Hello, Retro Florals!
We're so excited for the launch of Flower Market, a new fabric collection from Elsie Larson and Emma Chapman--the faces behind the lifestyle company called A Beautiful Mess.
Flower Market has a retro feel, packed with larger than life vintage florals, a fabulous rainbow stripe, and fun checks and plaids. It's also printed on 100% organic cotton basecloth!
Just how did this creative duo come up with such fun fabrics? Keep reading; Elsie shares the story behind the collection.
How is this fabric line inspired by 70s fashion and home décor?
We were inspired by the colors of the seventies (avocado, mustard, muted oranges and pinks) as well as the patterns. Our florals are truly more vintage replicas than anything else. We painted and created the florals by hand and then went to great lengths to make sure they could pass as "real vintage" in the digital design process.
Where did you look for inspiration as you put together the fabric patterns?
I saved a ton of vintage dresses with great patterns from Etsy and Vera Neumann is a big inspiration to us too! I have a huge collection of her vintage scarves and have loved her for as long as I can remember.
How did you get started on this collection?
I would say the florals really were the starting point, but the rainbow stripe is another of our absolute favorites! We started with the floral theme and a seventies color palette and built it out from there.
This collection has such a wonderful variety of scale. How did you choose the sizes for the various motifs?
Thank you! We tried to include a big variety since scale is so important in design. You need a variety depending on your project!
How do you two collaborate in designing something like Flower Market?
Once we decided on the idea of florals, we hand painted some patterns and our designer, Mara, made them into repeating digital patterns. We tried out a ton of color options and then narrowed it down to our absolute favorites for production.
What appealed to you about designing a quilt fabric collection?
We love the idea of quilting because you need a big variety of scales and designs. We do a DIY blog so you never know what we'll be using the fabric for- anything from clothing to home decor to kids toys. So we wanted to create something really versatile.
Do you have a favorite print in the collection?
The rainbow is my favorite, but I love the florals and the ginghams so much as well!
What do you envision these prints being used for?
We have already used them for clothing (both adult and children's), home decor and handmade toys. I feel like you can use it for anything if you like vintage florals and rainbows!
View: Find the entire Flower Market collection here.
Read: Check out Elsie and Emma's blog post about their fabric here.
Buy: Purchase a fat quarter bundle of Flower Market here.
Looking for your next project?
Use the Flower Market prints in the Big Blooms quilt.
Download the Big Blooms free quilt pattern here.