Lots of Character!

Most of the items I design, whether it's patterns or fabrics, center around characters.  I just love the whimsy.  With applique, you only need a good outline to create the character.  Each piece, whether an arm, leg, or hat, has to be one complete piece so it can be cut.  When I started designing fabric in 2008, it was very liberating!  It had been so long since I had actually fully sketched a character adding faces, shading, those cute little details.  It started bringing out more of my creativity, and made me start thinking in all new directions.

Up through my "Hugs and Holly" Christmas line, I had been sketching my designs on paper, and then coloring everything on the computer.  For my next line, I'm actually going to try watercolor painting!  I've just started, and I'm loving the look it's adding to the characters.  We'll see how it goes... look for the fabric line to start selling in 2012!  If you would like to see my fabrics on Red Rooster Fabric's website, click on the link below, then click on Designers, then Kelly Mueller, to see all of my lines!




Since I had all of these graphics that I designed for the fabric just sitting here, I decided I wanted to try more things with them.  My first try is through a website called Zazzle.com.  It's a site that lets people take their own art or photos, and lets them create products.  For instance, if you're a grandmother, you can take a picture of your grandchild and make a mug, a shirt, a mousepad.  But then there are many designers and artists, like me, who take their graphics and art and create little "stores" on the Zazzle website where people can buy products with their art.  It's a great opportunity, and it's just neat to see products with something that you created.  My idea was that my customers could purchase, for instance, my Hugs and Holly book, Hugs and Holly fabric, (Both showing at Fall Market 2011 to quilt shops. The fabric will start shipping in 2012.) and could make great projects for their home, or gifts to give away.  Then you could also go on Zazzle.com and purchase the matching mugs, with the same characters, or a mousepad, a bag, a shirt.  What a great way to coordinate a great gift or place setting, etc!  If you would like to check out my products, just click here...