Inspired by Fabric: Introducing Shannon Brinkley's Dryad collection!

We first introduced you to Shannon Brinkley back in the spring, when she made the amazing "Around the World" quilt for our Quilt Market booth.

Now Shannon is back, with her long-anticipated first fabric collection, Dryad! After you're done ~~drooling over~~ admiring the prints, keep reading to learn more about Shannon's design inspiration.

Q. Tell us about the inspiration that led you to create Dryad.

Shannon: Anyone who knows me knows that trees in general are a huge source of inspiration for me. I’m kind of ridiculous in my love and obsession with trees. When I started thinking about sketches for fabric, of course the first thing that came to mind was trees. It started with sketches and branches.

Q. Where did the name Dryad come from?

Shannon: Dryads were ancient Greek mythological spirits of the trees.

Q. How does Dryad fit into your scrappy appliqué technique?

Shannon: I wanted design the line in a way that would work really well with appliqué and with scrappy appliqué in particular—this collaged look that people are creating. That was the goal—lots of tone on tone, simple line drawings with a lot of organic texture.

Q. The main print really has a collage-style look.

Shannon: Yes, it’s a cheater print of sorts for the scrappy appliqué look. It was the last print I designed. I did all of the others first and then compiled them into the collage print. The pattern of the print is one of my cutting patterns that I do—my wood grain pattern. It’s what I often use when I’m making trees. It has that texture, that shape, that movement of wood grain.

Q. We love the look of the text print! What are the words?

Shannon: It is a Robert Frost poem that has been one of my favorites for a long time. Musing about running away into a tree. He’s more talking about going off on his own into the world, but I love the whimsical image of running away into a tree. And it’s in my handwriting.

Q. Your colorways are beautiful, and not just a typical red, yellow, green blue.

Shannon: I started with the colors that I am most drawn to—lots of blues—cerulean blue that I use time and time again. I was trying to create pieces that I would want to use in a quilt/collage. I love the yellow/mustard color with the blue. I also love this poppy red, kind of more of an orange, but I see it as a red. Loved that paired with the mint.

Q. Do you have a favorite print (or prints)?

Shannon: My very favorite is the line-drawn branches in the cerulean blue and the poppy red.

I also love the text prints a lot.

Another one I really love is the cross section print—it comes in four different colors. I actually took a block print of a cross section of a tree (although no trees were harmed in the making of this line!) We built the print off of those actual cross sections.

Q. Tell us about the free quilt pattern you designed using the Dryad snack pack.

Shannon: “Drifting Leaves” has a super quick background that works with the gradients. Shows off the prints really well. Then you’re using the collage print for little leaf appliqué pieces, which are drifting down the quilt.

"Drifting Leaves" by Shannon Brinkley