How to Make a Crazy Quilt

The name - crazy quilt - suggests creative abandon. Victorians stitched together odd-sized scraps of everything from velvet to satin to produce abstract combinations of shapes, textures and colors. Modern quilters work this collage effect into planned designs, and patterns for crazy quilts are available from some craft shops.

Difficulty: Moderately challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Embroidery Threads
• Muslin Sheets
• Batting
• Fabric For Backing
• Fabrics
• Measuring Tapes
• Needles
• Straight Pins
• Thimbles
• Threads
• Straight Pins
• Scissors
• Scissors

1. Cut squares of uniform size (usually 16 inches to 20 inches, plus a 1/4-inch seam allowance all around) from cotton muslin. Cut as many as you need to produce the desired quilt size.

2. Fit fabric scraps entirely over each square, locking them together like puzzle pieces.

3. Baste fabric pieces to muslin.

4. Embroider over the raw edges, or turn edges under and secure with a whip stitch - a small, slanted stitch around the folded edge.

5. Sew the finished squares together one at a time, pinning them together with right sides facing, then sewing a 1/4-inch seam.

6. Lay backing fabric across the floor, face down, with the batting spread over it. Lay finished crazy quilt top over this, right side up.

7. Baste layers together and quilt as desired.