Julie Harrison is the founder of Pattern Play Studio based out of Brisbane. She has a graphic, playful and floral aesthetic to her print designs. There is innocence to the colour pallets, motifs, and techniques Julie uses to create the patterns. A combination of which creates designs that are uplifting, well balanced and evoke a sense of nostalgia, much like the warm sun on your back while leaning down to smell the roses.

Julie is fulfilling her creative desires through surface and pattern design. “A pattern is a repeated form or design that is used to decorate something. My goal is to design patterns to enhance and decorate your ‘something’. My prints are often described as colourful, happy, graphic and playful. A love of florals features prominently in my work, and I am keen to experiment and design using different mediums in my art, from paper collages, and watercolour compositions to digital illustration.”

Julie Harrison of Pattern Play Studio

Pattern Play Studio’s fabric being printed

What initially drew you to textile design?

My grandmother was a milliner by trade and a beautiful seamstress, so fabric played a prominent part in my childhood. Then, the discovery of designers Marimekko, Orla Kiely, and Florence Broadhurst confirmed for me where my graphic design heart was leading

Do you plan a print or does it organically evolve?

I let creativity evolve when designing my patterns. It begins with a simple sketch of a motif, or a painted mark, then it is digitally transformed. This is where I play with colour, scale, shape, symmetry, balance, and movement in the design. I do like to think of an end product and what type of pattern would be suited to this product. Being a graphic designer I am always working to briefs and planning ahead, so while it is lovely to “simply create” and see where you end up with a design, it does help to know where to aim for and what your client is hoping for.

What is your dream creative project?

I’ve always imagined what my designs would look like on an upholstered armchair, or a range of table linen, cushions, or wallpaper. I find, as I continue to experiment and design, that I would also love to design for children, in particular their clothing, bedroom linen and other soft furnishings