Today's Crazy Quilting with your Embroidery Machine
If you have scraps of fabric, thread, and an embroidery machine, you can immediately become a crazy-quilting expert. Wondering how? All the patches, stitches, and elegant embroidery are programmed into the design. The process is extremely gratifying!
First a brief history lesson: Crazy quilting became popular in the late 1800s. Small, random patches of fabric were hand-stitched together and then embellished with elaborate embroidery. My great-grandmother Alice Lea Larson hand-stitched this quilt. The fabrics are leftover silks, wools, cottons, and anything that could have been salvaged from worn-out clothing and her fabric stash.
The quilt, without a backing, was given to me several years ago by Alice’s daughter. Before finishing the quilt, I took a photo of the backing fabric—old tablecloths cut into squares. Waste not, want not.
Fast-forward to today. Crazy quilting can be totally created using an embroidery machine. Eileen Roche, embroidery specialist and editor of Designs in Machine Embroidery, has mastered the technique using 21st century technology and is my guest on the 2-part Sewing With Nancy series, Today’s Crazy Quilting with Your Embroidery Machine. Watch online or on PBS.
Preview of Crazy Quilting with Your Embroidery Machine
- First select fabric; either silks or cottons are best. Solid colors showcase the decorative embroidery. Eileen and I chose silk fabrics for our projects.
- Then, check out the embroidery designs as found in the book/CD combo, Today’s Crazy Quilting with Your Embroidery Machine. There are numbers that are only stitched on the stabilizer to provide the sewing sequence, straight stitching lines to stitch down the fabrics, and then the embroidery stitches.
- Hoop a tear-away stabilizer and stitch the initial thread color of the embroidery, only on the stabilizer—the outline of the block and the numbers.
- Roughly cut out fabric pieces and position right sides to the stabilizer. The machine will stitch the pieces in place. How easy is that!
- Before adding the next fabric piece, flip to the right side.
- Stitch the decorate embroideries, which have characteristic Victorian styling.
- Learn how to personalize the crazy-quilting blocks, adding dates or initials.
- Unhoop the fabric, cut along the final stitching lines, and the blocks are ready to add to a project.
- Select cotton fabrics as another option for crazy-quilting.
Today’s Crazy Quilting with Your Embroidery Machine, it’s a book with a CD
You too can duplicate your great-grandmother’s crazy quilting designs the easy way with Eileen’s book Today’s Crazy Quilting with Your Embroidery Machine. The 80-page book includes a multiformat CD that features 23 embroidery designs: three different block designs, 12 accent designs, and eight designs to complete three in-the-hoop projects.
Watch Today’s Crazy Quilting with your Embroidery Machine (Part 1 and Part 2) on Sewing With Nancy online.
Bye for now,
Robin Crittenden
i like the looks of this book. Especially like the placement pattern on the stabilizer. Very nice
Kristi Richards
cannot wait to try this, I have tons of scraps! Now just to get a new embroidery machine! I have been taking care of my late mother for the past few years and recently discovered my ten year old machine no longer works with my laptop! Time to go shopping! Now just to decide which one I want! Lol
Cynthia Stevens
What a fun way to get acquainted with all those fancy stitches on your new embroidery machine! This is truly inspiring and gets the creative inspiration flowing! I love it!
Melissa
I’ve been fascinated with Crazy Quilting since I was a small child and saw one that a family friend had made. A true family heirloom. Know that I can make one on my embroidery machine is amazing for me because I have rheumatoid arthritis and the handwork is hard and overwhelming for me now.
Dawn Taylor
I’d love to learn how to use my embroidery machine like this!
Kathy
I love to make crazy quilts. Made one 2 years ago for a friend.
Sue
I really love the extra wide decorative stitches in combination with embroidery designs here and there. It’s such a nice updated look to the crazy quilt design. I’m putting this on my list for 2015.
Donna Klug
I am new to quilting. I am hesitant because of the exact measuring and cutting. This, I know, I can do on my embroidery machine! It looks like so much fun!
Pandora
I made a crazy quilt table runner for our breakfast bar. I used as many of my embroidery machine stitches as I could and still, reading this article came up with two more. I used only one pattern type per seam and saw you used one on either side of a seam and never put any small embroideries on mine at all. I used scraps with patterns not plain fabrics. Loved looking at yours and redesigning mine!
Juanita Graves
Love the way this technique helps me make a work of art out of my Grandmother’s and Mother’s fabric. thank you
Carolyn
I have always been intrigued with crazy quilting but never tried it…using built in machine stitches….brilliant! I so want this!
Sue Anderson
I love the time that this technique can save! I started a crazy quillt vest but never finished it because it I didn’t have the time to devote to the project. I also love learning new machine embroidery techniques.
