Saturday, August 21, 2010

An interview – With Aussie Fabric Designer Saffron Craig

Saffron Craig picture Australian designer Saffron Craig produces vibrant, whimsical and contemporary fabrics for quilting, crafting, interiors and clothing. Already widely known for her Owls and Fairies ranges, Saffron introduces us to her newest designs in the Bird Tree Range; and offers CHA members the change to WIN a Fat Quarter pack (see below)! But first, Saffron shares with CHA members her wisdom about being an Australian designer, business partner and parent.

I understand that you have a background in fashion design, but that you were dissatisfied with the fabrics available on the market. When did the light go on in your head that you could do it yourself? How exciting was it? What happened?
I suppose I have a mindset of “I can do that!” which is what it took to print fabrics. I was creating hand painted silk dresses at the time, the paint was going everywhere and it took hours to paint one metre; I laugh because now I could have it digitally printed.

I wanted to create fabrics with my illustrations on them, fun fabrics with clean neat lines using my sense of colour. I suppose it helped that I had the studio space and the ideas to start. I do love to challenge myself.

In one of my first projects I hand printed fabric for an entire day and turned that fabric into one quilt. The paint was so thick in places I could not put the sewing machine needle through the three layers of the quilt without snapping the thread. As much as I love the process of screen-printing I knew I could not print fabrics by myself, as it is too limiting and very time consuming. I loved the end result, which was the fabric with my illustrations on it. It made me so happy so I focused on that.

Aside from your existing design background, did you have to learn any new skills to enable you to get the design from your head onto the fabric? Did you try different processes and techniques?
I have a degree in designs so I built on that. I use skills that I have learnt, like sketching, drawing, colour, design. Getting my illustrations onto fabrics has seen me learn a lot of new skills; becoming competent on the computer to start with.

The designs often grow as I take them from my imagination and put them on paper, I change the scale and the colours. My drawing skill is what makes most of my designs. I know that the design will look better on fabric than on paper.

Four years ago I taught myself to make my first quilt. Quilting is very addictive for me. After years of fitting dresses, it’s pure heaven to make a square and use limitless blocks, colours, patterns, so I am addicted. A couple of years ago I started to design quilts in my own fabrics and then I had to learn to write the patterns, photograph the quilts then and blog about them.

Now that you have refined your process, how long does it typically take to create a new range; from concept to the fabrics arriving in shops?
My new range is called Bird Tree. The design of the Bird Tree was sketched in spring 2009. I started to put the designs into a range in February 2010. I sent the files to the printer in March and received the strike off in April. I made changes to the colour and received new strike-offs two weeks after that. I approved the new colours and we started to take orders for the fabrics. When we knew people liked the designs and would support us by placing pre-orders we placed an order with the printer. We usually see the first few metres arrive within 20-30 days. In this case, for an idea to be a fabric for sale on the shelves, it has taken over twelve months. So I really am excited when I get to create with new ranges.

What program do you use to create your fabric designs? Have you always used it?
I work lot in Illustrator and I have had to learn to be very technical and accurate on the computer. I have to push myself to totally finish each design, as I am far from being a perfectionist. I would say two years ago I had no clue how to use Illustrator.

With the support around you including your business partners who take care of production and distribution, do you need to partake in any the business side of the operations?
I am very hands-on in all stages of the business. I oversee every stage of the production of my fabrics. I approve everything and there is often a lot of too-ing and fro-ing. I am also involved in the business. I come up with new ideas for products, and advertising.

Though the website is managed by my Husband Patrick I do run the online shop which requires me to manage orders, post orders, answer emails, write blogs, photograph everything. I also design and make quilts as well as the children clothing; I just finished my first children’s pattern.

We do help with the wholesaling; I recently went to the trade show and was very involved in all aspects. We have another trade show booked for Melbourne in November.

I am a mother on Thursdays, Fridays and the weekends so I spend three days a week on the business. With nights and early mornings for emailing and now social media is taking up hours every day.

Usually my creative time is spent designing fabrics. Most creatives who also run a business will attribute long nights and many hours to be conducive to running a business. They will also attest to not spending much time actually designing but time is spent thinking, planning, communicating, managing and organising my business. In my case my daughter gets a lot of my time as well.

