Merry Christmas

Busy, busy in the kitchen. Preparation for Christmas seems endless. Hope there is not a crisis like last year's burned hand, saved by soy sauce!!! (See last year's post for December, or was it it on Facebook???) oh well, just remember if you have a burn, douse with soy sauce...and save Christmas!

Rachel brought madison to make cookies yesterday. Maddie is just a bit young at 13 months to participate other than slamming cabinet doors. But I really enjoyed the day with Rachel. And got a lot done when they napped!

Sweet, right?

We had more planned, but I think we did well to get 3 batches made. 

Maddies ready to go see Frosty the Snowman at the Gaylord resort. Kitchen is trashed, by the way. 

They issued heavy parkas. 9 degrees inside to keep the ice display frozen for Frosty. Maddie enjoyed it. Was a fun night. DH Steve froze. Lol. He likes good ol' Texas heat! It was 60 degrees outside, at 8:00 pm.  

Nice shot of Frosty's rear...better of the ice slide, which son in law slid down. 

The last exhibit in ICE! Was the nativity carved in ice. Prettier in person. 

I'm cold, but Steve miserable. Note serious selfie. 

If you are in the area, the Gaylord is in Grapevine, Texas, a huge resort. Beautifully decorated for the season complete with a Riverwalk! And trains! But didn't get a good photo of the trains. 

And HUGE gingerbread house...

And another set of trains. 

Back at casa Chutchian...

Molly and the rest of us, wish you a Merry Christmas and many blessings this holiday season. 

Until next time~

Betsy

Thanksgiving

Hope you all have had a very Happy Thanksgiving! 

My contribution to the feast this year ... Cornbread dressing, cranberry sauce that didn't unmold pretty from its pretty mold :-(  chocolate pie and champagne. 

The champagne, in the fridge for a while awaiting a good reason to celebrate...thanksgiving at Steve's brother's home, perfect time to toast my sister in law's remission...cancer free. She and I clinked our glasses over bubbling gravy. Sweet words to celebrate, cancer free. 

Good day, even though the Cowboys disappointed the family football fanatics. 

My chocolate pie was the best I've made in ages. Not a crum to take home. 😟

Thanks to all this day. For health, for friends, for family, celebrate life's blessings everyday. 

Until next time ~

Betsy

Headed to Houston

I can't believe it is quilt market time. Time flies, quick as a wink. Besides remodeling the master bath, I stripped wallpaper and a good friend painted the dining room. Two more dear friends helped me reorganize and clean up my sewing room. Amazing. With a one week notice, a special visitor arrived for an interview and some photos. Stay tuned for details. :-)

Exhausted kitties!

My other exciting news is that I will be designing for Moda. I'm very excited. My line will be shown in April and delivery, of course a few months after that. Stay tuned!

I kept Madison for a week before the wallpaper stripping. One tired grandmother, but SO worth it. Loved every minute. 

If you are attending Market, I'm giving aSchoolhouse  presentation Today and book signings for Just Treats, No Tricks and signing copies on Saturday At KC Star booth and for United Notions on Sunday. Market is for shop owners and industry folks, not open to the public. 

Better run! Until I next time~

My best, 

Betsy

Surprised by a random act of kindness

This fabric arrived at my door this week, a gift to love or pass along. A pay it forward with fabric...great concept. Thank you Nancy! She kindly sent this knowing I love Halloween. She however does not. I will add this to my collection, a part of, and then share. I think it will make a good addition to my collection for an eye spy quilt for Madison. In my spare time, of course. Laughter ensues... Well who knows how long I will collect, right?

Alexander Henry fabric, from 1997 with great artwork and whimsical characters.  Love the cat!

Another classic Alexander Henry fabric I've hoarded, dated 1995. 

And a great vintage piece from Indygo Junction for Moda. Not dated, 2000 something I think. 

All so cool and perfect for an eye spy quilt!

I like vintage and fun, not gory images. 

So here are 3 quilts from Just Treats, No Tricks. Will see if I can rotate photo or, you can just stand on your head! The colors of the season. 

