About Crazy Quilts

   One of my friends mentioned she wasn't familiar with crazy quilts, so I thought I would do a post about them.

  I always thought they were beautiful and very creative as well. They were most popular in the late 1800's and the Victorian era especially.

   Many fabrics were used-wool, silk, cotton, velvet, tulle, satin and more. The fun part for me was all the embellishments-buttons, lace, ribbons, beads and embroidery.  They also use many odd shapes and are worked on a foundation. 

  Found this online:

The style likely originated from a combination of factors, including trends in home decoration, quiltmaking, embroidery, and the Japanese Pavilion and exhibit by The Royal School of Needlework at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition. American audiences were drawn to the satin stitches used in English embroidery, which created a painterly surface, and the Japanese pavilion's silk-screened work and cracked-glazed pottery, which inspired unique patterns and stitching that resembled spider webs and fans. 

Crazy quilts were icons of the Victorian era and are considered intentional statements that reflect a turning point in American history. They were a chance to show or practice hand embroidery skills, especially along the edges of each piece. The quilts are also characterized by their rich and varied textures, irregularity and asymmetry, luxurious materials, and abundant ornamentation. 

Photos found online:

   If you do a computer search there are lots of photos of vintage and also modern 

crazy quilts. Above you can see hat the fabrics are butted up to the next one and

then stitched with embroidery to close the seams. coping and pasting has made 

this post a bit of a mess so please excuse that.