# any advice about making a crazy quilt?



## farmer kate (Jan 21, 2007)

I'd like to make a crazy quilt for my son and daughter in law, who are restoring a Victorian house. Does anyone have any advice for me? I have moderate machine and hand-sewing skills. I have made small quilt projects but nothing very complicated. (My biggest hurdle, and I'm not kidding, is clearing enough space on my dining room table to actually work on this thing.)

I need advice on fabric choices, and - well, if I actually knew what all I need advice on, I could go look it up, but I don't. I guess I need advice on what to ask advice about! Any comments will be very much appreciated.

kate


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## CJ (May 10, 2002)

I don't have any advice, having never made one, but I love crazy quilts! I'm looking forward to the responses.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

http://www.freequiltpatterns.info/QuiltCategories/FreeCrazyQuiltPatterns.htm

For some ideas.

also, a while back I did a little crazy quilt swap block.

You will need a base fabric for the sewn pieces to be placed on. This is a basically a foundation piecing type of sewing. Many use muslin and put the pieces on a set sized square of muslin, then they embelish those squares, and then put the squares together.

The crazy quilts I've seen often times have the fancier fabrics, but I see no reason fun cottons could not be used.

Here's one of the blocks....


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## cc-rider (Jul 29, 2003)

I made one using velveteens, satins, brocades.....any kind of "sumptious" fabric I could get my hands on. The secret is lots of embrodery and "fancery" (is that a word??? hehe) on the squares. I then fringed the whole thing with long black fringe. Wish I could figure out how to post a picture! Mine is just the right size for a hammered dulcimer cover. Or small loveseat.  

I also made pillows using crazy quilt and some of the squares were photographs put onto fabric. This was for my MIL's 65th anniversary, so had "before and after" pictures. Too cute. Actually, it wasn't ALL crazy quilt because I used a backing..... let me see if I can attach a picture (I just dumped one into flickr)










Drats...that didn't work, did it? If you go here, maybe?? http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/3848476163/

I think crazy quilt is HARDER to do than standard piecing because you have to just experiment with each piece in order to get them to fit without having a raw edge somewhere. Frustrating sometimes!


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

cc - I like your pillows, but that next photo of the window - WOW.

Angie


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## cc-rider (Jul 29, 2003)

Oh sheesh. I didn't realize that the link took you to the entire flickr area! hehehe. All the rest of those pictures are the house that I'm trying to build (trying, being the operative word). I haven't done much in the last year....I fell down into the basement (10' drop) last fall, and then this spring blew out a disc in my back trying to move a saw from the saw horse. Actually, I'm scheduled for back surgery tomorrow morning at 7:40....

Maybe I'll have time for sewing now since I can't work on the house....


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Here's best healing wishes for the back operation tomorrow. Sewing will be a nice thing to do that will not be as hazzardous as house building!


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## farmer kate (Jan 21, 2007)

Once the quilt is completed, is the base fabric the underside or middle layer of the quilt, or is it the underside of only the top layer, with a middle and bottom added after the piecing is done? And for this type of quilt, is it better to start in the center and work outward, or to start at one side? I've only ever done block quilts before.

I'm hoping for 'sumptious' fabric choices - perfect choice of word - because it would work so well with their house. When I make a patterned quilt, I have a pretty good sense how to figure out how much fabric I need before I start. But what would you recommend for a crazy quilt? I do want to do a little advance planning but I'd also like to let it sort of develop as it goes along.....so, twenty percent more fabric than the finished size? Fifty? I don't know how to prepare for this.

kate


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## working-mom (Apr 19, 2004)

My experience with crazy quilting isn't very far reaching. I took a class with my grandmother several years ago. I can't even remember who taught the class but it was 2 days long. Applique skills are definately a plus as well as embriodery for the embelishments. I learned the invisable applique technique. From my oppinion having fun is the most important thing I can say. I am using all cotton fabrics for mine both print and plain. I have only completed 3 blocks though. I am using unbleached muslin as the background fabric. On the big square of muslin I trace a square at least 1 inch inside the boarder of the square. I hope this doesn't sound like greek. When I sew the peices onto the muslin I only sew them to meet the line I have drawn on the muslin. This is so when you sew the muslin peices together the other fabrics overlap and can hide the place where the squares come together. I wish I could post pics so you can see it but I can't find my camera right now. I chose a theme for my quilt and that can help in the choice of fabrics. I chose a patriotic theme so I have red, white and blue fabrics as well as stars and stripes and all the like. 
I don't know it this has helped, but I hope it has!! If you were thinking victorian that could very well be a wonderful choice for a theme. Just an idea.
Good luck and come back and share please!!!
:cowboy:


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

consider the base fabric and the fancy top stuff as a regular pieced top. Then put in your batting and the backing and do your quilting. Maybe tack quiltiing with fancy embroidery floss would be nice and make it not too hard to handle and it will look good with the fabrics/laces/buttons and such.

