Canvas Rebel feature

A big thanks to the Canvas Rebel team for giving creatives a platform to share their stories!

I had the wonderful opportunity to reflect on how it all began — from those early days in textile design to building a creative business and designing collections for Art Gallery Fabrics.

It’s honestly wild to think it’s been over a decade since I took that first leap — time really does fly when you’re chasing passion, patterns, and color palettes!

And a special shout-out to my lovely fabric friend Amy Sinibaldi for passing this opportunity my way — your support truly means the world. 💛

If you’re curious to peek behind the scenes of my creative journey, the link is HERE💫  

Katarina

Mindscape fabric collection

The Mindscape collection was inspired with treasured memories spent along the Adriatic coast, enriched with some Easter traditions. When I was a little girl, until my teen age, I used to spend Easter Holidays with my family in a little house that we used to have in Croatia by the sea. That was my favorite place and holds such a special space in my heart. Even if we don't have a house there anymore, we like to visit that place and my friends that live there, often.

And whenever I feel like I need an escape from a busy daily routine or some problems, I like to evoke those moments and feelings of pure serendipity and happiness, caused by simplest things, like feelings of sand beneath the feet and sounds of waves crashing on rocks.

 

Also, when I started working on this collection, the war in Ukraine started and it reminded me of a war that happened here, where I live, in Belgrade in 1999. So I felt absolutely heartbroken and terrified and my mindset was completely there, with hopes that Easter that was coming will bring peace.
That was probably the main reason for having the color palette a bit more neutral, restricted, soft and subdued. Actually, the working title of the collection was "Dove" and here are some of the initial sketches.

Starting with doves, I then added some small animals that symbolize Easter along with some flowers and twigs, that would embody this Holiday as well- starting with Palm Sunday. 

Rabbits are featured in not just Foraged Fauna print, but also in Abundance prints (in Nectar and Cloud), and I wasn't t even aware that this year is the Year of the rabbit when I created these drawings and prints, so I can only call it a happy coincidence;).

Easter usually occurs towards the beginning of spring, as a season when plants bloom and animals give birth. and eggs in particular are a clear symbol of rebirth and fertility. So it may not seem surprising that Easter eggs are often associated with Easter.

Here, in Serbia where I live, we celebrate Easter with very important family tradition: dyeing eggs in onion skins bath with different herbs and flowers that in the dyeing process will leave the non colored spots, which is very similar to dyeing the batik and other fabrics. 

So, the prints called  Sensescape (in sky, sand and raw linen-below) can be associated with this tradition of picking beautiful leaves and flowers to be used in this process.

And finally the moment of gathering the family around the table to celebrate this beautiful Holiday could be celebrated with the Seaside tiles print-that can not only be a recollection of that retro tiles in a grandma kitchen, but also a beautiful tablecloth that would also have some treasured embroidery motifs along the borders....

Apricot print was the final print that was added to the collection, but I thought that it would nicely contribute to the Fruitfulness aspect of the group, and to serve as another main print that would provide great sewing usage and possibilities.

Also, another amazing thing is that my first ever collection of blenders is also just launched and available!

It's called Seedling, and it's going beautifully together with Mindscape. 

It actually complements it in a magical way, adding more neutral tones and possibilities that are just perfect for quilts and quilt related projects, but not only....

But it certainly deserves to have a post on it's own, so it's already in the works;) 

I hope that Mindscape can take you to carefree escape from everyday life, with heartfelt feelings of unity, vitality and serendipity.

Happy almost Spring everyone!

xx

Katarina

 

Eclectic Intuition

 

Now that Eclectic Intuition collection is available (after a delay caused by shipping problems), I thought that I should finally post a few pics of the collection itself, as well as the picture and list of the coordinating pure elements.

This collection makes part of the AGF Season of Tribute which is envisioned as a special homage to AGF designers and their most memorable prints -bringing these new recolored and rediscovered collections.

Like going through a book, each designer has their own chapter, with a title that represents their true spirit, a special color palette true to them, and a curation of the very best designs represented as one collection for each — there’s even a special selvedge for each “chapter”. 

I love the name of mine and here are the prints that were most loved and chosen for this group.

Beautiful collection look book is available and it's packed with so many amazing, inspirational photographs and projects!

Here are some pure elements (pictured below) that I found closest to the color hues used in the collection:

Snow white

White Linen

Atmospheric

Periwinkle

Celestial

Mystic grey

Lavender water

Gingerbread

Raw gold

Blossomed

Bewitched

Sweet fig

Mauvelous

Potter’s clay

Sweet fig

Rock candy

Verve violet

Very Berry

Field of lavender

Blueberry zest

Night Sea

Nocturnal

Another great thing regarding this collection and it's substrates is that it has 3 flannels and 1 rayon. 

These are my first available flannel prints and I really love how soft they are-I immediately had to use one (Stamped Grove) for the quilt backing on my Flowertone quilt and loved it!

xx

K.

Earthen collection

Happy November!!!
Not sure where and how the last few months flew away, so fast, but it's almost time to sew with my upcoming fabric collection - Earthen.
So, before posting a few makes and tutorials, I wanted to share a few pics and thoughts about this new one.

Nature has always been the best and the most beautiful source of inspiration for my work, and I felt like it deserves the collection that celebrates at least a tiniest bit of it's beauty.
Earth, our home planet, is a world unlike any other. The third planet from the sun, Earth is the only place in the known universe confirmed to host life. Earth is endowed with beauty beyond compare. Its exquisiteness can be seen through its seasons, natural wonders, majestic waterfalls, mysterious lost cities, amazing creatures, stunning textures and most precious signs of life. Inspired with life and nature, with what surrounds us and what inspires us, daily, this collection is an ode to life on our beautiful planet, painted in earthy tones, enriched with impressing textures.

This collection comes in variety of 16 SKUs printed on premium quilting cotton, 3 prints on knit fabrics and 2 on rayon.

These are only the strike offs, as I didn't get the actual yardage yet, but may give an initial idea of the collection.

It's always fun to pick some pure elements and other AGF blenders to match the prints, and I can't be happier with some new, perfect matching tones!!!

Can't wait to show you the quilt I am working on ;)
xx
Katarina