TW: I have an art background—I worked in interior design but always liked sketching best—the artwork was most exciting. Then I worked at Crate & Barrel, doing windows and displays, which was a lot of fun but hard work. About 10 years ago, I started sewing garments, and then got into quilts and bags. I wanted to get into fabric design, so I started taking Illustrator courses and learning about surface design.
Q. Where did the idea for Jump, Ride, Spin! come from?
TW: Most of us who have kids have joined some type of mom’s group with their babies. When these groups start, the babies aren’t doing much, but you realize that the moms are comparing their kids to each other—what’s your kid doing now? What benchmarks are they reaching? In the first year or two, there’s jumping, spinning; the tricks kids do. This line is a nod to that, but a reminder not to take them too seriously. Moms need to know it’s okay to take your time with those benchmarks.
Q. Your color palette is so fresh!
TW: I always like gray—I think it could be for boys or girls, and the gray colorway goes beyond the typical blue and pink. I did choose pink for the second colorway. People like pink, and it’s a happy color. I have two boys, so I’ve always been attracted to little girl stuff.
Q. Tell us about the focal print.
TW: I’m personally a dog person. I prefer drawing animals to people. The words are all things you’d do with kids: jump, ride spin… My favorite is the dog wearing the arm floaties and the inner tubes—like kids where. The word “Love” is with hearts, and “Grow” is with a growth stick. There’s a hula hoop, and a unicycle.
Q. The word print is really fun, too!
TW: Each word corresponds to milestones that kids experience with their parents. It’s probably my favorite—it’s actually my handwriting, and that’s fun to see in fabric.
Q. Can you tell us more about the other coordinates?
TW: I really like the cloud print. It has a camouflage feel, and it doesn’t have to be used for baby projects. I lined the inside of a bag with it for a pop of color.
I feel like every collection needs to have some type of stripe. To me, this is a stripe. It’s very geometric, and it gives the illusion of a stripe.
The squiggle is inspired by the hula hoop. I really like the gray one, and I’m going to make something for myself out of it.
The last two prints are supposed to read like solids from far away, and show detail up close. The first is outlined dogs, and the second is hula hoops again, but they look like jacks.
See the entire Jump, Ride, Spin! collection here and ask for it at your local quilt shop.
Visit Tracey's website to see more of her work.
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