For Veritas I have been working on a new series of print designs for this years winter collection. The developing process from design to product can take a while and after months of patiently waiting I saw a sneak peek of the collection in September during Veritas Blogger event. Now has November has come and the entire collection is now available in all Veritas stores and in their online webshop.
From ink drawing to surface pattern
For this new winter collection home wear and accessories I wanted to create something which was in line with designs I made last year. A clear follow up. I wanted to create a series of prints with the same look and feel. When I started the designing process for this collection I just came back from India. The little illustrations and repetitive prints have a raw edge to them. I decided to use raw brushes and Indian ink to shape my whimsical illustrations, the first step to a surface pattern. The imperfect shapes of raw nature reflect the emotions with the change of the seasons. During this time of year nature transforms from soft and colorful into clear and raw. The new shapes were a direct conversion to this raw emotion. If you look closely to the little shapes that built the pattern you can see these spontaneous curves.
After this first drawing phase I will sit down and convert my drawings into vector files. When I have them on my computer I first start with a composition. It can be a simple repeat or a combination of shapes together. I will move the illustrations around until they find the right balance and then add color. For this collection I wanted to use cold winter season colors in soft tones and combine those with a warmer orange. Just using the second color as a little pop. The small scaled illustrations give the pattern a romantic touch. The entire home wear series is made from soft pastel repeats and the pyjama's have a contrasting t-shirt with a enlarged details and patchwork on the front and little detailing.
Cuddle up in cosy homewear
For the accessories, the bags and scarfs, I wanted to make a stronger series in color. They are a bit more winterly and darker than the series of prints I made for home wear. All designs are also available as fabric. And there is an entire series of sewing supplies that are very handy in your DIY home. The home wear series also includes undies, warm winter socks and matching negliges to go with the feather, flowers and apple prints. Take a look at the entire Maaike Boot collection online and mix and match! Don't be shy and tag your items in your Instagram feed of post your selfie wearing one of the items on the Little Smilemakers Facebook page. Looking forward to see how you mix and match this winter.
