Useful Tips So Your Crazy Quilt Doesn’t Drive You Crazy
By Holly Hanover
Crazy quilting is the ideal way to re-purpose old fabric and trimmings.
The first crazy quilt enthusiasts in Victorian times quickly became experts at using odd fabric scraps to create beautiful and useful works of art. Today, crazy quilting is still the ideal way to re-purpose old fabric and trimmings. Not only is this quilting method tremendous fun, but it fits in wonderfully well with a frugal or green lifestyle. It is an excellent choice for beginners learning how to quilt. If you’re embarking on a crazy quilt project, here are some don’ts that you need to consider before you start stitching:
- Don’t start off with too large a section of stabilizer material – it’s best to cut a number of smaller squares of your chosen stabilizer fabric or other material, based on the overall dimensions of the crazy quilt you intend to sew. Then, it’s just a matter of covering each square by stitching your selected crazy pieces into whatever pattern you choose – or even no pattern at all. To complete your top, just sew all the squares together once they’re covered.
- Don’t use too heavy a fabric for your stabilizer choice. Using a lightweight material such as muslin or interfacing will keep the individual squares easy to work with and won’t add excess weight to the completed quilt. Some quilters opt for paper as a stabilizer – this can work just fine as long as you use a lightweight paper that you can tear out easily before sewing the squares together.
- Don’t make the mistake of incorporating dry-clean only fabric scraps into your design, unless your crazy quilt is for display only. If you plan on using the quilt yourself, or gifting it to someone who may use it, you’ll want to include only washable fabrics of any texture and type.
- Don’t use quilt batt if you’re looking for a traditional crazy quilt look. The crazy quilts that became popular in the mid 1800s did not have that extra layer between the top and backing. The fuller look and feel that batting adds won’t give you a genuine, old-fashioned crazy quilt appearance.
- Don’t limit yourself to plain stitching to cover the seams on your crazy quilt top. When this style came on the scene in the Victorian era, quilters let their imaginations run wild and embellished their crazy quilts with elaborate embroidery stitches, ribbon, beads and more. For an authentic ‘crazy quilt’ look, get creative with your needlework, and add in a variety of textures in your choice of trimmings.
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