Crazy Quilts

A Beginner’s Guide

by Betty Fikes Pillsbury

Imprint: Ohio University Press

155 Pages, 8.00 x 10.00 in

Paperback
9780821422144
Published: August 2016

$29.95

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Hardcover
9780821422137
Published: August 2016

$45.00

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eBook
9780821445570
Published: August 2016

$29.99

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Description
AUTHOR(S)
Praise

Textile artist and instructor Betty Fikes Pillsbury has won hundreds of awards for her homages to the elegance of Victorian crazy quilting. Grounded in traditional methods but crafted with elements of whimsy, each piece stands on its own as a work of art. In this definitive guide, Pillsbury shares her methods for piecing, embroidering, and embellishing. Her instructions equip readers at any level of quilting skill to use those techniques to express their own visions.
Encouraging her readers to see functional and artistic possibilities beyond quilts (wall hangings, purses, and pillowcases are just some of the options), Pillsbury shows them how to make each work by hand, the slow cloth way. An inspiring primer for beginning and experienced quilters alike, this meticulously illustrated how-to book is far more expansive than previous guides. Pillsbury—a master of the form—shows us why crazy quilting belongs firmly in the twenty-first century.

Betty Fikes Pillsbury has won more than two hundred awards for her needlework, including Best Needlework at the Vermont Quilt Festival, Best Traditional Quilt at Threads Across America, First Place at the American Quilter’s Society show, and the Educator’s Award of Excellence from the Embroiderers’ Guild of America. Betty has appeared on Simply Quilts on HGTV and PBS’ Quilt Nebraska. Her work has appeared in the White House, the Fenimore Art Museum, Quilt Expo in France, and elsewhere.

“From the broad strokes of design to the precision of embroidery stitches, Pillsbury explains crazy quilting with the authority of a scholar and the passion of an artist. Her expertise, backed by historical research, is paired with her exquisite stitching, and Crazy Quilts is a storehouse of ideas and techniques. Beautifully detailed, with simple instruction, this book is an important resource for those who love the art of the needle.”

“Award-winning artist Pillsbury details her own process for making crazy quilts and outlines basic instructions for a first-timer. Step-by-step directions for a variety of stitches, beading, and ribbon embroidery fill the bulk of the book…. There are beautiful close-up photos throughout, mostly of Pillsbury’s work but also showing the details of some historical crazy quilts, sure to provide inspiration for the reader’s own crazy-quilt creations.” — Booklist

“If you like ornate and adorned textile surfaces, this book will prove an invaluable guide.” — The Quilter

“Pillsbury breaks down complex stitch combinations into their simplest elements so that results can be reproduced with accuracy and ease. She provides oodles of pictures with variations and solutions to the trickiest problems. With simple yet brilliant suggestions, she’ll guide you to the land of crazy quilt enchantment.”