys keep getting saved by America and he thinks people who get saved generally go on to win the whole thing. I want a girl to win though! Haha. I really like the girl who gets compared to Adele sometimes. And of course I love Adam Levine. Obvi.
xo,
s
Emily @ The Luckiest says
How adorable! I love that she designed her own fabric! It will be a keepsake for sure :) Our little one turned 2 yesterday and is also way into art and coloring! Her party was a “Spring Fling” and we had dirt cups instead of cake or cupcakes. We also gave ready-to-plant flower cups in the thank-you bags. I think I spent $1.50 on 10 plant cups (the kind that go right in the ground) and then $1 each on some seed packets. Cheap and easy! Can’t wait to see how Clara’s party turns out!! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Such cute ideas!
xo,
s
Jenn says
When I was a kid I had some kind of toy I think it had something to do with science or bugs. I dont remember BUT I do remember there were gummy worms involved that were in a chocolate powder that acted at the dirt. Might be some kind of idea for decoration and snack in one.
Are you going to keep the monthly photos after next month?
YoungHouseLove says
Mmm, chocolate worms sound delicious! Haha. As for the pics, I think I have successfully convinced John that we should keep going at least til she’s three!
xo,
s
Jenn says
Lowly worm books by Richard scarry were my FAV books as a kid. Def look into them.
Jeanne Wagner says
OMG Spoonflower is better than Pinterest! I can’t get enough of it, and I don’t even sew. But my sister does, and I have a million ideas.THANK YOU for sharing this site, I’ve never heard of it before today. I didn’t know this type of service was available. It ROCKS!!! So. Excited.
The fabric you created for Clara last year and the design she made this year are just awesome. You guys are the coolest.
Bethany says
So sweet how proud she is when she sings out that she drew a worm! Love it!
Tamryn says
Clara is too sweet, and the fabric idea is so very clever :) thank you for sharing.
Audrey says
A-dorable! Where did you get the fabric in the first pic of this post? I absolutely love the blue, purple, and white print. I’d love to know the information noted on the selvedge of the fabric! Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
That was from JoAnn on clearance! Don’t know the brand or name, but they’re a chain so hopefully you have one near you to check out!
xo,
s
Heidi says
What an adorable family you have! I love the idea of letting her create her own fabric, so clever. You rock Clara!
HelloDoorSeven says
We don’t have kids yet, but when they’ll come I am definitely going to steal this idea!
At some point I was tempted to use your “month-fabric” idea with our dog, but that probably would have been too weird!! :P
This is the cutest idea for baby pictures I have seen over the web so far.
Natalie @ Queen of Whirled says
Amazing idea that I am SO stealing the next time my daughter brins home some awesome finger painting from school.
I love Spoonflower! I use it frequently for custom Etsy orders. I’ve also just designed a large yellow chevron print to make an ironing board cover for mey 48×48 inch ironing board/cutting table. I cannot WAIT to get another custom Etsy order so that I can order my chevron…I’m too cheap to pay for seperate shipping charges. ;)
A large scale, sunny yellow chevron, in an appropriate fabric for covering an ironing board is IMPOSSIBLE to find. Thank goodness for Spoonflower and getting exactly what I want.
Natalie @ Queen of Whirled says
*brings
and here’s the link: http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric_items/new?design_id=1065440
YoungHouseLove says
That’s a great idea! Never thought about using it to customize Etsy orders… thanks for the link too!
-John
Lindsey says
I made a WORM!!
$warfel says
I can’t believe I got a response from my FAVORITE bloggers I feel so honored! I agree, it’s a given, if for no other reason I’ll continue to watch for Adam!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, oh yes, he’s a good reason to watch!
xo,
s
chelsea says
I’m rounding up ktichen ideas for a future reno so it’s great to see how satisified you were with different decisions! Just a quick thing, we have the HP photosmart wireless (for more than a year now) and love it! We’ve had no problems at all and nothing extra ‘popping out.’ I’d think about trying to get a replacement, sounds like there’s really something wrong with yours.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Chelsea! I wonder if it’s something with our wireless connection or something? Maybe we have interruptions, which explain why things get a delay sometimes? although our internet connection always works (hence me living online all day and all night, haha). So strange!
xo,
s
Annette says
I keep on wondering, when the “who drew that fabric? – Clara did.” will turn into: “Look mommy, Clara drew the Carpet!”. ;-)
It’s a very cute idea. Kind of like the mom that did a duvet cover with the pokemon drawings of her son. I’m sure you’ve seen it before, but here’s the link: http://jengrantmorris.blogspot.de/2011/10/daniels-duvet-cover.html
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, that was a Reader Redesign we shared a while back. LOVE that project! And as for Clara drawing the carpet, we keep the markers away unless we’re right next to her with eagle eyes “on” – haha.
xo,
s
Jillian@TheHumbleGourmet says
That is such a fantastic idea; what a wonderful keepsake!
Ada (new york) says
What an adorable fabric designer – she is a STAR!!! I seriously do love how it turned out and how precious that it was ‘custom made’. Hmm, is she asking for $ for showing her beautiful art :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, seriously! Soon she’ll be demanding a gallery opening! Haha.
xo,
s
Sherry from BC says
This is so cute…..love it. If you are doing worms as her party theme you might want to try a version of this for food. I found it on pinterest of course.
http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/appetizers-snacks/healthy-snacks/garden-octopus-907351/
I have done the octopus for my granchildren but you could do red, green and yellow worms with dip for her.
YoungHouseLove says
So cute!!!!
xo,
s
Sarah K says
What a cutie! I can’t believe how big she’s getting.
