Who is Patty Murphy?

Hello, my name is Patty Murphy. I’ve spent my life enamored with textiles. I’ve always loved them and many of my earliest memories include fabric. My Mom was an incredible seamstress and tailor, and I was always fascinated watching her sew. I remember her young hands, and her dressmaker’s scissors cutting out the dresses my sister and I wore, or the bed covering she made for me – a pink, blue, yellow and green gingham patchwork with a white ruffle. I still have it. It’s a cherished linen, even though it sits carefully folded and stored in a linen closet these days.

I spent hours at the fabric store with my Mom and sister. My sister hated it but I always loved it. I remember flipping through the pattern books, dreaming about dresses I could make for myself or my dolls as I got older, and trying to convince mom to buy iron on patches for the dresses she made us. Like my bed covering, there are still a few dresses carefully stored, and every so often I look at them and think about the love and care that went into every single stitch.

As I got older, my love for textiles and sewing grew. I made most of my clothes in high school and was perfectly content to spend a Friday or Saturday night with a sewing machine. At 18, I found quilting and I never looked back, though I’m starting to dabble in garment making again and finding great joy in that endeavor.

Mom gave me a solid foundation in precision and accuracy with garment-making and helld through to my quilting. A self-proclaimed stickler for knowing the rules and knowing how and when to break them is important to me, and that foundation was the nexus for my first two books, Piecing Makeover and The Perfect Piecing Pocket Gude (C&T 2016, 2022). In 2024 my third book, Zero Waste Quilting, was published (Stash). Unlike my first two books, Zero Waste Quilting, focuses on the environmental impact of textiles and how quilters can be better stewards to the Earth. The book showcases four main projects then walks makers through how to use the leftover fabric for beginning to end use of goods. Traveling, teaching and lecturing, and sharing my passion for quilting and sewing brings me great joy. I love to help students solve problems and watch faces light up as the dots are connected. My laid back style, laced with heavy sarcasm, keeps class light and fun. You’ll fill your toolkit with knowledge and leave class rejuvenated and you’ll have a beautiful quilt.

When I am not in my studio, you can find me cooking, baking, spending time with friends/family, and traveling. I live just outside Atlanta, Georgia with my husband and two sons.