Crazy quilting

[Brenda Schiesser]

Hi. Has anyone done the stitching on a crazy quilt? Is it hard? I may have the opportunity to do the CQ stitching and I've never done one. I do embroider and do models for an online designer but so far, nothing like a CQ. I have bought a really nice book of stitches and am thinking of doing a sample piece to have to show to the quilter. Thanks for any feedback.

 

Brenda

[Rose Mary Muller]

Hi Brenda,  I have done alot of embroidery stitching on crazy quilting it's not much harder than doing other embroidery. It is thicker to work with but you get the same results.  Good luck.

[Tahlia]

It's really quite enjoyable to embroider on a crazy quilt! I hope you get the opportunity and that you enjoy it! -- Crazy quilts often have many different types of fabrics, so sometimes you need to take the cloth into consideration as you stitch-- what works on a swatch of lightweight China silk is different than what works on a heavy piece of canvas or denim, and velvet is its own challenge because the stitches can get lost inside the pile of the fabric... so have several needles of different types and sizes close to hand, and different types of threads to choose from as well.  And you'll quickly notice how the extra layers at the seams can create unexpected challenges.

Another thing that will make a difference is whether you are working on just the top (the patches sewn together, possibly on foundation squares) or whether the top has already been backed and batted. If it's already been backed, then you'll probably need to manage your embroidery stitches so that you're not going all the way through to the back with every stitch. There's a lot more use of the scooping type technique going through just the top layer of cloth rather than the stabbing type technique when the quilt is already backed. Hopefully it won't be backed yet, because the embroidery process can cause some shrinkage in the top, and that needs to be managed a little differently if the back is already on.

 

I think that it's not any more difficult to embroider on a crazy quilt than it is to embroider on a piece of whole cloth, so long as you embrace the awareness that it is a different experience and don't expect it to behave the same as the surfaces that you are accustomed to. :)

[Gillian]

You should look at Sharon's crazy quilt posts on her blog Pintangle

http://www.pintangle.com/journal/category/crazy-quilt-details

[Sandra]

Brenda on my page I posted a simple easel  CQ square. Place a photo of a loved one or pet in the frame, add a dark color for the frame..  fill in the back ground.. My plan is to place my mom's photo in the center., framing it with a dark color, then ad blueberry fabric as she loved picking blueberries.  I'll add beads and embroidered leaves for some of the berries...  I will take photos and post as I go..  Happy New Year! Sandra ♥

[Tanvel]

Hi Brenda,

CQ is not hard, it is overwhelming when one starts for the first time. Take your time and do the stitches that you are comfortable with. Practise on a CQ that can be your testing, experimenting piece. Pretty soon you'll find out how easy and wonderful it is. Remeber, have fun at it, don't stress out. Tanvel

[Susan]

I am now busy with my crazy quilt and having so much fun and my creativity is just growing by the day. Just take the leap and I can assure you its is addictive.  I am making a 250cm x 250cm size quilt for my bed. that is I have 25 squares of 50x50cm each. A huge project but one I have been wanting to do for ages.