Crazy Quilt tips

Crazy Quilts have somewhat lost their meaning over time, but a certain essential core remains in most understandings of the craft form, the most basic being that the quilt or sections of the quilt (a largely patterned quilt can have a crazy border or other sections) don't follow a symetric or even semi-symetric pattern and typically don't have even a non-symetric pattern with repeating colors or fabrics. In the most limited form of a crazy quilt, it can be made with repeating patterns which are "crazy" within each block and randomly mixed fabrics for each block. While this gives the look of a crazy quilt for observers, it is as repetitive for the maker as any pattern quilt, although by its very nature, precision is not required.

I suppose, ultimately, that's why I like crazy quilts. Precision is not required, which makes the sewing a little less demanding, but I especially like more truly crazy quilts, where nothing is repetitive, except maybe the use of set of core fabrics that serve as a theme, a unifying factor in the overall presentation of the quilt. Traditionally, that would be a single color that unifies the quilt: the classic Victorian quilts used black velvet and red satin and a mix of other bright colors. In some modern crazy quilts, the opposite tack has been taken, with more garish results: take a print with a wide range of colors to use throughout, and add in any and all the colors that might match, either solids, color-on-color, or prints and batiques with their own mix for even more wild effects.

I prefer a little less chaos. I usually go with a single theme color and use fabrics that have the right color in them: whole or in part. Alternatively, I might go with a mix of colors on a single spectrum, such as country/fall colors, two or three jewel tones, or pastels. I rarely limit myself to "quilting cottons" because I will use anything in my fabric "stash" that has the right color, so long as it is something with the right color(s). While I have a lot of cottons in the collection, I also have a lot of old clothes, remnants from all kinds of projects, and stuff that was cool and on sale. (The use of mixed fabrics is often associated with crazy quilts, but it's really just an extreme sort of "scrappy" and mixed fabrics can be used in patterns, too.)

There are many ways to achieve crazy effects without going overboard or getting bored with patterns. The easiest way, in some respects, is applique. Scraps of just about any shape will work. The base can be almost anything form an old blanket, a selection of old towels, or a backing and batting, whole or in sections. Of course, applique has it's own challenges and not everyone likes it as a way to sew, even though it can replace both the piecing and quilting stages. This way is most commonly used when the sewing is to be visible and may include embroidery. Doing block sections allows multiple contributors and machine stitching. The backing and batting should be neat squares but the top pieces can hang over or leave gaps that can be stitched down and filled in with a little hand applique after the backs are pieced together. This will make the blocks disappear and blend the crazy pieces for a more continuous effect.

Another way is to do one-time or stack-and-hack patterns to piece blocks that are then attached together. Precision is not required so long as they are trimmed to the width of bars to allow a reasonable fit. They can be pieced like any other pattern or like paper pieced patterns. So long as all the internal pieces are made of strait lines and not too many interior-only pieces, almost any combination of pieces will work. The outside may need to be trimmed down to a square afterwards. Hack and slash just takes the one pattern, cut several fabrics in the same pattern, then mix-and-match the resulting pieces to get different combinations. Using many of the same fabrics throughout the quilt will pull it together into a whole regardless of how inconsistent the size and style of patterns, making this a good way for a group to make a crazy quilt. Pick a compatible set of block sizes to aim for, such as 41/2, 8 1/2 and 12 1/2 or 6 1/2, 9 1/2, 12 1/2, and 15 1/2. They can be formed into squares or into long stripes for assembly. The use of several fabrics throughout and allowing like fabrics to be adjacent will cause the squares to disappear, or they can be pieced in bordered sections to frame, shape, and add a little structure to the final results. Mixing in fussy-cut print blocks or embroidered blocks can also add texture and a sense of structure or theme.

Fitting more-or-less random scraps together (on a color theme or not) can be done but should probably not be tried by a beginner. Prior experience with bars and complex patterns helps. Sew together along only straight seams. Attach pieces of similar size in the shared direction, iron, and trim to straight edges and work up to larger composite pieces to keep the quilt top flat and avoid rippling and bulging. The trimming will result in a large number of scraps: ones of modest size can be used but trimmings will eventually be too small for use in the quilt; they can be used for toy stuffing, bird nest material, and mulching.

However you do it, a true crazy quilt allows the most creative and technical freedom of any quilting form. But the informality that results will also encourage freedom of use, so don't expect these beauties to hang on a wall or be folded up for long term preservation if they are big enough to use for lap, shoulder, or bed!