FLORAL REPEATS

ALL OVER REPEAT

Jardin des Tuileries, Mokum's Dauphine Collection 2008

HALF DROP REPEAT

Spice, Mrs. Press "Dressing Table" 2009

Tea Rose, Mrs. Press "Dressing Table" 2009

STRAIGHT REPEAT

Petit Trianon, Mokum's Dauphine Collection 2008

Pomegranate, Mokum's Dauphine Collection 2008

BORDER REPEAT

Magnolia Dress, Mrs. Press Ready to Wear 2009

Kartuli, Meridian's Folk Collection 2008

When it comes to designing a floral the repeat options are endless. You may think this would make things easier but it really doesn't, if anything it makes it so much more difficult!

Each repeat option above demonstrates how much a repeat system can influence a design. It can be a simple half drop or an all over repeat. All over repeats in my opinion can be best described as a puzzle in which you and you only can make it fit together.

For me the Mokum Kartuli border design was one of the most challenging, as it is three metres wide, this meant my design also had to be three metres as well and no repeat!! This design took me so long to design and if it wasn't for Cathy Brown saying she believed in me I probably would have given up.

Every mill we work with world wide has different looms that are set to specialised repeat sizes. So when we have finished a design and chosen a quality, whether it be silk or velvet, we then need to make it the right size repeat for the weaving looms capability.

When it comes to embroidery its even more difficult, not only do you need a horizontal repeat size from the mill, you also need to know the vertical repeat size. If you didn't know these repeat options before starting your design it could end up quite distorted. This happened to me with Petit Trianon, but luckily I only had to alter it slightly.

To sum it up, floral designs in any repeat are very beautiful but in my opinion the process is quite the opposite!!