My quilt guild issued a color challenge this year. Make a block each month in the color revealed at the meeting.  Instead of just making, say, an orange block, I used the color wheel to work with the challenge color.  I decided to make crazy quilted hearts.

One month, the color was orange.  Using an analogous color scheme, I created this:

Analogous means the colors are next to each other on a color wheel.  To one side of orange is red-orange; on the other side is yellow-orange.

The next month the color was light blue.  Using a triadic color scheme, where three colors are evenly spaced around the color wheel, I created this heart:

Instead of light blue, I used light blue-green with light red-violet and light yellow-orange (peach).

The next color was yellow and I decided to go monochromatic. That’s using the hue, tint and shade of yellow.

Next color was purple, or as it’s known on the color wheel, violet.  A split-complementary scheme was used.  A complementary color would be directly across from the main color, like red & green or blue & orange; classic color combos.  To split the complementary means to use the color on either side of the complementary color.  Purple has a complement of yellow,  instead of yellow, I used yellow-orange and yellow-green.

Next was dark green.  Green is made by mixing blue and yellow. I used blue-green fabrics and green fabrics and embellished with golden yellow.

Pink was next, which was not appealing to many guild members.  I love pink! Well, some pink.  I chose dusty pinks, which is pink that has been toned down (gray has been added). I decided to use ecru, which is a “dusty”

Red was up next.  I used primary colors (red, yellow, blue).  Well, shades of primary colors (shades are achieved by adding black).

Dark blue was next (dark blue is a shade of blue) and I chose shades of analogous colors blue-violet and blue-green.

The final color was light green.  I went with tints of split complementary colors red-violet and red-orange ( what I call deep peach).

Now, to decide how to put them together! The black squares that the hearts are sewn onto will finish to 8”.

Looking for a unique Christmas gift? Give a one-hour, private, on-line crazy quilt/embroidery consultation from me! Using Face Time or FaceBook messenger video, I will provide advice and tutelage on color, design, stitching, etc. to improve your hand work. The gift giver will receive a certificate to print to give to their lucky recipient. The recipient will get in touch with me to arrange a mutually agreed upon time to receive the instruction. A one-hour session is $75, payable to me through PayPal. Give the gift of knowledge this year! (To complete the thoughtful gesture, order my book on Amazon.)

 Crazy Quilts: A Beginner's Guide

On Saturday, I was at Beekman 1802 Mercantile in Sharon Springs.  I make several products for The Beekman Boys.  On this particular day, I was discussing and sharing Little Black Mask.  This is a facial mask that tightens pores and makes skin super soft.  People were trying it out on the back of their hands.  They were pleasantly surprised at how well it worked.

I also make seasonal room sprays and First Base Lip Balm.  All the products I make have no synthetic ingredients!  Never will you find parabens or fragrance oils.  To purchase these products, go to Beekman 1802

I'm teaching a series of herbal classes for Catskill Regional Harvest in Delhi, NY.  Please join me for fun and education!

I just finished embroidering (by hand) the center of my latest crazy quilt.  It was done with a single strand of silk floss (various manufacturers) and a #10 sharp needle.  I used a fine line sharpy pen to trace the design onto the silk dupioni fabric.  Then, I backed the fabric with interfacing to provide support, as I do not use a hoop when I embroider.  I used a single strand of Bijoux metallic to outline the letters in CRAZY QUILT.  

Here is a close up of the "C" with a penny next to it for scale.  It was difficult to photograph, as the light bounces off of the silk fabric and silk embroidery threads.  The color of the fabric is a periwinkle blue.

A photo showing the fine needle with a strand of silk floss.

My crazy quilt, "Therapy" earned a red ribbon at the Vermont Quilt Festival over the weekend.  At VQF, quilts do not compete against each other; they compete against a set of criteria.  A red ribbon means I scored 92-94 points.

There was also a really nice antique crazy quilt on display.  I enjoyed the various fan motifs and blocks, as well as the cauldron motif.

Crazy Quilt Video

Happy Yule! Here is a link to a video on how I put together my crazy quilt, "Therapy".  May your holidays be lovely.

 www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG2AULs7T7Q"Therapy" video of my most recent crazy quilt

Sound the trumpets!  My book, "Crazy Quilts - A Beginner's Guide" has been published by Ohio University Press!

I am so grateful.  It was a long time coming and I appreciate all my family, friends and students who kept encouraging me. To quote, "Oh Brother Where Art Thou":  I cannot tell you how long this road shall be, but fear not the obstacles in your path, for fate has vouchsafed your reward. 

You can order the book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and from the publisher.  Although the title states a beginner's guide, there are enough tips and info to satisfy intermediate and advanced crazy quilters and embroiderers.  There is so much photography (which I did), that it would make a great coffee table book too.  I discuss how I put my crazies together and the thought process of choosing fabrics and threads and beads, etc.  The first chapter is history of the crazy quilt during the last quarter of the 19th century.

I hope you purchase and enjoy my book.  I really hope you start adding embroidery and beads and all things beautiful not only to quilts, but to all manner of surfaces!