Hi everyone! Happy Blockheads Wednesday!

I’m excited to share with you block 18, Crowning Glory.

If I had known what a hot summer we would have here in Dallas, I would have named it Blazing Glory.  Oh my, the hot days are endless. I’m a fourth-generation Texan and pretty accustomed to the heat, but this is a bit much. I’m trying to keep cool by staying in and sewing, cleaning out, and organizing my sewing room. What a tremendous job, as it’s been long ignored!

I’ve been sewing since I was a little girl but started quilting as an expectant mom in 1981. The sewing room stayed in great shape for years, but the more fabric I acquired, the harder it was to store. I collected quite a stash of 1800s reproduction fabric, worked in quilt shops, owned a shop, sold it, and still worked and taught classes there until it closed in 2015, the same year my first line with Moda debuted. 

 
Seven years later and 15 lines, with Kate’s Garden Gate, fabrics and quilts are in every room of the house, where they keep good company with my collection of antique fabrics and quilts. When I started quilting, I always wanted my quilts to look old. A degree in history fuels my interest, primarily focusing on women and their lives. Each of my lines is inspired by and named after historical figures or women in my family. 

 I’ve mostly been sewing with Mary Ann’s Gift for BH4, named after a distant great-great-aunt by marriage. Kate’s Garden Gate is named after my great- great- great grandmother. In contrast, the upcoming Amelia’s Blues is named for Amelia Bloomer, a social activist and promoter of practical clothing for women, particularly pants.  (Bloomers would be named for her)

So, if you didn’t know already, I love sewing, quilt making, fabric, old and new, and antique quilts and their reproductions.
Whatever fabrics you choose for your blocks, they will be awesome. This is my 4th time with blockheads. I love seeing all the blocks and combinations you make. Enjoy the process. And have fun making Crowning Glory!

Thought I would throw in a picture of when we had an ice storm and massive power outages in Texas in 2021.

Just to remind us all how quickly things can change.

Enjoy!

Betsy

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  To learn more about Betsy Chutchian, follow her on IG- @betsy_chutchian

 To see all of Betsy's fabric collections, visit her designer bio page here.