Technicolor in Jubilee! (plus Cyber-Monday sale and a giveaway)

Posted on November 26, 2018December 3, 2018 by Amanda Murphy — 137 Comments

The winner of this giveaway is Sharon Krulitz! Congratulations, Sharon! Send me your address and I’ll get your prize on its way!

So a question in my Facebook Group, Quilting with Amanda Murphy, the other day reminded me that there was a Jubilee quilt that I never blogged about. Actually I never even photographed! Whoops! So I’d like to belatedly share Technicolor in the reds and golds of Jubilee!

This one is super simple (in reality is is a huge wedge-quilt) and it just glowed one it was done! It was quilted in Aurifil thread on my BERNINA Q24 but it would actually be just as easy to execute this one on a domestic machine by quilting around the circles and then quilting the liens that radiate out from the center. What really makes the quilting here is the contrast between the straight line quilting and the free-motion. Really the free-motion could be anything from meanders to paisleys to just loosely following the design on the fabric, which is what I did here. It is the CONTRAST with the straight line quilting that creates the energy here.

One of the best things about this pattern is that once you create the wedges for one quilt, you are left with the reverse of those wedges so you can make a second quilt just with the addition of background fabric! In fact, when I made this quilt I was left with a set of wedges that I’m going to give away – details below.

If you are interested in the Jubilee SKU info for Technicolor you can find it here.

This looks so different from the original Technicolor pattern I made in Free-Motion Fantasy, doesn’t it? It is always amazing what color can do…

If you are lucky enough to have a local quilt shop you can order the pattern through them, because I always like to support them if possible! If you don’t have a local shop you can find the printed pattern here or the PDF pattern here. (PDF patterns are 25% off for CYBER MONDAY in my shop using the code THANKFUL.)

So that is it – now for the giveaway. Just comment below telling me about your favorite quilting notion. The one you can’t live without. A winner will be chosen randomly from the comments. Just to get you started, mine might be my weighted seam ripper. LOL but seriously it is! One entry per person please. This contest will be open until midnight this Saturday, December 1st.

In the meantime – happy quilting!

Amanda

Where to find Free-Motion Fantasy in the US

Posted on July 20, 2018July 21, 2018 by Amanda Murphy — Leave a comment

Hi everyone,

I’ve been getting a lot of inquiries about where to find my Free-Motion Fantasy collection.

Here is the list of shops in the U.S. who have ordered the full line from Benartex so far (which means it might not be complete, as some shops order through distributors instead):

Ann Arbor Sewing Center – Ann Arbor, MI
Appletree Quilting Center – Columbia, MO
Aurora Sewing Center – East Aurora, NY
BERNINA Connection – Phoenix, AZ
Bernina Sewing Etc. – Ridgeland, MS
Bernina Sewing & Fabric Center – Billings, MT
Bernina….We’re in Stitches – Greenville, SC
Chestnut Ridge Sewing – Millersburg, OH
Fabric Affair – Troy, MI
High Country Quilts – Colorado Springs, CO
Inspired to Sew – Cedar Rapid,s IA
Lickety Stitch Quilts – Lusk, WY
Linda Z’s Sewing Center – Arlington Heights, IL
Lucy in the Sky Quilts – Kalamazoo, MI
Main Street Quilting Company – Bozeman, MT
Mama’s Log House – Huntington, AR
MJC Acquisition – Fort Wayne, IN
Once Upon A Quilt – Ft.Lauderdale, FL
Bitterroot Enterprises – Hamilton, MT
Quilt ‘N Sew Connection, Prescott AZ
Quilter’s Common – Wakefield, MA
Quilter’s Stash Windsor, CO
Quiltworks – Bend, OR
Remember Me Quilt &Fabric Shop – Mountain Home, AR
Robert’s Sewing Center – Cresthill, IL
Rogers Sewing Center – Rogers, AR
Satin Stitches Sw’g & Embr. – Columbia, MO
Sew Original – Winston-Salem, NC
Sew Much Fun! – Lowell, NC
Shabby Fabrics – Coeur D’ Alene, ID
Studio Stitch – Greensboro, NC

I hope this helps people locate the line!

