American Patchwork & Quilting – October 2019

“I have always wanted the quilts I make to look old.

I most enjoy ak lts as t o l a

when the fabrics were produced, and I like the look of worn

and loved, too.”—designer Betsy Chutchian

LM: What is the best quilting tip someone has

shared with you?

BC: Years ago, a coworker at the local quilt shop

showed me how to reduce bulk in the seams

by flipping the direction of the seams at the

intersections. Game changer! Thank you, Sue!

LM: What is the best quilting tip you have

shared with someone else?

BC: I prefer to press on a terry cloth towel. It

provides a cushion for appliqué blocks and

protects my ironing board when I use spray

starch on my patchwork. Whenever the starch

builds up on the towel, I just toss it in the wash.

LM: What has been your proudest quilting

success so far?

BC: I’m proud of all the books I’ve written,

especially the two that feature my great-great-

grandmother’s journal entries about her years of

quilting and sewing. Her written legacy inspires

me daily. I’m also proud to design fabrics for

Moda Fabrics. Seeing my name on the selvage

was, and still is, an amazing moment.

LM: What is your favorite fabric line that you

have designed and why?

BC: Answering that question is like picking a

favorite child! I name each fabric line after a

woman and tell her story in the quilt patterns I

design for that line. Each line and its namesake

cover a specific time in the 1800s. Just as the

women’s stories are unique, so are the quilts

and fabrics that inspire the lines. That being

said, Hope’s Journey is my favorite. Hope was

no woman in particular. However, the name

encompasses every woman’s wish as she left

her home with hope of finding a better life. The

stories of so many brave women who traveled

across oceans, mountains, and prairies captivate

me. They lead to a mystery quilt class and a

book, also called Hope’s Journey, published by

Martingale in 2018. The fabric line, taken directly

from a quilt dated from the 1840s and 1850s, was

full of color.

THIS PAGE Betsy loves to decorate for Halloween.

She is drawn to holiday’s harvest colors, which

complement the browns, oranges, and madder

reds typical of the 19th-century quilts she loves.

She has been collecting Halloween decorations

for more than 25 years and in season fills her

home with bewitching vignettes using mini quilts

and vintage decor.

20 APQ ¥ October 2019