Sunday, October 22, 2023

The Big Wild Walk 2023

 

I am doing the Big Wild Walk again to support the Wildlife Trusts UK in their endeavour to save UK wildlife from the brink of total disaster - I am very sad to say that the UK is THE most wildlife depleted country on the planet and many of our iconic species like hedgehogs, water voles, bats and house sparrows are either on the verge of EXTINCTION or massive decline - it simply breaks my heart!

I have already walked 180km this first week so please donate and help me reach my goal of 225km walked and 750 pounds raised by Hallowe'en - I am walking for an extra day as I think Hallowe'en is the perfect day to finish on in honour of our beautiful UK bats!

Here is the LINK TO DONATE and thanks in advance for your support - it means the world to me and those sweet creatures! Love Patricia xxx

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Festival Ready Fabulous Buckets Hats!!!

 

Turn that frown upside down with my wonderful, reversible jaunty bucket hats - handmade to order in London, UK

 


 Here is my Jaunty Bucket Hat made in waterproof oilcloth out in the wilds of Derbyshire doing it's job beautifully and here's how it looks in my shop mock up:


 and the interior showing how the patterns are differently placed on the outside and inside basically giving you two looks for the price of one...


 This mock up of my very popular Millefiori design shows the hat with a wider brim - there is also a narrower modern brim - just ask me to do a mock up of such for you and it will be my happy command to do such at a pretty sharpish pace!


 and a couple of other patterns that have sold and also been requested and mocked up for perusal....

 


and Candy Rainbow Geometric with an interior of Autumn Leaves! - Another customer request fulfilled most happily!

 


and finally dear Ones - some strawberries for your summer outings and trip to Wimbledon to keep the sun off at the tennis!


 Please click HERE scroll down left hand menu - accessories > womens accessories > bucket hats - to peruse all my current Bucket Hats or request a mock up in one of my patterns you love with no obligation :)

 As ALWAYS all these patterns and motifs were originally hand painted in watercolours by yours truly!

Merry Merry Darlingks all - Patricia xxx

Thursday, April 13, 2023

Couture On demand dopamine textile design

 

Well this is about as close as you're going to get to a selfie from yours truly :) 

I am bedecked in my own designs though with a fabulous bonkers all the way long sleeve T from my London based CONTRADO shop and a backpack from REDBUBBLE ....but the crux of this post is to link to a simple wonderful, crystallizingly elegant interview by THOMAS RIDGE copywriter extraordinaire who did this article about me a few months ago - and what a great article it is - Tom was so relaxed and asked such great questions that teased out thoughts into words that I never even realized before that were ideas I've had about myself and my design - thanks so much Tom! He also coined the phrase 'Couture on Demand' which I have to say is genius!

Please follow THIS LINK to the full clever clogs article and thank you for reading! Warmly, Patricia 

And close ups of that utterly maximalist long sleve T which you can peruse to your hearts contenet HERE

 


 



Monday, April 10, 2023

Fabulous bomber jackets in my London based online shop

           

What a lovely picture of my dear friend Caterina wearing my Folkloric Millefiori Bomber jacket which was handmade to order in my London based partner's factory in London. Carefully and expertly made by Contrado I adore this bomber jacket.
 
....and as you can see below men look equally as good in that self same jacket

  For your reference this is how the jacket looks in my online shop - you can easily see the placement of the design is EXACTLY the same on the mock up as on the in real life jacket so what you see is what you get when you order from my online store.


If you'd like to see the jacket in my shop and explore the different combinations of outer shell and lining materials please CLICK HERE
 
Another simply luscious item from this same shop based in London is this soft as a kitten wrap blazer/kimono in a Gypsy Chic Rainbow delight of multiple patterns - such an easy item to wear - and a simple update to an outfit to slip on over a simple black dress for cocktails after the office of to wear to a fabulous festival


To see this slouch jacket in my shop CLICK HERE
 
and finally a little blurb written by Thomas Ridge about how my work is actualy Couture on Demand  - a next level up from just print on demand


 
Please visit my Patricia Shea Designs Contrado shop HERE for all my handmade to order in London UK item - thank you!!!

Saturday, March 18, 2023

Visiting the Contrado UK factory in London and some new items....

How very very lucky am I that I recently got to visit one of my cloud based manufacturers in London.

