Insideout: How Fox and Fables designed nostalgic folk art fabrics for Benartex

Words by Garrick Webster

As she was preparing draft imagery for her Heirloom Garden fabric collection with Benartex, Emma Adams closed her eyes and put herself in an old country farmhouse. She imagined what she’d see looking around inside it and took that as inspiration. And this is the kind of authentic, imaginative creative approach that made the collaboration between Emma and her client so successful.

“Her novelty motifs made us smile, so we knew others would feel the same way,” says Shari Goldenberg, marketing manager at Benartex.“ Her style really draws you in with beautiful colours and sweet designs. If it makes you smile, there is a story to share, and we want to be the ones to share it.”

Of course, this wasn’t hard to do for Emma, who works under the moniker Fox and Fables. Her life has pretty much the same themes as the patterns New York-based Benartex wanted to commission. Gardening, observing wildlife, making folk art and rural living are all part of Emma’s lifestyle and her creative style, which made her the perfect artist to partner with for a new set of patterns in the company’s Traditions range, which is aimed at quilt makers.

Cottage scenes and floral patterns

Having seen the Cottage Core designs on the Fox and Fables website, Senior Creative Director Ruth Beck contacted IllustrationX about commissioning Emma, who immediately said, ‘Yes.’

“We started with an inspiration mood board and brainstorming elements to include in the collection,” says Emma, who is based in rural Minnesota. “We agreed that the hero print should include country cottage scenes with trees and florals. Then all the supporting prints would be designed to complement that main print. Dainty florals and birds were a given, we added in a simple stripe with some painterly folk art elements, and so on.”

The colour palette began with about a dozen tones, most of which were used in the Heirloom Garden hero prints, which are more detailed than the Heirloom Sunflower, Heirloom Floral and Morning Glory patterns. These simpler, supplementary fabrics, provide more limited palettes that quilters can use in juxtaposition to the country cottage imagery. Emma tested the supporting prints in various colourways to find the right balance before the collection was finalised.

 

A positive collaborative experience

This was a fast-moving project, which only took approximately two months from commission to final delivery. It was also one where Emma was afforded a great deal of trust and the creative freedom that comes with it. This resulted in a very a positive collaborative experience for both the illustrator and the client. “Emma is an incredible creative partner,” says Shari. “She creates her own path, which is essential to a brand. She came to the table with her vision for the collection and worked with us at every stage to bring it to life.”

“They gave me a simple brief and let me run with it a bit, which is quite refreshing when working with a new client,” adds Emma. “I started with creating a mood board, sending notes and the colour palette. They liked that initial direction, so I moved to motif sketches and then pattern layouts before moving to colour. They were very communicative and gave good feedback.”

Emma worked digitally, sketching and colouring elements on her iPad, while also adding in painted textures and brushstrokes for a handmade feel. With her background in fashion and textiles, Emma had the skills to structure the repeats herself.  

“The cottages and greenhouses were my favourites,” continues Emma. “I love being able to be imaginative and creative with architectural structures, bringing in some whimsy to houses. It’s like playing architect in a way!”

Beauty in simplicity

The only amends suggested were slight simplifications to ensure the complex patterns would work as prints, and to ensure every element was easy to identify. When the pattern layouts had been agreed, Emma coloured the working files and returned them to the designers at Benartex, who could colour correct each pattern further, as required, when the sample prints came back.

“Thinking about scale and the intended end-product is very important,” reflects Emma. “I did quite a bit of surface design as I started my career. Most were designed for apparel fabrics, wallpaper and home textiles. I had not worked specifically for quilting cotton and so it was really important for me to think about how small quilt shapes can be cut. How the pattern was laid out and sizes took some extra thought!”

As we write this piece, Benartex has started retailing the fabrics and the response from customers has been very positive. Talented quilters are already using the patterns in their work, which completes the circle for Emma. Her folk art-inspired imagery is being used by those who practice a traditional folk craft.

And the Fox and Fables collaboration with Benartex is set to continue. Later this year a second folk art-inspired collection by Emma will be released, and she has also created a Christmas collection. “I’m very excited to see some holiday quilts being made!” she adds.

Check out the range here.