Crazy Quilts: History Techniques Embroidery Motifs

Crazy quilts are addictive, and once you get hooked they become a lifetime passion. They are full of surprises. I've seen something new in every Crazy quilt I've ever looked at-a new stitch combination, a new embellishment motif, a new fabric, a new painting technique, some new ribbonwork, a new historic ribbon-the list goes on and on.

Cindy Brick learned just how addictive these oddball creatures of the quilting world can be about ten years ago. She had been aware of them earlier, but when a job change allowed her time to take over the editor's position for the Crazy Quilt Society newsletter, she jumped in with enthusiasm, but without realizing what a consuming passion crazies would become.

Over the years, her exploration of the history of Crazy quilting has led her to new theories about the origins of the art form, which are mysteries that have long intrigued all of us who love these unique quilts.

If you are new to Crazy quilting, as a collector, a scholar, or a quilter, you are embarking on a never-boring, never-ending journey with wonderful visual adventures around every corner. As you turn the pages of this "common sense" history of Crazy quilts, you will meet quilters who broke all the rules of quilting. They invented a form of abstract art a generation before the painters who became famous for it.

If you have been in love with Crazy quilts for years or decades, you will see them anew as Cindy explores the development of the form over time. You'll find something new in every quilt-look closely. As a quilter, you will find techniques to adapt in your quilts today. As a collector, you'll see great examples of the breadth and depth of thefield.

As I have studied crazy quilts over the years, I've found parallels in other art forms. Crazy quilts are to patchwork quilts what jazz is to a symphony. Jazz is improvisational, but works within a structure. The final result is most noticeable for the individual touches the artist brings to the underlying foundation of the melody, rhythm, and key.

Similarly, Crazy quilts build on a foundation, use a structure of blocks or wholecloth style, and may borrow elements of "sane" quilts, like sashing and borders. But within those most basic elements of structure the artist takes off on a flight of fancy, adding stitches, embellishments, ribbons, charms, buttons, fabrics, yarns-even animals, toys, and more.

I always tell my beginning crazy-quilt students that I have three rules for Crazy quilting:

1) There are no rules.

2) Always underlap velvets (the opposite of overlap).

3) Crazy quilts are the one thing in life where more is more. In almost all other aspects of our lives, less is more-in design, architecture, eating-we are advised "moderation in all things." Crazy quilts are the exception. They get better the more you add, and a crazy quilt is only done when you can't stand working on it anymore.

Cindy Brick has learned these lessons well. Now she is sharing a decade of study and research with all of us. Enjoy!