Behind the Seams at Betty's Quilting Etc.

Celebrity Watch- Ann Dudek

bettysblog — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:02:25 +0000

Scrapbook Calendar Quilt Book by Ann Dudek

Our very own author, Ann Dudek is a celebrity. Our sister company, QuiltWoman.com has many notable designers and Ann is no exception. Ann Dudek’s book Scrapbook Calendar Quilt was reviewed by Jodie Davis & Mark Lipinski on QNNTV.com. We are honored to have them feature one of our products on the show.

Ann Dudek is also doing a book signing at United Methodist Church of North Chili, in New York, during their annual quilt show, September 17th and 18th, 2010.

Of course, you can subscribe to QNNTV.com here to see the episode in its entirety.

Bernina 8 Series Website

bettysblog — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 13:00:44 +0000

Betty’s Quilting Etc is proud to connect you with the best in the business. As your Bernina Dealer we are able to plug you into the future of sewing.

Bernina has recently launched their 8-series website. This is a site that focuses on the crown jewel of the Bernina Line, the 830 and 820 model machines.

Bernina 830 (courtsey of www.bernina8series.com)

As you may know, the Bernina 830 is top-of-the-line sewing, quilting and embroidery machine. This beautiful machine also has a 12″ throat area, which not only accommodates larger quilts, but can also support the largest embroidery hoop on the market.

With the new Bernina 8-Series website you can take a virtual tour of the machine, learn about the unique, patented special features and watch online videos. Most importantly, you can email the link to your hubby so you’ll know he picked up the right gift at Betty’s!

If you are considering the 830 or the 820, Bernina’s large work-horse machine without embroidery, this website will help to answer any questions you may have. And of course, if there’s anything unanswered, please stop by the shop. We’d be glad to help.

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

bettysblog — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:00:13 +0000

After winning the Make Mine a Million Dollar Business, QuiltWoman.com and Betty’s Quilting Etc, owner Nancy Dill, received quite a bit of press in various media outlets. One article she’s most proud of is her feature, on the cover page, of the local Suburban News paper. This is the paper circulated in Nancy Dill’s hometown area. With the permission of Westside News Inc, we have posted a link to the article for you.

QuiltWoman.com and Betty’s Quilting Etc Caribbean Cruise

bettysblog — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 13:58:54 +0000

Are you spending your summer looking at all the fabulous vacation photos your cousin just posted on Facebook? Wishing you had planned a big summer trip for yourself? Well, we’ve got one better for you- Anyone can enjoy summer during SUMMER. QuiltWoman.com and Betty’s Quilting Etc wants YOU to enjoy summer this coming January on our QuiltWoman.com and Betty’s Quilting Etc Cruise. We’ve mentioned here on the blog many times and we want to remind your deadline to reserve your spot is Aug 1st. This quilt-themed cruise is your chance to grab a couple friends and get away from the snow and hot chocolate and into the sunny sands of the Western Caribbean.

Get those postcard stamps ready and clear out the space on your digital camera card! We are gearing up for a spectacular time on the high seas.

We All Sew by Bernina

bettysblog — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 19:10:58 +0000

Betty’s is proud to be a Bernina Dealer. And as a dealer, we want you to know about this amazing resource Bernina has on the web: We All Sew. If you haven’t heard about it yet, you will.

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From Bernina:

“BERNINA’s microsite, www.WeAllSew.com, has made incredible strides since its November launch. The site is positioning BERNINA as a trusted resource for all things sewing, quilting and embroidery online – regardless of brand affinity.

WeAllSew is updated each Friday with the best online stuff for sewers and quilters. The site aggregates sewing and quilting blogs, Facebook pages, Twitter handles, Flickr photos and instructional videos.

The site also offers Sew to Serve – a section filled with philanthropic opportunities for visitors to use their craft to help others in need, as well as Free Stuff - a section with great downloads, patterns and tutorials.”

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As your favorite dealer, we want to share this site with all our customers. Imagine the possibilities just with the free pattern links alone! Think of all the fun fabric you can feature in those designs. Take some time and go through the blog site. It’s a wonderful source of instruction, inspiration and ideas.

Back From Market

bettysblog — Wed, 26 May 2010 14:53:00 +0000

As you may know, the owner of Betty’s Quilting Etc., Nancy Dill, also owns QuiltWoman.com. As a result, things have been fast and furious around here in the weeks leading up to the International Quilt Market in Minneapolis. We just got back yesterday. Phew.

What a GREAT show! We saw all sorts of wonderful, fun products to bring back to our customers at Betty’s.

Tutto Bag

We’ll soon be carrying these large Tutto rolling sewing carts in the store. They are big enough to handle the Bernina 830 and their quality, as you probably already know, is outstanding. (Thanks for modeling those, Barb!)

Accessories Holder

This organizer, also by Tutto, sits nicely on the table to keep all your tools accessible during your classes.

Go! Sticky

These Go! Sticky rolls are perfect to not only pick up pet hair, but also to grab all those little threads in the sewing studio before the vacuum winds them up. What a practical idea!

