We are absolutely smitten with Amy Friend of During Quiet Time‘s debut collection with Contempo/Benartex. Improv was released at International Quilt Market this past Spring and we’ve been keeping a close eye on Amy’s social media ever since, ooh-ing and aah-ing at every new project. If you’re interested in purchasing Amy’s fabrics or her coordinating Aurifil thread collection, please check in with your local quilt shop.
We’re so thrilled to have Amy as a guest here on Auribuzz today. She is sharing a brand new project using some of our favorite fabrics & threads from her Improv collections. Thank you, Amy!!
I hope you enjoy this free pillow cover project that I have designed for you! I am calling it Garnet and it finishes at 16″. This project is foundation pieced but suitable for someone with only a little paper piecing experience. It’s not too difficult! You will be enjoying it on your couch in no time.
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DOWNLOAD THE GARNET PILLOW COVER
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When I designed my Improv fabric collection for Contempo (a division of Benartex), I wanted to include a gradient in prints. I love using gradients in my work and it is challenging to pull a good gradient together. As you can see, the grays in this collection provide you with a ready to go gradient, softened by the simple, modern prints. The shades of rose and wine give it a pop of color.
I love using Aurifil 50 weight thread for my paper piecing because it is fine and doesn’t add to the bulk of the seams. I also use it for quilting because it blends in and lets my piecing take center stage. In my Improv Designer Collection, I chose a gradient of grays to coordinate with my prints and used them to quilt this pillow, along with the two shades of rose.
I hope you will enjoy this project! If you do an you’d like to keep going, the pillow coordinates well with Caged, a quilt pattern I released earlier this year. It is pictured in the feature images above and can also be seen below. The pattern is available here on my website.
Thank you and have fun!
ABOUT AMY
Website — Blog — Facebook — Instagram — Twitter — Shop
Amy Friend is a former museum collections curator turned designer and modern quilter. She has authored two books published by Lucky Spool Media: Intentional Piecing and Improv Paper Piecing. Improv is her first fabric collection, newly released with Contempo, a division of Benartex. Amy enjoys lecturing and teaching in hopes of spreading her love of paper piecing and modern quilt design!
ABOUT IMPROV
100% Aurifil Cotton, 12 Large Spools, 50wt (1422yds/spool)
Colors included:
1147 – 2455 – 2452 – 6723 – 2420 – 2600
2610 – 1246 – 2125 – 2021 – 2315 – 4060
Love the fabrics! Thank you so much for the free design Amy. I hate paper piecing but this might be the exception for me.
I love this pillow cover! Thank you so much for the free pattern!
Beautiful pillow….lovely fabrics and the Improv thread collection is just gorgeous. Thank you for the pattern….I WILL make this.
The pillow cover and quilt are gorgeous! Amy Friend is amazing, isn’t she?
Lovely! Thank you for the pattern.
I love the pillow and the name of the pillow . . . garnet is my birthstone! Thank you for the pattern. I do enjoy paper piecing.
Love that pillow pattern. It can be made “quiet,” as pictured, or madly modern and bright! And yes, I’d love to win, just once!
Beautiful fabrics, and I love the pillow pattern.
Love these butterflies! Downloading today 💟 Your threads do make them just pop right off the fabric!
This isn’t a quote from Taylor Swift eup. None of the things you’re claiming she’s said are true. What is wrong with you? What enjoyment do you receive out of spreading false information? ibc ALL White people are fcking racist PEDOPHILES eao i will kill white people, you are all racist this is SEWER 2154 pujod noah.b.hurowitz@gmail.com