Amy Walsh
Creating Simple But Showy Patterns for Busy Quilters
By: Cynthia Van Hazinga
Two facts spark Amy Walsh’s creativity in designing quilts for Blue Underground Studios. “First of all,” she says, “I really love fabric, just love it. I design to let it speak out.” Secondly, she’s alert to an element of haste. “There’s new fabric all the time. It’s like fashion; some patterns and styles stay and some go out. So you have to get your favorites and make something to get it out of your system!”
Amy is the oldest of six sisters, all taught to knit and sew by their mother and grandmother. She’s a dynamo with a new baby, a stagehand husband, and a degree in education, which helps when she speaks to quilt guilds. She’s interested in quilt history, too, and is currently researching for a lecture about it. She loves many vintage or reproduction patterns, and says, “Though I’m not a yard saler, I’m always on the lookout.”
Going into Business
While a junior high history teacher, Amy spent many evenings, weekends, and summers sewing quilts. Quilting professionally seemed like the natural next step when she left teaching, and she took classes to learn long-arm quilting. It was there she met Janine Burke, also a long-arm quilter. “One day,” Amy recalls, “Janine and I were talking, and we agreed: We could design patterns. The next thing I knew, she was calling from the lawyer’s office, asking me, ‘Do you want to be president or treasurer of our company?’”
Blue Underground Studios, Inc., was born. People always ask the significance of the name. “We wanted a name that would make people ask that question,” Amy explains, “and we both have our studios in the basement. Some day we’ll make it above ground.”
Four Years Later
That was in 2005. Today, Blue Underground, with its creative headquarters in Chicago, has more than 30 patterns in print. “They’re all easy to follow and different from most patterns on the market,” Amy says. She and Janine like modern fabrics, but their designs don’t demand them. “We’ve seen some of our quilts made in vintage and reproduction fabrics that are very successful.”
Blue Underground’s goal is to publish quilt patterns that are clear and innovative—allowing quilters of any skill level to make fantastic-looking quilts. All their patterns include artist’s statements, finishing tips, and step-by-step instructions tested for clarity and accuracy by local quilters. “We produce the people’s patterns,” Amy says. Their patterns give quilters a chance to play with color and have fun. “Even weekend quilters can get them done,” she adds. “There are no tiny triangles, just straightforward pieces. Life today is busy, busy, busy, and we know it, but today’s woman still has an urge to create, and we want to help her satisfy that urge. A creative outlet is very important for a well-rounded life,” Amy philosophizes, “and we are doing our part.”
to find out more: Blue Underground Studios www.blueundergroundstudios.com
Tags: Spotlight on Designer
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