Jo Brown's news and thoughts.

Designing Textiles by Jo Brown

1/31/2024

an unfinished design of Lucky Cats on an artist's desk

a tea towel of Lucky Cats on an artist's desk

I recently launched my latest tea towel design, Lucky Cats. I thought I would share some of the original artwork and preparation that went into this design.
This is a design that I'd had on hold for a LOOOOOOOONNNNNNG time. I had originally intended to print it for myself via Spoonflower, and make a curtain out of it.

Inspiration: Lucky Cats. We have quite a few of them. Also real cats. We have two of those, and they are tuxedo cats (black -and white bibs and cuffs)
Colour scheme. I have a fabulous vintage blanket that I got at a carboot. It is black and red and turquoise, and I use it to cover our sofa. I have sort of styled our living room round those colours, so that's why I decided on the main colours of this design.

Textile design: tea towels by Jo Brown

1/31/2024

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folded illustrated tea towels by Jo Brown

Lucky Cats and Happy Bunnies Tea Towels by Jo Brown

My second range of tea towels are now in my shop. Some of the first range are now out of stock, but the designs may reappear later (LoveCats, I'm looking at you...)
The latest range includes the brand new Lucky Cats, and Happy Bunnies. Perfect for adding fun and colour to your kitchen, or for a housewarming gift.
All printed in the UK on 309gsm half Panama cotton, really thick and sturdy, with great print quality, the colours are great!
These are my first homewares prints, although I have produced a lot of fashion prints in the past.

folded tea towels with cat illustrations by Jo Brown tied with ribbon

LoveCats Tea towel from 1st range by Jo Brown

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Screen Printing at home

1/22/2024

I studied textile design to post graduate level and specialised in print design for fashion. I did some of my own printing, using large screens to print lengths of fabric for my degree shows, which were made up into garments.
Post college, I worked as a freelance designer for a while, producing painted artwork, but began taking illustration commissions which then became the whole of my business.
My original hand painted art work is reproduced digitally for books, giftwrap, cards, packaging etc, for various clients and lately for myself. I have an online shop and attend fairs and markets with my products.

Printed illustrated items by Jo Brown, Illustrator

Printed products by Jo Brown

Tea Towels by Jo Brown

12/28/2022

I have a new range of products in my shop - tea towels.
So, maybe you don’t know this about me, but I trained as a textile designer, and I specialised in print. I learned how to do patterns in repeat, the old fashioned way, with tracing paper and cutting up designs. Yes folks, it was pre computer days….. Now you can do it fairly easily with photoshop, which is great for block repeats. (where the pattern repeats directly below and beside itself in a regular pattern)

BUT the thing is, I never did like patterns in repeat. I always wanted them to look as if they weren’t in repeat. so i would either do a huge design so that it wasn’t obvious where the repeat was, or make it a brick or half drop repeat so it wasn’t quite as obvious.