Design: Butterfly Collector

This design is a combination of 2 of my designs that were originally created for different markets. I drew the butterflies and flowers by hand in a Japanese-influenced classic style. This design was originally intended to be a fashion print design for textiles. I separately drew the paisley shapes in the background and this was originally intended to be a wallpaper design, which I entered for a design competition. The competition was organized by the Ideal Home Exhibition and was judged by Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen. My design was not chosen as a finalist so I was free to re-use the design as the background in this butterfly design.

I combined the two designs (the butterfly layer and the paisley layer) so that they appear to fade in and out to create a layered feeling in the final piece.

The name of the design refers to the title of the song "The Butterfly Collector" released by new wave/mod band The Jam in 1993.

Paul Weller took the song title from John Fowles' 1963 book "The Collector". Weller's lyrics refer to a London punk called Soo Catwoman. John Fowles wrote a stage version of the novel, which was performed in the late 1960s in London starring Marianne Faithfull as the lead character Miranda. A film of the book and play was released in 1965, filmed in England and starring Terence Stamp and Samantha Eggar.

A framed print of my design was included in the Beecroft Art Gallery's "56th Essex Open Exhibition" 2015. 130 designs were selected from over 500 submissions across the whole of Essex. My design was included in the Print category. The exhibition was from July to October 2015 in Southend, Essex, UK.

In November 2015 I printed my first set of 18" butterfly prints using my new bigger acetate image. Very kindly Sue Little at South Essex College prepared my silkscreen for me. Beatriz Gonzalez was invaluable in making sure every single one of the 18 prints was 100% perfect. The linen is very expensive so it was important to have an expert on hand to make sure everything went smoothly. Beatriz also mixes my colors as I am slightly color-blind. I definitely think my customers will appreciate a larger cushion. It makes the cushion more of a design statement in someone's home, rather than a small item of home furnishing.

Several customers have ordered the red, orange, yellow color-combination cushions. I am now printing these digitally. I ordered a very large colour palette from my printers, Spoonflower.com. The palette is printed on heavy cotton twill, which is the same fabric I order for my printed cushion fabric. As you can see in the picture below, it is quite hard to match the colours exactly but with a large palette, I have a much better chance.

Very pleased to receive an order from a new customer in September 2016 for 4 olive-colored butterfly cushions. This is my first sale to Northern Ireland.

On 29th July 2018 a new customer, called irene, from Canberra Australia wrote this excellent review: "Just letting you know I really love the paisley butterfly blue cushion. Thank you." She ordered her cushion cover in July from the Paisley Power Shop at Etsy.com

On 14th December 2019 Patrick launched the Butterfly Collector pouch bags. The orange and yellow fabric is printed by Spoonflower. The bags were specially made for the Paisley Power Pre-Christmas sale at the Beecroft Art Gallery, Southend-on-Sea, UK. They are a limited edition.

Butterfly-Collector-pouch-bags-designed- "Butterfly Collector" hand-made pouch bags. The design was originally hand-drawn on paper by Patrick Moriarty in Southend-on-Sea, UK. The fabric is printed by Spoonflower.	Paisley-Power-blue-butterfly-cushion-printed-by-hand One of the best-selling cushions in the Paisley Power range of home decor products. This blue butterfly cushion was screen-printed by hand on pure linen.	Butterfly-cushion-pillow-design-by-Paisley-Power Vibrant colours work perfectly with this design. The fabric glows with colour so that the cushion will brighten any room where it is placed.
Paisley-Power-label-on-butterfly-cushion Perfect printing is very important for the Paisley Power brand. All of the printed fabrics are printed by Spoonflower printers or printed by hand using traditional methods by designer Patrick Moriarty	colour-tests-for-Paisley-Power-digital-print-textile-designs Attempting to match colours from digital colour tests with screen-printed fabric colours. Many pretty hues of red, orange and yellow. I use a large colour palette printed on heavy cotton twill.	screen-print-butterfly-pattern-in-print-room printing olive ink onto linen to produce printed fabric to make 4 cushions for a new customer in Northern Ireland
Paisley Power cushion in Southend Echo.jpg My butterfly cushion was featured in the Homes and Garden section of my local newpaper, The Southend Echo. The article was written by excellent 'style' journalist and blogger Katy Pearson.	butterfly cushion with silver ink by Paisley Power.jpg This silver and grey version of the butterfly paisley design has been very popular. I printed the design on a fine woven synthetic tweed	Butterfly paisley pattern textile by Patrick Moriarty screen-print on linen of my hand-drawn then hand-printed design which combines organic forms and paisley forms. Blue grey image on "putty" coloured pure linen. Available as a stylish placement printed fabric piece or as a luxurious cushion.
screenprint of butterfly and paisley pattern by Paisley Power.jpg This was one of my first screen-printed versions of the design. Print technician Sue Little suggested that I 'double print' the image by turning the screen 90 degrees. The final result is very effective.	Butterfly cushions - customer photos Two of my customers took photos of the butterfly cushions they bought from a local shop where I stocked my fabric products. They kindly uploaded them on my Paisley Power facebook page	Silk Screen with Silver Ink butterfly paisley design screen-printing process using silver ink
Paisley Power print room for screenprinting butterfly design and close-up fabric The print room where all Paisley Power fabrics are printed. Here you can see the silkscreen, a paper print and close-up of my butterfly paisley pattern called Butterfly Collector	Butterfly design being screenprinted This is the first day the design was printed. I was attending a short course in screen-printing techniques at South Essex College.	Paisley Power butterfly screenprint by patrick moriarty.jpg This print was included in the Beecroft Art Gallery's Essex Open Art Exhibition 2015. 130 designs were selected from over 500 submissions. This design was included in the print section.
butterfly collector print detail by patrick moriarty.jpg close-up of butterfly floral paisley print in deep blue/grey. It's important to show the clarity of the detail in the design so that customers know they will receive a print of great quality	butterfly paisley pattern by patrick moriarty butterfly and foral pattern which also includes paisley forms. This pic is of a screenprint on fabric in light olive green	blue butterfly cushion - detail Close-up of my butterfly design screen-printed on pure linen which I sewed into a cushion.