Stencils

And we finally have a few new stencils to use with paint sticks, which we sell in the shop. Look at all the great designs and the detail on these stencils is amazing! We cannot wait to plan a whole class/workshop around these.

Guidelines Ruler

The Guidelines ruler coupler was another fun accessory we picked up for you. It allows you to join your rulers to make them either longer, wide or use them at a 90 degree angle. It’s a very versatile compliment to the tools you already own, know and love.

Shopping!

Pictured above are Barb Sackel and Nancy Dill, Betty’s owner. Boy did they have fun filling up those bags on behalf of Betty’s Quilting Etc! You’ll have to stop by the shop when each new product arrives to see what they picked out for you!

Heidi Pridemore Workshop

bettysblog — Mon, 10 May 2010 13:00:02 +0000

Fabric Beads

Betty’s Quilting Etc was honored to host a workshop taught by Heidi Pridemore and featuring her new book, Fabric Jewelry Wrapped, Braided & Sewn. The creative juices were definitely flowing when you mix fabric with beaded jewelry. The guests made quite a colorful assortment of accessories:

Necklaces

Of course, as with any creative art, you are only limited by your imagination. Betty’s owner, Nancy, also made this bracelet- changing up the different beads and sizes.

Bracelet

Stop by the shop to pick up your copy of the book and sign up for the newsletter, so you’ll be notified of all the fun upcoming classes we have to offer.

You may also recognize the author, Heidi Pridemore, not only as a celebrity author and quilter, but also as one of our guest teachers on the upcoming Cruise. See which classes she’ll be hosting and register for them and the cruise today!

QuiltWoman.com and Betty’s Quilting Etc Cruise Update

bettysblog — Sat, 01 May 2010 13:30:56 +0000

Invite you to join us on our
First Annual Quilters, Family & Friends Cruise!

January 15 – January 20, 2011

6-day, 5-night Cruise – Ft. Lauderdale to George Town, Grand Cayman and Cozumel, Mexico

Explore the Western Caribbean on board Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas. Nightclubs, duty-free shops, restaurants, rock-climbing wall, basketball court, ice-skating rink, in-line skating track, five-story theatre, casino, miniature golf course, spectacular three-story dining room, two swimming pools, four whirlpools, day spa, fitness center and Youth and Teen programs are just few of the features that make this a truly magnificent ship. Get signed up today by downloading the registration flier here.

Prices starting as low as $745 per person and includes:

All port charges, taxes & fees.
All of your meals while on-board
On-board activities day & night – clubs, bars and lounges, spectacular stage shows, live music, 24-hour stateroom service
Gift bag from QuiltWoman.com/Betty’s Quilting Etc.
Entry into prize drawings from QuiltWoman.com/Betty’s Quilting Etc.
Private Cocktail party
On-board mini Quilt Shop
Use of Bernina sewing machines and AccuQuilt GO! cutting systems that will be provided for your classes
Opportunity to purchase Bernina classroom machines at a GREAT price at the end of the cruise

Not Included are airfare, gratuities (see below), alcoholic and carbonated beverages, and optional shore excursions.
Optional Quilting/Craft classes during our 2 days at sea. Class fees and kits extra – details available in a separate brochure.
Optional stay at hotel for the night of Jan. 14 in Ft. Lauderdale with transfer to ship – price to be determined.

Grab the total price lists and information here.

With great names like Bernina and Accuquilt Go! you know there will be great classes too! We are happy to reveal to you our class line-up:

Heidi Pridemore, Fabric and pattern designer, teacher, author. Heidi was born and raised in Rochester, NY, where she received a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design from Rochester Institute of Technology. In 2000, Heidi began offering her services as a product designer to a number of fabric companies. She created her own line of quilt patterns in 2002 and in 2004 Heidi started designing fabric in her own bright and whimsical style. By 2005 the work load warranted expanding to a partnership and The Whimsical Workshop LLC began with Heidi as the main designer. Heidi is known for her fun and whimsical quilts which she often makes in dramatic, bright colors. She also has an excellent reputation for writing clear and easy to follow instructions. Heidi designs a large number of project sheets featuring fabric lines from national companies such as Blank Quilting, Clothworks, Avlyn, Kings Road and Robert Kaufman. She also designs quilt patterns for a variety of popular quilting magazines such as Quiltmaker, McCall’s Quick Quilts, The Quilter and Quilter’s World. In addition she has completed four books; Quilted Whimsy, Bold Batiks and Dazzling Designs for Leisure Arts. For C&T Publishing she has written “Pop Up Paper Structures” due to be released July 2007. Heidi spends most of her time designing and traveling to trade show, giving lectures and running workshops. When not traveling she enjoys staying at home in Arizona with her husband Matthew and their Great Pyrenees dog Cleo.