I have a creative project I am doing, writing a children’s book, which is 4 illustrations away from being finished.

What are your top tips for the Aussie small business entrepreneur?

  • Keep the focus on what is your big picture.
  • Stay true to yourself.
  • Surround yourself with positive people. Indeed be a positive person. (One negative comment will need 9 positives to be counteracted.)
  • I think you are the creator of your own life so make it beautiful.
  • Oh yes. Manifestations boards really do work! Really truly they do. They help you decide what you like.

...and finally: Which creative mind do you most admire and why?
I admire any one with focus and determination. I admire oh so many creative minds and spend a lot of time reading books, blogs, magazines and being inspired by all kind of visionaries and philosophers.

Follow Saffron:
Buy her fabric on her website.
Read her blog.
Follow her on Facebook.

Saffron Craig bundle

WIN a Bird Tree FQ Pack!
To enter, simply tell us in 25 words or less:

What's your favourite bird and why?

Competition Details:
To enter, write your answer in the comments below this blog post.
Competition closes Saturday 28th August at 9pm EST.
1 winner will be selected, and notification made by 9pm Sunday 29th August via email and on the blog.
This competition is open to Australian residents only.

Cheers, Chicken

47 comments:

  1. My favourite bird is the superb blue wren i remember them when we went camping as kids and watching a family of them from the campavan window. Beautiful and fiesty.

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  2. I love owls, so mysterious, whimsical, curious and damn cute. The owl is a big influence in my design work, also due to Harry Potter!!

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  3. My favourite bird is the the humble budgerigar :) They are so tiny and chock full of personality. They are so easy to hand tame, easy to care for and can be very affectionate and nibble gently on your face.

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  4. Even though I am in the UK and cant enter I thought I would still mention my favourite bird.
    He is called a Sparrow and really is a dull little thing.
    They hang out in groups chatting away having dust baths.
    They look like little old men in brown tweed suits talking about racing and drinking pints of bitter.
    They live in hedgerows and there are two or three types.
    They are probably one of the most common small birds in the UK but adorable non the less.
    :)

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  5. my favourite bird is the cheeky chickie, cause he is so cute and cuddly, and native to Australia :)

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  6. i also like blue wrens - they remind me of my nan as she was always very into native fauna and flora, and these were her favourite. willy wagtails are pretty cute too with their little wiggly bum moves! :)

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  7. The owl - it's image is a great craft design reference and of course it is wise and gives a hoot!

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  8. Kookaburras!!! What's not to love, they think everything is funny :-)

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  9. My favourite bird is a tie between the hummingbird and the peacock. The peacock for his grand display of feathers and colours and the hummingbird for its petite beauty and mystique.

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  10. My favourite bird is a kookaburra. It has so many childhood memories tied with it. We used to have one that would visit and we were able to hand feed it...along with other memories. A great Australian bird...just love their call!

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  11. I love Kokaburra's. We have one that comes into our backyard most afternoons and when it does that cackle it is amazing.

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  12. A Red Robyn, because he goes bob, bob, bobbing along!

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  13. The kookaburra- such happiness is contagious! Plus it is the name my grandparents gave me as a child

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  14. Favourite bird is poultry- chicken to be precise.
    They are beautiful productive birds that remind me of home (hearing the rooster crow in the morning, and hearing mama chooks cluck away after laying)

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  15. I love a Flamingo, to me they represent sun, fun, summer and bright happiness! Strangely weird to watch but a symbol of sunny days.

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  16. Swallow - my late Grandfather had one tattooed on his forearm, and now my sister & I plan to do the same in his memory.

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  17. The magpies in my garden. Born in the back tree they used to check us out as youngsters. They are still here and quite tame.

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  18. The magpie - as a kid we found an injured baby by my grandparents house, the mama was strutting around it making a helluva racket!

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  19. Pelicans for me! They seem almost pterodactly-like in flight, and are lovely to watch swimming and fishing too.

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  20. My favorite bird is my Black capped caique parrot, Dolce Uchello! He is a sweet little clown, hops like a bunny, loves apples & says "I love apple".

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  21. I love most birds in the wild, but I enjoy the nesting doves sunning themselves in my backyard. Their peaceful, caring natures are very calming.

