Crazy Quilts
In the 1970's I became interested in crazyquilts. Since there was no available literature to help me, I developed a crazyquilt method using the sewing machine, a method that left nice flat seams.
I first crazyquilted simple items such as placemats and pillows. These were followed by a crazyquilt-style denim bedspread and a reupholsteed recliner chair using fabric from old denim jeans. I created shirts, skirts, coats, jackets, vests, blouses, bathrobes and ascots and demonstrated my machine-sewn crazyquilt method in quilt classes and at Community Colleges.
While other quilters enjoy doing beautifully stitched hand quilting, I was more enthused just putting the colors and shapes together and was content to let the sewing machine do what I felt was tedious stitching.
Since crazyquilt is really a fabric collage, the same composition rules apply as in artwork. I published a 15-page pamphlet of instructions and the rules relating to this art form. The pamphlets titled "Creative Crazypatch" are available.
I first crazyquilted simple items such as placemats and pillows. These were followed by a crazyquilt-style denim bedspread and a reupholsteed recliner chair using fabric from old denim jeans. I created shirts, skirts, coats, jackets, vests, blouses, bathrobes and ascots and demonstrated my machine-sewn crazyquilt method in quilt classes and at Community Colleges.
While other quilters enjoy doing beautifully stitched hand quilting, I was more enthused just putting the colors and shapes together and was content to let the sewing machine do what I felt was tedious stitching.
Since crazyquilt is really a fabric collage, the same composition rules apply as in artwork. I published a 15-page pamphlet of instructions and the rules relating to this art form. The pamphlets titled "Creative Crazypatch" are available.
Block Crazyquilt
This was my first crazyquilt. I used the block method, developing each block around a center of unpatterned fabric. I was inspired by a National Geographic article that showed the work of an old woman in Appalachia. All seams have been embellished with the many perl cotton embroidery stitches I borrowed from antique crazyquilt Victorian Throws.
Trapezoid Crazyquilt
It didn't take me long, like one quilt, to decide that sewing and assembling crazyquilts from individual blocks as in a traditional quilt, was limiting to a process as free as crazyquilt. I decided to work on one huge block, the size of the completed quilt itself. Again I used the trapezoid-shaped pieces, and surrounded them with strip quilting. This complete quilt was done with a sewing machine, quilting and all. I did some hand featherstitch embroidery within the solid pieces of fabric.
Close up of Trapezoidal Crazyquilt
Triangle Crazyquilt
Surely, after making a quilt with solid-color trapezoid shapes, the natural thing was to branch off into triangles. This time, I worked on one huge block, the size of the completed quilt using the sewing machine to sew all pieces into place. The sewing machine was used to quilt the three layers of fabric together, as I have done in all these quilts.The triangle motif was repeated in the border and the solid-colored triangles were hand embroidered in a featherstitch. There is a closeup view of a section of this quilt in this same gallery.
Closeup of Triangle Crazyquilt
This closeup view of the Triangle Crazyquilt shows the featherstitching done in the solid-colored blocks and a view of how puffy the machine quilting appears.
Closeup of Triangle Crazyquilt
Another closeup view of the Triangle Crazyquilt.
Victorian Throw
This is a throw I made that is typical of many Victorian throws made in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Lace, ribbons, and dated comemorative award ribbons were appliqued to the quilt. They serve as a wonderful way to date a quilt if there is not a date embroidered on one of the satin pieces.