Coming soon!

Here I am on a lazy, hot afternoon...comfy indoors while outdoors the plants wilt and critters pant.  I'll get back to my sewing room in a minute but wanted to share this with you...

Wrappers!

Small cuts arrived last week.

Indigo



Blacks...great mourning prints

Soft Browns

Purples

I have a plan, just need time to implement! So, stay posted.  I'm hoping the fabric group arrives in shops end of this month, or maybe August.

I think the desire to sew has returned...took it long enough.  I attended our annual Patchwork Diva quilt retreat last week with fellow Divas and friends.  It was a wonderful respite.  Even though only an hour or so from home, it felt far away.  Sewing with friends did me a world of good.  Thanks girls!

Until next time...

~Betsy

The unexpected...Free Time!

Who has free time?  Me, never.  Today an unexpected morning cancellation of an appointment gave me the totally free morning!  What should I do with my time... I looked at some blogs, and chatted with a friend, a long overdue, nice long visit and at the end of the conversation she said,  "go eat a cookie. Everything is better with a cookie."

Not having any cookies, I decided to make some. Wanted Chocolate Chip, no chocolate chips to be found, so I made plain chocolate cookies.

Photographing chocolate cookies is like photographing a black cat, no offense Winston, but not easy.

Of course, I had to eat some of the batter while they baked.

On Kathie's blog this morning, she showed a little quilt of assorted squares from leftovers strips.  Hers is colorful, mine is chocolatety, like chocolate cookies.

I love quilts from leftovers.  Thought I would show you an antique quilt of squares hanging over the cupboard door. Have I showed you this before?  I've tried to figure out how the squares are assembled and the best I can tell is most often in 4 patches and then somehow the plan changed.

Free time is spent.  Back to sewing.  Time to hide the cookies.

Until next time,

~Betsy~

A return to normal???

SEW...what is normal?  After a dismally sad early to mid May, the second half of the month impoved greatly, thanks in part to attending Quilt Market in Kansas City, followed by a fabulous trip to APQ in Des Moines.  Being with friends and surrounding myself with quilts and quilting talk helped lift my spirits so much.  Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers and such kind words on the passing of my dad. Below, you will find some of the things that made me smile...

Who doesn't LOVE looking at antique quilts?

Quilts from Mulberry Lane booth

Quilts from Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum in Blue Hill Fabrics booth

 Friends...

Linda, Jo and me

those Quilted Crow girls,

 Leonie Bateman and Deirdre Bond-Abel

Look at those happy faces!!!

Leonie has their new book in her hand...

Elegant Quilts, Country Charm

It is a Martingale publication.

Fabulous book girls!

Turn your head on its side to the left please...taken with my phone.

My Lone Star at the Kansas City Star exhibit.

Great exhibit of quilts by The Star's authors.

Put your head back on its side to the left for the next 2 photos....blame the photographer!

My Hourglass quilt from History Repeated

Carol Staehle's Pinwheel from History Repeated

The little dresser...a sweet treat from a recent antique show.

A step toward normalcy...

And finally, what I did this morning..froze 4 quarts of green beans from our garden.

Back to normal.

Before I close, I've been asked to do a little promoting...

I'll be teaching two classes, the T Quilt from Gone to Texas and Wheel of Fortune from

History Repeated  July 27 and 28 respectively at

Hooray for the Red, White and Blue!

the New Braunfels Area Quilt Show in

New Braunfels, TX

please visit

www.newbraunfelsareaquiltguild.org

for more details.

Watch the blog and I'll do my best to let you know where I might be.

Due to the health concerns of my family, I've had to re-evaluate travel and bookings for a while,

so catch me where you can...

Stay tuned for a preview to my 'Wrappers' line from Blue Hill Fabrics.

Hopefully it will arrive this month.

Ok, last  happy comment...at Quilt Market, the shop where I work and teach, Lone Star House of Quilts, was named a Top 10 Shop and will appear in the fall issue of APQ's Quilt Sampler.

Congrats LSHQ!

www.lonestarhouseofquilts.com

Until next time...

My best,

~Betsy~







Sad time in life

Sadly I have to say, my dad passed away Thursday morning.  He fought a good fight and is now at peace. His illness has kept me away from posting, from designing, from writing, from sewing and quilting, and that is ok...I'll get back to it all.

Losing a parent at any time is difficult.  Daddy was one month away from being 93.  He had a really good ride! 

Dad was my 'go to' guy.  If anything went wrong at the house, I'd call for advice. Shortly after, he'd come a knocking, tools in hand.  Even once when my daughter found a giant toad frog, and I do mean giant, in her toilet,  he arrived with a giant wrench to extricate the uninvited frog and sooth a screaming child...and me.  Our hero.

 Mom and Dad with my kids at our annual Halloween Party a few years ago.