Karen Ross
I love finding new ways to use my embroidery machine. I have begun to do more unique and involved quilts and love this technique. This book would occupy a special space in my sewing studio.
Joanne Dillon
I love combining machine embroidery with quilting and your new book and cd helps to make it all fall into place. Lovin it!
Pamela Pope
I always want to make a quilt but love machine embroidery so much that I don’t want to stop long enough to make a quilt! Those designs look so pretty and would accomplish my goals making a quilt and doing what i like at the same time!
Janeice
I love the old crazy quilt my mother made years ago. Maybe I can make one like it for my daughter.
Janet
Crazy quilts are beautiful, but I would never undertake one by hand. This is beautiful and doable! Perfect 🙂
Cherry B.
Thanks for having this blog. I just joined a couple of months ago and have learned so much. I love Crazy Patch quilting. I have been experimenting with a couple of free designs and have created a couple of blocks, but would love to learn more. It is easy to use up all those scraps that I have all over my sewing room.
Joe Helen Grimes
I love having a new way to use my embroidery machine, and all those scraps I can’t seem to throw away! Looking forward to making projects and purses with crazy quilt blocks!
Betty Harden
Super. Fantastic. Would love to try this on my Baby Lock. Oh I am giddy with excitement. Got fingers crossed. Thanks for the opportunity. Love this idea so much. You have done it once again.
Diane C
When I think of Crazy Quilting, I always think of my Grandma. She made many many crazy quilts. I still have one of the quilts she made. I would be a great way to bring her quilt ideas in to the 21st century with my embroidery machine.
Joyce P. Wright
I’ve always loved crazy quilts and would really like to try your new method with embroidery machine.
Karen Frank
Love the simplicity of the design and the possibility of designing your own embroidery for the crazy quilting. Our embroidery machines come with so many built in designs that we could use with this format, or just use the designs that come with the cd.
Karen
I love how crazy quilts can tell a story through the choice of stitch and embellishment.
Adrienne
I just got an embroidery machine and I am looking for projects to do. Would love to do a crazy quilt like this. Thanks for the chance to win.
Robin Carl
Love crazy quilts but don’t have time for the hand quilting. Never really thought about using my machine to do all the hard work. Plus this will be a great way to use all my scrap fabrics.
Donna
This is going to be my challenge for 2015. Start using my embroidery stitches on my machine. I like how this project brings the old with the new.
Thanks for bringing this technique today.
Marvel D.
I love this idea!!! My Grandma made crazy quilts and sewed the fabric scraps by hand to newspaper as backing. I learned how to hand sew using this method. The addition of embroidery designs makes any project modern, updated, and custom. Can’t wait to get the book and CD.
Judy Graczyk
I love the idea of using my Baby for this technique. I have started doing a small crazy quilt by hand, but only get so far before hand fatigue sets in. Having had both thumb joints replaced has lessened this, but not to the degree I would like. I do envision adding rushed roses, etc by hand to the design done by machine however.
Liz Fergus
Embroidering small designs all over the quilt appeals to me. Using my embroidering machine for all the details gets me really inspired – love the use of machine stitches to decorate.
Peggy Farrell
I am using my embroidery machine more and more in the quilting process. Crazy quilts remind me of a simpler time and they never go out of style. I have made some quilt blocks on my embroidery machine, but I love how this technique adds the topstitching on the seams. Looks more vintage and interesting. I would love to try it.
Karen R
Have friends that have done the crazy quilt designs by hand and always envious; I just don’t like to do handwork so have not tried. Have done some foundation quilt block by machine but never thought about them being ‘crazy quilt blocks’. Have new Elegante E and looking for ideas. A tablerunner in crazy quilting is now on my to do bucket list. Thanks for the idea. I now need to research more.
Eileen Keane
I have recently become interested in crazy quilting, and I have an embroidery machine that I don’t get to use as much as I’d like.
Thank you so much for doing this giveaway!
laura
I would love this CD. Just started embroidery. I have been quilting for a few years and have made a few crazy quilts. Book looks great!
Doreen Linehan
I love the beauty, the ease and the fact that I could use all those scraps that I have laying around everywhere. I might actually be able to get things made and let my scraps dwindle or disappear. What an exciting prospect.
Connie Jordan
My hand sewing days are over-except for small amounts at a time, so I would enjoy making a crazy quilt on my emb. machine. Thank you so much for keeping me inspired.
marie
I’m still a little afraid of the embroidery part of my sewing machine. This might entice me to get it out of the closet.
Sue Anderson
I love how easy these techniques are and the time they will save. I have a selection of silk and now I know what todo with them!
Bonnie
What a fantastic book! I love the idea of using my sewing machine for crazy quilting. This technique is more versatile and much faster than hand quilting.
