Illustrated Textiles: Design, Print and Sew a Cushion

In this class you will learn how to design, print and sew your own illustrated cushion cover.

You will see your own artwork come to life on fabric, then create a cushion for your own home or as a new strand of your creative practice. 

If you are an illustrator, artist or creative soul who would love to explore textiles as a creative output then this class is for you.

Prior basic machine sewing experience is desirable but not essential, you can still send the fabric to print then hand sew it!  

This class is your opportunity to see your artwork on fabric. I will take you through the steps to research your interior space, make a moodboard for your design; draw, collage and play with different drawing techniques; prepare your digital artwork for printing on textiles; and finally sew and make your own cushion.

These skills will complement other areas of your creative practice, and open new avenues for you to explore. Once you have started digitally printing fabric, there’s no end to what you could make - clothes, bedding, wall hangings and so much more! 

Materials / Resources

You will need: 

• Your laptop
• A a design programme, I will be using Photoshop and Illustrator, but you could use Procreate or another you are familiar with. 
• InDesign to use the templates, or open the PDFs and make your own versions.
• A camera or phone to take photos with.
• Black marker or thick drawing pens and white paper.
• A phone or scanner to upload drawings to a laptop. 
• A sewing machine or hand sewing needles and thread. 
• A 45 x 45cm cushion inner pad.
• You will need to purchase your digitally printed fabric in a ‘fat quarter’ size (72cm x 50cm) of around £10 - 15 GBP (depending on your fabric choice) plus postage. 

Templates:

• Moodboard - InDesign Template and JPEG (to use in Google Drawings if you do not have InDesign)
• Thumbnail Sketches - InDesign Template and JPEG
• Cushion Pattern - InDesign Template and JPEG

Why you should join!

I am a participatory artist and illustrator with ten years experience facilitating workshops with communities of diverse ages and backgrounds. I love encouraging others to discover new ways to be creative and to broaden their own perspective of their creative practice. If you would like to get inspired, learn new ways to explore illustration and discover the world of illustrated textiles then come and get involved! 

Thank you and I look forward to seeing you in the class!

• Illustrated Textiles: About this Class
• Your Class Project
• Interior Trends and Inspiration
• Making a Moodboard
• Abstract Shapes - Thumbnail Sketches Part 1
• Continuous Line - Thumbnail Sketches Part 2
• Digital Collage - Thumbnail Sketches Part 3
• Finalising Design
• Uploading to Print
• Sewing Our Cushion
• Conclusion and Thank You