Contrado very kindly showed me their new paradigm factory for print on demand production - and fabulously made this short video for me of one of my designs being made into a wonderful cross shoulder bag that can also be used as a hand held clutch.

The video shows the amazing attention to detail of the leather worker edging the component pices to make sure that when the bag is complete there are no unsightly edges.

Here is a picture of the finished Midnight Meadows Bouquet Bag held as a clutch and a LINK to peruse in my online handmade to order UK shop


And a LINK TO THIS ONLINE SHOP where everything is handmade to order in ship shape and quick as lightening fashion.

I haven't written here in ever so long so if you do read this will you let me know if anyone is out there still interested to keep reading my posts.

with many thanks - Patricia

Tuesday, March 9, 2021

Made in UK Day March 9th


 Today is the first celebration of #madeinUKday created by Kate Hills the founder of Make it British, a platform to help UK manufacturers and British-made brands find more customers. ... Kate also runs the manufacturing trade show Make it British Live! which attracts over 5,000 visitors from 17 different countries, all looking to make their products in the UK.

 

So I thought I would join in as I am now back in my beloved hometown of Manchester UK and promote and support the UK based print on demand manufacturers I am working with Blightyside - and here they are with links to my shops on their platforms:

ARTWOW 

For a range of home and kitchen decor, apparel, mobile cases, pencil cases and more
 

CONTRADO 

For a large range of apparel and home decor items - including my LIMITED EDITION BONKERS HOODIES
 

FASHION FORMULA 

For a wide range of fabrics, wallpaper and some kitchen and home decor
 

REDBUBBLE 

For these gorgeous diahonous scarves and a selection of 92 other items - many of which are made in UK - DM to check with me or follow this link: LINK
 

Thanks for supporting British businesses if you are in the UK - if not my other shops Society6, Curioos, Spoonflower (also Germany) and Redbubble (also a number of other countries) all ship from the USA

 

Appreciatively, Patricia Shea Designs

Saturday, January 9, 2021

Your VOTE please and thank you!!

 I have just entered this design, Circus Geometric, into this weeks Spoonflower challenge - the honour of your vote would be greatly appreciated - there is no sign in, you can vote for as many designs as your little heart desires but you have to hit SUBMIT to make sure your vote is counted.

LINK TO VOTE

As always this design was originally hand painted in watercolours on paper before scanning and formatting in Photoshop and upload to my various print on demand shops 





 

As there are over 1100 designs in this challenge I do realize this is a time and eyebal boggling commitment so a hearty double thank you if you do vote for me! CHEERS

 

THANKS AS ALWAYS - PATRICIA XXX

Sunday, December 6, 2020

My newest UK based print on demand shop at Fashion Formula

     I have a new UK print on demand shop

So far I only have 24 designs for sale but the exciting part is that you, as the buying customer, can change the scale of the pattern to the size that works best for you - and of course the quality of the print will never be compromised by your change - the programme will only allow you to go so big!

 At my new Fashion Formula shop you can buy my designs on a large variety of different fabrics, three different wallpapers, wrapping paper/gift wrap by the roll and a small selection of homewares and apparel: aprons, tea towels, cushions (pillows in US), blankets, napkin (serviette), placemat, table runner, tote bag, deck chair and snood (kind of a neck/face warmer scarf thingy!)

 I'll be adding more designs bit by bit but if there's one in particular I don't have in the store don't hesitate to to ask me to upload - your wish is my happy command!

 Here is the link to my SHOP 




EVERY SALE IS A TRIUMPH

Thank you!

PatriciaSheaDesigns

Wednesday, December 2, 2020

I've donated to a Charity Art Auction

Here are the two prints I have donated to an Art Auction for the Gaskell Garden Project based in Manchester UK.


"The Gaskell Garden Project is based in Manchester, and started out in 2014 as a growing group of friends, which included refugees & asylum seekers as well as UK citizens, who gardened together in the tradition of permaculture, sold surplus produce and used the money raised to further the welfare of our refugee & asylum seeker friends.

As we grew, we began to run workshops, both at home and at festivals, as well as running our own events. We saw both our volunteers and our refugees & asylum seekers grow in all sorts of ways, and began to understand the potential of our work.

Out of this was born the Gaskell Garden Project as it is now, and our Sponsorship Programme, which sponsors refugees & asylum seekers to help their meet their needs in their new environment. Crucially, however, the ethos of equality and friendship runs deep – they are our friends, rather than service users."

