QUILTING STYLES

‘Irish Crazy Patchwork Coverlet’ by Elizabeth Ferguson, 1880. A multi-coloured silk, wool and velvet crazy patchwork coverlet made with materials sourced from remnants of Church of Ireland vestments and the local woollen mill in County Tyrone. Several embroidery stitches have been used

quilting styles CR A ZY QUILTS C R A Z Y Q U I LT S

Anne Williams takes a look at a fancy patchwork style that was all the craze in the nineteenth century…

So far as is known, there are no examples of crazy patchwork from before around 1830. Worked by stitching patches onto a foundation material and then decorating the seams, the method may be seen to have more in common with appliqué, but because the entire surface is covered, it is classified as patchwork. The technique itself is straightforward, but achieving a pleasing balance of size, shape, colour and texture is a challenge and an ugly result is quite possible.

As with other types of patchwork, traditionally it was an economical way to use up scraps and earlier examples tend to be simple in nature. As the backing fabric to which the patches are stitched takes the strain, giving the work strength and stability, odd shapes and different weights and types of fabrics could be combined so nothing needed to go to waste. Crazy coverlets – strictly speaking they are not quilts as there is no wadding layer – were rarely quilted due to the difficulty of sewing through the crazy top. However, the lined patchworks provided sufficient weight and warmth.

A CR AZE FOR CR AZIES

By the late nineteenth century, crazy patchwork had become extremely popular in both Britain and America, but rather than a craft of thrift, it was now a vehicle for ‘ladies of leisure’ to show off their fabric collections and embellishments, and indeed their embroidery skills to the extent that the patchwork often became subsumed by the stitching. Velvets, silks and brocades – all fashionable at the time – were used to give deeply coloured textured backgrounds. Sometimes, fabrics of sentimental value would be incorporated into the work, such as fragments from garments and accessories, or perhaps commemorative or military ribbons.

In keeping with the Victorian style of excessive adornment, the patchwork was then richly decorated with fancy stitches and other trims such as sequins, beads, buttons and charms, both along the seams and on the patches themselves. The Embroidered Crazy Patchwork Coverlet (above, left) is a wonderful example of a highly decorated piece. A range of embroidery stitches has been used to form different patterns and motifs, such as flowers, anchors and games such as croquet. Motifs have also been applied to some patches.

Above left,

‘Embroidered Crazy Patchwork Coverlet’, maker unknown, 1886. Made from silks and velvets, this square crazy patchwork was possibly a table cover. It has been elaborately embroidered with a variety of stitches to create a range of different patterns and motifs

Above right,

‘V for Victory’ Canadian Red Cross Quilt, maker unknown, 1939–1945. Crazy patchwork blocks were popular for these War-relief quilts as scraps of any shape and size could be used Left, Flower Tea Cosy, maker unknown, c.1900. This velvet and silk multicoloured crazy patchwork tea cosy includes decorative stitching over the seams and within each patch

‘Crazy Patchwork Coverlet’, maker unknown, 1880s. A multi-coloured silk, velvet and wool crazy patchwork coverlet

Keen to exhibit their wealth and status, as well as making bedcovers, decorative crazies were created that could be displayed throughout the home. Lavish smaller pieces, such as table covers, tea cosies and chair cushions, were flaunted in many a middle- and upper-class Victorian parlour where guests would be entertained. The Flower Tea Cosy (see page 49) is a delightful statement piece to grace the table for afternoon tea!

When the fashion died out and tastes changed, crazy patchwork was considered one of the worst examples of fussy Victorian ornamentation. It is now, however, regarded more fondly, evocative of an age of opulent overindulgence.

A MODERN TAKE

The technique didn’t disappear completely though. Crazy patchwork reappeared in Canadian Red Cross quilts sent to Britain during the Second World War (see page 49, top right, and page 51, top right). These quilts were sent to aid the war relief, so were quickly made, utilitarian in style and purpose. Harking back to early traditions, crazy patchwork was popular as scraps of any shape and size could be used. Often, the crazy patchwork was constructed in square units, which could be produced in batches and then later joined into quilts.

