So… Cottage Core is a design style that I had to research. It’s an internet trend focusing on a simpler lifestyle. Imagine escaping to a cozy cottage, leaving behind the bustle and grind of our fast-paced, city lifestyle. This design aesthetic encompasses hand-made crafts, vintage home decor, and gardening. Flowers, for sure, but also farming that promotes self-sufficiency. Simple and wholesome.

In the design world, a lot of lead time is desired. As a print and digital designer, I was often in the position of feeling dependent on others to provide the content I needed to make my deadlines. I’ve discovered that with surface design, I’m now at the beginning of the process, instead of the end. Creating patterns means being way ahead of the game, so that others have time to make things in coordination with seasons, holidays and events. In the spirit of designing ahead, this week’s Spoonflower design challenge is Cottage Core Halloween.

I began the design process with a calico pattern, and by v.5 I’d fine-tuned these sassy, atomic cats from the MidMod era, and decorated them in Scandinavian Folk Art style. Instead of flowers and hearts though, I went with bats, pumpkins, witch hats and spiders—oh, and atomic star bursts, of course. Technically, apart from the folk art decorations, I veered slightly from the challenge prompt of Cottage Core, but nailed the Halloween part. Really fun!