I love to design repeating patterns for fabric. But I want the process to be fun and easy. I don’t want to use offsets, work with formulas, or attempt to line things up precisely.
I don’t consider myself to be an expert on surface pattern design, but I have learned a few tricks, and I thought I’d share them here.
Easy Pattern Trick #1: Use a basic square
Create the design within a simple square that will repeat over and over.
I know…it’s pretty obvious. And yet, it’s so easy to overcomplicate things when something simple will do just fine.
Here’s an example. I quickly drew this little doodle with a Posca paint pen and a colored pencil. It’s not perfect, but it’s basically symmetrical, and nothing is touching the edges of the square.
When it gets repeated over and over, it goes from a boring little doodle to a pretty nice pattern!
Easy Pattern Trick #2: Use a grid.
You can use a grid with four sections to make a basic polka dot like this:
Or use a different motif to get more of a checkered look like this:
Add more sections to the grid, then place your motifs so there’s one in each row and column. You can turn the motifs in various directions as well.
Here are some examples:
This grid has nine sections. I placed one motif per row and column. I love how this layout makes a nice diagonal strip with the motifs.
This grid has 16 sections – I’ve heard this called a four-spot repeat.
Here’s a grid with 36 sections – also called a six-spot repeat – this one can make an evenly-spaced, tossed pattern.
These kinds of grid layouts can go on and on, creating lots of variety. Simply choose a number of sections, place the motifs, and see what happens!
Easy Pattern Trick #3: Use a good computer program
For more complex patterns, it’s so much fun to use a good computer program that will do all the hard work of arranging the repeat. I love to draw in Procreate, but it doesn’t have a pattern-making tool – and I’m just not willing to spend time cobbling together a pattern in that program!
My favorite program on a desktop is Photoshop. It has a powerful real-time pattern tool that shows the whole repeating pattern as it gets created. I can use my hand-drawn artwork, as well as anything I’ve created in Procreate, and arrange the repeat in Photoshop. I can also draw directly in Photoshop and use it to make any edits.
My favorite patternmaking app for iPad is Infinite Painter. I understand that it’s also available for Android devices. Infinite Painter has a wonderful real-time pattern tool. I can draw in the program or bring in my PNG artwork from Procreate, Affinity Designer, or other apps. I love to sketch in the program to plan my pattern and see what kinds of motifs I’ll need to draw.
Those are my tricks for easy repeating pattern layouts. I hope you found something helpful!
Happy patternmaking!
