This fabric design is based on the cover of the 1950s children’s book Stars. I was drawn to the strong space imagery: the deep blue background, Saturn, small planets, starbursts, and comet-like shapes moving across the design.

I adapted the image as a fabric because I wanted to use it to remake a lampshade. The original cover already has the kind of bold, decorative quality that works well on a shade, especially with the contrast between the dark blue field and the lighter planets and stars.

The finished print keeps the feeling of 1950s science illustration, with its mix of educational space imagery and atomic-age style. Used on a lampshade, I think it will have just the right balance of vintage reference and graphic impact.