Tracey Wirth was raised in an old farmhouse on a dirt road in Southeastern Michigan, where she was surrounded by state land. Inspiration for many of Tracey’s surface pattern designs comes from her childhood memories exploring the dirt roads, farm fields and forest paths that she called home.

After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Environment & Design from Michigan State University, Tracey headed West to Northern California where she worked for a bit as a design trainee for Crate & Barrel before starting a family.    

Tracey’s love for quilting, and the process of selecting and working with so many beautiful fabrics, launched her on a path towards surface pattern and fabric design.  Tracey not only enjoys designing repeat patterns for textiles, but loves to create whimsical illustrations that can be used in repeats, or for greeting cards or other surfaces. 

Tracey brings a unique perspective and voice to the world of surface pattern design - developed from growing up in very rural Michigan, having lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for the past 25 years, and having spent summers in Cape Cod for the past 15 years.  She enjoys sharing her perspective and voice through writing, which she does via a monthly newsletter and a blog called Swellsewing.  It is through these outlets that Tracey tells the many stories of her sewing and non-sewing adventures.