Enjoyment in Making a Crazy Quilt

Weather here at the Windy Knoll is brutal and how I wish I were working on a crazy quilt.  What pleasure!  I’ll have to admit I don’t enjoy the first part.  First I cut foundation squares — I cut some out of leftover muslin (in my mother’s day they called it Domestic) and then when the muslin ran out  I cut some squares from an old worn out sheet.  I cut the foundation squares 12 1/2?.  Then I press lots of scraps I’ll use in covering the foundation.  One friend does altering and she shared pieces of old evening dress and such with me.  Then another friend makes up scale drapes and she, too, shared scraps.  Of course, I had some of my own and I bought remnants at the fabric store.  I used mostly satin and rayons — what I call delicate fabrics.  I had seen a crazy quilt before I started mine and she used wools and such — my quilt just looks more delicate , which is what I remember the old crazy quilts looking like.

Crazy Quilt – Baby Picture

Crazy Quilt Corner

On the foundation I begin by laying a piece off center and adding another piece –I do this work on the sewing machine and try to make as many pieces come out as triangles as I can.  That’s the recommendation of the powers that be.  I believe I told you before that we were in an Atlanta quilt shop on John’s birthday several years ago and I bought him a book showing how to make all the pretty stitches used in making a crazy quilt.  He was thrilled!!

Crazy Quilt – Ribbon Embroidery

I thoroughly enjoy doing the embellishments after I get the foundation covered.  I use, for the most part, size 8 of all colors to do the stitches; however, I occasionally use embroidery thread — split to three strands.  All my corners have fans and each fan is outlined with a different tatted edging.  A dear friend, now deceased, painted fruit on a fabric that I used and on others I had pictures applied.  One is my baby picture, one is a picture of Mother around 1900 and the third is of John when he was in the Army Air Corp (later the name was changed to U S Air Force).

Crazy Quilt Painted Fruit

Writing about quilt making could be endless for me — I love it above  all other needlework.  The crazy quilt top was put on my hanging frame and tacked  at different intervals using black thread.  The lining is black sateen.

For me this has to the very best of country living.