Angie


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## working-mom (Apr 19, 2004)

farmer kate said:


> Once the quilt is completed, is the base fabric the underside or middle layer of the quilt, or is it the underside of only the top layer, with a middle and bottom added after the piecing is done? And for this type of quilt, is it better to start in the center and work outward, or to start at one side? I've only ever done block quilts before.
> 
> I'm hoping for 'sumptious' fabric choices - perfect choice of word - because it would work so well with their house. When I make a patterned quilt, I have a pretty good sense how to figure out how much fabric I need before I start. But what would you recommend for a crazy quilt? I do want to do a little advance planning but I'd also like to let it sort of develop as it goes along.....so, twenty percent more fabric than the finished size? Fifty? I don't know how to prepare for this.
> 
> kate


Kate I collected faric for 3 years before I even started mine and I am still collecting. Personally I would buy at least a yard of each fabric you plan to use, with this being said I have 40+ different fabrics for mine and I have a least 1/4 -1/2 yard for each. Really it is hard to predict how much you will need because you never know how much of one or the other you will use in each block until the blocks themselves come together. 
Hope this helps.
to add: The base fabric would be the underside of the quilt top. I don't know about the placing of the blocks.... because it is crazy it will be up to your taste on where to put each one.


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## farmer kate (Jan 21, 2007)

Well, I'm starting with a scary basement full of fabric, as a base.....I suppose I could sew for the rest of my life and never actually *need* to purchase any more, but don't tell my husband. I've got a lot of sentimental fabrics to work into this in some way - remnants from special clothing, things like that. I'm planning to buy some yardage of four colors that are used in the kids' first floor rooms, that will blend well together, to sort of tie it all together. 

Angie, that helps, thanks for explaining the layers. Actually thanks to every one who's chimed in so far. I need a push to get off my behind and start this thing, and somehow posting here helps. Trust me, if I ever get this puppy up and running I'll be posting pictures. 

So, you work blocks and then put the blocks together, but by 'blocks' we don't necessarily mean identically sized squares, right? My understanding is that for a crazy quilt you assemble a couple sections and then put them together, but you do so in a way that doesn't make the place where they're joined seem to be a perfect straight seam (not that I've ever in my life ever done a perfect straight seam anyway, but you know what I mean). The ones I've seen up close have fabrics that are pieces together so they'd have a flat seam and then some that seem to be appliqued on top, and I'm guessing those are the ones that disguise the places where larger sections are joined. But I'm only guessing.

kate


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## cc-rider (Jul 29, 2003)

I tried to put a link to the crazy quilt dulcimer cover I did, but I don't think it worked. Here is the flickr link, though. http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/3850671664/ I really need to add more embellishments, but didn't have time. This was a "quick get-er-done" project.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

cc- I love it. Just do that but bigger for the top. Put in batting, and a backing and go for it.

By the way - how long have you played the hammered dulcimer? I have one I started to try to play, but have not touched in months. So, what do you play and where, etc. And the big question... Can you play "Ghost Riders in the Sky" usually done by Vaughn Monroe?

Angie


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## BusyBees2 (Dec 10, 2004)

When I learned how to do a crazy quilt, this is what the teacher taught me.

-Take a square of foundation fabric (muslin, scrap, ugly, whatever - it won't be seen). 
-Take your first 'fancy' fabric and make it a 5 sided shape. Must be 5 sides, but they don't need to be identical for each block. 
-Place this center shape right side up in the center of your block, then start adding other fabrics. Place each new fabric face down, lined up along one outside edge of your 'center'...stitch, flip open, and press
- Trim the new fabric even with the next side of your 'center'
- Add each new fabric on a side of your 'center' adjacent to what you just worked.

As you work each new piece, you can make it any size/shape you want as long as you have a fairly straight edge for your next fabric.

Stitch and flip in a circular pattern until you cover the foundation piece. The fancy embroidery stitches would be added before you layer with batting and backing. I think you could do all the same size blocks, then when you add the embroidery you could break up those longer seams with different stitching so they aren't as obvious...this would be easier than trying to piece together multiple sized blocks.

Traditionally, crazy quilts were made with scraps of the fancy dress fabrics like velvet, brocade, taffeta, etc. that were leftovers. Crazy quilts were more for 'show' than for function. They weren't used much since they'd be harder to clean (fancy fabrics) and they were a sign of wealth...showing off all the rich fabrics that many couldn't afford. 