 

To bid on my donated artworks which are A2 (420mm x 594mm/16.5 x 23.4 inch) in size and digitally printed on heavy weight stock please click this LINK

THANK YOU!

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Sustainable Digital Printing on demand. Slow fashion produced FAST!

Sell/Produce/Deliver: digital printing “made to order” products

 My business model explained

 

A new world (or “paradigm”) is opening up for digital designers and independent artists. Best thing? It’s much more agile and environmentally sustainable than it ever was before under the traditional model. Designers only need their time and talents, upload their prints on the online venues to Sell / Produce / Deliver under demand. A big achievement is that no unsold inventory is contributing to landfill while using the digital printing formula. Digital designers will save a massive amount of water, energy and toxic dyestuffs. A much brighter future in slow fashion comparing digital printing vs analogue printing. Learn all about the useful and achievable methods, processes and techniques of ourgoodBlogger & digital designer Patricia Shea first hand! What are you waiting to build your ethical empire?

A new paradigm paradigm.

So why double paradigm? “Paradigm – a typical example or pattern of something”. As a professional surface designer, I create patterns. And there’s a big and most wondrous shift in the way patterns are now being printed digitally. It's become much more agile, environmentally sustainable and, for me, fun and a dream come true. I am thrilled to see my carbon footprint diminish via the amazing auspices of digital printing and print on demand, as I have endeavoured most of my adult life to be as eco-conscious as possible. Now I am glad to say I can be proud of the way my work is being printed.

Sustainable digital printing: opportunities for all designers

By the very nature of digital printing, it is much more sustainable than its prior analogue counterpart which uses massive amounts of water, energy, and toxic dyestuffs to create massive inventories of products. On top of that, a large percentage of this inventory sometimes remains unsold and is difficult (if not impossible!) to dispose of.

In the relatively new Sell/Produce/Deliver model (a term I believe was coined by Debbie McKeegan), the item is purchased first from an online venue like Redbubble,Spoonflower or Society6.e The customer prepays and the item is literally made to order – there is no making up of anything that hasn’t been presold. There is an inventory of the "white goods" but not the giant number or pre-printed apparel and home décor items of the traditional model. This model is also fast and efficient, fantastically the turnaround from sale-to-delivery of items is usually between 4 to 10 days. Although it could be called "fast fashion", it does considerably cut down on a number of the problems we have seen with the fast fashion model we have right now.

Print on demand is a fantastic way for me, as an old school surface designer, to create items virtually to sell online via this relatively new Sell/Produce/Deliver model. I am over the moon as I get to do my business this way, especially since I see more and more selling platforms and items coming online regularly. As a designer, I consider myself to be a very lucky part of this sustainable Fashion Revolution. All I need is the investment of my time and talents to open an online shop at an established print-on-demand website.


The process: from design to sustainable digital printing

It is such a contrast to the clunky slow process that was the fashion in the 80s and 90s when I worked as both, a silhouette and textile designer in NY, for a large bodywear company. And as someone who has experienced the giant fashion industry machine first hand, my heart is gladdened by the brighter future digital printing and POD affords to everyone - whether you are a small or large company.

This new paradigm of digital printing on demand has created lots of small companies that sell through venues like Etsy where you can print your own fabric by the yard through Spoonflower, then make garments, toys, pillows (as you wish) at home and open your Etsy online shop.

The possibilities are limitless once you realize how easy this is to do! And also how affordable it is compared to the analogue model: you no longer have to purchase 10,000 yards of fabric in one design. In fact, you can just buy a fat quarter that is 18” x 21” to do a test run of your chosen pattern and create one small item to start your empire. You can also create an apparel or home décor brand via Society6 and Redbubble and you won’t even have to pay for the use of your shop!

Sustainable Digital printing vs Analogue printing

For me personally, digital printing has been a dream come true. The previous manner of analogue printing, designers had to separate the colours into a disappointingly small number of screens. Not a good way for my work to be translated onto fabrics or wallpaper because my designs are originated by hand in watercolours on paper.

Instead, the advent of digital printing means that my work, in all it’s subtleties, nuances and colour saturation, is perfectly rendered via the auspices of digital printing. The prior way to really achieve the look of my work was also prohibitively expensive, because of the large investment required to create Galvano screens and large inventories to make a run worth undertaking.