Christine Gibbons
I have LOVED Crazy Quilts from the first time I saw one many years ago. I love how you can put memories into a quilt to pass down to your family. I have made little pieces but don’t have the time to spend on a larger project. I love the idea of Eileen’s book to use our Embroidery Machines to help us get the quilt done.
Diane Q
I love hand sewing, but my decorative stitches have never been very consistent in appearance. I’m glad we have machines available to do the job for us and look perfect all the time.
Phyllis McCord
This is a wonderful way to use designs that I love in totally different way – I can see a Christmas crazy quilt in my future!
Linda K
I have done crazy quilting with my sewing machine, but I would like to learn to crazy quilt with my embroidery machine. Thanks for the give away.
Linda S.
I like being able to use so many scraps without a lot of figuring on my part. To have perfect stitching every time is fantastic.
Linda
I have always loved the look of crazy quilts. This is the inspiration that I needed. I love it!
Sally Walter
I like crazy quilting but my handwork time is for knitting. Letting my embroidery machine do the work is a great way to get the same look and still knit.
Dawn Walton
I have a quilt that my Grandmother made for me years and years ago(like 50). Just love it would like to try and make one for myself. Im sure making one on my emb machine would be much easier and faster than the one my grandmother made. I watch your show all of time, hope it continues for many years to come.
Paula Lundquist
I have not had the nerve to try crazy quilting but after reading this I can’t wait to try at least my first block and would love to win the book to follow along.
Bev M
I made crazy quilted Christmas stockings in silver, blue, and gold for my sister recently. I used the uneven 5-sided template Nancy offered a while ago as my starting point. It was a stretch for me to do an uneven random design, so the starting template helped. It was fun trying out the often unused embroidery stitches on my machine. The backs of the reversible stockings were in the solid blue satin, with silver toes/heels, and snowflake machine embroidery. I had planned to enter these in Nancy’s stocking contest in December, but missed the deadline.
Shirley Wilson
Crazy quilting has been a deep interest for me for some 20-30 years. I treasure everything I have seen as it reminds me of a gracious time where so many shared their thoughts and their work, many out of special fabrics but so many others making beauty out of almost nothing. Wouldn’t it be grand to have a chance to chat and share that with them? I love the idea of putting our embroidery machines to such a beautiful use, to tie today with days of long ago.
Terri Burton
What a beautiful way to use your favorite scraps that are too beautiful to part with and end up with them all together in one project. This method really frees you to make your favorites work together. Thanks for the inspiration!
Roberta S
I have always admired the lovely quilts my grandmother made, but have never been able to stay that still for long periods of time. I love the idea of using my embroidery machine to make some of the great stitches.
Carma Popp
I love crazy quilts! This would be the perfect way for me to create a treasured family heirloom.
Lois Tworkowski
This is my type of quilting, using up the little scraps of leftover material. Thank you for the inspiration.
Pam Marrs
So pretty and fun. Takes some of the mystery out of making these beautiful quilts. Love the decorative stitching to make the entire project “Pop” with interest.
Phyllis
This will take my scrap busting to a whole new level of fun. I can see a Christmas scrap quilt in the future with all those lovely designs I have accumulated.
Kelly Sasman
I have wanted to make a Crazy Quilt since I was a child. Once I became a quilter I revisited the thought. I took a class and that was as far as that quit got as I decided I did not like all the “hand stitching” work. Eileen’s book is perfect timing! I just got an embroidery sewing machine in October – on my wish list for over 20 years! Every week I say it would be wonderful if I could win whatever you are showcasing on your blog. Truly this is the week I would love to win! (If not, I KNOW I will be snatching up Eileen’s book) Thank you for sharing EVERYTHING you do with us Nancy.
Susan Biles
I love CQ and have done small items by hand. This method would be much quicker and gratifying for me.
Sharon
I love that it brings back the “old” and makes it new again! It’s part of our heritage we must preserve!
cindy godwin
I believe it would make a beautiful 1 of a kind quilt.
Gale Betterly
My fingers don’t do well with hand embroidery any more. Having a program that allows me to do the crazy quilting I want to do with some special fabrics and laces made by my grandmothers sounds grand. I can’t wait to get started! Thank you Eileen & Nancy.
Fran
One caution, I suggest you do not enlarge a crazy quilt design in any software. I tried to make the design larger, rather than 5-8″ sq, I made them 8″ squares – what an absolute mess to sew. It appeared correct, but the embroidery machine had a difficult time stitching the enlarged design. Nothing met. It was most difficult to complete.
Fran
One caution, I suggest you do not enlarge a crazy quilt design in any software. I tried to make the design larger, rather than 5-6″ sq, I made them 8″ squares – what an absolute mess to sew. It appeared correct, but the embroidery machine had a difficult time stitching the enlarged design. Nothing met. It was most difficult to complete. Maybe I did something wrong, but I enlarged it as I would any other ITH design.
