One way or another, love finds a way to be the real hero in my Hero patterns.

Recently, I was commissioned to design a pattern for a colleague who wanted to make his family a thoughtful surprise by having some table linen made for their newly acquired dinner table. The subject of patterns came up as we were chatting during a work lunch, and he shared a beautiful memory from his own early childhood back in Ireland. His grandfather was really fond of a certain blue and white teacup, so much so that he only ever drank his tea from this particular cup! It turned out to be part of the Willow pattern tea set, which featured a romantic story of young love that was not meant to be.

While inspired by Chinese blue and white porcelain, the Willow pattern itself is an English creation that became popular in the late 18th century due to mass-produced transferware, making it more affordable. The pattern is known for its elements like a pagoda-like structure, a bridge, a boat, two birds, and of course, a weeping willow – the silent witness to the sad love story unfolding.

The rest is history! My colleague’s newborn son will be growing up in a home where this new pattern now lives, holding so much meaning for his father. Who knows what stories will be told at the family table and what these blue birds in flight will go on to inspire?

I really enjoyed creating this meaningful pattern and look forward to taking on new custom projects like this in the future.