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
 |
| Download this free quilt pattern (which uses a Dryad Snack Pack) here. |
See the entire Dryad collection here.
Learn more about Shannon here.
Find the free "Drifting Leaves" quilt pattern here.
