Hi Reader,

We've just wrapped up the Pixel to Pattern* workshop, where curious creatives got to play with the uber-simple software we use to design custom handwoven fabrics ... and it was fab! My fave response at the end was,

• * Missed it? here's a recorded training in Kind Fabric Collective.​

Just to show you how straightforward it is to pick up, earlier that morning I ran through the Plaidmaker process with 3 young friends.

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In fact it was a precious morning of revealing weave to new minds with hands on practice and videos of the professionals in Bangladesh. They absolutely got it! The heartfelt response from one was, "Thank you weavers for weaving." And yes, I only just managed to stop a tear. 🙌🥲🙌

Where does it begin?

With the kids, and with the designers, once again I was reminded that fabric doesn't begin on a loom, or anywhere else in the production process. It begins with an idea.

Those who joined Pixel to Pattern live, brought a special inspo piece, a prompt for the colour palette and proportions they wanted to play with. Sometimes the idea is as simple as a photograph, a fleeting colour combo spotted on a walk, maybe a memory from childhood, or a texture that simply refuses to leave you alone. Sometimes it starts as a sketch, or even a feeling.

What I love about working with designers is seeing that moment when they realise they don't have to choose from fabrics that already exist. They can create the fabric they actually want ... just like Grace expressed!

That shift is powerful. Instead of asking, "What can I make from this fabric?" or, "Where can I find the fabric I need?", the question becomes, "What fabric would best express my idea?", increasingly followed by, " ... and can I use it with peace of mind?"

For many designers, that's unfamiliar territory. We've become so accustomed to fabric shopping for our projects, we forget fabric itself can be designed. Our creativity gets exhaustively stretched by trying to make fabrics work, rather than excitingly stretched by making our own fabrics!

How does it 'become'?

When I first began working alongside weavers in Bangladesh decades ago, I discovered that some of the most exciting ideas emerge through collaboration. A designer brings a vision. A weaver brings generations of knowledge. Together something is created that neither could have imagined alone.

That's one reason I continue to run the Kind Fabric Course.​

I love seeing designers move from inspiration to creation, from vague concept to a fabric that genuinely reflects their values and aesthetic.

The August course is now open at the Early Bird rate of $200 off at $597, and I'd be delighted to have you, or someone you know, join the next mastermind of like-minded designers and makers discovering this new, yet most ancient, way of sourcing fabric - handmade to order.

A question to ponder:​
​Where do your best design ideas come from, and could they become your next fabric?

Here's to making things, all things, better together! 🙌🫶🙌