Sew Sweet - An Icon Set
Less is more, stitch by stitch.
Tasked with making an icon set that felt like me, I wanted to hone in on what I loved and what brings me joy.
I’ve always loved the ‘grandma’ vibe — anything vintage, handmade, and a little worn. It holds a kind of charm that feels warm and inviting. At the same time, there’s an inside joke between me and my husband where we call fruit “fwoot.” As silly as it sounds, it’s something small that brings a lot of joy.
This project became a way to combine that simple joy with a homey, nostalgic aesthetic — turning everyday fruit into patches that feel stitched onto a handmade quilt.
Project Requirements
- A set of 6 icons
- All original work made by me
- The icons must all be cohesive to each other
Sketches
Going through the sketching process, I knew I wanted to have the patchwork designs within my fruits. It became obvious that was the direction I wanted to head, so I drew fruits as differently as I could, just to see if I wanted them whole, halfed, or sliced with a pattern inside.
Drafts
Feedback
- Designs were too busy
- Every icon had green except one
- Inside designs were too small
- Change direction of the leaves
- Differentiate more between the lemon and the orange
So, what next?
My original designs were too much, too busy. I wanted to tone down my designs but still give that homey, vintage feel. The designs that felt too much were the orange, lemon, apple, and strawberry. I opted to change them.
The Final Designs
To me, the design feels homey, like they were patches on a quilt that someone handmade. Each fruit feels unique, but each choice feels intentional. Stitch by stitch, I was able to piece together an icon set that is sew sweet.