Want to make a small crazy quilt
 

I need to replace a small tabletop cover (with elastic around underneath) and thought that I could combine this with getting to know my new basic Brother machine (with its 80 built-in stitches) by making a crazy quilt topper. Do you just sew a bunch of oddly shaped pieces together? Or are they put on a backing with fusible interface? I think I can figure out the add-ons like laces or decorative stitches, but I don't actually know how the topper is constructed. It'll only be about 30" diameter (round), so it doesn't need to be very strong but does need to be flat-ish (for my cup of coffee, for instance).

you do crazy quilting with a foundation fabric so you basically flip and sew your odd shapes

generally you use a muslin foundation- start with a 5-sided piece of fabric- and build around it with other sized/shaped pieces until the foundation is covered- then it is fun to cover each seam with a variety of decorative stitches in all different colors/types of threads.
have fun with it! :)

I have used flip and stitch methods for some of the more angular pieces, applique methods for the more circular shapes. Is there a "theme" to the crazy quilted table topper? You can use a felt batting and cotton backing<Most of the more recent felt dyes do not run like those made when I was a girl.> The felt protects wood table tops nicely and helps the coffee cups not to tip. Also, I find it stabilizes nicely. I take it also, that you are not thinking of beading and bulky embellishments, although, you can find places for them in the middle of the table if it is not usually used for placing things. Give yourself a little time to think what you will be placing on the table and what areas will not be used. It is fun to use those fancy embroidery machines to do fancy work that can be placed here and there. Most of my stitching is hand work so I will leave the suggestions such as what type of patterns to use to those who do machine stitching...but most of all - enjoy the process!!! I suggest going to Google and hitting the "images" word in the upper left hand corner and putting Crazy quilt stitching in the google search bar - you may even find my favorite Crazy quilting blog - http://www.pintangle.com Sharon does amazing work with embellishment.
And most of all - PLEASE let us see YOUR work!!!!

Thank you all for your suggestions -- I will get to work!

Look up a tutorial. Generally you start with a pentagon shape in the middle ------------on a foundation piece-------then add to that. Make several squares like that and either add sashes or just butt them together.

Look up a tutorial. Generally you start with a pentagon shape in the middle ------------on a foundation piece-------then add to that. Make several squares like that and either add sashes or just butt them together.

Quilter's Cache has a pattern for a crazy quilt block.