Daddy with  my kids at he stadium where Matt played college baseball and home of the Ft. Worth Cats for whom he will pitch this season.  Daddy won't make it to see him play. 

 That had been a goal, you know.

He built stuff, wooden crafts, quilt frames and rug frames to weave rag rugs.  He was very cool. If I could describe it, he would build it.  In fact, keep an eye out for a particular pattern in my new book, (may have to delay publication due to life) in which Daddy answered a question from me, which served to solve a quilt mystery.

Love you forever Daddy.

Until next time,

My best always,

~Betsy

Simply Sunday

Bluebonnets make Texans very happy.

These are right outside the door at Our House in Milford (name of retreat center), where just two weeks ago my friend Jo taught a great workshop.  Check out her posts for 3/29 and 4/4.  She has  pretty bluebonnet photos, too, and more good stuff!  Really, just 2 weeks ago???  What a good week that was...sewing, eating, chatting and all with fabulous friends.

Speaking of friends, mine have rallied to help me out through this rough patch in my life. Their support gives me strength when I feel I cannot take another step.

Have you seen Taryn's quote with her most recent post?  From H.G. Wells...."If you fell down yesterday, stand up today."  Love it.  Can this be my new motto?

Speaking of friends....

My friend Julia, made this quilt for me to teach at our February club meeting at LSHQ.  I teach Jo's Little Women's Club to a rather large group of wonderful ladies.  After telling Julia one of my many tales of woe, she graciously volunteered to make this sweet quilt from a photo in Sandi Fox's book, For Purpose and Pleasure. Julia made 3" blocks.  Thank you, Julia, for helping me out.

In addition to making and teaching Jo's project, each month I offer a project as well.  I used to include a bit of history also, but that has been pushed aside for the time being. 

Now get this, at the same time as I was presenting the little quilt, my friend Kathie, started making the full size version. Please check out Kathie's progress if you haven't already. It is fabulous.

Funny how those of us who are so inspired by antique quilts seem to think of the same thing!

The bluebonnets are almost gone. When they pop up each year we say a cheery 'hello' like welcoming old friends dropping by for a visit. And, when their time has passed, we say a sad goodbye to their lovely, bright blue blooms until next year.

 We Texans count on their visit every spring.

And to you my friends, until next time....

my best

~Betsy~

Sorry for the long time between posts...I actually have lots to tell you about!

Have you seen the June issue of American Patchwork and Quilting magazine?

My quilt Bounty of Baskets is featured inside. The fabric line is my Hot for Chocolate II

with Blue Hill Fabrics.

Below is the cover of the issue.  Check it out!  Makes me smile!!!!

I've cut kits for the quilt. Please visit www.lonestarhouseofquilts.com if you like.

Unfortunaltely my time here is very limited.

Look for more to come when I get to return to the computer.

My husband is back in the hospital so I have to finish getting ready and run back to him.

I had scheduled myself as caregiver for my mom, dad is still in rehab, but here we go again with my DH.  Some after a great deal of negociating, Mom has care, but not very happy about it.  For DH, at least we are in a different hospital, with a fresh team of doctors, new eyes! and new tests. The one thing they have confirmed is a new clot in his leg.

All for now....until next time.

My best,

Betsy

I discovered this cute idea yesterday at an antique show.  Two different booths had huge collections of flash cards.  Who would have thought???  Anyway, I selected cards to spell QUILTS and then found this folding ruler at an antique mall. Placing the ruler on top of an old quilt.  Fun.  I tried to find QUILT on a flash card but no luck.

Antiquing was a good treat yesterday after a somewhat frustrating week. Worked the Dallas Quilt Show, but didn't take any pictures.  Health issues with my parents are occupying my time and my thoughts.

                                                                 And then there is....

Miss innocent Molly....

She plead her case and really was innocent.  I walked a little too quickly past the portable design wall and down came two days worth of arranging and rearranging a project.  Molly got to enjoy the mess without being in trouble, for a change.

I've enjoyed seeing some of my projects lately on some wonderful blogs...my Gone to Texas quilt for one,  here Fabulous job Ruth! and was quilted on her home machine! If the right entry doesn't pop up, scroll until  you see the right post.

Next, see Gathering Baskets here Just beautiful Lea!

Then Taryn is starting Indigo Double Nine Patch from History Repeated. See her blog entry here ouch! Hope her thumbs are better. You can see my quilt in a prevoius post on Blue quilts.

What fun to see quilts from my books!

I never tire of looking this quilt and its hundreds of fabrics.  Talked with an antique dealer about his quilts yesterday and funny we share similar tastes...while loving and appreciating all quilts, our favorites are the ones that were made to be used, and like my much loved quilt here, unfortunately a little worn out. 

For us, just shows they were well loved. 

My antique quilt...Gone to Texas

Until next time....

~Betsy~