Judith Baker Montano
Originator of the “Center Piece Crazy Quilt Method” ©

Judith Baker Montano is a world-renowned Canadian fibre artist, author and teacher who is comfortable in many mediums. She grew up on the historic Bar U ranch in the foothills of Alberta, Canada. A love of fabrics and embellishments reflect her heritage. Her great-grandmother was a master quilter and her mother taught her needle skills. She attributes the embellished ethnic influence in her work to living near an Indian Reservation and a Hutterite Colony where she observed beautiful handicrafts. Eight years overseas in England, Germany and Japan was a profound influence on her artwork and outlook.

Judith attended the California State University, Chico, graduating with degrees in art and journalism. Upon graduation, she painted with the San Francisco Art Guild.

She started quilting in 1976 while living in Houston, Texas. There she was an active member of the Kingwood Quilt Guild.She served as publicity chairman and president.

In 1982 Judith made her first prize winning quilt “Pekisko Memories”, a quilt depicting her childhood home. It won Best of Show at the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It was a special victory as her great-grandmother won the same award in 1934. This quilt won Best of Show at the Texas State Fair and the Pacific National Exhibition in Vancouver, British Columbia. It won the Mountain Mist award, the Margaret Steel award for design and colour, plus many more. It was presented to the Bar U Historical Museum in 1995 and represents ranching in Canada.

At the same time, Judith was running a successful antique shop and tearoom. For eight years, people enjoyed her European menu and hospitality in an old, converted church. In 1982 she sold the business and moved to Colorado where her fibre art career really got started.

Her designs soon turned to clothing and crazy quilting. Using rich fabrics, vibrant colour combinations, embroidery, beading and punch needle, her original pieces took on a unique style. Judith’s Indian heritage appears in many of her art garments and embellishment projects.

Experimenting with materials and sewing machine, Judith created “The Montano Center Piece Method”, a copyright machine method of crazy quilting. This led to teaching classes and her first book on crazy quilting. Over the years she has become the leading expert on Crazy quilting, silk ribbon and embellishments.

Judith was been honoured to be spokesperson and endorser for both Kanagawa Silk Company of Tokyo, Japan and W.F.R. Ribbons, USA distributors for Mokuba Ribbons of Tokyo, Japan.
She was presented with the prestigious “Governor General’s Centennial Award of Canada” in recognition for her work in the Arts and representation of Canadians living abroad.

Judith has done commission work for International firms such as Concord Fabrics, Fairfield Batting Corp., Plaid Enterprises and Kanagawa Company. Her art garments have been featured in Cut from the Same Cloth, the Statue of Liberty Fashion Show and Fairfield-Concord Fashion Shows. Her art garments have traveled throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and the Far East. Judith has won many awards for art garments and soft jewelry pieces. She has designed for Butterick/ Vogue, Bucilla Company, Mokuba Ribbons of Tokyo, Japan Fox Hill Designs, Treenway Silks, Robert Kaufman Fabrics.

Her work has been featured at the Denver Art Museum, Denver Colorado; Profiles Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; The Dairy Barn, Athens, Ohio; Mitskoshi Department Show, Tokyo, Japan. She has been a guest artist at many Stitches and Craft Trade shows throughout Australia; the Tokyo Hobby Shows in Tokyo, Japan; Profiles and Visions, Alberta, Canada and the La Conner Quilt Museum, La Conner, Washington.

Her designs have been featured in Quilter’s Newsletter; Quilting U.S.A.; Sew Business; Quilting Down Under; Needle Craft For Today; Needle and Thread; Creative Ideas for Living; Lady’s Circle Patchwork Quilts; Better Homes and Gardens; McCall’s Needlework; Piece Works; Quilts Japan; Craft and Needlework; Australian Quilts and Needle Craft. She was an associate editor for Belle Armoire, Art to Wear for many years.

Judith has appeared on TV shows such as the Carol Duval Show, Simply Quilts and The Quilt Show. In 2017 Judith was featured in show # 2133 as The TQS Legend on “The Quilt Show”. She produced four tutorial videos; “Silk Ribbon Embroidery, “Crazy Quilting”, “Embellishments”, “Landscapes”, and a DVD “The Art of Crazy Quilting”.

Judith’s career has taken her from painting, to quilting, to crazy quilting ,to embellished embroidery and into land/seascapes and underwater projects. Her work keeps evolving, but crazy quilting appears in her freeform fibre landscapes, which incorporate all aspects of art and needlework techniques.

As the best-selling author for C & T Publishing, Judith incorporates a unique combination of her photography, watercolours, pen and ink illustrations and friendly prose along with her needlework designs and love of colour.


