The brief:

When my partner and I got married, we wanted to create homemade favours that we could give our friends and family. We decided on magnets and coasters: they’re decorative as well as practical, and we had the tools and know-how to make them at home.

The process:

I developed a series of sketches for a primary design that I then imported into Adobe Illustrator. With my partner’s input, I iterated on the designs until we had ones that we both liked:

• For the coasters, I made a version that could be easily engraved (big lines, no tiny details, and no colour).
• For the magnets, I made a version with details and colour that would be eye-catching and cheerful.

The results:

My partner then set about engraving and polishing the coasters, and I made the magnets.

It’s always gratifying to see the physical results of an digital design. Our friends and family were delighted with their favours, and we kept a couple for ourselves.

I really like working with Adobe Illustrator, both for work and play. I’ve used it to create the illustrations for my opioid overdose response training and my logo project, and I’ve also used it to create digital illustrations, patterns, and backgrounds:

While I’m not the best sewist, I couldn’t resist using Illustrator to try my hand at some basic sewing patterns.

My first project was a cardinal:

First, I made an outline in Illustrator, which I broke it up into parts. I printed the pages, cut felt from the template, stitched everything together, and finally added stuffing.

I loved my first cardinal, but I also saw areas that could be improved. I went back to Illustrator and made some adjustments, widening and curving some areas to get closer to the shape I wanted. Then I made a second cardinal and made some more adjustments. That template worked well, so I got on a roll, making three more as gifts for family. When other relatives saw the pictures, I got requests for two more.

After making a flock of cardinals, I decided to try a sloth for my friend’s birthday:

After the same initial design process, I realized that some of the smaller parts would be impossible to cut from felt with my clunky scissors. So I went back and streamlined the design. The result was both easier to make and – I think – cuter. I added some felt leaves as decoration, and voilà! A sloth on a vine.

My next pattern is a goldfinch, which I am currently sewing. If you’d like to see the finished product, check back here soon!