The National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. has several of his works so if you are nearby, stop there and take a look. I often find that the backgrounds to his subjects are as substantial as the subjects themselves. The brush strokes, the colors, the shading, the intensity ... They would make for wonderful fabric patterns to use in my design work.
For their Spring 2012 ready-to-wear collection, Rodarte showed designs directly linked to Van Gogh's work. His paintings were turned into fabric prints, finishes, and color scheme. Aren't these lovely?