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Crazy quilts feature fabrics of irregular size and shapes. As a china plate or cup ages it will often develop a pattern of irregular lines where the glazed surface has begun to crack. These irregular lines are described as crazing. The overall design of a crazy quilt exhibits similar characteristics of irregular lines.

In the crazy quilt each of the many seams is usually decorated with fancy embroidered stitches. Embellishment of the seams with a variety of intricate embroidery stitches enhanced the elegant silks, satins, brocades and velvets. Elaborate crazy quilts grew out of the Victorian ideal of lavish ornamentation for the parlor or public spaces of the home. These fancy quilts or show quilts were not intended to be functional. Draped over a piano or sofa they became a "fashion statement". The original popularity of crazy quilts lasted from about 1880 to 1890.

Period magazines published for women described in detail making and embellishing fancy crazy quilts starting in the early 1880's. Most of these crazy quilts were pieced block by block on a foundation to stabilize the fabrics. When you look closely at a crazy quilt you can usually see where the blocks meet. By the late 1800's the same magazines had moved on to other fads.

All manner of embellishments are found on the elegant crazy quilts of this era including fabric painting and embroidery. Other embellishments can include fair ribbons, political ribbons, lace, beads, sequins, and ribbons of various widths.

Fancy edges and luxury fabrics for the backing completed the crazy quilt. Crazy quilts are often composed of only two layers (top and backing) and may be tacked down at intervals with heavy thread. Many were never finished because it is a labor intensive undertaking to create a crazy quilt and to finish it.

The craze for crazy quilts started with the use of luxury fabrics, but the technique has been used by imaginative quilters on limited budgets who used feedsacks and remnants from clothing or sewing projects.

The craze for crazy quilts has seen a revival in the last decade. Learning the fancy stitches to embellish the seams has quilters expanding their skills. Today's crazy quilt is usually foundation pieced for stability and accuracy as the women 120 years ago chose to do. Constructing the odd shapes on a foundation allows the quilter to work with different weights or textures of fabrics. Working on one block at a time reduces the project to a manageable size.

Embellishments of ribbon, lace, beads, sequins and fabric painting fascinate quilters in the 21st century as much as they did in the U.S. in the early 1880's.

Books, conferences, supplies and techniques abound for anyone interested in creating their own crazy quilt. Even with today's shortcuts, embarking on a crazy quilt is a labor intensive project. At the same time the crazy quilt offers unlimited options for personalizing and designing a unique quilt with details from your life portrayed in fabric and thread and embellishment.

Clues in the Calico: A Guide to Identifying and Dating Antique Quilts by Barbara Brackman. Howell Press, 1989.

Crazy Quilts by Penny McMorris.

Article by Paula Mariedaughter

Crazy Quilts