Our signature pattern began with a batik workshop, West African inspiration, and a vision to bring ancestral craft into my contemporary design.
When you see the coral sunset throw blanket in our shop, you're looking at more than just a pattern—you're seeing years of connection, curiosity, research, cultural exploration, and the evolution of my artistic practice. This is the story of how Coral Sunset came to life.
The Roots: Ghana, 2017
The seeds of Coral Sunset were planted during my time in Ghana in 2017. I traveled to Nungua, a fishing village in a suburb of Accra for my first art residency. During my time there, I immersed myself in traditional textile techniques—specifically tie dye and batik—learning directly from artisans who've carried these crafts through generations.
Working with wax resist and dye, I created fabric samples that captured the energy and movement of my experience. Those original hand-dyed fabrics from Ghana would later become essential elements in the digital pattern you see today.
The Inspiration: Traditional African Textiles
Coral Sunset didn't emerge in isolation. Fast-forward to 2019: Coral Sunset was my response to a conversation with traditional African textiles from Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, Zambia, and Ghana—textiles I've long admired and woven into my work.
These traditions taught me about pattern, repetition, and the power of color to communicate feeling. I wanted to honor that legacy while creating something new—a pattern that spoke to my own experience as a Black woman artist trained in Western fine art institutions but rooted in ancestral craft traditions.
The research wasn't academic. It was personal. It was about understanding the textiles that already moved me and asking: How do I carry this forward? How do I create something that respects tradition while being unmistakably mine?
The Colors: Coral, Turquoise, Yellow
The palette wasn't arbitrary. Coral, turquoise, and yellow—these colors evoke warmth, energy, and joy. They remind me of sunsets, of tropical landscapes, of the vibrancy I associate with the cultures that inspired this work.
Coral is grounding and warm. Turquoise brings coolness and calm. Yellow adds light and optimism. Together, they create tension and harmony—just like the floral shapes that dance across the fabric.
The Design Process: From Hand to Digital
Creating Coral Sunset was my first deep dive into repeat surface pattern design. This wasn't about making a single composition—it was about creating a pattern that could seamlessly repeat infinitely in any direction.
I started with those hand-dyed fabrics from Ghana. I scanned them, isolated elements, and began building digitally. Each floral shape, each layer of texture, each color variation was intentional. I arranged and rearranged until the pattern felt alive—until it moved.
Being my first digital pattern, getting a seamless repeat was actually a joy—and that was affirmation that told me that I could do this long term.
The final elements of design were the handyed,batik fabric I created in Ghana, sewn fabric collage, and illustrator vectors. Digital collage has been a practice of mine since 2007, so I naturally took a similar approach.
The Photoshoot: Becoming Part of the Pattern
In early 2020—just weeks before the pandemic shut everything down—I did something I'd been dreaming about: I designed and sewed my own outfit from the Coral Sunset fabric and stepped into the pattern myself.
Photographer Danielle Finney captured me surrounded by, and wearing, this pattern I'd created in my studio in graduate school. It was surreal. It was powerful. It was a way of saying: this design isn't separate from me. It's an extension of my vision, my research, my craft. But even more important, it was satisfying to accomplish this goal. This photoshoot turned out to be the best way I could celebrate myself as a pandemic graduate with no thesis exhibition and no graduation.
The fabric was digitally printed on nylon—smooth, slightly shimmery, with movement and drape. Seeing the pattern at scale, on my body, in motion—that's when Coral Sunset fully came alive for me.
From Photoshoot to Product: Coral Sunset Today
After that 2020 photoshoot, Coral Sunset sat with me for a while. The pandemic shifted everything. Priorities changed. But the pattern stayed.
When I launched the shop of vibrant grace studio in 2024, I knew Coral Sunset had to be the first pattern I brought to life as a product. It represented everything I wanted the shop to embody: craft rooted in tradition, design that centers joy and color, and the belief that what we surround ourselves with should be both beautiful and meaningful.
Now, Coral Sunset lives on our plush throw blanket—a piece designed for evening wind-downs, cozy living rooms, and anyone who wants to wrap themselves in softness and vibrant color.
Bringing Coral Sunset to Life: The Making Process
Creating the Coral Sunset throw blanket isn't just about printing a pattern on fabric and calling it done. Each blanket is sewn in-house in our Baltimore studio, which means real hands, real care, and real attention to every detail.
I recently shared a behind-the-scenes look at the sewing process on Instagram. From designing the pattern, to cutting the fabric to stitching it together to seeing the finished blanket folded and ready— "made to order" isn't just a phrase—it's a commitment to craft and quality.
When you order a Coral Sunset blanket, you're not getting something pulled from a warehouse. You're getting a piece that was made specifically for you, with the same care I put into designing the pattern in the first place.
Why This Pattern Matters to Me
It feels good to put physical things out into the world. Coral Sunset is my first printed repeat pattern, but it's more than a technical milestone. It's proof of living out my childhood dreams of having my art on fabric. It's a bridge between my fine art practice and product design. It's a statement that color, pattern, and beauty aren't frivolous—they're essential.
Every time someone brings Coral Sunset into their home, they're continuing a conversation that started in Ghana in 2017. They're saying yes to color, yes to handmade craft, yes to surrounding themselves with things that feel intentional and alive.
What's Next for Coral Sunset
This pattern has more to give. I'm exploring where else Coral Sunset might live—on other products, in other forms. But for now, I'm grateful it exists in the world, and I'm grateful to everyone who's chosen to make it part of their space.
If you've ever wondered about the story behind a product you love—this is it. This is the research, the learning, the making, the risk-taking that goes into creating something that feels both new and rooted in tradition.
Ready to bring Coral Sunset into your home? Shop the plush throw blanket here and get free shipping.
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This post is part of our "Behind the Design" series, where we pull back the curtain on the inspiration, process, and story behind vibrant grace studio products. Have questions about Coral Sunset or want to see a specific product story next? Let us know.