Crazy quilts glow. When I was struck with the passion for crazy quilting, I had caught a glimpse of a crazy quilt draped over a sofa. The only thing that I remember about this quilt was that it glowed. That glow left an imprint in my mind. A seed was planted in my brain: "I want one of those."
I went to the library. My local library had 3 books with information about crazy quilts. Luckily, one of them was
Crazy Quilt Handbook by Judith Baker Montano. Montano's book was the best place to start because it contained all that I needed besides a sewing machine, thread, and fabric. I am frequently asked, "How did you know how to do that?" Really, it was all in the book.
That was approximately 11 years ago. In my blog I hope to explore my experiences with crazy quilting from then to now. I hope that you enjoy!
This is my very first block. For my first quilt, I used fabric from my old clothing. You can see the wool and denim from my skirts and jeans. My big, bulky stitches were done in pearl cotton. At the onset, I gave myself permission to make mistakes without ripping out. I knew that my first quilt wouldn't achieve the glow that I was after. I called this first crazy quilt "My Sampler" because I thought of myself similar to the young girls from ages ago who practiced their handwork on samplers.
It took 1 year to complete "My Sampler". Three years later, I completed my quilt that glows.
These are two pieces from my third large crazy quilt which is a work in progress. I've come a long way!
Hi, there,
ReplyDeleteI love your crazy quilting and your blog. I think I probably have that Montano book, which I bought from Cheryl at Creative Smocking, a wholesale company located in Bend, Oregon, the largest wholesaler on earth of smocking supplies (and now other handwork supplies, including the Scrap-Bag Tier Dress pattern that I designed and marketed back then), also available from pentecost on Etsy. I used to work for Cheryl years ago, right after she got started in the business.
I have been sewing with fabric since I was about five years old, when my mother would give me a needle and thread and let me sit under the table of her manual Singer sewing machine as she put her quilt blocks together. Sometimes she gave me pieces of fabric, and sometimes I picked up pieces she dropped and cut them up for my own use.
I'm still sewing, decades later, and I can also say that crazy-quilt piecing is my favorite. I'll have to locate my Montano book and start using it again. If I am your first follower, I feel honored and happy for you, a kindred spirit indeed. I have a quite small business making and selling at fairs, boutiques, etc. handmade dresses for little girls. I have a lot of scraps left over, and I use them for crazy quilting, yo-yos, and other fun-to-do sewing.
I visit again and see what you are up to. Ciao for now,
Judy