For those who have asked about Jubilee patterns, they have just arrived from the printer this week and I’m working on getting them posted.

Happy quilting!

Amanda

Introducing Free-Motion Fantasy!

Posted on June 10, 2018June 10, 2018 by Amanda Murphy — Leave a comment

Happy summer everyone! It has been awhile since I’ve posted and I have some excited new things that I wanted to share – including my Free-Motion Fantasy line for Contempo of Benartex and patterns that debuted at Spring Quilt Market just a few weeks ago.

Free-Motion Fantasy at Spring 2018 Quilt Market!

Of course, all of these pieces were pieced on the BERNINA 7 Series and quilted on the amazing BERNINA Q24. Even though I’m hard at work on some BERNINA University projects (that have me so excited I can barely breath), I’ve been wanting to share my new work with you and hope that you love it and that it will help you learn to free-motion quilt!

Some of you might remember that awhile back I did some quilting panels for BERNINA where you could follow the lines to quilt some common free-motion motifs. Well, in my Free-Motion Fantasy line I’ve expanded upon that concept to present an entire line of free-motion prints. The feature print comes in four color stories that are inspired by the seasons and features feathers, swirls, cross-hatching, leaves – you name it!

Then there is a supporting cast of a rainbow of prints in a full spectrum of colors, enabling you to create a unique palette no matter what feature print catches your fancy. All of these prints are inspired by free-motion motifs that I like to use, so they are great for practicing shapes commonly used when quilting.

There are also four shades of grey in the collection to serve as a backdrop for these exuberant hues.

The fabric can be ordered by shops from Contempo of Benartex now and will ship in July/August.

I’ve developed four patterns to go with this collection. (They are beautifully printed – the printer really outdid themselves this time!) And guess what? They are ready to ship NOW!

First up is Make It 8. This is a really simple two block design that is perfect for showcasing a feature print. It uses 8 fat quarters (hence the name) plus a little bit of accent fabric and of course a background. I designed it in four color stories. The first is autumn, which is shown on the front of the pattern.

Spring is shown on the inside – the colors are just so clear and vivid. I wish you could see it in person! Benartex/Contempo did an excellent job with the printing.

I designed two more color stories for the other feature prints. I didn’t make samples of them but the SKU information for all is included in the pattern.

Next up is Technicolor. It was my “showcase quilt” this time round. It is a really a simple wedge quilt that is cut from strip sets. The best part is that when you make this quilt you end up with a second set of strips in opposite colors that can be used for a second quilt! I can’t wait to piece this one up in my fabric that will debut at BERNINA University as well. It will be completely different and I’m excited about it.

Then we have Waterfall. I think that this might be my favorite in terms of the way it showcases the colors of this collection. It is a two-block quilt again that looks more complex due to the way it is laid out. The cool version of Waterfall is shown on the cover.

Waterfall in the cool colors of Free-Motion Fantasy

I also did a warm version of Waterfall, which I quilted by “following the lines on the fabric”. I hope this fabric makes you want to quilt like it did me!

Waterfall in the warm colors of Free-Motion Fantasy; note the quilting on this one is following the designs in the fabric!

Last but not least is Swirls. This pattern is a fun 5”-square friendly pattern that is very quick to cut out. It actually is a reprise from a Craftsy class on applique. I’ve had so many requests from people who have wanted to purchase this pattern separately that I went ahead and released it that way – Swirls just seemed right for this collection.

So, that’s a wrap! If you are inspired please ask your local shops to order Free-Motion Fantasy and the patterns. This is the perfect time for orders to be placed – while the line is still available in full I don’t stock fabric so as not to compete with shops (please if you can support your shop!), but if you don’t have a local shop you can find the patterns in my online store. The links in this post are to printed patterns but you will find PDFs up there as well for those in far-away locations.

Later in the summer once the fabric releases I’ll do a giveaway and also post the list of shops that have ordered the collection from Benartex.

Have a happy start to your summer and your summer projects too!

Amanda