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.