Mark Hordyszynski, Fabric designer, teacher, author. A native New Yorker, Mark spent two years studying at the Culinary Institute of America. Half a decade later, Mark chose to pursue his second career in menswear and attended the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). Mark’s innate color sense and use of patterns and textures were rewarded during his years at FIT with a number of scholarships and awards. In 1989, Mark had the opportunity to design neckwear for Hermès, and was given a two-week internship at the design studio in Paris. After graduating from FIT, he took a position as an assistant designer for a thriving New York-based sweater company and headed the private-label division for five years. A textile project for a friend led to a design position at a major fabric converter, where he was responsible for merchandising customer and licensee accounts as well as designing for the open line. Next it was time for Mark to start his own business ventures, and in 2002 he was awarded Cotton Inc.’s 21st Annual Cotton Incorporated Textile Designer’s Award for outstanding contributions to innovative design and styling in the Prints – Home category.

Mark is the creator of the Mirror Ball Dot and Rock Candy fabric lines. His Fairy Frost fabric line has sold over 2 million yards to date. He is currently licensing his designs on cotton to two New York-based textile companies for quilting, crafting, and manufacturing. Recent projects include the self-publication of his first novel, Shag; his collaboration with a documentary filmmaker/producer and animation studio as artistic director on an original concept for a television series; and plans for his own line of neckwear.

Barb Sackel, Fabric designer, top selling QuiltWoman.com pattern designer, teacher, author. Barb Sackel is a noted quilt maker, designer, and teacher throughout the Finger Lakes region of Western New York. Many of her patterns are appropriate for beginners, and help develop basic skills that will enable quilters to move on to Barb’s more complex and demanding designs. Barb’s 4-in-1 designs can be used in many different ways — to showcase a special focus fabric, or with appliqué, embroidery designs, cross-stitch, or even quilting motifs.

Vicki Steffenhagen QuiltWoman.com pattern designer, teacher, Bernina trained. Vicki took her first quilting class in 1975. She got into designing patterns because she couldn’t find what she wanted commercially. Her friends liked her quilts so much, they convinced Vicki to go public with them. Her favorite kind of quilting is piecing, but she teaches many different quilting skills and techniques at Betty’s Quilting Etc. When not quilting, she can be found at home gardening and playing with her Border Collie Tess.

Download the entire class list here.

I’ll tell you what you’re getting yourself into- a fun filled week of relaxing and learning, friendship and memories. Gather up some friends and sign up today!

Subscribe to this blog or to the newsletter

Lora Partyka’s Barn Quilt Block

bettysblog — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 15:10:09 +0000

In several areas of the US, old barns are finding new life as canvases for quilt designs. Barn quilts are a new expression of the traditional crafts of quilting and farming. They are public art for the country. You can follow barn quilt trails to find antique shops, museums, farm markets, and beautiful scenery.

photo courtesy of Country Barn Quilt Trail

We are fortunate to be near the Country Barn Quilt Trail in Western New York. The Quilt Trail was actually started by Lora and friends in 2006 at Partyka Farms. They worked together to add lovely quilt blocks to their own barns in the Kendall NY area. Not only has this relaxing tour gained national attention from recreational enthusiasts, but also it has caught the eye of some quilting celebrities.

Partyka Farms

Our very own local Lora Partyka’s barn block is featured in Eleanor Burns’ Quilt In A Day book, Quilt Blocks on American Barns. What a wonderful honor for Lora! Congratulations.

Lora’s block is the Farmer’s Daughter block pictured here:

Farmer's Daughter Block

You can pick up your own copy of Quilt Blocks on American Barns at Betty’s Quilting Etc on your way through the Country Barn Quilt Trail.

The Thrifty Quilter by Anne Wiens

bettysblog — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 11:48:59 +0000

The Thrifty Quilter

We are happy to introduce a new book title to you: The Thrifty Quilter by Anne Wiens. With a title like that, you know it is going to appeal to quite a lot of us who might be quilt-poor right now. Anne has taken the idea of “sewing with scraps” to a whole new level. This book describes basic tricks to organize your scraps into sizes and build basic blocks. We’re not talking about a few 9 patch blocks- we are talking over 80 blocks diagrammed and explained in an incredibly useful manner. She also provides an assortment of setting ideas for your finished blocks. Not only do you use your stash and scraps, but she empowers you to be the designer, yet you are still using an easy-to-follow pattern. Truly wonderful, and definitely a great concept that the quilting world is more than ready for.

As an added bonus, this book is completely Accuquilt GO! compatible. Take all those scraps, use the Accuquilt GO! dies and prepare for your scrap journey with The Thrifty Quilter.

About the author, from the QuiltWoman.com page:

“Anne Wiens is by day a mild-mannered announcer and program director for radio stations in Shelby, Montana, a small town almost literally “a hundred miles from anywhere.” Her mother, grandmothers and great-grandmother were all accomplished needlewomen, and between them, made sure her two sisters and she learned how to sew, knit, crochet, embroider, etc. As a result, quilting became Anne’s passion. She has been making quilts since 1974, designing nearly as long, and has been teaching professionally since 1992 in local adult education programs and through her local quilt shop. Many of her original patterns were designed to teach various tools and techniques. Visit Anne at Sweetgrass Creative Designs.”

Look for this amazing cover at at Betty’s Quilting Etc, ask for it, or pick it up online at QuiltWoman.com. You can also peruse QuiltWoman.com for a complete collection of Anne’s quilting patterns as well.