Hi, y’all! Did you miss my new Ravelry ebook release, ShadeTree? Hit the pause button on this post, go read all about ShadeTree Artist Collaboration, Issue 1, then come right back.
Okay, you back? Fab! In that post, I gave a glimpse into the blankets of Issue 1 and the artists that I worked with to produce it. In this blog series, ShadeTree: Behind the Scenes, I want to tell you more about each piece and its inspiration, as well as reveal progress photos and extras. Here are the six parts that you can expect:
ShadeTree: Behind the Scenes, Part 5 of 6
- 1 – 4 Free Floral Granny Square Motifs
- 2 – Colorburst Crochet Blanket Pattern: Triangle Motifs with Free Continuous Join-as-you-go Video Tutorial
- 3 – Birdsong Crochet Blanket Pattern: Intarsia Color Magic with Granny Square Border
- 4 – Indigo Blossom Crochet Blanket Pattern: 2 Large Hexagon Motifs with Free Continuous Join-as-you-go Video Tutorial
- 5 – Spring Flatlay Crochet Blanket Pattern: 5 Floral Granny Square Motifs with Flat Braid Join
- 6 – Tiny Garden Crochet Blanket Pattern: 8 Free Hexagon Motifs with Free Continuous Join-as-you-go Video Tutorial
Introduction
Each ShadeTree blanket starts with an artist or art piece for inspiration, then moves on to my brain where a blanket pattern design is formulated and the perfect Scheepjes yarn is chosen, then I hand that pattern design off to one of my talented Tester Tribe members for prototype construction and photography.
Spring Flatlay Blanket Details
- Price: $5 individually, but just $3 when full eBook is purchased! (Download individually here)
- Description: A florally fun piece with lacy detail. Perfect for the constant gardener with a bright connection to color.
- Yarn: Scheepjes Softfun*
- Credits: Sample blanket and photography by Teresa Daily Davis. Note: Nearly every photo in this post was taken by the talented Teresa Daily Davis. Thank you, Teresa!
Behind the Scenes
Inspiration
The Spring Flatlay Blanket was inspired by a set of photographs by Jessica Wilkinson of IG @VanillaLemonCake. I knew instantly when I saw Jessica’s pink and yellow photos that I would want to make a blanket inspired by the awesome colors. See for yourself!
Blanket Pattern Design
First, I needed a yarn that had sugary sweet colors for this palette. Scheepjes Softfun* did the trick. Luckily I had a huge amount of remnants that would work perfectly for this piece. Like painting with yarn!
Yarn Choice
Try not to drool when you see this next photo! Yarn makes me so happy. But seriously, are these colors not sweet as sugar?
Layout Design
When I sat down to design Spring Flatlay, I knew I wanted an unusual collection of flower blocks. I also wanted blocks that built on one another, so that you aren’t reinventing the wheel every time you make a new motif type. Several of the rounds are shared by all of the different flower motifs. I randomized the blocks in the way they might be laid out as flowers on a table for a flat-lay photo. The pink and yellow background is just the icing on the cake!
Finished Blanket
And here it is, y’all! The sweet border and joining method were so fun. I loved designing this one!
I hope y’all enjoyed this deep dive sneak peek into everything that went into the Spring Flatlay blanket pattern.
This first issue was about two years in the making from synapse to release, and so worth it. Stay tuned for the final part in this post series – Tiny Garden! Can’t wait to share that one with y’all.
Happy crafting!
Rachele C.
*Disclosure: This post has affiliate links marked with an asterisk. Shopping through these links helps support CypressTextiles and doesn’t cost you anything extra! Yay!