Linda Pawlak
A medical condition makes hand sewing difficult for me. This technique would allow me to Finally make a crazy quilt. Thank you!
Jeri D.
I would love to make a crazy quilt out of some of Mother’s clothing, in the true sense of waste not want not. My Mother lived that way, too. I’m not very good at coming up with my own designs, tho. This looks really interesting! Thanks for sharing.
Marj
I like how it stitches and places the fabric with ease. Designs are beautiful too.
Jeri D.
I would love to make a crazy quilt out of some of Mother’s clothing, in the true sense of waste not want not. My Mother lived that way, too. This looks really interesting! Thanks for sharing.
Linda Mc
Although I enjoy hand sewing and love crazy quilts, there’s no way I would ever come close to finishing one. Ever! I do love my embroidery machines though.
Robin Mundell
I remember a crazy quilt of my great-grandmothers that we used to build tents when I was a child. Oh, hat I wouldn’t give to have that quilt now. It was so beautiful,but not treated with the love it deserved!
Mary Ellen Kalb
What a great idea using the embroidery machine for this crazy quilting. The stitching designs look so wonderful contrasted on the base fabrics.
Cathy Romanczuk
I love any opportunity to use my embroidery machine and I love quilting–seems like a perfect match. Since I have arthritis this is a great technique.
Martha
I like that we have some creative options to add to the block.
Cindy Schultz
I love using my embroidery machine. I think it would be great to try the crazy quilting on an embroidery machine. I like the idea of already having a stitching line to follow to piece the blocks together. I look forward to the sequel. Thank you.
DebJones
I really like crazy quilting. What a fun way to use my embroidery and other stitches on my machine. So many fun things to make with this technique.
Audrey Dlugosz
What a wonderful idea. I am 81 years old, and I remember my grandmother’s Crazy Quilt that she made from leftover fabrics that she had from sewing for her four daughters and her self. I was intrigued by all the different designs that she embroidered (by hand) . I really wonder how she found the time with all the other things she did. I might be able to make something nearly as great if I could use my embroidery machine.Thanks for considering me.
Debra Reber
I would love to do crazy quilting on the embroidery machine! This book looks awesome!
julie
I am so excited that I can make one by machine. Love crazy quilts.
Marta Tapanes
I like that I can use scraps for this technique. What a great way to go through your scrap bin!
Pat
What a wonderful idea. I have done quilt squares in the hoop and found it to be a great way to work. Looking forward to seeing this Crazy Quilt version.
Rosalee
I love crazy quilts, and the newer technique on machine is so much easier and faster-Yeah!!
Merrilee
Having just returned to California, after living in Kona, Hawai’i for the past 16 years, I just couldn’t part with my son’s old aloha shirts or my pretty pareos, though I had no idea what I was going to do with them. Now I know! I’ll make an “aloha” crazy quilt! I’m so excited I can hardly wait to get started!! If I can get enough scraps out of his old shirts, it will be a gift to my son, who also now lives in California. He’ll love it!!! Thank you, Nancy. You have SO MANY great ideas and projects.
Kathy Renz
I love the fresh take on a classic art form. I love Victorian crafts but the brighter colors are a vast improvement. I would love to win this book as a reason to improve my embroidery skill.
diane
The amazing world of embroidery via machine can expand our crazy quilt making to the next level.
Beverly
Crazy quilting is extremely colorful. It enables a person to be very creative with types of fabric, types of thread, types of stitches, and color. Doing it with an embroidery machine will allow more people to enjoy the process. More people will also be encouraged to try it because they won’t need to know the many different hand stitches.
Allison Rather
Love crazy quilting ! Thanks for the updated lesson an sharing the quilt from years ago !
Bobi Anderson
Crazy quilts are a wonderful way to make a very personal quilt for someone you love. I have little snatches of all the clothes made for my granddaughters. This lets me create a quilt which tells their story through fabric swatches. Priceless!!!!
Bonnye
So much easier than the traditional way and just as special.
Jeanne Gray
I love it! Have been saving scraps for just such a progect!
Jane Freedman
I have always been fascinated with Crazy Quilts and have always wanted to make one. Not being a hand embroider, using my embroidery machine would make the process perfect for me, and give me a chance to use up the stash of velvet and silks I have been collecting over the years for such a project.
Catherine Ritter
Wow! I am so blown away at the prospect of making a crazy quilt that has such beautiful embroidery designs. As I age my hands don’t seem to want to do what I want them to so this will be the perfect problem solver not to mention the time saver!!
Cynthia M Huggins
This looks amazing! I also have severe arthritic hands and am no longer able to do much handwork. Would love to try this and let the machine do the work. Thanks for the chance.
