BERNINA University and NEW FABRIC Recap 2019!

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Hi everyone,

Are you excited for some summer sewing?  It has been SOOOO hard to keep secrets these last few months so thank goodness I can finally show what I have been working on.  My newest fabric lines for Benartex and Contempo or Benartex were just featured at BERNINA University a week ago and I’m so excited to show you!

If you’d rather watch a video showing all the patterns and fabrics you can find one here:

Pictures speak louder than words so let’s get started!  The new line inspired by the features of my favorite BERNINA machines is called “Celestial Lights”.  It will start shipping in July and is beautifully printed by Benartex with details delineated in pearl inks.

 

There are a variety of shot-cotton prints perfect for embroidered embellishment, including a pearl-on-white not pictured here.

The first Celestial Lights pattern is called Stardust.  It features twelve star embroideries – each with a different blackwork pattern – from the coordinating BERNINA-Exclusive Celestial Lights Collection.  The Embroidery Collection also features the quilting files for this quilt digitized for both longarms and domestic embroidery machines.  There are directions for both a blue and a  red color story.  We’ll be giving tips and tricks for sewing this over on BERNINA’s blog this fall!

Again with red and blue options, is my new piecing pattern – Constellations!  It uses a half yard of twelve fabrics.  Lots of pieces but I REALLY love this one!

And super-fun to piece is Hometown, in a combination of red and blue!

Next up is Floret, a fun appliqué pattern that includes a download code for SVG files.  There is going to be an Aurifil thread box for this one, so you’ll have an easy way to locate the 28 wt. thread I like to use for the blanket stitch and the 12 wt. thread I like to use for the triple-stitched vines.  Also a July ship date.

The fabric collection features five different panels: two ruler panels, two quilting panels, and one embroidery panel.

Shown in the first row: Endless Quilting yardage and the embroidery panel. Shown in the second row: two ruler panels. The Endless Quilting yardage has no divisions between the repeats and extra fabric near the selvage for seams so you can practice quilting to your heart’s content on a project of any size!

The Celestial Lights Embroidery Panel Project Guide shows you how to make that panel into a pillow, table runner, wall hanging, and quilt!

The Celestial Lights Ruler Panel Guide in conjunction with the ruler panels show you how to use my new Good Measure Every Oval Ruler set in a myriad of different ways.   You’ll love this set I promise and guess what?  Hot on its heels will come another new ruler set – RIBBON CANDY!

Next up are my Market lines. With all the BERNINA University prep I never wrote a blog post for them so I apologize for this being a bit late.  The patterns for the patterns below one will be ready in a few weeks.

Silver Jubilee is an elegant sophisticated line in silvers and charcoals, accented with a rich plum.

Because of the traditional nature of the paisley feature print, with patterns I went more modern in feel.  Here is my favorite… Amethyst Jubilee!  (And yes, it is paper-pieced but with just one block and its mirror image.)

Following on its heels in the modern category is Linked.  It is fat-quarter friendly so is super easy to kit!

Then we have Mirror, Mirror.  My goal here was to develop a 10’’ square-friendly pattern that was dynamic and different.

Since Silver Jubilee was modeled after the original gold Jubilee line, I had time to draw another collection.  This one is close to my heart as it arrived in my head pretty much fully formed and that hardly ever happens.  I just love the rich tones in this collection and the birds… even though I’m scared of birds in real life.  Nightingale is very subtly detailed in just a little bit of pearl.

For patterns we have a large-block quilt called Salt Water Taffy…

And Sunrise, which is such fun to quilt with a straight line ruler and simple loops. (I have a video of the quilting somewhere that I’ll have to dig up to show.)  You can use quarter yard cuts or fat quarters for this one.

And then we have my favorite to make because each block was such fun – Night Garden!  This is fat-quarter friendly too.

All patterns include SKU information and will ship in late July; I’ll let you know as soon as they are available.  In the meantime if you love any or all of these lines please ask your local shop to order them through Benartex! Thanks so much and happy quilting!

Amanda

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Free Figure Skater Pillow pattern and a Cricut Maker demonstration!

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Hi everyone!

I hope you are having a lovely time getting ready for the holidays.  I’ve been working on a few special projects and I’m just loving one in particular – my Figure Skater Pillow.