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  22. My favourite bird has always been the pelican, it's huge wingspan which it can fly forever on the breath of the breeze, must be so peaceful up there!

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  23. My fav is the pelican, it's huge wingspan which seems like it takes it forever on the breath of the breeze...must be so peaceful up there!!

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  24. Definitely the Kookaburra - I've only lived here in Australia for 2 years and every morning the Kookaburras remind me why its such a gorgeous place to live. They sit in the trees and along the pool fence cackling and laughing most mornings. Even my Saint Bernard can't scare them away - love all the chatter they bring into my morning each day!!!

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  25. the jabiru - they are so elegant with long legs and long beak and the most amazing shimmering deep blue neck and head. Lisa

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  26. I love red breasted robins, they seem to always come and sit with me when i need an extra 'oomph' in life to remind me to breathe, live, be inspired to keep going

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  27. My favourite bird is a Willy Wag Tail. They are so small and cute and I just love their little tail sticking up in the air.

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  28. Owls - they conjure up an image of all-knowing, all-seeing, the wisest of all - reminds me of my mother. Forever missed.

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  29. Hi, We have a blue wren and his mate just made a return to our garden. I haven't seen a blue wren since I was a child. They are so dainty and just gorgeous. I could watch them all day......if I didn't have so much sewing just waiting for me!!!!!!!

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  30. The kookaburra would be my favourite bird - I moved to Australia 2 years ago and every morning since have woken to its cheeky chatter and cackling in the trees around our property - it puts a smile on my face every day. They remind me of a craft group all huddled around a table having a few laughs and catching up on the gossip!!!

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  31. Hi, thanks for the interesting interview. I'm in the UK and am a big fan of Saffron's work. Her parrots fabric makes me smile every time I look at the cheery colours on a dreary day! So sorry not to be eligible for the gorgeous giveaway.

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  32. The bower bird - it cleverly collects all sorts of twigs, shells, leaves and discarded junk it finds to decorate its bower. To top it all off, it's the male who builds and decorates the bower!

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  33. Oh we have the most lovely little Blue Wren's that live around our house, they are so cute, they eat all the bugs on the verandah in the summer.

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  34. Rainbow lorikeets are my favourite bird because of all its glorious colours. While a lot of birds sport some sort of camouflage colouring, the rainbow lorikeet stands out quite cheerfully.

    Thanks for posting this giveaway! Fingers, toes and ears crossed :)

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  35. My favourite bird is the Rosella. They're so pretty. I love to watch them come and play in the bottlebrush in our backyard.

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  36. hi my favourite bird would have to be the owl i just love there big eyes and how they look at you and i have a thing for eyes at the moment and probley always will as i have just got my sight back i am a diabetic and went though a hard 18 months of ops and visits to eye doctors ok thats enough about that i love to sew and at the moment the owl seems to be poping up in thing i make and things i buy Thanks Tina

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  37. Real birds freak me out! But I do LOVE the classic look of the old-school tattooed swallows. Oh, & the little bluebird of happiness reminds me of my daughter, Lily!

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  38. My favourite bird makes me breakfast! Our chickens have so much personality, eat most of our kitchen scraps and feed us and the garden too.

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  39. I love chickens - they eat my food scraps & lay eggs; what more could I want? I haven't bought eggs since 1998.

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  40. A Bower bird! I want my boy birdie to make a beautiful house and fill it with pretty sparkly things,a lovely little birdie indeed...

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  41. My favourite bird is the Robin, my daughter's name was Robyn, so it's very dear to my heart :) I have birds all over the house in memory of her.

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  42. It would have to be the owl because it is in my surname, "Howlett"! :D

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  43. I love the little red parrots that gather in the trees outside our appartment at 5am in early Summer. They make such a racket but it's a great way to welcome the sun.

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  44. I love them all, they are all so sweet and simple yet devine! :D

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  45. I'm not a fan of birds, I have a kind of 'phobia' LOL (me running like a crazy woman when a chicken came close!) so I like birds as long as they are on fabric :oP
    However, my favourite would have to be the owl, they seem so peaceful, serene and wise.
    Jessica Carew

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  46. The owl right now, because I think of the book I read my son, "soft and silent she swooped through the trees". Lovely!

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