Design: Butterfly Collector

Butterfly-Collector-pouch-bags-designed-

"Butterfly Collector" hand-made pouch bags. The design was originally hand-drawn on paper by Patrick Moriarty in Southend-on-Sea, UK. The fabric is printed by Spoonflower.

Paisley-Power-blue-butterfly-cushion-printed-by-hand

One of the best-selling cushions in the Paisley Power range of home decor products. This blue butterfly cushion was screen-printed by hand on pure linen.

Butterfly-cushion-pillow-design-by-Paisley-Power

Vibrant colours work perfectly with this design. The fabric glows with colour so that the cushion will brighten any room where it is placed.

Paisley-Power-label-on-butterfly-cushion

Perfect printing is very important for the Paisley Power brand. All of the printed fabrics are printed by Spoonflower printers or printed by hand using traditional methods by designer Patrick Moriarty

colour-tests-for-Paisley-Power-digital-print-textile-designs

Attempting to match colours from digital colour tests with screen-printed fabric colours. Many pretty hues of red, orange and yellow. I use a large colour palette printed on heavy cotton twill.

screen-print-butterfly-pattern-in-print-room

printing olive ink onto linen to produce printed fabric to make 4 cushions for a new customer in Northern Ireland

Paisley Power cushion in Southend Echo.jpg

My butterfly cushion was featured in the Homes and Garden section of my local newpaper, The Southend Echo. The article was written by excellent 'style' journalist and blogger Katy Pearson.

butterfly cushion with silver ink by Paisley Power.jpg

This silver and grey version of the butterfly paisley design has been very popular. I printed the design on a fine woven synthetic tweed

Butterfly paisley pattern textile by Patrick Moriarty

screen-print on linen of my hand-drawn then hand-printed design which combines organic forms and paisley forms. Blue grey image on "putty" coloured pure linen. Available as a stylish placement printed fabric piece or as a luxurious cushion.

screenprint of butterfly and paisley pattern by Paisley Power.jpg

This was one of my first screen-printed versions of the design. Print technician Sue Little suggested that I 'double print' the image by turning the screen 90 degrees. The final result is very effective.

Butterfly cushions - customer photos

Two of my customers took photos of the butterfly cushions they bought from a local shop where I stocked my fabric products. They kindly uploaded them on my Paisley Power facebook page

Silk Screen with Silver Ink

butterfly paisley design screen-printing process using silver ink

Paisley Power print room for screenprinting butterfly design and close-up fabric

The print room where all Paisley Power fabrics are printed. Here you can see the silkscreen, a paper print and close-up of my butterfly paisley pattern called Butterfly Collector

Butterfly design being screenprinted

This is the first day the design was printed. I was attending a short course in screen-printing techniques at South Essex College.

Paisley Power butterfly screenprint by patrick moriarty.jpg

This print was included in the Beecroft Art Gallery's Essex Open Art Exhibition 2015. 130 designs were selected from over 500 submissions. This design was included in the print section.

butterfly collector print detail by patrick moriarty.jpg

close-up of butterfly floral paisley print in deep blue/grey. It's important to show the clarity of the detail in the design so that customers know they will receive a print of great quality

butterfly paisley pattern by patrick moriarty

butterfly and foral pattern which also includes paisley forms. This pic is of a screenprint on fabric in light olive green

blue butterfly cushion - detail

Close-up of my butterfly design screen-printed on pure linen which I sewed into a cushion.