Sommer, my latest fabric collection with Michael Miller Fabrics is shipping this week, and I’m so excited! After a long 2 year hiatus (having baby #4 and adjusting to a very new dynamic at work and at home!) I have come out with my 5th fabric collection, and I am so thrilled.
After having Anders, I really needed to create something for ME. My previous textile collections have been inspired by my children, and what they love. But with a difficult pregnancy, and the adjustment to having 4 children, I really wanted to be surrounded by textiles for me....textiles that I could love and wear and use. SOMMER is that collection. What I love about it though, is that I’ve made it sophisticated enough for me, but soft and sweet enough to be used for children as well. The perfect mix.
SOMMER, the Scandinavian word for Summer, is a collection of designs inspired by my Scandinavian heritage. Having just had our little boy, Anders Christensen who we named after my mother’s side of the family, I wanted to create a collection after my love of the landscape, color and culture in that part of the world and that taps into that part of my family heritage. My art has always been inspired by Carl Larsson, Elsa Beskow, Joseph Frank, my grandmothers vintage floral textiles and the intricate carvings in my Great-Great-Grandfathers handiwork.
With the ever growing need for textiles and fabrics in every part of our lives, I wanted to make sure that these fabrics crossed over easily into every day life. The scale and color of these prints were thoughtfully designed with lifestyle in mind. Quilting, bedding, clothings, upholstery, and everything in between. The large florals are big, but not too big for Quiltings. But there are upholstery fabrics that carry these prints even larger. The gingham are big enough for a strong statement, but not too big for smaller projects.
All of these designs have been hand painted in gouache and watercolor which was a new process for me! I do all my illustrations this way, but transferring into fabric was a new challenge, and I’m so happy with how it turned out. I wanted it to feel handmade. Handdrawn. A special vintage feel to it. And I’m so happy with how it turned out.
My first inspiration for Sommer came from the kelly green, vibrant red and blues that make me think of Sweden. In Scandinavia, the winters are so long and white, that traditionally, the architecture, interiors and textiles were vibrant in color to counteract the long dark winters. These colors make me so happy!
Along with the vibrant deep jewel tones, these softer more vintage colors are muted and subdued to reflect the more delicate colors of summer.
And of course, like with every collection, I have a border print that ties all these ideas together, and makes for a wonderful whimsical border. SOMMER BORDER is a scene with traditional images...swans, bicycles, tulips, kite flying and water...with the skyline of Stockholm in the distance.
There will be more to share, and more to show! I hope this little bit gets you excited. SOMMER is distributed by Michael Miller Fabrics, and sold retail in stores worldwide. For a list of retail stores, visit this page. For info on how to order retail, you can visit www.michaelmillerfabrics.com or visit this page to see all the textiles of SOMMER.
Happy Sommer!
xo
sarah jane
(All photography in this post by Nicole Hill Gerulat)