Crazy Quilts: History, Techniques, Embroidery Motifs - Hardcover

Brick, Cindy

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0760332371 ISBN 13: 9780760332375

Publisher: Voyageur Pr, 2008

Synopsis

The crazy quilt was anything but "crazy." It began with necessity and ingenuity, the piecing together of any odd scrap of fabric that outlasted its first (or even second) use, and evolved into an art form in which the finest silks, satins, and velvets, stitched together with elaborate embroidery, attested to a quilters rich imagination and artistry.
 
This beautiful book traces the bewitching history of the ever-changing but ever-popular "Crazies" from their earliest origins to the present day. Distinguished quilting teacher, lecturer, appraiser, and restorer Cindy Brick follows the crazy quilt through colonial times, the Civil War, and the Victorian era. She describes the crazy quilts influence on modern-day quilts. And she decodes the meaning of the curious images stitched into these quilts, from flowers to fans and farm animals.

Along with this history, the book includes a detailed how-to section on constructing crazy quilts. Brick outlines approaches to planning, piecing, and embroidering or embellishing your quilt. She also offers numerous helpful tips that only an expert could provide. Exquisitely illustrated with images of crazy quilts over time, this book is as delightful to page through as it is instructive to read.

About this title

Book Description:

A celebration of the Crazy quilt, this book by a distinguished quilting teacher, appraiser, and restorer traces the bewitching history of these quilts from their earliest origins to the present day. Cindy Brick follows the Crazy quilt’s development from colonial times through the Civil War, the Victorian era, and the emergence of modern Crazies. She also decodes the meaning of the curious images stitched into these quilts, from flowers to fans and farm animals. Along with this history, the book includes a detailed how-to section on planning, piecing, and embroidering or embellishing a Crazy quilt, plus an appendix of vintage embroidery patterns. Her exquisitely illustrated book is as delightful to page through as it is instructive to read.

From the Inside Flap:

The Crazy quilt skyrocketed to fame in the Victorian age and quickly became a national obsession. Embroidered on every seam (and more), made up of luxurious fabrics and intriguing images, it was the epitome of elegance.

 

Crazy Quilts inspires us to join the obsession, with author Cindy Brick as our guide. Tracing the Crazy’s rise in popularity through influences from the Civil War, the Centennial Exhibition, Japanese design, and periodicals like Godey’s Lady’s Book and Peterson’s Magazine, Brick uncovers the quirky history of this uncommon quilt style from its beginnings to the present day. In addition, she sheds light on the mysteries surrounding the Crazy, such as how it originated, how it got its name, and the meanings behind the flowers and fans embroidered into these lavish quilts.

 

Also included are instructions on how to make your own Crazy quilt, featuring a variety of methods for hand or machine piecing that anyone—from beginner to expert—can do. Beyond the basics of planning and constructing the quilt, the author gives expert advice on embroidering and embellishing the finished top using buttons, beads, or the antique embroidery motifs provided.

About this edition

• Publisher: Voyageur Pr
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0760332371
• ISBN 13: 9780760332375
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 159