Have you ever met Amy Butler?  I remember being so starstruck and in awe of the fabric designing superstar that I just circled around her booth trying to catch her eye so I could at least say “Amy Butler looked at me!!!”  When you’re in the presence of Ms. Butler, you’ll find that she gives you her complete, entire, and intense focus.  She absolutely gives you her full attention and can’t be distracted by anything in order to listen to your stories.

At one point I thought it would be FANTASTIC to challenge Ms. Butler and her ability to focus but I think her grand will to stay in the game would outlast my ability to conjure stories about monotonous events.  I thought of telling her stories like “Yesterday, I was planning a road trip with Ralph Macchio  in a clown car.  We’ll be traveling across America drinking lemonade and listening to Wilson Phillips but I had laundry to do which totally overtook my day which reminds me that I think I lost a button on my favorite sweater…” and it would go on and on.  I wonder if her eyes would glaze over and she’d lose the ability to blink.  I’m going to try this the next time our paths cross.

Since that first meeting of eye-gazing and sharking (albeit a kind, loving shark I imagine myself to be) around her booth, I’ve had the fortune of spending a few dinners and cocktail hours with Amy and I’ll tell you that she’s one of the funniest people I’ve met.  I’d like to see her go for a round with my friend Claire Wilcher of ComedySportz here in Indianapolis.  (Secretly, I’d like to be in that arena, too, with the two of them but I fear my face would break out in flames from my nervous hives and I’d pass out from over excitement.  Maybe we can have a private laugh-off to see who is funniest).

Just like the woman, Amy’s fabric designs are full of humor, beauty, and sincerity which is exactly what you’ll find in Amy Butler’s newest collection HAPI.  It’s outrageously great.  I deemed it second best collection at Quilt Market Fall 2013.  Having designed the patterns after a dream trip with her good buddies Kaffe Fassett and Brandon Mably (who I ate chocolate ice cream off of his spoon at dinner one night…that’s a whole other story that involves amazing margaritas and a cab ride home), Amy presents us with a red-blue-white color scheme that makes me very happy.  Amy, alongside her husband David, traveled to Egypt with Kaffe and Brandon.  Seriously, take a few moments and watch the video she and Dave created concerning their trip to Egypt.

Now, take a tour around her booth with me here with a few photos I took at Fall Quilt Market 2013.

Of course, we’ve fat quartered and half yarded the entire collection.

And I  couldn’t wait to make something from these fabrics so I’ve started the Pow Wow Quilt by Cluck Cluck Sew using these Amy Butler fabrics.  I’ll keep you updated on my progress.

Can’t wait to see you Downtown Indianapolis on Mass Ave or over at crimsontate.com !!

xoxo

Heather