On a Whim II by Amy Schimler for Robert Kaufman Fabrics

Amy Schimler returns to the Jolly Jabber to talk about her recently released line for Robert Kaufman, On a Whim 2! Her style is bright, vibrant and fun, and her designs are heavily influenced by her love of the outdoors and wildlife. All this is evident in her new line, and best of all it works for boy, girl, and gender-neutral (a.k.a. “I don’t know yet!”) decor. Be sure to leave her some love on her blog — and it doesn’t hurt that she’s got a giveaway going on! 😉

The first On a Whim collection was incredibly successful…is that what led you to design this follow-up line?

Well, yes and no. We picked the designs first and they had such a playful feel, it made sense to name them On A Whim 2.

What was your inspiration for On a Whim 2, then?

Because I sell my designs to many markets, I have a large number of designs in my portfolio at any given time. The art directors at Robert Kaufman and I decide on a direction and pick designs that we both like. I rework some of the designs that we agree upon and create new designs and coordinates. On A Whim 2 was a completely new direction without reference to On A Whim, but wound up with the same playful feel.

What is your vision for the line – what sort of projects do you have planned, and how do you envision quilters using it?

I am so excited to see what people use this fabric for. I can’t wait. I have seen so many interesting uses of my fabrics to date, I am sure I will continue to be pleasantly surprised by everyone’s creativity. I can see this collection used on children’s products of course, toys, stuffed animals, clothing, bibs, blankets, etc. But I think there are some more sophisticated prints in this line, I particularly like the outlined bird prints in neutral combined with the zig zag stripe fabric and am hoping to find time to sew up some mix-and-match pillowcases. I can also see these for other home products such as fabric baskets, throw pillows, quilts of course, and aprons. The fabrics look to be selling very well so far and I am hopeful everyone is enjoying sewing with them.

What can we look forward to next?

I am thrilled to be creating a new collection for Quilts for Kids. Animal Party (my previous collection for the organization) was a huge success and helped so many children. The next group will have more animals, of course, and is geared toward a youthful market. That is all I can share so far, but I can say it is shaping up to be a fun group of designs.

Thanks so much!


Amy Schimler
Amy Schimler
Red Fish Circle Blog