How to Crazy Quilt

Some of my in-progress crazy quilts in blue

Many quilts are carefully laid-out affairs featuring meticulous measurements, very tiny stitches and an overall repeating pattern. They are stunning works of textile art and cannot compare to mere blankets and throws. But what about a haphazard mix of colors and textures, riotous with anarchy, but just as beautiful? These are crazy quilts--and as the name implies--the order and structure are very different from their traditional counterparts.

Quilting, at it's simplest, is the process of sandwiching multiple layers of fabric together with needle and thread. You can just as easily quilt a single printed piece of fabric to another to create a quilted look for clothing and home décor as you could insert batting between a solid fabric and a pieced one to make a "quilt" or bed covering. Crazy quilting is a free-form style of piecing that can result in some truly beautiful material for a variety of uses. This is a great way to use up leftover pieces of fabric from other projects or recycle cast-off garments into memory quilts for family and friends. Here are some tips for crazy quilting.

Things You'll Need

• Large piece of muslin or sheeting
• Fabric scraps
• Scissors
• Sewing machine, needle and thread
• Straight pins
• Ribbons, laces, trim and other embellishments

Instructions

1. 

   Gather up your fabrics. If they are not already, trim them into roughly similar size pieces; no measuring is needed, just eyeball it. If you are making a quilt that will see a lot of use and will need a lot of laundering, choose fabrics that share similar care instructions. For wall hangings and home décor items this isn't as important, since you'll likely be doing more spot cleaning.

2. 

   Lay out your foundation piece and select a starting fabric scrap. The foundation piece is what your scraps will be stitched to and should be the same size or a little larger than you want your finished project to be. Your first fabric scrap can be placed either in the center, on an edge or in a corner. I prefer starting from the center and working outward in all directions.

3. 

   Stitch around all edges of the center piece. Whether you do this with a sewing machine or by hand is totally up to you. A sewing machine will ensure a very secure stitch and speed up the process in the beginning, giving you more time to add hand embellishments later.

4. 

   Add pieces around the first one, radiating outward, until the foundation piece is completely covered. You can either tuck under the edges of each subsequent piece and stitch over them, or, as I prefer, use the stitch-and-flip method (place a piece of fabric face-down over, aligning one edge with an already-stitched piece, stitch along that edge, then flip it over, hiding your seam). When completely covered, stitch around the entire perimeter of the foundation fabric.

5. 

   Tack down any open edges that might be left from your initial seams. Especially with the stitch-and-flip method you can end up with some pockets and open edges that need to be stitched down before you continue. These openings are areas where the quilt could get caught on something and cause damage to your work later, so make sure to check your seams for any gaps.

6. 

   Embroider at will, adding it any place you want. This step is optional, but adds a lovely touch and can actually be used for the step above to tack down any gaps or hide some less-than-perfect stitches created earlier. Embroidery can be done tone-on-tone for a subtle look, mimic the patterns in the fabrics or be done in a contrasting thread to stand out more. You can also do a traditional running stitch in a pattern over the entire quilt to unify the design. Adding ribbons, charms, lace and buttons will further embellish your quilt.