Bright July: About Bright July

Hi there! I’m Caitlin. I grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa, and emigrated to the United States as a nine year old. As long as I can remember, I wanted to be an artist. I’ve always loved working with my hands, and making something new. My Mom is a quilter, and always tried to teach me to sew as a child, but I could never sit still long enough to learn. After I graduated with my BFA degree, the sewing machine beckoned. I decided to try making pillows – something fun and pretty and totally unserious. I started with a handful of designs, many of which I still sell. Bright July grew out of my desire to make fun, beautiful, high quality designs that brighten up people’s lives.

Bright July's Inspiration

My inspiration mostly comes from celebrating life and love. I love the idea that a Carpe Diem (or Carpe Noctem) pillow is a little reminder to live the day well, or that a Te Amo or Je T’aime pillow can send a simple message of love from one person to another. Nothing makes me happier than imagining my little pillows taking on a new life, encouraging people I’ve never met and becoming a little part of their lives and stories.

About the Process

Each design starts with calligraphy. I use a Japanese sumi-e ink brush and a pot of black ink to write out the saying in a sketchbook. From there, the design is traced and ironed on using transfer paper. Finallly, each letter is carefully and lovingly machine appliquéd onto the pillow and assembled. The beauty of this process is that I have so much flexibility – and can make any custom lettering at any time. I love custom orders! I’m also working on some new designs that incorporate light sensitive dye prints and handmade, hand-wrapped tassels. Each one of those designs goes through many steps and stages of translation before they are finished.