Designer Spotlight – Swan Amity Sheridan

Each month we meet up with a variety of quilt and fabric designers, new book authors, notion developers and more! It’s fun to get to know them a little bit better. Let me introduce you to Swan of Swan Amity Studios.

How did you get your start in sewing?

I started sewing at a young age, making dresses for my Barbies, embellishing pillows for my room, and trying some basic embroidery stitches. In graduate school, one of my younger sisters had a baby and, as the only aunt that could sew, I felt driven to make a baby quilt. That was it, I was hooked. After that first one, I was on the look out to make a new quilt whenever I could find an excuse.

Where do you find inspiration? 

In literally everything! I often use the tag line that I am quiting the world and I stick by that. From sunsets to soundwaves, the world around me is an inspiration.

Do you have a favorite or a few favorite notions? What are they?

I do! Of course I’m in love with my Amity Gloves and the control and support they provide me, but I also couldn’t live without my Ideal Seam Gauge and Guide, Appliquick micro serrated scissors, Zig Writers, and self threading needles.

Tell us about the project your currently working on.

I’m working on a few brand new quilt patterns for my next Signature line with Island Batik that will hit store shelves next February, while most of those are super secret projects I can’t show images of yet, I’m excited to say that one of them is a remake of my very popular Branch Diversity pattern and I love that I get to reintroduce this beautiful parliament of owls in a gorgeous new line of fabric.

Have anything fun coming up or just happening that you’d like to share?

I’m deep into the prep work for this year’s Summer Scrap Elimination which starts June 22nd. This free program runs for six weeks and helps my followers find great ways to use up their scraps! I’m excited to say we have some great guest designers joining us again this year to offer extra projects beyond the 6 I will have to share. It’s also time to sign up for the Summer Mystery class! This summer, students who are willing to provide feedback on the pattern (which is in a testing phase) will receive $10 off the next online class they take with me.

What are your favorite parts of quilting?

Applique, innovative piecing ideas, and free motion are my darlings, but honestly I love just about the whole deal from start to finish.

Give us a quirky fact about yourself 🙂

I have a Masters in 19th Century British Literature and I teach quilting instead of the works of Charles Dickens. Given my propensity to create quilts with Mathematics, my literature background really throws off my followers when they ask what type of engineering degree I have.

What interests do you pursue when you’re not quilting?

I love gardening with my husband, hiking, travel, cooking cuisine from all over the world, wild harvesting, reading sci-fi, and whiskey tasting.

Where Can I find More?

Website: https://www.swanamity.com/

Instagram: @swanamity

Swan will be joining us this month inside the quilt group for a guest chat. Not a member yet? You should be! Come join us for a wonderful, fun and inspirational year of quilting. More info here.

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