Really, the bottom line is that you can do whatever you want. It's your quilt!! If you want to make it in all the same colors, or all cottons, or whatever...You CAN! It's your quilt! Good luck with it! It's a lofty endeavor!


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## cc-rider (Jul 29, 2003)

Hehehe. Yeah, I can do Ghost Rider.  We rewrote the lyrics a few years ago for a festival I taught at and called it "Dulcimers in the Lodge".  Remember the "Yippee Yi Yo...Yippee Yi Yay....Ghost Riders in the sky..." part? Our version was "Boil them Cabbage Down.....Golden Slippers....Dulcimers in the Lodge". You'd have to play dulcimer to understand that, I guess. The mountain dulcimer theme song is "Boil them Cabbage Down", and the hammered dulcimer theme song is Golden Slippers, it seems. Anyway... I've been playing about 11 years now. Teaching at festivals and such the last 9. Nashville is about as far south as I've ever gone, though!!! Mostly Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Kentucky. 

Once you get it figured out, you'll love playing it. You have to think about it artistically instead of trying to figure out the scales, etc. Things are "boxes" or "kite-shapes" or whatever. Patterns, not notes. You can hear some of our songs on http://www.oldtimeduo.com but they are mostly fiddle tunes and bluegrass....not really folk-y.

Oops.....and so it doesn't seem like I've hijacked the thread....
On my dulcimer cover, I made individual blocks, but they are different shaped. So in effect, the blocks were kinda crazy-quilted, and composed of crazy-quilted material. It's a great way to use up small or odd-size bits of materials....you just add on whatever shape you have and go from there. 

Starting in the center of the block is definitely the easiest for me, and then go around it, log cabin style. But odd shaped so it doesn't look like a log cabin!


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## Garnet (Sep 19, 2003)

I will post some crazy patch links on down. But first a comment on what I've done - a vest with a crazy patch front with silk ribbon and floss embroidery, beading, and some lace insertion. The fronts were "built" on a muslin foundation and the embellishment was done through those layers. The fronts were attached to the back and then the lining was added without a batt.

Beginning with the lower section of a front, in about the center , an irregular 5-sided piece was placed right side up on the muslin and stitched around the edge to stabilize. Another piece was placed along one of the 5 edges, right sides together. It was stitched with a generous 1/8" seam allowance, and flipped over. These 2 pieces should form a straight edge, so I trimmed the second piece if necessary. 

Add the third piece to the first two, right sides together, stitch, and flip. continue around the 5-sided piece. Then add other pieces one at a time until the muslin is covered.

Then I continued to "build" the top of the front.

Then I spent half a lifetime embellishing. 

OK, for a quilt, here's what I think I would do. Make blocks and sew the blocks together to form a top. 

Decide on a block size. Maybe 10" or 12". Whatever will give the desired size of the quilt. Cut muslin squares, and make them a little generous. Be sure to add 1/2" for seam allowance.

To build a random block. Cut your "center" piece in the shape you like - irregular 4 or 5-sided. Position it on the muslin square face up and stitch around or pin to stabilize. Begin "building" your crazy patch by adding a piece to one side. Stitch and flip. Continue around and then add pieces as necessary to fill out to the edge of the muslin. 

Add embroidery to a block if you wish. When all blocks are built and embellished, stitch them together. Sandwich with batt and backing. You can quilt in the ditch along the blocks or tack. Of course, you will need some other quilting within blocks to stabilize.

Not everyone builds a block from the center out. Some use a fan design or other traditional design to mix in.

Here are the links to see some crazy quilts.

http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Lofts/6531/

http://inaminuteago.com/safeashouses/safeashouses.html

http://inaminuteago.com/buttonquilt/buttonboxgallery.html




Decide on a


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## threadneedle (Nov 14, 2006)

I'm working on an all cotton crazy quilt wallhanging (50x50) right now. Not only were crazy quilts made from fancier fabrics, women used wools or cottons too. Whatever they had on hand. Some wool crazy quilts were made from mens' suit samples and household clothing. I haven't seen many all cotton crazy quilts but recently saw an old one still in fairly good condition.

Garnet, the last link - button box Y2K quilt - wow. That's a lot of embellishment! I'm only doing embroidery and buttons on mine and have put in many hours of work on it. I started piecing it in February and its still not done. Of course, I am heavily embroidering it where others might not choose to do so. 

For those of you who have made a crazy quilt wallhanging or quilt. Did you put batting in it and why? I'm thinking I will not use batting.


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