Has anyone used the antique method that was used in Victorian Crazy Quilts. My question is how do you pickup the foundation fabric when sewing down each piece? What stitch and after the first piece is down how do you stitch the next one, grab the foundation and keep the tacking down stitches from showing, not the decorative stitches that will be on top.

It is the same technique as paper piecing. You lay your first fabric on the foundation face up in the center, the next piece face down. Stitch along one side, open up the top fabric and finger press/iron press the piece (depending on the fabrics) and keep going like this til your foundation block is covered. You could staystitch around the edge of the block after the foundation is covered, to hold it all in place, using an 1/8" seam. Then decorate with embroidery stitches.

Haven't tried it, but I'm attaching a front and back scan of a crazy quilt block I have.

It appears to me that a lot of the pieces had the edges turned under and were sewn down with a running stitch.

Interesting!!! So they butted some pieces together, and some were layed on top?

Here is a good instructional guide. It sounds like it exactly like pp using a fabric underlayment to provide stability for the different fabric types. You just use a running stitch or standard machine stitch. When you turn the pieces over, you won't see the stitches. The back doesn't matter because there is always a simple backing attached (usually velvet and NO batting).
http://www.ehow.com/how_13974_interl...azy-quilt.html

I thought all the crazy quilting was just "top stitching" over the seams. Little clarification here, please.

From the book Crazy Quilting The Complete Guide, by J. Marsha Michler, it says the Antique way of crazy quilting means that the patches must be fastened in place by embroidery. It just doesn't say that the foundation fabric will be picked up when doing the embroidery, that is why I had a question. This book also gives 9 other ways of doing crazy quilting but I was intersted in the Antique way.

You've brought up some very interesting questions. I've never made a crazy, but its on my someday list. I think they're beautiful.

Are you doing it in all cottons or are you mixing up the materials?

If I can achieve the look I want I may stay with cottons, but dark velvets, and silk sound interesting. This will be my first crazy quilt. I'm just now in the research and gathering stages. Although I did look at Michael's today in the jewelry section and found many nice, pretty and different beads and things I could add to it. I'm really planning two. One for the front room wall and one for my Korean daughter. I've been saving oriental materials for several years to make her a quilt. I think a crazy quilt would be really great for her. I'm also researching all the different kinds of stitches to embroider. I'm getting excited just writing about it.

My grandmother loved Crazy Quilts but she didn't do the embroidery on the seams. She even made my mom a quilt for her wedding out of silk pieces for the top and satin for the backing and then tied it. My mom made me a Crazy Quilt, again without the embroidery, from clothes that we wore as kids. It's fun identifying all the different pieces.

Here's a site that I've bookmarked on embroidery stitches. Have fun!!!

http://www.fidella.com/webstitch/needle_stitch.html

thank you sewcrafty

Madquilter has right idea. Start in the middle and work your way out. If you want blocks square up and start next.

Here is an interesting article about CQ. From what I could see, the sewing method was often using a paper foundation. The embroidery is listed as a form of embellishment along with things added to the top after the basic fabric was sewn together. Apparently, just like today, there were many ways to go crazy - lol

http://www.quiltersmuse.com/crazy_quilts_in_America.htm

Interesting article, thanks!!
:thumbup:

I want to learn to do this also, thanks for the thread

I just tried my first time at crazy quilting. Not as easy as I thought it would be. Everything was going well until I got out toward the edges, and then I was having a problem getting all my raw edges covered . Lots of picking out black thread on dark fine wale cordoroy! It was fun doing it, and I made two 18 inch squares, and another one to get ready. I plan to use the fabric I made for a purse.