teahouse stroll
I’ve been designing pattern collections for over five years now, and have developed a process that helps me avoid overwhelm and design collections that are sellable. Come along with me as I take you through my process of building my new collection called Teahouse Stroll.
developing a theme
Every sellable collection has to start with a searchable theme. Of course, if someone can’t find our patterns, they can’t buy our patterns! So making sure that your patterns are easy to find in search even before you create them is the most important part of this whole process. I talk in detail about how to do that here, but suffice it to say that you should have in mind some specific words that people would type into a search bar before you start drawing.
thumbnail sketches
I start each collection with a series of thumbnail sketches so that I have a “birds eye view” of the collection. This should include a few hero patterns, a few secondary patterns, and a few blender patterns so that your collection is varied and allows people to choose between detailed, busy patterns and some subtle, less intense ones.
style guide
Next I create a style guide that is the “rule system” I follow as I build my patterns. This might include the brushes used, the overall mood, or a historical period. For this collection, I used the process and style that I show in my Historical Styles Class to get inspiration from a historical period and incorporate that into my pattern designs.
pattern sketches
Next I begin sketching patterns, usually starting with the most complex and working my way down to the simplest patterns last. I love creating dense and busy patterns so that is my favorite thing to dive into first. Then I have to force myself to create some boring blenders because #salesgoals
inked patterns
Last, I ink all my patterns, and I like to save this step for last because I’ve found it hard to ink in a consistent way when I skip between sketching and inking (especially when days or even months pass between making patterns). Inking is typically a 2-3 day project for me and I try to ink all of the patterns at once, noting the brushes, brush sizes, and amount of texture used in each pattern in order to keep things consistent.
pattern pairings
This is one of the most important (and often skipped) parts of the collection building process! At this stage we have to decide colors and scale in a way that makes each pattern stand out, but also allows for beautiful pattern pairings.
For example, if you were making a clutch bag with my fabric, you would probably want a beautiful hero for the outside and a simple blender for the inside. If we skip this important step of pattern pairing, we can be left with a collection full of heroes that compete with each other!
color versions
Last I create color versions of each pattern in a single palette. I like to create at least 3 or 4 colorings of each pattern, and later go back and remove a few that are not my favorites. You can also create a whole other colorway in order to explore different moods like pastel vs. vibrant neons!
delivery
This is one of the hardest parts of the collection making process. We spend all this time with our patterns, learning to love them and seeing them as precious. Then we have to package them up and ship them to people who will either love or hate them, and the result is out of our control. I try to do this part quickly and in a pleasurable environment (like a cafe with my favorite drink) so I can get it done and move on to the next creative project.
I know I’m not the only creative who feels a sort of disappointment when a collection goes out into the world. Whether it succeeds or fails, there is a feeling of loss when it leaves our hands and goes into someone else’s. This is why it’s so important to dive right into the next project you are excited about, rather than focusing too much on the immediate results of the patterns!
For some context, I started planning this collection in May 2023 and here we are, in February of 2025 as it goes live. Surface design is a long game, so it’s important to move on and avoid obsessing over the results of a collection once you’ve shared it with the world.
the sellable pattern collection checklist
- Come get the checklist I use to produce collections that are searchable online and sellable in shops!
- Follow along with me as you improve an old collection or create a new one in the class.
