Fabric Designs
Novelty prints are among the greatest joys of vintage clothing.
I particularly love 'hidden' novelty prints which reward a closer look — the flower that becomes a ballerina; the abstract geometric that reveals kites flying in the breeze; the floral bouquets that turn out to be poodles.
The frustration, of course, lies in finding an adorable novelty print dress in your size and price range. In my case, I was prompted to start reproducing original vintage novelty designs and having them printed onto fabric so that I could use them in my wardrobe. I started producing more and more of my own original designs, inspired by the prints of the 1940s and ‘50s, in co-ordinated collections.
Most of my designs are available to order through Spoonflower - click through the thumbnails and links below to view and purchase.
Not sure which Spoonflower base fabric to choose? I’ve posted a full review of my favourite fabrics for garment sewing - now revised and updated for 2024.
Luna
Luna is a collection of Art Nouveau and Art Deco influenced designs featuring delicate moths and the night sky, complemented by stargazer lily and apple blossom florals. The key prints draw their inspirations from Alfonse Mucha.
The large-scale designs are ideal for statement homewares and wallpapers.
Riviera
The Riviera collection includes both reproduction and original designs. Poolside is a faithful reproduction of a novelty print cotton featured on the cover of a Woman’s Own magazine from 1950, and Jet Set is closely based on a 1940s cotton skirt in my collection. Prints in this collection are based on two main colourways: Pastel and Primary.
The scale of the prints are ideal for apparel, making them perfect for your 1950s summer wardrobe.
Fancy & Fine
The Fancy & Fine collection is inspired by the central design of elegant ladies’ hands, adorned with sparkling jewels and entwined with flowing ribbons. This sense of movement is carried through the rest of the collection with prints featuring fans, shoes, feathers and makeup.
The oversized prints are perfect for 1940s style day dresses or evening gowns, while the smaller scale, feedsack-inspired prints work well for quilting projects.
Vintage Vanity
Taking inspiration from a variety of sources including a vintage silk scarf and a fragment of wallpaper, Vintage Vanity is a playful collection themed around a lady’s vanity, including perfume and cosmetics, dressing tables and bathtubs.
These prints are designed at a scale perfect for apparel and accessories.
Gossamer & Petals
Gossamer & Petals has a delicate and ephemeral feel with prints featuring dew-spangled spiderwebs, downy dandelion clocks, butterflies and botanical motifs. Playful pixies dance and frolic among the florals in some designs. Feature print Ballerina Garden placed in the top five in Spoonflower's January 2018 design challenge. Available in aqua and navy colourways.
Cocktail Hour
My most popular collection, Cocktail Hour is a set of midcentury-inspired designs in shades of pink, turquoise, red and teal with accents in grey and chartreuse.
The collection is perfect for clothing, quilting or home furnishings, and includes a number of low-volume complementary prints ideal for accents.
Set For Summer
The 1940s inspired Set For Summer collection features sunglasses, lipsticks, ribbon streamers and kisses in retro shades of peachy pink, hot pink and turquoise. The design elements are based on original vintage dress fabrics and feedsacks from the 1940s for an authentic vintage look.
Valentine Ball
The 1940s inspired Valentine Ball collection includes some the first reproduction prints I created - indeed, the dancing ladies and hearts design inspired me to start reproducing vintage novelty prints in the first place, and forms the genesis of the collection. It remains a favourite, and has been joined by a number of co-ordinating designs in various colourways.
Central Park
Based around and inspired by two reproductions of original 1940s-50s fabrics (Spring and Zoo), the Central Park collection takes you through the park’s seasons, with different landmarks and activities. Each design is available on white (pictured) or with a background colour.
Bird-o-rama
Quirky and playful, Bird-o-rama collection draws inspiration from the midcentury atomic era, with bold, kinetic designs. The Bird-o-rama feature print is based on a fabric from a 1955 Sears & Roebuck catalogue, and is complemented by a collection that pays homage to the designers of the midcentury period. Flamingo-rama was a top ten winner in Spoonflower’s Vintage Kitsch design contest.
Available in two colourways (red & turquoise, pictured, and mustard & mint), the designs are perfect for a variety of applications, especially as interiors fabrics.
Home Front
Inspired by the wide range of 1940s propaganda prints, the designs in this collection draw on a variety of historical sources, from Jacqmar scarves to Make Do & Mend booklet illustrations.
…and many more!
My designs draw inspiration from a variety of sources, ranging from original vintage fabrics to magazine illustrations, stocking packaging, vintage homewares, and more.
