The bin where I've been putting special scaps for a 'one day' crazy quilt has gotten where it's about to explode. Either I buy another bin or I get started on a crazy quilt. I like the look of a whole quilt rather than one made in blocks. What I can't figure out is how to do fun embroidery on it without having the weight of the entire quilt top to deal with. I suppose a solution might be to do it in blocks and then obscure the seams with appliqued random patches. Any thoughts? Polly
Why not divide it into blocks that aren't square? Big hexagons, triangles, or trapezoids might not be so obvious to the eye and need less to hide the edges.
I'm like you, Polly. I even have some blocks sewn together! I think what I am gonna do is piece them all together with sashing. That way I don't have to necessarily do the seams where the blocks come together.
Could you take your batting (whatever size you want) and then just "quilt as you go" -- you would have to roll only the batting on the side under the machine... and if you worked somewhat in ripples -- completely around the quilt -- you'd have to support the rest -- but you would actually be reducing the amount inside the open space (brain dead -- can't remember what it is called) with each new patch.
Won't completely eliminate dealing with the bulk -- but if you are only sewing short patches - -once you get it "balanced" on your table -- movement shouldn't be too bad.
Does this make sense? Again -- thinking out loud... and late at night.. either one dangerous -- but in tandem... RUN!
Cindy, I've been thinking this quilt for lots of years. Why don't you toy with using a very deep cranberry instead of the black? Black really says "look at me" and that might not be what you're wanting. Or maybe not . . . Polly
"teleflora" wrote > I'm like you, Polly. I even have some blocks sewn together! I think what I
What method are you planning to use? If you use a foundation, what type of foundation?
I'm thinking that if you use muslin as a foundation you could leave a little of the fabrics along the edges untrimmed, sew the muslin together, then applique the untrimmed edges of the top fabrics over the next block. Um, clear as mud. I wish I could draw you a picture so you could see what I mean.
How about doing long strips rather than blocks? Less weight than a whole quilt, but also less seams to obscure. Debra in VA See my quilts at
From all the background I have read on crazy quilts, they were made differently than a 'normal quilt'. They did not have any batting. First, the top was made with all the embroidery, baubles, laces, etc. Then, the backing was made as one piece of fabric ( 2 or 3 pieces sewn together to make it one piece.....like we do now). Finally, to attach the top to the backing: there were small stitches taken from the back to the back of the top fabric ---in the seam allowance so the 'tacking stitches' did not show on the top fabric. This is why it was more of a 'parlor quilt' than a 'used one'. It was made to 'show off' the fine embroidery skills of the person that made it--thus it became a 'rich person's quilt'. If you had the time to make one, you were considered 'rich'.
So now, Miz Polly, the truth is out.....you will become one of them 'rich girls' . Please start it now as it is a perfect quilt to work on between everything else. I sure wish I had started mine years ago when I could do the hand embroidery---I was good at it and did enjoy doing it.....now I will have to rely on my SM. Nothing wrong with using the SM....I just never kept ANY of my embroidery work....except for ONE Christmas Sampler of Christmas written in different languages.
Butterfly (mine will have lots of laces, etc, instead of lots of embroidery stitches)
Thank might work, Jane. I guess I'm going to have to actually have a plan - as in maybe drawing out shapes that will come back together on paper or something and then transfer them to an organza backing that does some serious seam allowances. Polly
Thank you, Kate. I was needing somebody to think along with me. I don't believe I'm intending to use a batting. Many of my treasured scraps are heavy. Any my other plan might not play nicely. I thought I'd use silk organza for the base because it is strong and nearly weightless - but that stuff is kind of stiff. Might not be a good choice. Keep thinking. Polly
No indeed there is nothing wrong with SM embroidery stitches. We have an end table in the den that did not fare well with teenage daughters. The finish suffered unspeakable damage from manicures and pizza sauce. I made it a cloth of crazies and used every stitch Bernina knew how to produce, even twin needles loaded with metallic thread. Take that one on if you dare. Polly
Maybe I could use that awful Kona that should never see the light of day. And yes, I think I follow your ideas. That ought to do it. Oh good grief. I see my typing is riddled with errors. Maybe I'm excited about tomorrow. Do you know what tomorrow is? Polly
"Debra" > What method are you planning to use? If you use a foundation, what
Rest easy. The baby ducks are warm and sleeping. I had to put them aside to get the Santa's helper baby dolls ready to ship. Tomorrow is the day. Polly
The best way I found of doing this Polly, was to use irregular-shaped 'blocks'. That way, it is not possible to see which seams are 'block edge' seams and which are just within the 'block'. Or, you could make sashing pieces which are odd-shaped, long triangles, instead of rectangles. If you like the idea, I could e-mail you with a more detailed method? Just let me know, OK? . In message , Polly Esther writes
This will work. Especially if you butt the edges of your blocks together -crazy blocks can get very thick and difficult to seam neatly.
I usually do mine in blocks, then connect using 1" sashing strips, just wide enough to make the block edges meet. I once did the crazy bits as a heart shape on top of a background square -just draw the heart and fill in. Roberta in D
"Polly Esther" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news: snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com...
Polly: I think you answered your own question. Just take some ideas from this thread to improve the idea. Debra mentioned partially finishing the edges. Pat suggested odd shape of blocks. I suggest using those two ideas and making just four sections or 'blocks' of odd shapes. IOW: divide the surface four way UNevenly. Just be sure each is a nice Goldilocks size.
PAT, also with a big tub of special fabrics for a future crazy quilt, > The bin where I've been putting special scaps for a 'one day' crazy quilt
But . . . but . . I have enjoyed the collective thoughts of everyone. I just needed some sort of plan instead of merely doing blocks to get started. Since I think I don't want squares, I needed some creative thinking and guidance. You're a good group, no matter what anybody says about you. Polly
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