I love it so much I thought I’d share it with you so that you could make it for a special person in your life.  (Quilting tutorial link below too!)  You can download the directions for the pillow here.

I used the Cricut Maker to cut out this pillow and learned so much!  Of course, you can also make it by tracing the templates directly onto paper-backed fusible web, but I thought it would be great to share what I learned about the Cricut Maker with you in this video.  It is my favorite fabric cutter BY FAR now because you don’t have to starch or stabilize the fabric with anything when cutting.  Which means I can use  SoftFuse without starch – yay!  Its teeny-tiny rotary cutter can even cut something as thin as gauze!  Amazing, huh?

Once I had all the shapes cut out I fused them down and secured them with a blanket stitch on my BERNINA 780 using Aurifil cotton.

I also filmed a tutorial about how to quilt a wintry background using my Blizzard print from my Winter Games collection from Benartex on my BERNINA Q24 that you can view here.

This was a special request that was made in my Facebook Group, “Quilting with Amanda Murphy” – thanks for the idea, guys!

The Figure Skater Pillow is based off of just one block from my Winter Sports quilt.  If you are interested in getting the patterns to make other skaters, or skiers and snowboarders, you can order it (and the SVG files) here.

Also, I filmed a video of how I made a card to go with the presents.  I’m not a paper crafter and was amazed how easy it was!

I hope you enjoy the pattern and these videos and have enjoy the holidays!

Happy quilting!

Amanda

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Introducing Winter Games (and a blog hop with giveaways)!

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Hi everyone!

Some of you are just too quick and have noticed my new line – Winter Games – popping up in stores or have written me to ask where you can find it.  I’ve been so wrapped up in promoting Meadow Dance (which, incidentally, is pretty much all sold out but is being reprinted and should be back shipping next month) that I haven’t had time to introduce Winter Games properly so I thought I’d do so today.

Since the Winter Olympics are in February of 2018 I decided this fall would be the perfect time to launch a winter sports line!  Then we can have lots of fun sewing prior to and during the Olympics!   Are you with me?  Benartex has some fun fabric giveaways lined this week on their Winter Games blog hop, so make sure to check it out each day!

The feature print Winter Games showcases winter athletes.  From skaters to skiers, we’ve got you covered.  (For those who ask, no I can’t do any of these sports.  I can’t even do them badly on a good day.  I can, however, draw others doing these sports, so I guess that is something…)

I added some snowflakes into the mix.  I love how the traditional snowflake motifs contrast with the modern athletes!

Athletes need equipment, right?  These skis, skates, and boots are laced with silver metallic.  Just a touch…

All that activity probably makes the athletes tired.  They need sustenance.  Hot chocolate and lattes will do in a pinch.

Do you like the text print?  I hope so! It is my favorite today.

After drinking hot chocolate, those coordinated athletes need to bundle up and go outside to continue their training.  (I, however, plan to watch this on TV while sewing in my cozy house this February.  How about you?)

As always, I have some blenders for you.  It is important to have blenders that are fun to quilt!

One of my favorite things about this collection are all the shades of grey – it makes for so many design possibilities.  This dark grey is all about drama.

When I designed this collection, I had my heart set on an applique project that allowed the athletes to really shine!  So my first pattern for this collection is Winter Sports!

There is a download code for SVG files included to use with fabric cutters for all of the accessories so you can dress your athletes quickly.!

Oh my gosh this pattern was fun to quilt!  On some blocks I quilted mountains, on others skating rinks…

I sewed my sample with an aqua border but I really like the grey version too!

I have three more Winter Games patterns coming for Market – I’ll be showing you a sneak peek later in the week.  (No, they aren’t sewn yet – wish me luck!)

“Skating Rink” The pattern can be downloaded from my Downloads page.

And of course I have a free pattern for you all.  This one features simple piecing on a dark grey background, with fussy-cut athletes appliquéd to the center of each block.

Don’t forget to visit Benartex’s blog hop this week for chances to win a bundle of Winter Games and for some great mug rug tutorials!

I hope you love this collection as much as I do!  If you do, please ask your local shop to order it from Contempo of Benartex.  I’d really appreciate it.  If you are a shop who has bought this collection, you are welcome to post that information in my Facebook Group.

Happy quilting!

Amanda

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