inside the new kid club collection: the artwork & what to make with it

You know that feeling when you walk past a picnic in the park on a perfect sunny day. Checkered blankets, bright florals, a punch bowl, kids running around with butterflies overhead. That’s the whole mood of this collection in a sentence. 🍓

Let me walk you through what’s in it and what to actually do with it.

the artwork in one breath

The New Kid Club team described the brief best.

There’s a bit of a Pic-Nic in the park vibe to it all, checks and stripes for your blanket, florals for your dress and stripes for your napkins, perfect!

So that’s the shape of it. Bold colours, abstract shapes playing in the background, and two motifs running through as the heroes of the whole thing.

We love to use floral and butterfly motifs, which are the heroes of the collection and give it a huge Summer vibe.

Florals and butterflies, woven through a collection of prints designed to play together. Everything in here has been chosen so you can pull pieces from across the collection and they’ll still sing as one outfit, one quilt, one bunting string.

the ‘happy’ trio

Three prints sit at the heart of the collection. The team named them ‘Happy’ before they were even officially named, which tells you what you need to know.

• Happy Terrazzo is the abstract one. Speckly, joyful, the kind of print that works as a base layer or a statement on its own.
• Happy Butterflies is one of the two motif heroes. Big colour, summery flutter, exactly the energy this collection lives for.
• Happy Floral is bold and bright and the kind of print you’ll keep coming back to.

These are the boldest, brightest dopamine prints in the collection. Start here if you want maximum joy in your make.

what to make with each style

The collection is sitting across our 21 fabric bases and three print scales, so you’ve got room to suit each print to the project. Here’s how I’d pair them.

florals (including Happy Floral)

The dress prints. Florals love drape, so reach for:

• Cotton Sateen or Rayon in Midi for a flowy summer dress that moves with you
• Cotton Lycra in Midi for an easy tee or fitted everyday top
• Quilting Cotton in Mini for kids dresses, rompers, or patchwork
• Cotton Voile in Midi for floaty tops and breezy summer pieces

butterflies (Happy Butterflies + friends)

The motif you’ll want on display. Place this where people can see it.

• Cotton Woven or Quilting Cotton in Midi for kids garments and bunting
• 210gsm Cotton Canvas in Midi or Mega for a statement tote or summer market bag
• Bamboo Cotton Lycra in Mini for baby clothes and snuggly basics
• Double Gauze Muslin in Midi for a baby wrap or light summer top

checks (the picnic blanket print)

The grounding print of the collection. Plays well with everything else.

• Quilting Cotton in Midi for an actual picnic blanket, a backing piece, or a quilt border
• Cotton Drill in Midi for a structured pinafore, tote, or jacket
• Cotton Linen in Midi for relaxed summer trousers or a button up

stripes (the napkin print, in the team’s words)

The supporting cast. Use them as your secret weapon.

• Cotton Woven or Quilting Cotton in Mini or Midi for napkins, table runners, kids clothes trims
• 220gsm Cotton Lycra in Mini for ribbed style tee inserts, neckbands, leggings
• Cotton Rib Knit for cuffs and necklines, perfect alongside any of the other prints

Happy Terrazzo (the abstract)

The print that makes a make feel grown up while still being playful.

• Viscose Rayon Satin in Midi for a slinky special occasion piece
• Cotton Sateen in Midi for a fancier dress with movement
• Cotton Canvas in Midi for cushions, totes, homewares

three make ideas to get you going

If you want me to spell it out, here are three combos that’d be a happy ever after.

1. Summer dress. Happy Floral, Midi scale, Cotton Sateen or Rayon. Pair with a Squiggly Stripes cuff or pocket detail.
2. Kids picnic outfit. Happy Butterflies on Cotton Lycra in Mini for a tee, Coloured Checkerboard on Cotton Woven for shorts or a skirt. They’ll grin.
3. Whole picnic kit. Coloured Checkerboard on Quilting Cotton for the blanket, Squiggly Stripes for napkins, a small Happy Floral tote in 210gsm Cotton Canvas. Done.

a quick scale steer

Because picnic vibes belong on adult and tiny garments alike, here’s the cheat sheet.

• Little kids makes and small accessories, lean Mini (10cm) or Midi (25cm)
• Standard adult garments and most quilting, Midi (25cm) is the comfy default
• Statement pieces, maxi dresses, curtains, big bags, go Mega (50cm)

Not sure which base feels right? Grab a Fabric Sample Pack before the round closes. There’s nothing like having the real thing in your hands.

The collection is open across our preorder rounds. Come have a browse, pick the print that makes you smile the most, and join The Colour Collan Club for first looks when the next round opens. 💕