Where Memories Bloom
Some collections begin with a colour palette or a design brief. Threads of Memory began with memories I was already carrying. A favourite flower, a family holiday, a poem, and quiet moments spent wandering through the garden with my camera. Before there were patterns, there were photographs. Before there were illustrations, there were stories.
It started with flowers that carried meaning. A camellia planted in memory of family. Forget-me-nots that reminded me of my father's poem Spring. Delicate butterfly pea blossoms climbing quietly through the garden. Even woven wicker furniture from a family holiday became part of the story, inspiring texture, warmth and a sense of home.
Rather than inventing these illustrations, I photographed the plants and places that already held special memories. Those photographs became the first pages of the collection, preserving not only the details of each flower, but also the moments connected to them.
From Photograph to Illustration
Every illustration begins with observation.
Using my own reference photographs, I carefully traced and refined each subject in Procreate before rebuilding the artwork as clean vector illustrations. This process allows me to preserve the character of the original flower while creating artwork that is suitable for pattern design, licensing and print.
It's a slower approach than drawing from imagination alone, but it helps each illustration retain the little imperfections and details that make nature feel authentic.
Building the Collection
With the illustrations complete, the collection gradually began to take shape.
The colour palette was inspired by soft cottage gardens and heirloom interiors, blending gentle florals with muted greens, warm creams and dusty pinks. From there, the motifs were arranged into hero prints, supporting coordinates and simple blenders, allowing each pattern to complement the others while telling one cohesive story.
Like memories themselves, each design stands beautifully on its own, but together they create something richer.
Every collection begins with observation. A photograph, a quiet moment, a walk through nature. Those small moments become sketches, the sketches become patterns, and eventually they become stories that can be shared.
