I quickly developed an obsession with seamless patterns when I found Procreate. In fact, it was around that same time that I discovered #the100dayproject and I had a goal to make a pattern per day for 100 days. It was nearly impossible but I did end up with quite a lot of patterns! It was a great way to gain experience with all the steps it takes to make patterns. Back then, there wasn’t a Snapping feature in Procreate so we had to bring art into a different app to make patterns. It’s so much easier now that we can make them 100% in Procreate!
Once I started teaching, I became well-known for teaching what I know about patterns in Procreate! I have multiple classes that are not free, where I teach evvvvverything I know (in my membership). And I have some more basic pattern info floating around the internet that IS free! I’ll link to those later.
Back when I was trying to make a pattern-a-day, I found Spoonflower, a print-on-demand fabric and wallpaper company that uses seamless patterns. It seemed like the perfect place for me to load my designs. Now I can buy my own fabric and I can earn commissions each time someone else buys my fabric! Just recently, I started taking the time to learn how to optimize my shop so it’s a work-in-progress and I am very excited about the potential.
You don’t have to know how to sew either! They make a few items like tea towels and such (it’s all quite expensive, admittedly). Or you can order your designs on their Organic Cotton Knit which can be cut into “no-paper, no-sew, paper towels” to be used around your home. Pictured here is my Sloth Cloth! No hemming required! And Spoonflower has lots of sales so be sure to watch for those!
If you have no interest in fabric or wallpaper or starting your own print-on-demand shop, there’s another great reason to make seamless patterns.
Pattern brushes!
The possibilities are endless! You can create your own unique pattern brushes to give your work added texture, flair, and personality! (Update: here is a newer post about making simple pattern brushes!)
I have a plethora of free pattern brushes for newsletter subscribers if you want to get your hands on some soon. But the YouTube playlist below has some lessons for making your own seamless patterns and pattern brushes. You can turn any seamless pattern into a pattern brush! So if you DO make seamless patterns for Spoonflower, you can also make brushes with them!
YouTube Playlist for seamless patterns and pattern brushes.
I have a lesson on Spoonflower’s Blog for making basic seamless patterns in Procreate too!
Here is an old blog post with a smidge of info about using pattern brushes.
In my membership I have full courses on brush-making and pattern-making, including complex designs and a quick little class on starting your own Spoonflower shop!
Be careful though! This could quickly become an obsession for you just like it did for me! In fact, I am currently prepping my fabric collection to go with my next Spoonflower Design Challenge entry!
Enjoy!
-Jennifer Nichols
