The Pattern Base

Book excerpt: A strikingly beautiful sourcebook of inspiration from the founder of one of the most influential textile and fabric design websites Textile design has been liberated and democratized by digital media. With new technology allowing for more precise manipulation and larger variation of materials and patterns, textile designers have found new ways to create ambitiously, experiment, and be inspired. At the same time, the rise of digital processes has led to a renewed appreciation of traditional craftsmanship and the handmade, and of the tactility and construction of textiles and surfaces. In The Pattern Base, Kristi O’Meara and Audrey Victoria Keiffer, cofounders of the Chicago-based design studio and online archive The Patternbase, showcase more than 550 textile, surface, fashion, and print designs from over 150 designers working around the world. Part One is a sourcebook of these designs, organized by type of pattern: Geometric, Floral, Representational, Digital Abstract, Illustrative, and Fabric Swatches. Part Two presents profiles of fifteen artists, constituting the hottest up-and-comers in the field, including Lorenzo Nanni, whose delicate beadwork conjures the natural world’s flora and fauna; Anita Hirlekar, whose felt, velvet, and lace work create luscious variations of texture; and Kayla Mattes, mistress of kitsch aesthetics and material experimentations.