Inspired by...

One of the reasons that we love talking to our designers about their fabric lines is learning about what inspired their creativity. Recently we asked Ro Gregg to give us a behind-the-scenes look at designing the Windsor Woods collection; below is what she shared. 

Q. What influenced your designs in the Windsor Woods collection?

Ro: I wanted it to be an ode to nature, an organic feeling—showing bees, butterflies, and dragonflies—but I wanted it to have an art deco look. We started with the master panel, which is on a Marblehead texture. It has a sort of William Morris influence.

Q. Tell us about the master panel.

Ro: There are six different blocks in a 1 yard decorative pre-print panel. The blocks have an ornate art deco feel, with motfis from nature. Three of the blocks feature dragonflies, butterflies and bees, respectively. The remaining three blocks are a little more graphic design with scrolls and flowers. The nice thing about the panel is that it has a lot of breathing room for cutting the blocks apart. The border stripe—that's a bonus.

Q. And what about the coordinates?

Ro: For the coordinates, I wanted to take art deco approach to nature, which I believe also has a contemporary feel—look at the dragonfly print, for example. 

The William Morris floral with the loose roses in a set pattern is another example, and the graphic patterns with the trellis and hummingbirds, the way the butterfly is put together, they're definitely more visual, more artistic.

The stripe is actually a conglomeration of many of the scrolls and details used in the panel.

Q. Do you have a favorite print?

Ro: The panel is definitely a favorite—truly a masterpiece—using the alabaster and the marble in the background and then all the patterns on top. There's a lot of attention to detail in it. The blocks in the panel can become one-block wonders with a kaleidoscope effect.

Q. Can you describe the color palette?

Ro: The colors are fresh—I love them—such a nice, neutral tone layered with the greens, the warm wine reds and the amethyst and sapphire.

See the entire collection (plus coordinating Marblehead colors!) here.

Find out more about the Windsor Woods Block of the Month quilt here.