Also, we’re moving to VA (although more north than you guys) but I’m so excited to be close to a Hobby Lobby and HomeGoods!
Crystal says
Another fun DIY artwork project for Clara is DIY wallpaper. She can decorate her own wall. http://tempaperdesigns.com/tempaperbyyou.nxg
YoungHouseLove says
That’s amazing! I love that idea!
xo,
s
Julia Lolita says
You guys are the COOLEST parents ever. I really love this!
Lana says
Hi YHL!
I am in love with the colorful pillowcases from your guest bedroom- just wondering if you remember what the pattern is or where you purchased them? Tried to find the answer in older posts, but didn’t score.
Thanks so much!
Lana
YoungHouseLove says
They’re from Pottery Barn (I think called Woodland Organic?). I believe they still sell them and some folks have linked to them back in the comments here. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Katelyn Made says
Cute idea! You should make a dress for her later out of it!
Jenna says
Her origional picture looks like she wrote “love”…. i saw a cursive l then o v e… Cute!
YoungHouseLove says
You’re the second person to say that- I love it!!! Clara puts the love in Young House Love.
xo,
s
Hemma says
Did you see this? How cool is this?!?! I can so see you do this. Watch the little guy in the childseat. That could be Clara! http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lU-Uwl7AZ7o
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh, it’s hilarious!!!
xo,
s
Candice says
Wow…how do you get the bow to stay in her hair?
YoungHouseLove says
Its really light and has these awesome grippy strips in the clip that hold her hair.
xo,
s
Steph @ One Sleepy Mom says
I have never heard of spoonflower, but that’s sort of a variation on what I did. I took a crib sheet and some fabric markers and let my 18 month old draw on it. I was thinking of letting her make matching curtains for her room as well. It’s awesome to make their “art” a little more permanent, isn’t it?
YoungHouseLove says
Such a cute idea!
xo
s
Cindy W. says
“I made a WOHM!” So cute.
xo
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, that’s totally how she says it!
xo,
s
Marina says
Okay, this is almost spooky, check out the site below I found on Remodelista, I swear Clara has an artistic twin some where in the world.
It’s the 2nd photo, top drawing:
http://remodelista.com/posts/picassos-true-artists
It even has a ‘worm’…
YoungHouseLove says
Totally see it – especially the worm!
-John
susan says
My “children” are now 26 ( yep, twins)-and those scribbles they start out with can become stuff like this:
http://www.etsy.com/people/mfrancoart
LOVE the worms theme. I’ve thrown every kind imaginable-Where’s Waldo, Carmen San Diego, Fave Book Character, Olympics…I still make their cakes. Every year.
It’s way cool, this parenting thing-enjoy you baby grown-up!
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- that’s amazing! Love the link! What talent!
xo,
s
kellsey says
LOVE the fabric – very nice work Clara! I just had to comment, as when I first glanced at the fabric, I swore the black image was a giraffe! Maybe it’s because I love giraffes? At any rate, it’s absolutely adorable.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, someone else said that too! Love it!
xo,
s
emilymarion says
I.LOVE.THIS.SO.MUCH
I want to try it with WATERCOLORS and make a shower curtain or pillowcases or throw pillows or curtains or…
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds gorgeous!
xo,
s
Roeshel says
She is adorable! Spoonflower is a lot of fun – what a sweet idea to use her design. Love it!
I’ve been reading through and catching up. The party details look like so much fun and love the ceiling light!
Child's Studio says
Sherry & John,
Saw this awesome website and thought of you & clara’s fabric. maybe one day you can have one of her worms made?
;)
http://www.childsown.com/
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah isn’t that awesome?!
xo,
s
Hayley EcoBloomers says
Hi! I know I already told you guys about my handmade diaper business. I am a fabric geek and I LOVE doing personalized stuff. If you ever find yourself with 22″x22″ of this fabric and you don’t know what to do with it, I’d love to make Clara a cloth diaper out of it! And you could use it for Baby Petersik #2 – a gift from big sister! I am a little bit giddy at the thought of a diaper made from fabric that no one else in the whole entire world will ever get their hands on. eeep!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw that’s so cute! Such a fun idea!
xo,
s
p says
hey guys, the jello worms with drinking straws idea sounds really cool. but if you do it… might want to pick straws carefully. most of the plastic straws have BPA. see how they’re shiny and the liquid inside just beads up and rolls off, without ever staining the straw inside? yeah. yuckville.
there are glass straws (not little kid friendly) and stainless steel straws (not as pretty and you can’t see the liquid rising), and the latter might work for non-novelty drinking. but obviously none have the squeezability factor for jello molds.
once a year BPA exposure in some straws won’t destroy anyone, but where it’s little kids, i just don’t know what the exposure level is.
if you ever find BPA free plastic or paper straws, please share! i’ve hunted for the longest time.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, great tip! We actually just bought gummy worms and went with it! You can see the party post that we put up yesterday here: https://www.younghouselove.com/2012/05/worm-to-your-motha/
xo,
s
melanie says
this is another cute idea to make your kid’s art come to life: turn it into a toy!
http://todayilearned.co.uk/2012/04/28/there-is-a-company-which-makes-toys-based-on-childrens-drawings/
isn’t it adorable?!
YoungHouseLove says
Love that idea!
xo
s
synapse says
i read this post when it was published and i rarely comment, but getting my google reader updated i found this website: http://www.childsown.com/ and immediatly thought of you (and clara’s designs).
maybe a little further on the way? ;)
i’m not a diy-er but i do have fun (and get inpired) with your projects :)
YoungHouseLove says
Such a cute idea! Love it!!
xo,
s