CQJP 2012 Crazy Quilt Journal Project

I am participating in the CQJP 2012 project (Crazy Quilt Journal Project). Each month, participants are to make a crazy quilt block. I decided to do paisleys instead of blocks. And, I embroidered a valance from which the paisleys will hang. Here are the January, February and March paisleys. I will probably bead between the paisleys to get them to hang from the valance.

You Tube Videos

My brother, Chip, came over and helped me record three quick videos on embroidery tips. Click the link above to go to You Tube and see them. One is on getting floss out of a skein without knots and a big mess. The second is stripping floss (getting a single strand out from the six strands). The third is how I end off embroidery threads on the back of my work: tension, knot, tension.

I'll be recording more in the near future!

New Classes!

Faux Pearls - For Sure! Maureen Greeson, of Maureen's Vintage Acquisitions, has just added another of my classes, but this one has a twist. It's a Take It Anytime Class. This means, you purchase the PDF (which has tons of photos) and learn how to do it! You can email me with questions. Click here to purchase the class and get started immediately! Learn several elegant motifs and seam treatments made entirely of faux pearls to beautify your crazy quilt work.

On March 27, a 4-week on-line class will be starting at Maureen's Vintage Acquisitions. This is Peacock in Paisley. Go here to register!!!


By special request, three of my quilts will be traveling to Beaujolais, France for the Quilt Expo there. Go here for more information.

On April 3, I will be teaching at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, NY. Grow Your Own Culinary Herbs will be starting at 10 am. Go here for more information.

July 16-20 will find me teaching at Quilting By The Lake in Syracuse, NY. Join me for a 2-day class on hand embroidery for quilts crazy or sane! And a 3-day class on creating fantasy landscapes using crazy quilting techniques. Or come for the entire week and have lots of fun while learning a beautiful art form. Go here for more information.

In November, I will lecturing and presenting a class in crazy quilting for the Brownstone Quilters in Paramus, NJ.

February CQJP

Here is my February CQJP (Crazy Quilt Journal Project). I'm making a series of paisleys. I love the paisley shape and love crazy quilting! When the year is done and I have 12 paisleys, they will hang from the valance I made to showcase this series. I embossed the burgundy velvet with an Indian wooden print block. I used a fine gold metallic thread to embroider around the shape and added metal and glass beads. The seam treatment along the blue patch is embroidery and beads with the hummingbird charm added. Silk floss was used for the embroidered seam at the bottom. Of course, a fairy charm had to be added! Also, a heart for Valentine's Day.


I'll probably end up beading in between the individual paisleys to anchor them together, so they are fixed. I don't want them twirling around individually as they will end up getting tangled. We'll see what other ideas I come up with as the year progresses!

My artwork on the cover of The Essential Herbal magazine.

Tina, editor/owner of The Essential Herbal magazine, asked if I would lend some of my textile artwork for the cover for the Roses issue. Having much from which to choose, she decided on this piece. Actually, this is the center section of a larger piece. The roses I fashioned from wired taffeta ribbon. All the embroidery and beadwork is by hand.

I've also written a short article on roses for this issue. I have written a few articles for The Essential Herbal before. It really is the best grass roots herbal magazine out there. Always something interesting to learn!

Crazy Quilts are Quilts Too Blog Party

Thearica, over on Pigtales is hosting a blog party, "Crazy Quilts are Quilts Too!" They certainly are! I've been creating crazy quilts since around 1990. I've won many, many awards. I've researched, collected and written about vintage crazy quilts too. I teach about crazy quilting and all the myriad techniques of hand work that goes into them. I absolutely love crazy quilts. If you scroll down through my blog, you can see tons of photos and comments about them. (okay, yes, I also am into herbs)

My website, www.BettyPillsbury.com has more photos and information about crazy quilts too. I am starting an on-line class in March. See blog post below. And, www.GreenSpiralHerbs.com is the place to go for our hand-made herbal products.

On-line class starting March 27

I'll be teaching Paisley Peacock in an on-line class starting March 27. It will run for 4 weeks. You can sign up at http://www.maureensvintageacquisitions.com/servlet/the-Online-Crazy-Quilting-Classes/Categories