Crazy Quilting

I’ve always wanted to learn how to make a quilt. Every time I see a quilt, I am amazed at the elaborate design and meticulous artwork. It seems like every quilt is made with so much tender loving care.

I plan to start small, making use of old fabric swatches I’ve collected through the years. Once I’ve gotten the hang of it, perhaps I can make a king quilt for my bed and begin to use my crazy quilt supplies to create gifts for my friends and family. While giving expense present is nice, it is always rewarding to bestow something that you actually created.

In days of old, the sewing circle was more than just a place for women to get together and hone their stitch work. These were social forums where ladies would meet to talk about the pressing issues of the day – both personal and political. The social side of arts and crafts groups is often overlooked as people tend to focus on the educational and productive sides.

Even if sewing in itself doesn’t appeal to you, there are other creative outlets that can get you involved in group activities. Pick up a paper or surf the Internet for crazy quilting sessions. In some cases, instructors will hold workshops at community colleges and neighborhood centers. Crazy quilt embroidery is as creatively fulfilling as it is fun. No two people ever end up with the same finished design.

Ruby's Purse

Who can resist the amazing appeal of a gift made especially by hand?  A gift just for you.  Whether it is a painting, a carving, a quilt or crazy quilt, a bit of Silk Ribbon Embroidery, ceramic, wood, fiber or stone, anything made by hand is a unique and valuable thing!

It is said, in so many ways, that when someone creates something by hand, they wind up incorporating a bit of their own spirit into it.  I think that is very true.  When someone makes something for you with you in mind, I think that investment becomes even stronger.

What mother could ever not treasure some of the funky hand-made ornaments, sculptures, drawings, valentines and other things their children create for them?  I know I have a whole pile!  Every time I go through them I remember their young faces when they proudly gave them to me – not merely a treasure, but a piece of a special time in both our lives.

I have always enjoyed making things by hand.  Most often these things have been Quilts, Crazy Quilted pieces, Embroideries, dolls, and paintings.  Whenever I make something for a person, I think particularly of them, what they like, how I love them, what they mean to me.  I hope that all these things become somehow “fastened” into the piece I have made, and that this is communicated to them whenever they see it.

Even if you don’t make a project for someone in particular, you always instill some of your own heart into it.  Somehow that makes your piece really “glow” with your very own essence, and style.

Make something by hand (and heart) for someone!  The satisfaction of it will make you feel wonderful!

Carolyn

Crazy quilting is one of the most fun, uninhibited means of self-expression around, and it will leave you satisfied and fulfilled from a creative standpoint. Still, there are a number of essential items every crafter needs before getting to work. You might find it convenient to keep your crazy quilting supplies in a knitting basket or a handy, compartmentalized box.

Before you begin, locate and arrange the following items within arm’s reach: embroidery threads, backing fabric, a measuring tape, needles, straight pins, thimbles, some basic thread, scissors and muslin sheets. Remember that even though your quilt doesn’t need to conform to an overarching design – in fact, it shouldn’t – you should still use quilt squares of a uniform size.

As the quilting and embroidering demographic continues to expand, the market is beginning to flood with books touting themselves as the “end all be all” of crafting. And it can be difficult to decide which is actually best.While personal preferences will differ, A-Z of Embroidery Stitches by Sue Gardner is regarding by many embroidery enthusiasts as one of the must-have embroidery books in the market. The spiral-bound edition contains 144 pages of embroidery photos and step-by-step instructions concerning every aspect of the craft.

It is the first craft book released by the Australian company Country Bumpkin Publications. At last count, this company has now released twenty-seven books in the A-Z series. Proving extremely popular, Country Bumpkin has sold over 2 million total copies in this series, and they have found this success internationally.

If this edition doesn’t answer all your questions, don’t fear. They also released A-Z of Embroidery Stitches 2 to cover any aspect they missed in the first attempt.