Mary Hutto
What a wonderful way to merge the old time-honored hand skills with the new embroidery technology. For years my very favorite way of using up fabric scraps has been making potholders, kitchen towels, baby bibs, and small purses from “material” made up from a very basic foundation piecing-crazy patch method. I just love the idea of now using my embroidery machine to create a one-of-a-kind masterpiece! Thanks Eileen and Nancy for sharing your God-given talent with all of us!
Janis Wadsworth
I remember my Great Aunt having a crazy quilt that I just loved. A few year back I tried to make a crazy quilt purse. The piecing was complete but I was just stumped to finish all the lovely decorative stitching. I just got a new Destiny, my retirement gift to myself, and would just love to make a crazy quilt my first project with it
Evie
Crazy quilts have always fascinated me, but as handwork is not a strong suit I possess, the embroidery machine enables me to create what I can’t any other way.
Debra Armstrong
What a gift to have a quilt to remember your ancester by. It is lovely. I would love to have this book in my library so I can create my own future heirlooms. I love crazy quilting.
Donna Thurston
I love how easy and quick this is. I have a Baby Lock Ellisimo II and still learning to use it.
Kris
Crazy quilting in the hoop! Great idea. Makes it so much easier, and the precision is great. Like being able to play with the designs to create one of a kind.
Lisa Roberts
I love the ease of creating this heirloom with the ease of the embroidery machine! I would love to have a copy.
Christina Gonzalez
I would love to win and learn how to make beautiful quilts with different stitches.
Debbie Sims
I have been interested in Crazy Quilts for quite some time now and have decided that I’m just gonna dive right in this month and see how many I can make for Christmas gifts this year (including one for myself).
Rhonda Davis
Considering that I have arthritis I’m excited to be able to do embroidery by machine. On the downside I wish I could afford an embroidery machine. I have been using the few decorative stitches that my $99 machine has plus using the “Circles Sew Simple” had I bought from Nancy’s Notions.
Debbie Sims
I just started quilting last year and have decided that this year I will make crazy quilts for Christmas gifts (and one for myself). This would be the perfect way to start my New Years resolution! 😉
Theresa Kaveney
I have always wanted to make a crazy quilt, but it seemed more than I could handle. If I had these instructions and program, I think I could do it.
Theresa
Linda
Love this way of sewing with Crazy Patches and I love how you presented it simply and easy enough for anyone to understand. Hope I can get it on my IPAD MINI.
Kris
Love the idea of doing crazy quilting in the embroidery hoop! So much precision and ability to change designs to be one of a kind. Would love a copy!!
Peggy V
My Dad passed a few years ago, I am now ready to use his shirts to made a throw for my Mother. I think this crazy quilt would be perfect. Thank you for the opportunity to win.
Jackie Branscum
I love the variety of designs, stitches, & colors to make a unique block or group of blocks.
Gail Maybee
Even though I love hand work this would be so much faster on my embroidery machine. The designs are beautiful.
patricia crocker
I would love to make a heirloom quilt for my granddaughters with pieces of fabrics and clothes from my mother and grandmother. I also have old hankies from my great grandmothers collection. This book and CD would really help it assembling this quilt. Being 70 myself I need to get busy. LOL
Sue
I have been knitting and sewing for an 18″ doll and I think a Crazy Quilt for her would be wonderful. My embroidery machine can only do small sized designs so it may be that I need to upgrade to a better machine to do the things you were doing on the show. I would love to be able to teach that as well.
Dorothy Brennan
I have been drawn to Crazy Quilting since I saw it for the first time at the Kutztown Fair in PA in 1976. This updated technique is beautiful!
Lucy
I’v never done a Crazy Quilt,but it’s something that I would really like to try. I’v done everything else,sew wise,so this would really be a treat,especially with my Embroidery Machine!
Laurel
I’ve loved doing Crazy Quilting for 30+ years, doing my first on a vest; the CQ was done entirely by hand. Moving forward, I fell in love with exploring all of the stitches my basic sewing machine could produce and experimenting with changing stitch widths and lengths and combining this with interesting threads and embellishments.
Using my embroidery machine to do CQ is faster (for me) and takes away the need for setting up stitches. I like embroidery machine CQ but haven’t done enough to have it replace machine CQ as my go-to method.
Brenda Rithmire
I love this updated technique, I have a lot of silk pieces my son brought from Vietnam. They are pieces a Kimono maker gave him. This looks like the perfect way t use them.
Peg G
I’ve always admired crazy quilts but would never try one because the hand embroidery stitching would be too painful for my arthritic hands to accomplish. To put my embroidery machine to work doing such a lovely heirloom quality project would be the best of all possible outcomes.
Sallie Sirhal
This is the best of both worlds – having the heirloom stitches plus the convenience and speed of machine embroidery. Especially like that you can add personalized monograms, etc. to truly make a design your own.
