Behind the Design: Field Print

Hello! I'm Katelyn, one of the textile designers here at Mata Traders. Since summer is in full swing I thought it might be fun to share the process behind the creation of the Field print from Mata's latest collection. 

I love plants and often take walks around my neighborhood in Chicago for inspiration. Even though I live in the city, there are still plenty of beautiful blooms that I encounter on a daily basis. I decided to focus on a few common plants to create this print: Coreopsis, Goldenrod and New England Aster.

After determining the concept, I begin to sketch out the main elements in watercolor. I prefer to begin the design process by hand rather than designing digitally to maintain the handmade and thoughtful aesthetic that Mata Traders is known for.

These elements are then scanned in and the colors flattened  so I can begin the process of tessellation. This can prove to be a tricky process but over the years I’ve gotten more skilled at easily building a seamless repeat.

Once the print has been put into repeat, the real fun begins! By changing the amount of colors, printing methods, scale and fabric type, we can create a multitude of variations from the same print. I like to start out with the most complicated, colorful version of a print that can be shifted as necessary for cohesion within the collection.

As you can see, the final print ended up in two-color versions, but it's still impactful in both color variations. 

Mata invests a lot of time developing one-of-a-kind textile designs for our unique customers, and this collection is fair trade fashion you can get excited about!

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Want to see more of Katelyn's work? Check her website and find her over on Instagram!