A couple of weeks ago, Amy Butler shocked the fabric design world (or, at least, my little piece of it) by announcing that she is leaving the quilting industry. Today, Abby Glassenberg is hosting a #ThankYouAmy link party to pay tribute, and I want to share my gratitude and a little story about how I got into this business. Because, well, it had a lot to do with Amy Butler.
In 2007 I was working as a freelance designer and had started to sew again after a long (long) pause. I had discovered that my local fabric shop, Piedmont Fabrics, had a great selection, including some beautiful, cool, retro-modern fabric that looked different from what I was used to seeing in fabric stores, so I bought it. During that same month, I had bought some notecards that I absolutely loved, and was searching for a reason to send, and I’d also picked up this gorgeous book, Midwest Modern, at a local bookstore. One afternoon I was sitting surrounded by these treasures when I happened to notice that they were all created by the same person! WHAAATTTT???! Who was this incredibly talented genius who had hit the design nail on the head in all these different products?? Well, Amy Butler, of course. I became an instant fan (a condition that was intensified a thousand-fold when I actually met her and realized what an incredibly lovely person she is). But I also was totally inspired, and for the first time realized that fabric design is a thing. A thing that I really wanted to do.
Over the last decade I’ve had a few chances to talk with Amy, and every time I’m blown away by how kind and authentic and lovely she is, even in the midst of Quilt Market when she’s been talking with literally thousands of people. She has brought such wonderful aesthetic, innovation and design to the industry, but also a very real sense of goodwill that I think has reached beyond her own brand and become a part of this industry. Thank you for everything, Amy, and best of luck in your next adventure!