Lori Peoples
It looks like it has a wide variety of stitches and options for both vintage and modern looks.
Deloris
I am inspired! There is a bag of beautiful material (I have been collecting for years, to numerous to mention) waiting to be made up into a crazy quilt.
My Mother’s Aunt Rose (1871-1951) made beautiful crazy quilts for her each of her ten brothers and sisters. Unfortunately, I was to far out on the family tree branch to inherit my Grandmothers.
Darlene Jacolik
I am looking forward to trying crazy quilting with my machine. I have a hard time with hand work and this is a great alternative.
Darcie
I love doing quilting and embroidery on my embroidery machine, and this book looks amazing. Plus, I’ve loved every book by Eileen.
Karen
I like being able to use my embroidery machine as much as I can. I spend so much time just sewing on it.
Eva Osmun
I have a stack of silks saved from my husbands old ties. I think this is a great way of using these. Crazy quilting has so many
shapes and this technique seems so much easier than the old method! Thanks for the ideas!
Gail Pritchard
So great – I’ve been looking for a product like this for a while! I plan on incorporating panels of crazy quilt in an art jacket and have been collecting scraps for months. BTW, Melissa, I also have rheumatoid arthritis and, oh, yes, I hear you! Anything which can be mechanized is wonderful!
Virginia Frazier
I love the concept of the Crazy Quilting in the hoop. I am an embroiderer and also love the freedom of crazy quilting. It is the best of both worlds. Like paper piecing in the hoop. Love it.
I also learned many years ago that when making a crazy quilt we should always have a little spider in one of the block corners for good luck. Having the availability to use an embroidery design of a little spider with an outside design is awesome.
Sue Marshall
I have a great interest in crazy quilting and enjoyed the information you supplied. I am interested in both machine and hand embroidery
Starla
What a cool idea — the finished quilt will be like a treasure hunt!
Susan
I am in the process of saving quite a bit of scraps from various projects and I am wondering what to compose; now I know – a Crazy Quilt pattern with beautiful embroidery. Maybe a jacket??
Susan
I am in the process of saving various scraps from projects and wondering what I will compose and now I know – a crazy quilt. Maybe it will be an absolutely gorgeous jacket! Will need to wait and see, especially with embroidery!
Linda Machado
I’ve always wanted to do a crazy quilt and now this seems like the perfect opportunity. My oldest sister has terminal COPD and has said no one has ever made anything for me and this would be a fast project for me to complete for her as she will be coming to live with us in a couple of months god willing.
Judy G
What a wonderful way to combine quilting with machine embroidery. As I have been an avid hoarder…I mean “collector” of fabric for many years, this would be the perfect way to make a dent in my supply.
Chris
I want to make a Crazy Quilt soon. This looks so easy. I love the templates- that would really help me .
Angela Self
I think this would be a good way for someone like me who has an embroidery machine and wants to try quilting!
Janine
I like that this can all be done by machine as I have too much arthritis to do much handwork. The steps seem logical and easy to follow as well.
Janet E
Have never made a crazy quilt, wanted to, just didn’t know really how to begin and what to do. Thought it had to be done by hand to make a true CQ, but this has shown what beautiful deco stitches and designs you can do with your embroidery machine, and now anxious to get started on one!!!!!
Becki F
Haven’t tried quilting yet, but LOVE the look of this
Kathy l
What a great way to learn more techniques on my machine, this makes a complicated look a breeze to make.
Marianne Myrick
I love the pm inaction of the old technique combined with the very complimentary current designs.
Janet Weirauch
My great grandmother left two of these crazy quilts that she made. They were destroyed years ago but I would like to try one in her memory. I remember them well.
Sandy Szucs
Just started quilting and never have tried a crazy quilt, but it looks like a great way to use all the nice stitches on my sewing machine that I don’t usually use.
Marianne Myrick
I love the combination of the old technique with complimentary current designs. The effect is beautiful, but Zi have always been a fan of crazy quilting.
Susan Kelly
I love this look and have been researching the last couple days. This looks fantastic and what I am looking for!
Josie Dinwiddie
I’ve only been sewing and quilting for 2 years now but truly love the process. I’ve seen many crazy quilts and have a few books on the process. My biggest problem is I have carpal tunnel and ulnar nerve problems so hand work is out of the question. With this technique it looks like I can do the sewing on my machine. That sounds like fun, creative, and something I can do.
Karen
I love anything that reminds me of Victorian and would love to try crazy quilting using my embroidery machine,
Jo D
I’ve got an old book on ‘crazy quilting’. Have used it and loaned it out a few times. Of course, adding ’embroidery”! It’s literally these little things we don’t think about. Now, to go back and add that special embroidery touch will make things ‘special’.
Ola Norman
I love crazy quilts! Would love to try this.
