The Dots Have It

It was my fault. Staring at those blueberries at the new Sprouts in town. 4 packages for $5. How could I go wrong? Seriously, how could anybody go wrong with 4 packages of blueberries stacked precariously in their fridge one on top of the other. You know how those flimsy little cartons pop open by themselves all the time. I made the mistake of touching the delicately balanced, quivering tower of goodness. It's almost like a car accident. You know it's happening and you see it all in slow motion. I saw them falling ever so slowly. Falling, falling until I saw 3 packages of blueberries all over my (not so clean) kitchen floor.

My girls exclaim with delight as they help to pick up/eat the berries. It's like a speckled mess; eloquent dots all over the floor. Dots...hmmmm...is this what Michael Miller sees when he has a thought for one of his fabrics? I mean, he is quite literally the king of dots. As I pick up the berries one by one I tried to count how many dot patterns this modern master of fabric design has in his present repitoire.

I was able to count 7 in my head, only to sit down at my computer to find more. Ten. Ten dot patterns that lay in print at this time. Even more that don't actually have the term "dot" in the name of the fabric. Hoopla Dot, Play Dot, Disco Dot, Dumb Dot, Ta Da Dot, Quarter Dot, Lolli Dot, Ooh La Dot, Ring Dot and PinDot. They all come in different colors, some reversed, some just in black. All gorgeous.

Dots are great. They coordinate so perfectly with most any pattern. Damask, stripe, other dots and so many other great patterns.

Speaking of patterns, did you know the secret to mixing patterns? They have to be of different scale. Ever wander into someone's home and see all of the different fabrics and textiles they have? They have so many patterns, so many colors, and they all seem to go together so well. It's because they are a differnt scale (aka different size). We're not talking centimeters or half inches different, we're talking a large difference that is easy to see. There, that's one of my secrets. I hope you're happy.

So, the dots have it. Not only are they loved across the world, but they're so easy to love. So symetrical; much like a beautiful woman's face. Looking for an easy pillow to accessorize your already-decorated living room? I suggest a dot.


Have a lolli dottie day,

Jayna

Your Guess Would Not be My Guess

So often I put up a new color palette thinking that one or two of my most favorite fabrics will be the focus of that palette. Not so often I find! I am constantly amazed by the fabrics that emerge as the most popular.
So how do these trends emerge? I suppose most of it comes from the governing minds that decide what colors we will like this spring, this fall and even the next fall for that matter (aka, Pantone). There was a time that I thought colors just became popular for no reason, just like it magically appreared. Ha ha, not so.
I suppose our eye is also drawn to plain, good design. If I were to pick up a brush and paint, I’m not so sure you would be drawn to what would emerge. In fact, I’m very sure you would not be drawn to it. But, I think about fabric designers like Alexander Henry, Laura Gunn, Heather Bailey, amoung others; and how I relish on the design that is clearly the pulling force to ones contentment. Several weeks ago I stumbled up on Laura Gunn’s Line, “Poppy” and practically had to wipe the drool off of my netbook.
I suppose in some ways, the fabrics I predict that will be ‘hot sellers’ do end up being just so, but in other ways, I am way off base. While I like Herny’s 2D Zoo in Pool, I could have not predicted the massive amounts of that specific fabric I would purchase in the last 6 months. So, I will keep on guessing, supposing what my customers will drool over. But, in the meantime, I will keep adding fabric to my store that would not be my guess.

Who Is This Chick?

Hello! My name is Jayna and this is my blog. I’m an optimist by default and to a fault. I will find the positive in anything you put in front of me; it drives my husband crazy I think. I used to be a radio DJ and I was really good at it, too. Someday I’d love to do that again. Speaking of music…what’s your fav? Mine is Bluegrass. Yup. Banjos, mandolins and dancing. Nothing more fine.
I am the owner and main creative force behind RockyTop Design. At RTD, we design and create custom crib bedding. It’s unique because the customer gets to choose the fabric and the pieces and we make the bedding. It’s actually a ton of fun and I love it.
I have one employee, her name is Jennifer. She’s awesome, too. She’s been designing and creating children’s clothes for years. Her shop, Mairsy Dotes is filling day by day with gorgeous children’s clothes. She’s an excellent seamstress, which is why she works for me, too!
Who am I? I’m a young mom of two little girls that has a wonderful husband that fully supports my career. I have my own studio within my home, which makes me super lucky. This is my studio

I started out making things like personalized bibs and diaper bags. I still make those things if requested as I really enjoy the speed of those projects. I was actually pushed into business by a wonderful group of women (thank you, ladies), who saw some work I did as a gift and pressured me into selling my wares. I am forever in debt.

As it turns out, this crib bedding thing just kinda popped into my head one day and there it stuck. I suppose someday it’ll grow, but I’m okay with the size until my kids get into school. Too much too fast is not always a good thing. Thanks for stopping by, I hope you do often.
~Jayna