It's so exciting to present the 1st Project Run & Play fabric collection, Project Nature Adventure! This week, we're introducing the designers who collaborated to create this collection, and giving sneak peeks of their designs.
Today we're introducing Toya of Made by Toya, one of the fabric designers for Project Nature Adventure.
Hi - I'm Toya an illustrator and educator from London, UK with a passion for making. I have been sewing on and off most of my life, and now mostly sew for my two children and myself. Getting involved with this collection was a lovely way of combining my interests and a great opportunity to make new connections with the other designers.
The theme of nature adventures was so much fun to work with that I struggled to narrow down my ideas; but approached all the designs through the medium of ink as it is a firm favourite in both illustration commissions and education projects. In the end two of my final designs were inspired by song lyrics. Land Marks draws on "My Little Welsh Home", a song which I sung to my children as babies, the first line of which is "I am dreaming of the mountains of my home" which conjures up memories of the beautiful landscapes of Snowdonia and beyond. The joy of mark making is also referenced in the design's name.
"Twiglets"
The design for Twiglets is a celebration of the humble stick - a source of many games - nest/den building, flag waving, fetch playing etc. etc. and a bit of nature that we can enjoy even living in large and busy city. The song that sprung to mind, as I was drawing the design, is from a popular children's TV show with a catchy tune and only the lyrics 'stick, stick, sticky stick' on repeat. Needless to say once it's in your head it's never leaving.
Seeing the designs come together and receiving the printed fabric for the first time was a real joy, and sewing up samples allowed me to make clothes that will be suitable for our own adventure ad we set off for a camping trip in California and Oregon this summer!
I'm hoping the designs in the collection might resonate with some of your memories and associations with nature and adventures too.
Toya also took all our designs and incorporated them into the main print for the Nature Adventure Theme. Isn't it an amazing print? Are you ready to get your hands on some of this fabric???
We'll see you next week when we'll share what we've created using these special fabrics, and preorders will open so YOU can get some of this amazing collection too!.
The Land Marks print is so good! I love that it's just made from marks.
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