About My Surface Design Work

I’m Tahlia, an illustrator and surface designer with a particular love for wildlife, nature and those busy little details that give a pattern its personality. My surface design work begins with my own illustrations, which I develop into repeating patterns designed to work beautifully across fabric, accessories, homeware, stationery and other products.

This portfolio brings together some of my favourite collections, from British wildlife and woodland animals to birds, underwater life and even a few collections inspired by sweets and cupcakes!

Many of these patterns have left the screen and been developed into fabrics and finished products for Tahlia Paige, allowing me to see how colour, scale and repeat work in real applications as well as within the original design.

Have a look through the collections below to explore my surface pattern design work, including individual illustrations, hero designs and coordinating repeating patterns.

a hedgehog repeating pattern from the surface pattern design collection of Tahlia Paige

Surface Pattern Design

The Hedgehog Pattern Collection

One of my earliest wildlife collections, this hedgehog pattern began with hand drawn illustrations inspired by one of Britain’s most loved garden visitors. The collection combines a hero design with coordinating repeating patterns, creating a versatile set that works beautifully across fabric and products.

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A repeating pattern of red squirrels

Surface pattern design

The Red Squirrel Pattern Collection

Inspired by the character and colours of the red squirrel, this wildlife pattern collection combines detailed illustrations with woodland elements and coordinating designs. The collection explores different scales and layouts to create seamless repeating patterns that can work individually or together.

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A repeating illustrated pattern design featuring brown rabbits, purple and blue leaves, mushrooms, and small purple dots on a pale blue background.

Surface pattern design

The Hare Pattern Collection

This hare pattern collection developed from original illustrations into a series of coordinating repeats, with colour becoming an important part of the design process. The original green colourway later evolved into purple when I began working with the pattern on fabric, showing how a surface design can continue to develop once it moves onto a physical product.

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seamless repeating pattern of a dormouse in its environment

surface pattern design

The Dormouse Pattern Collection

Tiny dormice, woodland details and nature inspired elements come together in this playful dormouse pattern collection. Developed as a series of coordinating repeat patterns, the designs explore different compositions while keeping a consistent illustrative style across the collection.

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a surface design done for the underwater collection

surface pattern design

The Underwater Pattern Collection

A change of scenery from my woodland wildlife, this underwater pattern collection explores marine life through illustrated motifs and flowing repeating patterns. The designs combine sea creatures and underwater details to create a collection that's playful, colourful and full of movement.

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a surface patern design of owls

surface pattern design

The British Birds Pattern Collection

Inspired by some familiar feathered visitors, my British bird patterns bring together original bird illustrations with coordinating natural details. The collection includes several seamless pattern designs, exploring different arrangements, scales and compositions while retaining a recognisable illustrative style.

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  • a repeat pattern of ice cream cones

    The Sweet Treats Pattern Collection

    Not everything in my portfolio has paws, feathers or fins. This playful food pattern collection is built around illustrated sweet treats, developed into colourful repeating patterns that show another side of my illustration and surface design work.

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  • dormouse illustration

    Animal Illustrations

    The individual illustrations are where many of my patterns begin. From wildlife and botanical details to other subjects that catch my attention, these original drawings form the building blocks for much of my surface pattern design work as well as standing as illustrations in their own right.

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  • a surface repeat pattern of a parrot

    Other Patterns

    A selection of creative work beyond my main pattern collections, showing some of the different ways I develop ideas through illustration, colour and design. This section is a home for experiments, one off pieces and projects that haven't got their own collections (Yet!).

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