Designing and Printing Fabrics

Have you ever had a project that required fabric where you knew the design and feel that you were targeting but after a trip to the fabric store came up with nothing?  This very thing just happened to me this past weekend!  I envisioned a large print fabric with blues, greens, and yellows.  While there were lots of beautiful fabrics available, none of them came close to my minds fabric.  Then by complete coincidence, I came across not one, but two fabulous companies that offer you the ability to design and print your own fabric.

Want to print your designs at home?  Inkbloom offers their Loomtrack technology (printable vinyl) to use on your home inkjet printer (not designed for Laser printers).  You can purchase a roll of Loomtrack (8.5″ x 108″) for around $18.50, print your design, and then stick it to a base fabric (also sold on their site).  No heat required – just stick it on!

The second company is Spoonflower located in North Carolina.  Their process is simple – upload your design, choose your fabric (type of cotton), and the yardage.  Spoonflower uses eco-friendly inks and natural fiber fabrics.  Prices range from $18 to $32 a yard with no minimum order.  Want to share your original designs with the world?  You can sell your fabric designs in the Spoonflower marketplace and earn 10% of the sales price.

I haven’t quite given up on finding a fabric similar to what I have in mind.  However, I do have a great excuse to try out one of these services if nothing comes up.  I’ll let you know if I do!

Images:  Inkbloom, Spoonflower