Betsy Chutchian's Workshop

Betsy

   Today's workshop was enjoyable! It was very relaxed with a great group of ladies working together. There were people from Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Lake Charles, and 2 of our guild members came from Lake Charles, but only 3 in the Lafayette area came.  It really is a shame when people from other parts of the state recognize what a great guild QGA is and participate in the workshops, but our own members don't! Well, I am off that soap box b/c it was their lost not mine!

Pam

Mary

Lucy

 I got to sew with Pam and that is always fun. She was stressed as usual but by the end of the workshop she was a bit more relaxed ... didn't have a finished block but relaxed which was the point.   Mary(from Baton Rouge) and I bantered about the fact that we both love the same fabrics so maybe we need to shop in each others stash. Lucy (GSQA) picked different colors -red roses, black, black & white polka dots. Everyone's blocks were lovely even with all the pink!

Cinnamon

4 glorious yards are mine!

   I even had PINK! Don't faint! It gets worse - I started with PALE BABY PINK found hidden in MY stash. Now you can faint. 
   But I was smart enough to give it to Pam as a background color to go with all her beautiful blues. Betsy had several beautiful cinnamon colored fabrics to replace the offending pink. (If cinnamon is pink, then it is a pink I adore). Lucy had already bought the one I wanted so I bought another 2 1/4 yard piece. Beautiful! Then I spotted the prettiest  poison green print! 

   This block is  not difficult but you do have to concentrate or you get confused. Needless to say, I stayed confused the whole time. My Alex Anderson Ripper was my 'bested' friend. First you had to make, 1 1/2" half-square triangles....lots of them (8 per block) but you had triangle paper for it. Then you had to make 4 1/2" h-s triangles...only one but not paper. Then you had to cut squares on diagonal and rectangles. Finally you had to sew it all together. Did I tell you I got confused? My final basket handle points are not correct. They should be pointing to the sides. Mine are standing straight up in shock over the pink. That's my story and I am sticking to it. 

I like!

   I really enjoyed the workshop. Basket quilts have never been my style but I could make a quilt from this pattern. I think that first I will complete 2 more of my 'special' blocks and make a table runner. Then later make a basket quilt. But not until I finish 3 other projects on my plate: DJ's graduation quilt; the Saints Star Season Reproduction; and the Twisted Sister Baby Quilt. So  for now it is joins the PIGS (projects in grocery sacks) section in my studio.
   The only bad note to the workshop is that Betsy's husband started feeling badly while he was out exploring Lafayette. Thank goodness he or someone called Betsy and she & Mary C. went find him. Having 2 nurses in the workshop was such a grand thing b/c they monitored him while Betsy packed and then took him to the ER. Last I heard he was doing much better and would go back to the hotel. I guess Cajun food is just not for everyone! 
  Well, tomorrow we are bowling in DeRidder all day. UGH! So I am off to pack my project bag. Only good thing is that this bowling lane has a broken air conditioner so I won't freeze. 
Lator Gators. May all the fabric you desire find its way into your stash before you need it. Keep 2011 STRESS FREE!