SEPTEMBER

News and Trends from International Quilt Market

 

Q&A: NATALIE LYMER,
CINDERBERRY STITCHES

 

A little whimsy—however charming—can go a long way. And this is a sentiment that designer Natalie Lymer seems to understand well.

 

Lymer—who designs patterns under the company name Cinderberry Stitches and fabric collections for Riley Blake—creates designs that fully embrace whimsy in their subject matter and lines, while retaining balance through simplicity and traditional elements.

 

Lymer’s sweet hand-embroidery designs are a perfect compliment to the more traditional blocks she incorporates into her quilt patterns, and to the playful small-print motifs of her fabrics. Her latest fabric collection, Greatest Adventure, will be available in March 2016, and features Lymer’s imaginative take on a child’s camping adventures.

 

For this edition of eInsider, we had the pleasure of speaking with the ever-smiling Lymer about her background, her happy designs, and why designing keeps her happy.

 

 

eINSIDER: First, please tell me a bit about your personal and professional background. Have you always had an interest in art?

 

LYMER: I live in Geelong, Australia with my partner and two children Isabelle (age six) and Darcy (age two).

 

I discovered art at a young age, and was often found with pencil and paper asking what I could draw for my next five-year-old “masterpiece.” At the time, I dreamt of working at Disney in the animation studios.

 

I followed art throughout the years, and took many drawing and art classes outside of school as my love for art and a creative life grew. I loved being able to create something from my imagination with just paper and a pencil. My Nan was a beautiful sewist and my Pa a talented artist, so I guess you could say it was in my genes. I do love that I am able to combine both art forms in one.

 

Detail from Hedgehog Happy-ness quilt pattern

 

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eINSIDER: At what point did you begin sewing, and how did that evolve into a design career?

 

LYMER: It was in the mid ‘90s when I discovered stitchery—or hand embroidery—and fell in love with a new (to me) art form. The threads, the fabrics, and the ability to combine both sewing and my drawing was fascinating.

 

Cinderberry Stitches was born in early 2004 with the launch of a few patterns. I'll be honest—they failed miserably, and I nearly walked away from designing. However, a wise friend suggested that I hang in there and “give it a go” for a year. I picked myself up and the patterns that followed are for what I have become known—my signature Cinderberry style.

 

Mermaid embroidery complementing the
Saltwater collection >>>

 

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eINSIDER: Your designs tend toward fun and whimsical. What is the overall feeling you hope to achieve with your patterns and fabric collections?

 

LYMER: I love the way children look at the world, with a little wonder and a lot of fun. A leaf is not a leaf unless it's swirly, shoes look better when their toes curl up, and all creations have a character of their own.

 

I like to portray this feeling in my designs. Don't forget to look at the world the way a child does, and enjoy the beauty and whimsy in everyday things.

 

<<< From Greatest Adventure collection print.

 

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eINSIDER: Out of curiosity, are there designs or patterns you produce that you feel are better received here in the States than they are there in Australia, or vice versa? Or would you say it's pretty consistent?

 

LYMER: Good question! But I think it's pretty consistent between the U.S. and Australia.

 

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eINSIDER: I don't think I've ever seen a photo of you where you weren't smiling! You seem to truly love what you do. What advice would you offer to someone who hopes to pursue a career—design, needlework, or otherwise—and work to build a business doing the thing they feel passionate about?

 

LYMER: Thank you! I really do love what I do, but that doesn't mean it comes easy! I show the fun stuff and the pretty images of a finished product or a clean studio, but you don't see the many hours of work that go into one small piece or the late nights and lack of sleep, the copious amount of tea I drink, and the hidden chocolate.

 

To build a business, you have to love hard work and be 100% determined to succeed. You have to be ready to pick yourself up when you fall. And add a little crazy/delirium into the mix, and you are almost there.

 

Seriously though, I love what I do. And being able to share my creations in fabric and threads is just the big huge cherry on top. That's what makes me smile.

Natalie Lymer

UPCOMING SHOWS

2015

2016

International Quilt Market/Houston

October 24-26

Classes begin October 22

George R. Brown Convention Center

Houston, Texas, USA

 

International Quilt Festival/Houston

October 29-November 1

Preview Night October 28

Classes begin October 26

George R. Brown Convention Center

Houston, Texas, USA

 

 

 

 

 

International Quilt Festival/Chicago

April 7-9

Classes begin April 7

Donald E. Stephens Convention Center

Rosemont, Illinois, USA

 

International Quilt Market/Spring

May 20-22

Classes begin May 19

Salt Palace Convention Center

Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

 

NOTE: Quilt Market is a credentialed
trade show only, and not open to
the public.


For information on these or any other Quilts, Inc. shows, visit www.quilts.com

 

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Mermaid Waters quilt pattern

From Greatest Adventure collection print.

Lymer’s Saltwater fabric collection for Riley Blake

From Greatest Adventure collection print.

A Woodland Village quilt pattern

 

 

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News and Trends from International Quilt Market