I am not trained to do the design work I do for Whispirit. I wish I had gone to fashion design school or art school to understand the professional techniques of design. But I didn’t. I went to law school instead. Sigh.
But I have found that I love to create one of a kind clothing made from our own handmade alpaca needle-felted fabric. And, I have my own unique way of coming up with the designs, often with input from my husband Lee, Heather, JB, Sarah, Diane, Robin, June and others.
When I start to design something, I start first with colors. Multiple colors. Not a color chart, but instead something or some things that in combination make my spirit dance. It might be a beautiful silk scarf I already own or the wind blowing through our gardens pushing various colors together. Frequently, it’s a color combination that emerges from my flipping through the many magazine images I have pasted on cardstock (a practice I learned from Diane Ericson). It might be a beautiful basket of vegetables from the Taos Farmers’ Market. Or a rich sunset or stunning moon rise over the Sandia mountains. Or an artful piece of jewelry, such as the pieces I recently saw (and purchased — don’t tell Lee) at a jewelry party featuring artist June Rosen Lopez. Or the soft richness of Osita, our sweet New Mexico pup.
![img_20161017_091935902 img_20161017_091935902](https://www.whispirit.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/IMG_20161017_091935902-576x1024.jpg)
![2014-02-15 05.29.22 2014-02-15 05.29.22](https://www.whispirit.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/2014-02-15-05.29.22-700x395.jpg)
![WIN_20150606_141107 WIN_20150606_141107](https://www.whispirit.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/WIN_20150606_141107-700x467.jpg)
![img_20160730_090438649 img_20160730_090438649](https://www.whispirit.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/IMG_20160730_090438649-700x394.jpg)
Often, particularly with my collage fabric creations, it’s a Perfect Button, created by Robin Pascal that pumps my color imagination.
![dsc_9236_1 dsc_9236_1](https://www.whispirit.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/DSC_9236_1-700x465.jpg)
![img_20160830_091558091 img_20160830_091558091](https://www.whispirit.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/IMG_20160830_091558091-576x1024.jpg)
![Perfect buttons Perfect buttons](https://www.whispirit.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/DSCF0002-600x562.jpg)
Next, it’s to the “creation table” where I layout my pieces of dyed roving, fabric remnants, fleece batts, and go through my dyes. Typically, I dye the underlying fabric first, either cotton or silk, which will stabilize the fiber batt and infuse color into it. Sometimes I chose a fabric that has rich natural hues, and is on a neutral colored background and decorate it with the color du jour. For me the fabric is the work of art. Each sheet of fabric I make has unique qualities, drape, color, subtle or rich tones.
The fabric inspires the design of the jacket. Sometimes I will make my prototype and consult with Lee, who is really a great observer of balance and contrast. Seamstress Heather Briggs shares her inspirations as well, and has turned some one-of-a-kind fabrics into simply awesome jackets, vests, and hats. Seamstress Sarah Tafoya helped perfect the princess line jacket as well as our loose fitting comfort jacket/vest, the Hug.
![WHISPERING-SPIR - WIN_20150829_041608 WHISPERING-SPIR - WIN_20150829_041608](https://www.whispirit.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/WHISPERING-SPIR-WIN_20150829_041608-576x1024.jpg)
![13 13](https://www.whispirit.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/13-1-300x300.jpg)
![Just Add Water Just Add Water](https://www.whispirit.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Just-Add-Water-577x1024.jpg)
![firenymph-jacket-background firenymph-jacket-background](https://www.whispirit.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/firenymph-jacket-background-300x300.jpg)
But for me, my art of creation is first and foremost how color speaks to me. That makes my spirit dance.
Til next time. Sandy
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