SEWING ROOM
ESSENTIALS
1. TV, NETFLIX, OR AMAZON
PRIME SHOWS
2. OLFA FROSTED RULERS &
A FRESH ROTARY BLADE
3. HOT STEAM IRON
4. NONAEROSOL
SPRAY STARCH
5. TERRY CLOTH TOWELS
FOR THE IRONING BOARD
LINDSAY: How did you get your start in
quilting, and what was your first project?
BETSY: I’ve had a love for fabrics and quilts
as long as I can remember. My first attempt at
patchwork and quilting was in 1970. I was in
9th grade and made place mats for a wedding
shower gift out of precut fabric squares I ordered
from Sears. That box of fabric squares is now
buried in a closet with other vintage precuts. I
knew quilting was the craft for me when I was
given a quilt top in 1980 that one of my great-
grandmothers had made. I checked out a book
from the library and taught myself to quilt by
hand. By the early 1990s, I was making shop
samples and teaching quiltmaking to groups
and in shops. To this day, I still teach and still
love to make quilts.LM: How would you describe your style?
BC: My style is inspired by antique quilts. I have
always wanted the quilts I make to look old. I
most enjoy making quilts as they would have
been when the fabrics were produced, and I like
the look of worn and loved, too. I love the colors
of the 1800s and am still surprised at how bright
and intense some of the colors were.LM: What do you love about being a quilter?
BC: I love the fact that quilting unites us. There
is sustaining comfort in sharing a common craft
and a passion for preserving the history and art
of quilting.LM: What part of the quilting process do you
most enjoy?
BC: Hand quilting is still my favorite part. I also
enjoy selecting just the right fabrics for the
time period of the fabric line and the quilts I’m
planning to make with those fabrics.s t aLINDSAY MAYLAND
EditorSEW INSPIRED BY
Designer Betsy Chutchian used
her favorite fabric line, Hope’s
Journey, to piece a quilt of Wild
Goose Chase blocks.Betsy Chutchain’s love of history and antique quilts
connects her to quilters of the past and present—
including editor Lindsay Mayland. The two recently
chatted about what inspires Betsy’s designs.18 APQ ¥ October 2019