Behind the Design: Wild Forgotten

By: Bonnie Christine

Story Adapted From Pattern Magazine – Volume 6

Pattern Magazine is Bonnie Christine's quarterly print and digital publication for surface pattern designers, artists, and creative entrepreneurs who believe that how you live shapes what you make. This story first appeared in Volume 6, Marking the Moment, the autumn 2026 issue.

Ash, raven, crocus, lavender, wren, hazel, poppy, beaver, clover, ivy, willow, heron, parsnip, blackberry, dandelion, walnut, doe, primrose, thrush, magpie, adder, mint, radish, bloom, lark, nectar, vine.

Several years ago, I learned that a well-known children’s dictionary was replacing these words with modern ones, such as blog, database, voicemail, attachment, and celebrity.

It made me pause. The dictionary was created for seven-year-olds, the age of my son, Bear, at the time. And it marked a moment of technology taking the place of nature in our everyday dialogue.

What words are we holding fast to? What inspiration are we gathering? What memories are we choosing to anchor?

"Dandelion Doe" by Bonnie Christine

Pulling out my sketchbook, I began drawing a doe. The graphite traced the page from nose to hoof. Next came a beaver, then a dandelion ... and a bluebell. One illustration at a time, I created what would become the Wild Forgotten collection.

Each pattern captures the beauty of a word that was removed from the dictionary, one I want in the vocabulary of our family and our home.

Doe is the middle name of my daughter, Ollie.

One particular pattern holds a special place in my heart. It is not the most intricate or the most elegant. But it is authentic to the story this collection tells with each word written by hand again and again and again.

"Remember" by Bonnie Christine

Wanting More?

Read the full story in Volume 6 of Pattern Magazine.

The complete Behind the Design feature, with every print in the collection, is in the latest issue. You can see the whole Wild Forgotten collection in Bonnie’s portfolio.