Do you like geometrics? I must say they are not usually my first pick, and I often opt for florals and paisley (oh yar, you should check my Pinterest board…). For me, sometimes the flat colour and simple shapes of geos can  produce very flat, uninteresting designs, lacking in subtlety and play. But after seeing Ditto Repeats I have definitely revised my view!  These are some seriously good geometrics – the colours sparkle, and subtle arrangements of form engage the eyes and keep them guessing (I LOVE the underlying gentle zigzag of Serpent Collection 2).

 

ditto repeats – serpent collection 3

 

ditto repeats – serpent collection 2

 

Molly and her sister Colleen work out of their studio in Cleveland, Ohio, and the label started in 2010. After years of working as a designer in a woven textile mill, Molly was ready to take everything she had learned about design and business and move. Now she has complete creative freedom as well as having the chance to work with her sister. The name “Ditto Repeats” came about simply as a cute play on the the idea of repeats, which are fundamental to what they do.

Each sister plays their own part in the business, with Molly doing most of the designing. “I always have a fresh Illustrator page open, ready for new ideas and designs.” In between designs, she also likes to catch up on her favourite blogs, update the collections on the database and website, read and respond to emails “….and anything else that needs my attention! I love balancing the creative and the business.” Colleen does, in her words, “the fun stuff. I am in charge of producing the hand-screened samples. We work very carefully with a Pantone matching system in order to present reproducible colors. I love the process of visualizing how a design would best separate into screens, and the ink mixing and actual printing are definitely my favorite. I’m a trained graphic designer but my true love is printmaking, and all the colorful messes that come along with it.”

Molly’s design influences include optical artists Julian Stanczak and Edwin Mieczkowski for their wonderful energy. “I also love Alexander Girard, his philosophy on textile design has been so encouraging to me!” And she includes Dolly Parton, “I love how she carries herself with such joyful confidence.”

 

ditto repeats – jolli collection 4

 

The sisters grew up in a house surrounded by creativity. Colleen says that they, and their three other siblings “have been so blessed to have been raised in a home where art and culture were just as important as eating your vegetables. I always remember our Mom working on sewing projects of her own and helping me with drawings or props for a pretend shop or school I wanted to set up, and our Dad doing watercolors of his own and playing the banjo, piano, or squeezebox for us.” Molly concurs, “I can not think of a childhood memory that doesn’t involve something hand crafted or designed by one of my talented family members.”

Their studio together is vibrant and eclectic; Molly’s workspace is surrounded by pictures of family and friends, sketches, notebooks to jot down ideas and to do lists, as well as lots of pieces of coloured paper so she can check colour interactions while she is working. Colleen describes her own space as chaotic! She says she always has several projects of varied methods and media being alternately worked on and abandoned. “There are beads, cords, papers, technical pens, colored pencils, postcards, paste, scissors, and more, strewn around my drafting table, and neatly stacked when a project’s on hiatus.” But it’s all good.  “I love printmaking, and being able to produce physical interpretations of our digital designs is somewhat magical, how they can be felt and shared with others!”

They love working together, and Colleen says of it, “Being able to work with my sister (someone who I not only trust personally and professionally, but one who I also admire greatly), who is so talented and passionate about her work, is truly wonderful.”

 

ditto repeats – jolli – collection 2

 

ditto repeats – miza collection 3

 

And some final words of advice?

Molly says, “Though I was not given the advice directly, I always remember Alexander Girard’s words when I design: ‘Fabric design is not easel painting or illustrating. It is fabric design.’ ”And from Colleen, “It never hurts to take an extra minute or two to help someone out or give a kind word to someone. Courtesy and being conscious of others’ needs really goes a long way.” Courtesy and kindness? I couldn’t agree more.

You can find more designs from Ditto Repeats on their website, http://dittorepeats.com/. And if you want to see some great examples of design development, from inspiration to finished product, check out Ditto’s blog!

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With thanks to Molly and Colleen for sharing their words and images here.