1. Judith is the author of “Crazy Quilt Handbook” published by C&T
Publishers. It covers history, traditional crazy quilting,
embellishments, original designs& contemporary use.
This book has sold over 175,000 copies, and was retired in its 27th edition.
edition in 2002.

2. Her 2nd book “Crazy Quilt Odyssey-Adventures in Victorian Needlework”
takes the reader from traditional crazy quilting to pictorial piecing,
punch needle and silk ribbon embroidery. It is filled with wonderful
patterns and photographs.

3. “The Art of Silk Ribbon Embroidery” is a vibrant book introducing silk
ribbon embroidery and offers a wide array of patterns and designs. A must for the needle worker, “The Art of Silk Ribbon Embroidery” won the P.C.M. Award, and over 197,000 copies have been sold.

4. Judith became a full-fledged writer with her novel “Recollections”. Her
artistic abilities and writing skills are displayed in this nostalgic story of
family ties and heritage. The chapters are woven with sketches and
watercolours. A great read for all ages.

5.”Elegant Stitches” is a stitcher’s dictionary/work book. Chapters include
freeform embroidery, left hand stitches, crazy quilt stitches and an
extensive stitch guide. This award-winning book is also a best seller at
200,000 copies sold to date.

6. A retrospect “The Art of Judith Baker Montano” is written on a very
personal level, and takes you from the beginning to the present of her
fibre art career. Filled with vibrant colour, photographs and illustrations
by Judith. A collectors’ book.

7.“Floral Stitches - an Illustrated Guide” is the companion to “Elegant
Stitches.” It is filled with chapters of floral stitches, crazy quilt stitches,
freeform embroidery and all kinds of info. pertaining to flowers. This
stitch guide is an award winner.

8.A great beginners crazy quilt book is the completely revised “Crazy Quilt Handbook, 2nd Edition”. The old classic has been updated with colour throughout, new photos and patterns. Considered the best beginner’s book for crazy quilting it features clear, concise instructions.

9. The Complete Embroidery Stitch Tool, published in 2007, is a flip chart
stylebook of all types of embroidery stitches. It is a compact booklet that easily stands alone allowing the embroider to use both hands!!! This little stitch companion is well beyond 52,000 copies and still going!!

10. “Fibreart Montage, Combining Quilting, Embroidery and Photography With Embellishments” is a hardcover, 265-page, spiral bound book full of beautiful photography and step out instructions. Subjects covered are; crazy quilting, photography, computer
skills, watercolor painting, land/seascapes, underwater, cottages, embroidery and dying fabrics! In 2010 it won The Benjamin Franklin Book Award for most outstand craft and how to book and The International Book Sellers Award, for the most outstanding how-to-book of the year.

11. “The Crazy Quilt Handbook, 3rd. Edition was published in 2016. This classic book has been updated and filled with all the information a beginning crazy quilter will need. It is full of colourful step-outs, nine projects and a concise embroidery section.

12. “Judith Baker Montano’s Essential Stitch Guide” is a consolidation of Elegant and Floral Stitches. It is set up in alphabetical order with 180 stitches, and 70 combinations. The guide is spiral bound making it easy to view. With even more traditional embroidery stitches, silk ribbon stitches, and crazy quilting combinations, this beautiful handbook has an updated section of free-form techniques for improvisational work. With full-color illustrations and advice for left-handed stitchers, the essential reference goes well beyond the basics! 

13. “Delectable Memories, A Collection of Recipes, Stories, and Photographs” is a hardcover , 220 paged coffee-table book filled with beautiful photography, delicious recipes and biographical stories. This wonderful and colourful book is self-published by Judith through Blurb.com. Considered a collector’s edition, the book can be ordered through Judith Designs.

An accomplished fiber artist, Judith is also a qualified teacher and lecturer. She is comfortable in the embroidery, quilting and fiber arts world. Teaching has taken her throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain and Japan. Classes are varied and include clothing design, crazy quilting, embellishments, silk ribbon embroidery and fiber landscape designs.

Judith offers exclusive seminars in her private studio in beautiful La Veta, Colorado. The seminars are limited to six students and offered eight time from May through September.

Judith resides in the small town La Veta, Colorado with her husband Ernest Shealy and an ever-growing menagerie of pets.


For Class, Lecture and Commission information:

WEBSITE;
WWW.JUDITHBAKERMONTANO.COM

Judith Baker Montano
P.O box 1123
La Veta, Colorado, 81055
Phone 719-989-8587,
email: judithbakermontano@me.com

FOR BOOK INFO:
C &T Publishing
1651 Challenge Drive
Concord, CA 94520 US
phone 1-800-284-1114