Crazy Quilts are Quilts, Too!!

Thearica over at Pigtales and Quilts is having a crazy quilt party and contest. The purpose is to raise awareness of the ART of crazy quilting.

Crazy quilts are all too often snubbed at shows and competitions because some people do not consider them to be real quilts.  Well, they may not be machine stitched to within an inch of their lives, LOL, but the layers are there. Crazy quilts are pieced on a foundation fabric and then backed to form a “quilt sandwich”.  Various assembly techniques are used, including attaching front to back with ties, buttons, beads, hand or some machine stitch-in-the-ditch (or any combination of those). We also make use of false backs (the quilting is done to a stabilizing layer that is enclosed within and covered by a pretty backing fabric). All in all, crazy quilts require the same skill set as regular pieced quilts - PLUS embroidery, beading, ribbon work, and any number of other embellishment techniques that the artist chooses to incorporate.

But, it’s time for me to step down from my soapbox, and show you some of the crazy quilting I have done over the last 12 years.  I have been blessed to have taken classes from Betty Pillsbury, Carole Samples, Judith Montano, Sharon Boggon, Helen Gibb, Candace Kling, Allison Aller, Martha Green, and many others. To the skills I have learned from them I have added my own spin.

Here are some of my pieces, in rough chronological order from 2000 - 2011.

My first piece was a vest; this is a portion of one side.

I entered this block in the first Quilting Arts Calendar contest, and won!  This block was featured in the 2002 Calendar as the November block (under my former married name of Cathy Flox).

Pansy Block: “Thoughts of You"

 In 2003, I wanted to try a wool quilt. Got it all pieced, but never finished it.  It was fun, though!

A ribbon motif from my first round robin in Crazy Quilting International:  Roses (2007)

An autumn pillow. Mr. Squirrel’s tail is mink.

 One of several purses entered over the years in the CQI contests. It is up for sale now in my Etsy shop, even though it is one of my very favorites!

“Images of Africa"

“I Love Paris” purse, Side B

“I Love Paris” purse, Side A

A round robin block from a couple years ago

My stitching contribution on a Hears and Flowers block

A Flower Fairy themed block

Another Flower Fairy themed block

A Teatime wallhanging I donated to CQI. It was auctioned off on Ebay, with proceeds going to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation (2011)

Another round robin block

This block was for a Birds round robin

Another block for the Birds round robin

Well, I hope you have enjoyed the show.  Take some time to visit Pigtales and Quilts and the other crazy quilters who have exhibited their work there.

Hugs,