Beach Rose Collection Debut

The Inspiration:

This summer, I decided to join the Textile Design Lab and participate in the Summer of Creativity. The first challenge seemed to be fate – the universe saying I was on the right track – because the inspiration was “Cape Cod”. For years, my husband and the rest of my family traveled out to Plymouth, Massachusetts and then to Cape Ann Massachusetts for vacation. There’s always been something magical about that area for me. While thinking about the Cape, I remembered the beautiful wild beach roses that grow all along the shore. These little gems are a vibrant pop of magenta – or sometimes pure white – against the sun-washed shades of sand and rock. Those became my inspiration for the patterns.

Beach Roses at Bass Rocks

Beach Roses

These roses are tough and resilient while remaining vibrant and bold. After all, the beach roses are battered by storms and strong winds all year. They thrive in harsh conditions and bloom in sandy, salty soil that would kill most other plants. I can’t think of a better example of overcoming adversity! The other patterns in the collection were inspired by lobster traps that wash up on the shore – the ropes and knots that are found in the rocks, and the colors of the shore.

The sun-washed pattern (bottom right) was featured on the Pattern Observer blog.