Crazy Quilt History & Embelishing

Embellishing a Crazy Quilt

Crazy quilts differ from "regular" quilts in other ways as well. Because the careful

geometric design of a quilt block is much less important in crazy quilts, the quilters

are able to employ much smaller and more irregularly-shaped pieces of fabric. In

comparison to standard quilts, crazy quilts are far more likely to use exotic pieces of

fabric, such as velvet, satin, tulle, or silk, and embellishments such as buttons,

lace, ribbons, beads, or embroidery. Crazy quilting as a textile art is extremely

creative and free-flowing by nature, and crazy quilters will often learn as much about

specific embellishments as they will about crazy quilting itself.

The History of Crazy Quilting

Crazy Quilting created a stir in the 1880's when it became quite a fad in the United

States. The Japanese Exhibit in the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition inspired

the crazy quilt with its asymmetrical art.

Articles encouraging crazy quilting, or condemning it could be found in women's

publications. Women could purchase packages of random fabrics, as well as already

embellished pieces to use in their own crazy quilts.

During the first several years of the crazy quilting fad fine fabrics and heavy

embellishment was the norm. As time passed quilters began to make simpler quilts in the

crazy quilt style. Thrifty housewives used everyday fabrics like wool or cotton and

little or no embellishment to create more serviceable quilts than the original fancy

crazy quilts with the added benefit of using up small or odd-shaped scraps left over

from making clothing for the family or other household sewing projects.

-Wikipedia

Happy Sewing!