My trip to Nebraska was wonderful, in spite of Texas heat the day I arrived. Wasn't that special ??? Minglewood Lodge is beautiful. A wonderful place to retreat, I think. 

This living room transforms into an auditorium, as for my trunk show, or the classroom. 

Spacious bedrooms. 

My class projects on the trestle dining table that the day before set a lovely fall table scape. 

Did you see Kimber's blog post? she is my editor for Just Treats, No Tricks. Kimber attended the trunk show and took lots of pictures. Check it out at Heirlooms by Ashton House.

Can you believe summer is over??? Where have the long days of summer gone? I had planned to take advantage of the hot days to stay home and get things done. oh well the bath remodel is still in progress. and I'm in as big a mess as ever.

Today, at last, a little cool front arrived. Only 101 yesterday! Time to think of decorating the house for fall and Halloween. Better hurry, Christmas is tomorrow! No joke, blink!  And you'll miss trick or treaters! And turkey dinner!

In the meantime, think about the fabrics in your stash your are no longer in love with, yes we all have them. Someone else would be pleased to receive a random gift, so pass along. You will make someone's day and it will make you smile. 

Until next time~

Betsy

Coming Soon

So happy to finally say the book is printing NOW. Available in September. So thankful to the many hands that work together to make my books possible. It truly does take a village!!!

You all know how much I love Halloween, from coordinating quilts and collectibles into the perfect vignettes throughout my home, to dressing up for the annual party, every bit make me happy.

I hope you sense my joy as you flip through the pages of JUST TREATS, NO TRICKS.

Featured quilts are antique and new, big and little, with extra treats and projects totaling 18 in all, 

for Fall and Halloween decorating.

Winston enjoyed his starring role...Molly has a photo too, but this is Winston's season! 

Congrats, pretty boy...even though you got cat hair on my quilt.

Things at home are never quiet for long, a remodel of the master bath is taking place, was to be a simple redo of the shower and floor, but down to the studs it went, and full scale remodel we go. What a mess remodeling makes, throughout the whole house! 

Teaching trips are back on the schedule after a long break since losing mom. 

In an exciting spur of the moment decision, I'll be going to Nebraska , to the Quilted Moose to teach from Just Treats, No Tricks in September (I'm on their blog) and in October, before Quilt Market, I'll be in east Texas teaching a 'blended' quilt workshop. If you are interested in either event, email me for details.

Stay tuned for more exciting news.

Until next time...

~Betsy

Up for a Cruise??? and other news

Yes, I've been asked to teach again for Stitchin' Heaven on their Civil War Cruise in 2015!

I can't wait. I enjoy cruising anyway, but combining it with quilting...what could be better???

Three great teachers are joining me...Connie Tesene of Country Threads and 

Sarah Maxwell and Delores Smith of Homestead Hearth.

Please read all about our cruise here and all about the teachers and our classes.

3 port of call....Falmouth, Jamaica...George Town, Grand Cayman...Cozumel.

Sewing time, great teachers, great food, the OCEAN, excursions, shows, and more!

Would you like to join me!
If you would, please mention my name when you register...I'll get a little bonus when you do.

Ok, been a while since returning from quilt market...the report is good...still seeing lots of reproduction fabrics for my style of quilting. Moda's newest Collection for a Cause is awesome.
This is part of the antique quilt they used as inspiration.

Edyta's newest collection, Heart's Content, was another standout for me.

Look ant the polka dots!  love them.

And, my dear friends from The Quilted Crow in Australia are designing
cotton prints and gorgeous WOOL for Marcus Fabrics!!! 

Way to go CROWS!

 Just look at their cute booth!

Jo Morton's Haberdashery and Melodies, will be coming soon. Saw Caswell County too for November...really pretty. Check them out on Andover's website...I forgot to take photos.

Had one day (Wednesday) of fun shop hopping near Pittsburgh, thanks Laura Kay for an awesome day with you, Wendy and Penny.

Penny at the Drive thru at Kimberley's Quilt Shop, yes, a former bank...you can place an order 

and drive thru to pick it up! SWEET!

another shop....home of Pineapple Papers.

