Hello! This is Rosanna from the Iron Curtain Press. I'm filling in for Jenny while she and Jason are in Africa. Yay!
I've really been stoked about Cotton and Flax, a delightful home goods company based out of Pasadena, California. I asked Erin Dollar a bit about her process and she has shared some photos from her newest collection. Her work is so beautiful, and I love her minimalist aesthetic.
RK: How often do you create new collections? What are your main sources of inspiration as you create each new collection?
ED: I constantly have new ideas brewing for Cotton & Flax, but I only really push the idea of a "collection" twice a year. I try to add new colors and patterns with each collection, and maybe a new product or two, if I am feeling ambitious. For Spring/Summer 2013, I am bringing back a popular fabric color that I phased out early last year, and introducing some new coasters into the mix.
I find that inspiration comes from all over as I am trying to curate a collection. I don't tend to work in a linear fashion - I'm designing patterns at the same time I'm looking for fabrics - so often it's a color or a shape, or a particular material that I'm drawn to, and then I work entirely around that. I am always developing new patterns in my sketchbook, so for me, the design process is really all about editing down all my ideas until it's easily digestible.
RK: Describe a little of your process - from concept to finished product. Do you have a favorite step?
ED: I suppose I begin my process by considering what type of product I am designing for. A pattern that looks great on a coaster may not look fantastic on a 20 inch pillow, so I have to keep the end product in mind as I design. After I design a new pattern, I have it transferred onto a silkscreen so that I can print multiples. I source fabrics locally, and screenprint and sew everything myself in my studio here in Pasadena. I love that I have control over every aspect of the design, from start to finish.
My favorite moments are spent designing something entirely new, even if it's not something that ends up getting used that season. For example, I just printed a batch of these great patterned envelopes, which have two contrasting patterns on each side. They are completely impractical - relatively expensive and labor-intensive - so I won't be adding them to the shop anytime soon, but I just loved trying something new.
RK: I love your new post cards! Do you have plans to expand your paper goods line?
ED: Thank you! I hope to add a few more paper products this year, and I have a fun stationery collaboration in the works that may debut in the coming months. I don't plan to expand too much, though, I'm too in love with textiles right now.
Thanks Erin! Side note: She has a really great instagram feed too: @cottonandflax
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