Quilting Tips with Amanda Murphy

Hi there everyone! My name is Amanda Murphy and I’m a BERNINA Quilting and Longarm Spokesperson, fabric designer for Contempo/Benartex, pattern designer, and author with C&T Publishing. Like many of you, I’m a huge Aurifil fan. I love to use their 12 and 28wt threads for embroidery and applique, and their 50wt thread for piecing. Their 50 wt. thread is also my first choice for quilting, whether I’m on my Q24 longarm or domestic BERNINAs. It stitches beautifully in the machine with very little lint build up – I find it works great for any job! (I answer questions about quilting threads in my Facebook group – feel free to join!)

Recently I created a whole cloth quilt inspired by Aurifil using Art and Stitch software and stitched out on the BERNINA Q24 with Q-Matic software. It was based on quilting motifs from my Sewing Room Quilting Collection, which is digitized for both longarms and embroidery machines. There are 28 spools in this piece but in reality I have many more than 28 real spools in my stash! (I choose not to count because I don’t think one can have enough!)

When I don’t have time to change thread colors on a complex piece, I like to pair Aurifil Monofilament in the top with Aurifil 50wt in the bottom. The two work together beautifully without my even having to adjust the thread tension settings.! (Hint: I like to use a thread stand when quilting in monofilament on a domestic to allow the thread more distance to relax.)

I love Aurifil’s brand of monofilament in particular because it results in a very soft quilt, even when you do lots of quilting! In fact, I’m such a fan of this thread that the folks at Aurifil let me include it in my Piecing and Quilting Collection! I also have a smaller Appliqué Collection featuring Aurifil’s 28wt. and 12 wt. threads. This is perfect for trying out these threads for other applications without a huge financial investment.

Both of these collections coordinate with my Nordic Holiday line, which ships this spring, as well, along with my new collection that will debut at Market.

I hope that you will take the time to try quilting with some of your Aurifil piecing threads – I know you won’t be disappointed!

Happy quilting!
Amanda

ABOUT AMANDA
Website — Blog — Facebook — Instagram — Pinterest — Twitter — YouTube

Always attracted to color, texture, and pattern, Amanda Murphy has been designing, drawing, and sewing since she was a child. She graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a bachelor of fine arts degree and worked as a graphic designer and art director in Alexandria, Virginia, and New York City. After moving to North Carolina with her family Amanda discovered quilting, an art that marries her passion for design with her enthusiasm for handwork. As she gradually expanded her knowledge of sewing and quilting techniques and combined them with the ideas she had been sketching over the years, Amanda Murphy Design was born.

Amanda markets her own full-color pattern line under the Amanda Murphy Design label and has designed several fabric collections.  Her fourth collection with Benartex will debut in Summer 2016.

[For more, please visit Amanda’s website]

ABOUT AMANDA’S AURIFIL THREAD COLLECTION

Amanda Murphy’s Piecing and Quilting Collection
11 Large Spools 50wt (1422yds each)
2250 – 5017 – 2886 – 1128 – 5006 – 5007 – 2440 – 2225 – 2785 – 2600 – 2021
1 Large Spool Clear Monofilament (1094yds)

Amanda Murphy’s Appliqué Collection
2 Small Spools 12wt (54yds each): 1114 – 2021
8 Small Spools 28wt (109yds each):
5005 – 2425 – 2225 – 2720 – 2250 – 5017 – 2620 – 2785