Ola Norman
I love crazy quilts! Would love to try this. Sounds like a great book.
Amanda Geyer
I’ve a mind to make a motly skirt and bodice, for use at Victorian and Steampunk events.
Sally Groff
My favorite quilt of all time was my grandmother’s Crazy Quilt. It had all types of fabrics in it, but I remember the velvets the most. I loved the fancy handstitching, too. I have always wanted to make a quilt like that one.
Tammy Wright
I just love the victorian look with the patchwork, decorative stitches and embroidery combined. Absolutly gorgeous!
Beth Matsuyama
This show on crazy quilting just turned me right on! I have always wanted to try my hand at crazy quilting. But I don’t really have the right fabrics for it, and don’t like to embroider by hand (as I am quite bad at it!). With the combination of this technique, some little hand embroidery and some decorative stitches on my machine, I think I could put together something fabulous. This leads me to a couple of ideas I have for you Nancy, which I will email your staff about. Fantastic!
Judith Cabaniss
I have an embroidery machine, but I also have a collection of linens, many of which have embroidered designs already on them. I can’t wait to start cutting some of them up to try this technique, and adding a few solid colors and decorative stitches.
Ecarp
Thanks. This is so enlightening. Opened up another world of knowledge.
Sue W.
Crazy quilts have a unique elegance. Experimenting with machine embroidery adds another layer of creativity.
Shirley
Crazy Quilting seems like it would be do fun. I normally like to follow the standard easy quilt designs, this would allow me to get outside of the box and make something so unlike me!
M Kirby
How can it be that I have so many UFOs and this article makes me want to start yet another new project? Really lovely.
Irene
I have saved scraps and actual clothing pieces for years in hopes of making a crazy quilt. With my embroidery machine this can actually happen. Can’t wait to try it.
Margaret Kohnke
I don’t use those beautiful stitches on my machine enough. And Crazy Patch quilting has always intrigued me. Would love to try it with specific directions
Christine Walsh
This would be so fun!
Toni Haukom
I love crazy quilts and have been collecting all types of scrap fabric that I thought would replicate an old heirloom type crazy quilt. Some of the collection includes my grandmothers’ hankies and hand embroidered dollies together with some silks, velvets and lace so I can just imagine using my embroidery machine the right way will really enhance the quilt. The book would be the ticket to a beautiful quilt.
Sandra Chavez
I live that these exquisite blocks can be so easily created with the in-the-hoop method. The hardest part is choosing the fabric!
Shirley Clark
I think this technique would be fun and much faster! Plus the stitches would be perfect. I have never really been enthused about hand stitching.
Margaret Apostolos
This new technique is ingenious! Beautifully decorated crazy quilt blocks without the tedious hand embroidery. A real win-win situation! I can see this utilized in so many ways! Thanks for a new way to incorporate beautiful fabrics and stitches into show winning quilt blocks.
Steph
I’ve always wanted to make a crazy quilt. I have attempted some squares with paper piecing and this book and cd would definitely simplify the process!
Clara
I’ve always loved crazy quilting, and am anxious to experiment with this technique on mynew Sophia sewing machine!
Carol
I love the convenience and accuracy of the modern machine stitching to produce the beauty of the traditional quilts.
Toni Haukom
I love Crazy Quilting and have been collecting fabric for a long time to make one. Included in my collection are some of my grandmothers hankies, hand embroidered dollies, silk, lace and velvet pieces. I have an embroidery machine and would like to know exactly how to make these blocks so I do not ruin the treasured pieces that I have. Thanks you for any help and tips that you can share.
Bonny Krueger
This is the coolest thing since sliced bread, I would love to try this technique. Such beautiful little designs and I love the silky fabric choices for the back grounds.
Jeanette
Crazy Quilts are my favorite. With the help of this book and CD, I’ll have the confidence to try making one!
Phyllis
This updated version of crazy quilting helps us understand what love and care went into these embellished quilts and thows our grandmothers and great grandmothers made. I wish my Aunt and Mother were still alive to see what we can do now by machine. Doing it myself helps me to spend time doing something that reminds me of them and keeps their memories alive. Thank you for celebrating their past and creativity with limited means, and still making something beautiful…that we are still celebrating today and making memories for the future.
Eileen
I have long admired the talent that goes into making ‘Crazy Patch’. I’ve been collecting fabric for 50+ years, with some set aside for doing a project such as this. Would love to be able to mark this off my ‘bucket list’ and had given up because of severe arthritis in my hands. Now it looks possible!
Cindy Pilkington
My grandmother made many of the these crazy quilt squares which were embellished with beautiful hand embroidery and stitches. I would love to try this process using my Bernina, now that I’ve seen this posting! Thank you!
