Tell us about yourself.
My name is Diane Eichler, I have been a surface designer for over 20 years, and I’ve been collaborating with Studio E since 2014. I work from my home in Cincinnati, Ohio where I live with my husband. We are recent empty-nesters and love traveling around to interesting places, and working remotely from different cities whenever we get the chance! A goal of ours is to live near Asheville one day soon, I envision working from an airy loft with a view of the mountains!

I have loved to draw and paint for as long as I can remember, getting lost in the zone of the creative process. I always knew I would do something artistic with my life. Growing up, my Mom had a sewing room and my Dad had an art studio in our house. Creativity was nurtured and encouraged, so it’s not surprising that a career in art and design would be my calling.

What inspires you?

My passion for putting colors and patterns together led to earning a degree in Fashion Design, and then working as a Senior Designer creating diaper bags, bedding, and nursery decor for a baby products company. As my family grew and I became a Mom, I wanted more flexibility with my time, so I left the corporate world and launched my design business where I have collaborated with manufacturers of giftware, baby products, greeting cards, and of course, quilt fabric!

The playful, whimsical nature of children’s themes evoke such a happy feeling, I just love making people smile using colorful patterns and cute characters when designing my fabric. I always begin with a concept in mind, then decide on a color palette, and start sketching and writing a list of words to describe the mood I want to convey in my artwork. After I have some ideas on paper I refine the images, using a combination of painting, drawing, and digital artwork, add some fun lettering, and then arrange everything into patterns and illustrations.

Tell us about your fabric.

I love learning new techniques and have recently been experimenting with collage and mixed media. I’m currently developing a few collections practicing these new skills, and hope to have a range of fresh designs soon for fabric!

My two most recent collections that are available now with Studio E are Porkopolis and Safari Sunrise.

Porkopolis was inspired by my hometown! Cincinnati is nicknamed Porkopolis because of their pork producing heritage, where pigs used to roam freely through downtown. The flying pig is our mascot, there is an annual marathon with that name, and you can spot colorful painted winged pig sculptures all around the city. This fabric collection combines patterns of pink flying pigs, florals, stripes, and rainbows, and includes a block panel with positive slogans and words of encouragement.

Safari Sunrise is a charming combination of tossed safari animals in soft gender-neutral colors, with patterns of cute rainbows, stripes, and suns. It includes a book pattern with lyrics to a song that can be sung to your little one while looking at the sweet animal illustrations.

I have two new collections that will be coming out soon! Sunshine Garden ships in September, it is a brightly colored group featuring flowers, butterflies, and cute garden critters, and has a 24” panel. Oats & Ivy will be in the April 2023 release. It is a sweet collection in muted tones with florals, checks, and animals including lambs, bunnies, deer, pigs, and chickens.

I enjoy collaborating with the talented sewists who have created beautiful quilts, bags, and stuffies using my fabric collections. The quilting community is amazing and lovely to work with, always happy to share inspiration for projects, and supportive encouragement for people who are new to sewing. I have participated in several fabric giveaways where I share pieces from my collections, and I love seeing all the wonderful projects people have made!

What advice do you have for the new maker? 

My advice for a new maker who has just started their creative journey is to just go for it! Whatever your passion is, practice using different techniques to develop your skills and eventually you’ll discover your unique style.

If you would like to see more of my artwork, collaborate on a project, or learn about opportunities to win free fabric you can check out my website and follow me on Instagram, I would love to connect with you!

Instagram: @eichlerart

Website: https://dianeeichler.com/