Now’s the perfect time to take note of the summer’s palette and designs—from emerging buds to full-fledged oversized blooms—which can give you ideas for your own fresh and exciting motifs. Here are some tips from designer Susan Cariello, author of Bags in Bloom.

Flowers and plants are a tremendous source of endless inspiration for me, as a textile designer. I love all kinds of flowers and foliage—but particularly those with graphic outlines and clean, fresh colors—and incorporate them into my embroidered handbag designs.

There’s inspiration all around you.

You might simply sketch shapes and ideas from a bunch of flowers that you have bought at the market. Or take a field trip to the countryside and collect a few wild flowers. Your own garden (or your local community’s garden) is also a wonderful space to reflect and take in nature’s beauty.

Keep a nature journal.

It’s a great idea to keep a small notebook or drawing pad and sketch anything that you like, from how the stems, tiny leaves, and delicate petals of a daisy are formed, to the larger flower heads of classic roses. Don’t worry, you don’t need to be able to draw these flowers and leaves beautifully. The sketches are for your benefit alone, and as long as they contain the information you need, they are absolutely perfect.

Stuck indoors?

Another way to study flowers and plants is by looking at botanical illustrations. Whenever I need a slice of inspiration, I’ll turn to the significant library of books that I collected over the years. (My favorite is a treasured volume by Pierre-Joseph Redouté.) Or, spend a rainy afternoon at a museum or art gallery, studying prints and textiles patterned with floral motifs.

Create a mood board.

Once you’ve collected your flowers or drawn your sketches, what’s next? A great starting point is to create a mood board. Buy a bulletin board and plenty of push-pins. Mount the board somewhere where you can easily see it: inspiration lurking behind a door isn’t much use!

In addition to your nature finds, you could include any postcards that you’ve picked up on your travels, or remnants of fabric. Bit’s of yarn, trimmings, found objects that appeal to you—even if you’re not sure why—all of these can be great sources of inspiration.

Nature is so beautifully formed that whichever flowers and plants take your fancy, they’ll be a fantastic starting point for your future designs.

To find out more about Susan’s nature-inspired designs, check out Bags in Bloom.

Categories: Free Projects | Sewing |

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