Judith Baker Montano is a world-renowned Canadian fiber artist, designer, teacher, and author. Although her work keeps evolving, crazy quilting remains a constant and she has turned it into a contemporary art form.She is well known for her free-form fiber landscapes and seascapes, which incorporate all aspects of art and needlework techniques. As the best-selling author of ten books, Judith incorporates into her works a unique combination of her photography, watercolors, pen and ink illustrations, and friendly prose along with her needlework designs and love of color.Judith earned degrees in art and journalism from California State University, Chico. Upon graduation, she painted with the Artists Guild of San Francisco. She began quilting in 1976 in Houston, Texas, as a founding member of the Kingwood Quilt Guild. Pekisko Memories (1982), an appliqué quilt depicting her childhood home, won Best of Show at the Texas State Fair, the Pacific National Exhibition, and the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede. (Her great-grandmother won at the Calgary show in 1934.)Judith's interests soon turned to clothing and crazy quilting. Experimenting with materials and her sewing machine, Judith created the Montano Centerpiece Method, her signature machine method of crazy quilting. Crazy quilting became a constant form of expression for Judith, and this led to teaching and her first book.Judith's garments, quilts, and art pieces have won design awards in Canada and the United States and have been featured in many international museums and galleries. Judith's designs and articles have been featured in countless magazines, including Quilters Newsletter, Down Under Quilts, Needle & Thread, Lady's Circle Patchwork Quilts, Better Homes and Gardens, McCall's Needlework & Crafts, PieceWork, Quilts Japan, and The Quilt Life. For several years she was an associate editor of Belle Armoire magazine.Judith has appeared on many TV shows, including The Carol Duvall Show, Simply Quilts, and The Quilt Show. She has produced several tutorial videos and DVDs, cards, and wrapping paper lines. Judith has also worked as a designer for Robert Kaufman Fabrics, Bucilla Corporation, Butterick Patterns, and Kanagawa Silk Company.She was presented with the prestigious Governor General's Centennial Award of Canada in recognition of her work in the arts and representation of Canadians living abroad.Judith and her husband, Ernest Shealy, reside in La Veta, Colorado, in a Victorian cottage, along with an ever-growing menagerie of animal friends.
