Things You'll Need:
- Batiste fabric
- Fabric scraps cut into pieces
- Iron
- Sewing machine
- Scissors
- Embroidery floss, needle
- Batting
- Backing fabric
- Safety pins
- Binding
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Step 1
Cut the batiste fabric into squares. Squares 10 1/2 inches will go together quickly, but you may prefer the aesthetic appeal of smaller 6 1/2 inch squares. Base your decision on the size of your finished quilt and how large your scraps are.
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Step 2
Place two scrap fabrics' right sides together and put them against the center of a batiste square. Sew along one side of the scraps to attach them to the batiste. Fold the top fabric scrap open and finger-press the seam.
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Step 3
Choose your next fabric and place it over the previous two pieces with right sides together. Sew along one edge of the new fabric to attach. Trim any pieces of the original two scrap fabrics that are sticking out between the new seam and the batiste. Flip the third piece open and press at the seam to secure.
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Step 4
Continue with the "sew and flip" method of Step 3 until the batiste is covered with scraps. Follow the same procedure to cover all of your batiste squares. Often a similar center fabric is used to unify the quilt. An alternative to starting in the center is to begin at one corner and work your way to the opposite, diagonal corner. Square up your blocks by flipping them over with the batiste facing up. Cut away all excess fabric scraps that are sticking out from the block.
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Step 5
Fill your pieced blocks with decorative hand embroidery along the seams and on the centers and sides of the fabric pieces. Your stitches can be as elaborate or as simple as you choose, just remain consistent with the density of stitches for all of your blocks. The stitches can vary in color or you can use the same color embroidery floss for the entire piece.
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Step 6
Lay your blocks out on the floor or on a large table. Rearrange the blocks according to how you want the quilt to look. Once you're satisfied with the arrangement, join the blocks together. Add a border, if desired, or leave the crazy quilt blocks as the edge of the quilt. Usually a solid-color border is used to give the eyes a place to rest.
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Step 7
Sandwich the quilt by spreading out the backing fabric right side down followed by the batting and quilt top. Pin the three layers together to baste and stabilize the quilt. Tie the quilt with embroidery floss at regular intervals, usually at the corner intersections of blocks. Form the ties in such a way that the tying is done on the back of the quilt. If your blocks are large, place your ties at more frequent spacing.
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Step 8
Cut your binding fabric, usually a solid, into strips 2 inches wide. A good rule of thumb is to cut binding strips as long as the length plus the width of the quilt multiplied by 2.5. Connect your strips into one long piece and press the fabric folded over lengthwise. Attach the binding to the front of the quilt with all raw edges lined up. After sewing to the front, flip the binding around to the back and tack down by hand.
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Step 9
Finish the quilt by adding a small signature panel on the back of the quilt. Be sure to include your name, address and any information about how or why the quilt was made, as well as whom it was made for.
