'R' for Rugs Artsy

Designing Rugs

I’ve designed three rugs for the Annie Selke Rug Design Challenge! I’ll need your help (in the form of votes) to bring them to production.

There are several other designers and bloggers participating.

Rug Design Challenge Participants

I’ve been so curious about everybody’s take on this challenge, and they were all posted to the Annie Selke Instagram account today. They’re all so good! 10 designs will be chosen to go into their lineup, and I would love for at least one of those to be mine. I hadn’t designed products since closing my stationery business, and I’ve realized how much I missed the process.

Annie Selke Rug Design Challenge

Annie Selke, Dash & Albert Rugs
(↑ Annie Selke)

Our family went up to the North Woods of Wisconsin again a couple of weeks ago, and I brought my markers and sketchbook with me. I drew various repeating patterns, lots of scallops with art deco influences, but ultimately I didn’t go with those. The bugs though! They inspired me.

Drawing Inspiration from Insects | Making it Lovely

Drawing from a Weevil Specimen | Making it Lovely

There are cute ladybugs and butterflies on plenty of products already. Bees and dragonflies can also be found pretty readily, and I did draw all of the above. Weevils though, I found to be so interesting! Rhino beetles and stag beetles, too, but it was the weevils that made it into two out of my three patterns (here and here).

Making it Lovely - Rug Designs

I was also inspired by quilting patterns, which as of writing this post, is the most popular out of my three. And here, a bonus peek at my favorite design in a lighter pink colorway! (Where my girly entomologists at!?) This wasn’t an official submission, but I asked for opinions on Instagram and the dark won out.

Making it Lovely - Rug Designs

Please vote!

I need your help to make these possible. If you want to see any of these available for sale, please vote for your favorites by liking them on Annie Selke’s Instagram account. The other designers did an amazing job too of course, so I know it’s going to be tough competition.

  1. VOTE — like this on Instagram: Snug as a Bug in a Rug
  2. VOTE — like this on Instagram: Going Buggy Rug (my favorite!)
  3. VOTE — like this on Instagram: A Quilty Rug

These are the silly names I’ve been calling them — no doubt they are up for changing should they become official. Voting ends July 20, and Annie Selke is aiming for a capsule collection of 10 designs to be completed and unveiled at High Point Market next April. I would love to have one or more designs in that collection! I would get to write about the process too, taking you behind the scenes of producing a rug for market. I’m always fascinated by the business end of things, from design to materials to implementation. How cool to be a part of that, and to share it with you here!

Thank you already to so many of you that have voted and shown your support. If nothing else, I loved making patterns and designing products again.

Designing Rugs with Annie Selke

Sources & Paint ColorsNeed design help? Let's work together.

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  • Mudrick
    July 7, 2017 at 7:32 am

    I voted…I loved yours SO much!

  • Emily K May
    July 7, 2017 at 1:19 pm

    I voted… for the bugs of course! Awesome job!

  • DianeV
    July 7, 2017 at 3:09 pm

    Sorry, I just can’t vote for a bug rug. Love your style…bugs not so much.

  • Terri Cameron
    July 7, 2017 at 5:57 pm

    I love the pink weevil one! My husband is an entomologist, and I would totally buy that for my girls’ room.

  • Elizabeth
    July 7, 2017 at 8:24 pm

    I don’t even like bugs and yours are by far my favorites!

  • Libby
    July 8, 2017 at 12:38 pm

    Ahh! Weevils are my absolutely favourite insect (amateur entomologist right here!) – all of the rugs are so gorgeous!

  • Brooklyn Limestone
    July 10, 2017 at 8:36 am

    How fun! Love that pink bug rug. Just voted for it.

  • Shel
    July 11, 2017 at 9:18 am

    I’m so hoping that one of your bug rugs make it! I love love love them!

  • Sheila
    July 13, 2017 at 6:07 am

    I love your rugs! I voted for the buggy :)