The Fascination of the American Crazy Quilt

I remember the crazy quilt my grandmother folded across the back of the horsehair sofa in her parlor (living room today).  It was of silks and satins with cross-stitching and feather stitching outlining the pieces. 

As children, my sister and I used to enjoy sitting there and studying it.  We’d try to imagine what the various fabrics had come from.

Crazy quilts are part of our American heritage.  These coverlets of many colors have long been associated with the Victorian era.  However, actually they go back to early America and are considered by some quilt authorities to be the first quilts made in this country.

As the early coverlets of the American colonists began to wear out, they couldn’t afford new ones.  They simply patched those existing ones with whatever old fabrics they had, usually worn-out clothing.

These much patched bed coverings resembled the later “crazy quilts” designed to look ”patched” and utilized decorative stitching around and on the pieces.  Those of the Victorian era (the days when Queen Victoria ruled) were bright in color and rich in exotic fabrics.

               Quiltmakers still make the crazy quilt today, and may encompass many types of fabric.  Mixed media artists often use this style and incorporate items other than fabric into it.