Debe
I like the fact that all seams are straight, I don’t have to sew from the back 7 I like the variety of decorative stitches & embroidery designs that can be done in 1 step.
Debe
I like the fact that all seams are straight, I don’t have to sew from the back & I like the variety of decorative stitches & embroidery designs that can be done in 1 step.
Pat Bartholomew
I love the crazy quilting due to the fact you can use up all those scraps. Adding the different stitches as well as being able to personalize makes it a great gift idea. I want to get into quilting and this is a great inspiration to get started. I love my embroidery machine and this gives me another dimension of sewing. Love all the blogs.
CubanQuilter
i just received as a gift a crazy quilt made by my husband’s great-grandmother, in 1889. It is beautiful, with many intricate hand-embroidered touches. I like the idea of being able to such a piece of art with a more streamlined method, using a machine I already own.
Peggy
What a lovely quilt. I love to hand embroider but the thought of doing it on a crazy quilt was daunting. I too have quite a few of my mothers’ clothes (she loved butterflys) so now I can do a crazy quilt of her clothing and use the stitches on my embroidery machine and make an heirloom to be passed down to my family. Thank you Nancy for all the ideas you send our way.
Karla Tschida
I love crazy quilts! The quilts my grandmother and great-grandmother made were made of left over fabrics, including velvets. They were hand sewn by kerosene lamp after a full day of chicken chores, gardening, yardwork, baking, cooking, cleaning, washing clothes with a wringer washer, etc. The intricate embroideries were beautifully done. To have access to any color and type of fabric is what I like, but being able to use my embroidery machine designs is what I love.
Andrea Elder
These are awesome. I could never do anything like that by hand. If I had this I could finally use up some scraps and actually make something pretty and the husband could stop complaining when I want to get more fabric.
Joanne P.
I love to make crazy quilt squares from my scraps. Never thought of using the machine embroidery to enhance though. Would love to have a copy of the book!
Diane
I love that the crazy piecing is done in the hoop, and that the embroidery stitches/embellishments are preprogrammed. I did a Christmas tree skirt a more traditional way, and choosing from among the many available fancy stitches almost put me into total brain freeze!
Jan
I have been doing a lot of fmq lately. I would love to have the book. I have an embroidery machine but haven’t been using it much. This will give me the incentive I need to dust it off and try something new.
Nancy H
I love all things from Nancy and Eileen !! I would love to do some crazy quilting with my machine!
Susan Alden
I would love to make a crazy quilt but could never do it by hand. I have a crazy quilt made in the 1800’s and would like to make one for my grandchildren.
Rita
Would luv to give this a try. This book would be fun to have and just plain krazy!!! Thank you
Pat
What a wonderful way to create the beauty of a crazy quilt. So looking forward to giving this a try.
Dawn Walton
I have lots and lots of scraps, would love to try the crazy patch in the hoop. Looks easy and fun. Watch you show every Mon, Fri on OPB plus and again on Sat OPB from La Grande, OR
Thanks for the show
Carol Tyrka
I am not a lover of quilts in general, but this crazy qulting is most interesting, I love something “crazy” and I am redecorating our bedroom and think a crazy quilt would be a beautiful addition.
Shirley Bradham Woods
I don’t have the time for handwork and have bursitis in my right shoulder and left hip, so speed of projects is very important to me.
mary c
Wow! I’ve been waiting on this technique since I bought my first embroidery machine many years ago. I can’t wait to try this book and DVD!
Janee
Personalizing the blocks with initials, names or dates-what a great way to make a crazy memory quilt. I have scraps from many projects, and some old stained linens that would be perfect for this.
Denise Z. G.
I love Crazy Quilts~such a great way to incorporate so many scraps from throughout the years with which I could not part! Hand stitching is no longer possible, so this technique would allow me to create them again!
Martha
Have ordered the book. In the video Part 1 you mention fusible stabilizer…could you be more specific.
Birdie
I’d like to know if the stitches used depend on the type of fabric or will all stitches work with any kind of fabric.
Deb Adams
What I like the most about the newer crazy quilting technique is the addition of the decorative stitching within the block pieces as well as the pretty stitching on the seams joining the block pieces. This allows the sewer/designer to completely personalize their work with designs that describe occasions or special things which have a special meaning to them and also add beauty and interest to their lovely crazy quilt blocks.
Marjorie Brannan
My prized possession is a 100 yr old crazy quilt from my Grandmother. I love looking at her adorable little flowers and fancy stitching. What I love about your new updated method is I am no longer intimidated by the process. I can’t wait to make a crazy quilt for my children. 🙂
Marjorie A. foster
I purchased this book which I was excited to learn. It says pes files; can embroider Wristlets Flap okay but won’t let me download the Wristlets Design. Is it too big for my machine and can I resize it and then use? Any help will be welcomed.
Margie