Today’s quilters have also looked to crazy patchwork for inspiration. Some still have a taste for elaborate Victorian-style creations, but others are more controlled in their take, preferring, for example, the framework of a block-like structure to produce a cohesive design (page 51, top left).

If you fancy having a go at crazy patchwork a few tips and ideas to get you started are given in the panel opposite.

Thank you to The Quilters’ Guild Museum Collection for providing the images to illustrate this feature. You can view a large proportion of their Collection virtually by visiting the Quilters’ Guild Museum Collection website. You can also follow the Collection on Facebook.

Above right,

‘Pawnbroker Crazy Coverlet’, maker unknown, 1877. This silk and velvet coverlet is elaborately decorated with embroidery embellishment Left, ‘Silk Medallion Crazy Coverlet’ by Frances Maria Fletcher, 1870s. This silk and velvet coverlet has a centre of EPP diamonds, with EPP stars applied to the borders either side of the crazy patchwork area

THE QUILTERS’ GUILD MUSEUM COLLECTION

www.quiltmuseum.org.uk @The- Quilters- Guild-Museum- Collection

‘Golden Argers Quilt’ by Pastora Barrant, 1990s. This is a modern take on the crazy patchwork technique. The framework of the ‘contained’ crazy blocks gives a sense of order to the design. The only applied embellishment is at the corners of the blocks ‘Canadian Red Cross Quilt’, maker unknown, 1940. Crazy patchwork blocks were popular for these War-relief quilts as scraps of any shape and size could be used

Have a go!

THE BASICS OF CR AZY PATCHWORK

■ Foundation: Use a permanent foundation – firm muslin, closely woven cotton or non-woven interfacing are ideal. Cut the foundation at least 1in bigger all around than the intended size of the finished piece of patchwork as it may ‘shrink’ and distort when you do the fancy stitching.

■ Fabric: To add visual interest, use a good assortment of colours, prints and fabric types. You could also use wide ribbons, braids, recycled embroidered fabrics, etc.

■ Patches: You can cut out patches as you go, but to get a pleasing arrangement it’s easier to have a selection of scraps ready to play with so you can see how they work together. It’s easy to slip into cutting your patches bigger and bigger, but to create a well-balanced design, try not to do this.

■ Method: Some people start in a corner, but it can be easier to get a more balanced look by starting at the centre and working outwards L og Cabin style. Sew the first patch to the foundation using a small running stitch worked as close to the edge of the patch as possible. Continue to add the patches, under- and overlapping the edges as you go. As the edges will be covered with heav y stitching or trim, the raw edges don’t need to be turned under. Once all the patches are in place, cover the seams with stitching. Historically, feather stitch was popular for this, but a wide range of embroider y stitches are suitable, or experiment with pre-programmed stitches on your machine. Alternatively, use ribbon, ric-rac or another trim. Finally, go to town adorning the patches with stitching, bead, sequins…

A FEW EXTR A IDEAS...

■ Rather than mimic a vintage look, use contemporary fabrics to make a modern crazy.

■ An alternative to sewing the patches to the foundation is to use fusible webbing. For each patch, fuse a small piece of webbing to its wrong side. Play with the patches to get a pleasing arrangement and when you’re happy, fuse all the patches in place. Small pieces of webbing will be enough to ‘stick’ ever ything in place until the patches are secured with the fancy stitch work.

■ When making a larger item like a throw, it’s more manageable to divide it into ‘blocks’ and then join these.

■ Instead of using the crazy patchwork method, you could make conventional foundation-pieced blocks, adding random patches to build up the design from the centre outwards. Or for a more ‘controlled’ design draft a crazy-style pattern that can be transferred onto the foundation fabric so the block is repeated – if you wish, add interest by varying the fabrics in each block. As you will have conventional seams, you don’t need to cover them with decorative stitching if you find that a bit OTT, or you could stitch over just some of them for a more restrained crazy look.