Meet the Sponsors: Daisy Janie on Geo Grand

image by Edyta Szyszlo

I’ve interviewed Jan Dicintio of Daisy Janie before here on True Up about her background and inspiration. Back then she was focusing on her digitally printed fabrics, which she continues to offer through Etsy. Now, she’s launched her very first self-produced, traditionally printed collection Geo Grand, a 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton collection printed on quilting-weight cotton. Since this is such a tremendous leap, I had so many questions. Read below for a glimpse into the triumphs and tribulations of self-producing a line, and to learn about the very interesting assortment of inspirations behind the collection!

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What led you from digital printing to conventional (though organic) printing?

From the time I began digitally printing fabric to sell, I envisioned large-scale production of my designs – it just a matter of when and how. My intention was to use digital printing as a stepping stone to that end, which would give me an opportunity to test the waters with my style, grow my business and reputation as well as spark early interest from wholesale buyers. Printing digitally for a period also afforded me time to research, learn, plan and raise the capital for high-volume rotary printing. Essentially, I laid a foundation upon which a more grand endeavor could be built – a ‘Geo Grand’ one at that!

Fabric windsock lantern made from Hip Squares — pattern on the Daisy Janie blog

What was the hardest part of making the leap? What was the easiest?

The hardest part of the leap was adjusting to making precedent-setting decisions as well as the cumbersome nature of conventional printing. It was like moving from a speedboat to an ocean liner. The beauty of digital fabric printing is the ease with which one can change directions or find affordable, quick solutions to the occasional problem. In contrast, the enormity of a conventional print run does not allow for a change of heart, expediency, or inexpensive mistakes, and that weighed heavily on me. I was mired in notes, bookmarks, samples, flow charts and spreadsheets -– Ye Olde Analysis Paralysis! Luckily, the right company stepped forward, asked me how we could make it work and all the pieces fell into place. [kicking heels up – yeeha!]

The easiest part? The exuberance I feel every single day knowing I’m doing my part to provide an eco-friendly option in a multi-billion dollar industry that currently has only a handful of those options. Seriously, I just about do cartwheels into my office each day when I ponder what my pioneering endeavor represents and how much more there is to do!

image by Jennifer Way

You say in your FAQ that your fabrics are “woven from scratch to our specifications. We do not use “stock” or “pre-woven” organic base goods because they do not meet our standards.” Can you talk a little bit more about that? How is the basecloth for Geo Grand (and your future collections) different from the pre-made fabrics you were offered?

My research and analyses on quality quilters’-weight cotton fabrics set me on a course toward a particular combination of yarns, weave and finishing techniques. All of the pre-woven, stock goods I sampled were nice on their own accord, but I felt they were too lightweight and too thin to meet my needs. In addition, none of the pre-woven base goods contained an even weave on the warp and weft (which, in a true quilters’ cotton, should be the equal). The result of my tenacity is a base good that has a nice heft and a terrific body (va va voom) while maintaining a soft, flowy drape. It has completely exceeded my expectations and garners new admirers every day.

Four balls of shrinkwrap were the only waste left after the Geo Grand shipment was complete. But then Jan found a facility to recycle it!

Geo Grand is unconventional in that it’s organic, and it’s also unconventional because it’s all geometric designs. I’ll take geometrics over florals and novelty prints in almost all cases, so I get it … does everyone else seem to get it? How did the collection evolve? Are there brown, chartreuse, and aqua flowers on your cutting room floor?

A resounding yes! Across the spectrum, my buyers get it and their customers get it as well. They’ve been letting me know how much they enjoy the “bold and refreshingly adult” organic fabrics “that rock.” I favor geometrics myself, and it was important to me that my first collection of this magnitude be an honest, comfortable reflection of me and my style. Having said that, I have a LOT of mod floral designs in my files because I also resonate to simple, folksy, uni-dimensional nature-inspired motifs as well. My third collection (Fall 2011) will certainly see a little bit of each!

image by Edyta Szyszlo

Please tell us about each design individually, and their role in the collection. Any anecdotes/struggles/hidden meanings to share for each design?

Overall, I was looking for a pretty typical mix of scale, direction, shapes, movement, texture, and color value, with the overall vibe being somewhat mod and oversized. The most exciting design challenge was achieving this within the confines of six designs, four hues and one colorway. Once a geo approach was solidified, I trusted my instincts to get me there.

Ogee [top], a dramatic, large-scale, mostly blue vertical print, and Bundles [bottom], a non-directional print with a lot of movement, were inspired by mid-century modern décor found in my grandparents’ home. These two were the foundational prints for the collection.

Hip Squares [top], another non-directional print, was rendered from a previous design called Beaded Curtain. It reads as a lighter/white print and is counterbalanced by Caravan, a horizontal, small-scale, textured print that reads as a dark solid. Caravan [bottom] is named after a ceiling texture in my home as a little girl, where the shapes looked like a mass of covered wagons (yes, I watched a lot of Little House on the Prairie!).

Fruit Bowl, named after the Alexander Girard design “Fruit Tree,” is everyone’s friend in the group because the pattern, colors, scale and direction are so adaptable to a pairing while still maintaining its strong individuality. Just what you want in a good friend, right?

Crystal Ball reads as a chartreuse-y Spanish olive and contrasts nicely with every other print. It was a troublemaker because it took a lot walking away from the computer after each version to see if I still liked what I saw when I returned. I was trying to make it more than it needed to be. On the 23rd attempt, I decided to keep it super-duper simple – and that was the trick!

I see that your next collection is called “Shades of Grey.” Anything more about it you can reveal at this point?

The name is by far the biggest clue to the collection, as it will indeed be in varying shades of grey. Right now, I’m focused on typically grey objects or textures and interpreting them in my style. The weaving of the fabric has begun, but I have a little lead time before I submit final artwork. That means I’ll be tweaking right down to the wire! I hope an ochre yellow or tomato red doesn’t find its way in there!

Thank you so much, Jan! Jan just announced on her blog that she’ll be exhibiting at Quilt Market for the first time this fall. Can’t wait to meet her in person!

all images by and copyright Jan Dicintio 2010 unless otherwise noted, and used with permission.