Thread: Crazy Quilt

I want to start a crazy quilt with fabrics from old dresses worn by mom (not longer here) and sisters at family weddings. Of course I have very different fabric types, heavy, light as well as diverse colors.
any advise from the experts of how to build the blocks? Should the colors go toghether or it really doesn't matter?
Should I choose X number of fabrics or could I use all I have?

Your help is appreciated; I think this will be my heirloom and a special gift for each of my sisters and I don't want ot mess it up.

No help here, but such a lovely idea!

Typically crazy quilts do have fabrics of all weights and types. Don't know if they ever used stabilizers of anykind in the old quilts (maybe muslin?). I think I would take advantage of current resources and use a nonwoven cotton interfacing as stabilizer like you use with t-shirt quilts.

Sounds like a wonderful project and wish you the best of luck.

Originally Posted by sandraa

No help here, but such a lovely idea!

ditto

I really like your idea, a kind heart

I think many of the old crazy quilts used a muslin stabilizer. Since many of your fabrics will have some bias edges I would suggest doing the same. Then if you want to do some embroidery (hand or machine) it will be more stable.
Check amazon.com for some books, Barbara Randle, Judith Montano, and Cindy Brick, Marsha Michler all have good books about crazy quilting.
I have a top made by a great aunt it has a muslin for a stabilizer.

I did one with all diff types of fabric, silk, velvet, cotton, linen etc...But what I did to make it easy on myself was go thru my Paper Piecing book and found a pattern, enlarged on copy machine to an 8 inch sq and then used that. Copy paper stablizes the fabrics plus you have the same design but can turn in diff directions for diff effects. Sew it all together with paper still on and then when all together start ripping off...Takes some time but well worth it.