Rulerwork Zippered Bag by Amanda Murphy

Happy Friday! Today, we’re thrilled to hand Auribuzz over to Aurifil Designer Amanda Murphy. We presented Amanda’s debut Aurifil thread collections, Piecing and Quilting  and Appliqué, last year and we always love seeing all of the fabulous things that she creates with them! Welcome, Amanda!

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Hey everyone! My name is Amanda Murphy and I’m a Benartex fabric designer, author with C&T Publishing, pattern designer, and BERNINA Quilting and Longarm Spokesperson. Recently I designed a free pattern for BERNINA for a Rulerwork Zippered Bag and, since it features Aurifil threads, I thought I’d come over here and share it with you!

BERNINA Zippered Rulerwork Bag, featuring Nordic Holiday, by Amanda Murphy for Contempo Studios of Benartex

For this pattern I used took advantage of the new BERNINA #72 adjustable ruler foot (although you can use a walking foot too). For those of you who haven’t discovered this wonderful tool yet, it can make hard-to-quilt things like smooth curves and circles MUCH easier – plus it virtually eliminates the need to rotate your quilt top!

Usually I quilt with Aurifil 50wt thread, but for the bags, I really wanted the ruler work to pop, so I chose to use contrasting 28wt Aurifil threads from my Appliqué Collection for the rulerwork and then fill in with a 50 wt. Aurifil that matched the fabric.

Detail of the quilting in Aurifiil 28 wt. and 50 wt. threads

What is your favorite color Aurifil thread? I’m really partial to 5005 and 5006 at the moment, but there are so many lovely shades.

You can download PDF directions and see videos of the ruler work here.

If you make a bag, show us what you’ve done! Post on Instagram tagging @amandamurphydesign and the hashtags #aurifil and #weallsew!

For more free-motion quilting ideas feel free to join me on my Facebook Group and happy bag-making!

— Amanda

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

Amanda and her BERNINA Q24

Amanda and her BERNINA Q24

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.

ABOUT AMANDA’S AURIFIL THREAD COLLECTIONS
Amanda Murphy’s Piecing and Quilting Collection
100% Aurifil Cotton, 50wt (1422yds each, 11 colors, Large Spools):
2250 – 5017 – 2886 – 1128 – 5006 – 5007 – 2440 – 2225 – 2785 – 2600 – 2021
Clear Monofilament (1094yds, 1 Large Spool)

AmandaMurphyCollection-LG

Amanda Murphy’s Appliqué Collection
100% Aurifil Cotton, 12wt (54yds each, 2 colors, Small Spools): 1114 – 2021
100% Aurifil Cotton, 28wt (109yds each, 8 colors, Small Spools):
5005 – 2425 – 2225 – 2720 – 2250 – 5017 – 2620 – 2785

AmandaMurphyCollectionSM

** Images and text are courtesy of Amanda Murphy.

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