And then Fun with friends...

 Leonie (Crow)  on the right, teaching instragram to to Wendy and Laura Kay.

  Deirdre (Crow) and I, playing with selfies. I think my eyes are closed.

Schoolhouse was informative as always. Learned about this awesome book, similar to Nearly Insane, could be called Might as Well go Nuts, but wisely went with Making the Lancaster Diamond Sampler.
I scored a signed copy.

Visited with Jo and Cathy Cardiff. Cathy has a new pincushion book coming...
looking forward to that!

And, yes I did work on the book while in Pittsburgh Tuesday afternoon, before Market started Thursday.

The book is in the hands of the tech editor right now.

Until next time....think Cruise!

My best to you!

Betsy

Ready to shoot ???

Guess I'm ready, as ready as possible. Remains of cutting and sewing...

Bindings to sew in the car...

Props to pack...

Suitcases and tubs to fill...

Hudson, moping, trying to figure out how to get in the bags. 

Until next time~Betsy

PS-trying to blog from the phone...hope it works. 

Wondering where I've been?

Wondering where I've been?  No, this isn't my broken leg but my daughter's. Long story. Too much going on at a time when I'm knee deep in book deadlines.  But MOM has to be MOM.

Ok the story...Rachel caught that really bad virus that has been going around. Was in the shower and got really sick, fainted and fell out the shower door. NO cuts, door didn't break, but her leg did. Both bones, right above the ankle. Poor thing went two weeks before getting in to see the surgeon. In the meantime, her husband and I got the virus...omg, not been that sick in a very long time.
Now Madison wasn't sick and went to day care thank goodness! She saved being sick for right before surgery.

All hands on deck to care for Rachel and little Madison. Of course faithful kitties, Fenway and Wrigley have been Rachel's side offering moral support.

Surgery was Wednesday. I stayed Tuesday night to take care of Madison the next day. Don't let the cute sleeping baby fool you...NO one slept well that night...

Craig (daddy) is totally exhausted.

So Craig tells this story after surgery, in recovery....

Rachel told the nurse, "don't worry, Fenway and Wrigley are outside with the limo to take me home. Fenway is my chauffeur."  Nurse asks who Fenway and Wrigley are. Rachel says "my cats, of course, who else would drive me around?"

[see cats above]

Good drugs! I love that story.

Wish I had other wonderful news....like my fabric line is ready, but it hasn't been printed to my knowledge.  :-(  

I did teach a Bird Trap workshop to a great group of ladies at Green Briar retreat center earlier this month.

I am busy writing and completing projects for the next book. check out the color palette. Can't show much to you, hush, hush, you know.

Better get back to writing...

Until next time,

~Betsy



Hello 2014

 

Happy New Year to You!

 

New year, new beginnings....resolutions?

 

I don't know about you, but I resolve not to make resolutions this year.  This is an experiment to see if possibly NOT making resolutions just might make a change in my life.  Ha! you can stop laughing, but you know what I mean...they don't work, at least for me. I need to exercise, need to walk more, need to eat less, need to eat healthier, need to clean the sewing room and keep it clean and tidy....a long 'need to' list. Oh, I could add, need to blog more.

 

What I'd like instead might be a change in mind set.  I'm pretty good with deadlines. So why can't I set a deadline to stop 'whatever' and take care of my needs. I think it is called, 'putting me first' and I haven't done that in SO long that I don't know how.   Maybe I should get a life coach, or a wife, Ha!, to make me behave and stick to an agenda.

 

If all this sounds familiar, join the club.  Ok, I'll quit whining.

 

I've spent a fair amount of time this holiday season reflecting, vacillating between sadness and elation. Departures and arrivals of loved ones will do that.  Having baby Madison at Christmas was a blessing and a joy. She put the twinkle back in my eye. Can you see me smiling?

 

 

Madison, Christmas morning, just a bit tired of opening gifts.

 

 

I love old postcards.

 

Until next time...

Sew more, laugh more, love more.

Above all, be happy.

~Betsy