All I need for my work is paintbrushes, watercolours, a scanner and Photoshop, to create my pattern repeats, and have the work ready for online upload. Creating the pattern for repeat and placement prints and is ready for sale in my multiple online prints on demand shops. Basically, it's just a matter of hours or days as the shops provide all you need to render your items virtually and ready for sale.


 

Then the POD companies take care of everything else when a sale is made, and I make the equivalent of royalty as profit – for me, it’s the perfect model – and I can do it from anywhere that has a good internet connection!

What more could you want as a surface designer? The only hard part, as with any business, is the marketing and getting customers to my shops.

I jumped aboard the POD bandwagon the very second I realized what a perfect vehicle it was for my artwork and textile patterning and wow these companies started to spring up all over the world – in the US, Canada, Australia, the UK. Today, I can sell my items to anyone anywhere!

Nowadays, I am combining analogue and digital to my heart’s content and I only see the future looking brighter and brighter for my chosen career model, especially so as companies like Doc Cotton (Peckham, London) are improving on the current model by offering all their clothes in 100% sustainable and or organic cotton. It is a great move away from so much polyester, which admittedly prints really well but isn’t good for the environment in a number of ways.

My own brand is in the ether, and solely in the ether, until a customer purchases from one of my online shops. From that moment, as if by magic, the POD machinery cranks into work, creates the item ordered and ships it to the customer. Best thing is that my part in the process was already done with the upload of the pattern or placement print.

It truly is my dream come true!

Are you also a designer and just realised about this brighter future with digital printing? Ask any questions and share your insights with me, we are here to support each other ;)


Here's a list of my online shops:

           Contrado

       Curioos

       Art of Where

       Redbubble

       Society 6

       Spoonflower

       ArtWow

 

Thank you for reading! Please be in touch via the message box in the right hand column or by comment here - I look forward to hearing from you.

Most appreciatively, Patricia SheaDesigns

 

 

Friday, September 25, 2020

A wonderful collaboration - PatriciaSheaDesigns + Pace Development Ltd. Queen of my MOJO!

 

I recently had the great honour, wonderful opportunity and hilariously fun time collaborating on this logo created exclusively for Pace Development Ltd and Jo's new programme for finding, or indeed regaining, your MOJO in these bonkers times.

"Find your Mojo in 14 days will help you navigate chaos productively and healthily so that you can achieve results for you and your business with clarity and confidence. And crucially without the self doubt and burn out.

Now more than every, we need a brimming Mojo Cup full of energy, enthusiasm, motivation, health and vitality to cope with this chaotic and disruptive time."

Jo and I were very fortunate enough to meet before you know what and have been great supports for each other these last few months - it's so great we two women led small businesses have had such a wonderful time collaborating on this important project!

 I created the logo in my usual way - by developing some sketches in pencil on tracing paper - which Jo assessed and we made changes to hone the design to exactly what Jo loved and thought perfectly represented her programme ethos.

I then painted up the design in watercolours on paper, scanned and digitized via Photoshop and also created allover repeat patterns to apply to a huge variety of merchandize now avaiable in my online shops.

 From a variety of t-shirts and apparel to notebooks and mugs and so many things in between - you can find Queen of my MOJO merchandize at these following links:

REDBUBBLE 

SOCIETY6

ARTWOW 

JOs PROGRAMME







                     
          





















                        
 
    



    
      


 










                                                                              



Friday, September 18, 2020

Hello again! The honour of your VOTE would be gratefully appreciated!

Dear, dear, kind, thoughtful, generous PATIENT friends and acquaintances it has been quite the while since I posted - I have missed you and wonder who might still be around to read this post!


 

Would you do me the honour of casting your vote in my general direction for this week’s 500th Spoonflower challenge for which I especially created this design! I am asking a lot as it is a total of 1263 designs to potentially scroll through and the designs are shuffled for each voter and TBH sometimes I have missed my own design in the scrolling - just FYI you can only vote once per person, you DO NOT have to log in and you can vote for as many designs as you like!

*After you select my design please make sure to hit ‘submit’ at the top or bottom of the page - cheers!*

THE VOTING LINK: Click HERE

Voting is open until September 22nd

As always I created this design by hand in watercolours - always Winsor and Newton - on paper block - real old school and then on to scanning and digitizing and cleaning and putting into repeat!

Thank you all most kindly! Patricia 😘😘😘🤩🤩🤩🐝🐝🐝