Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
12 Updated Step-by-Step Projects Illustrated Stitch Guide, Including Silk Ribbon Stitches
Crazy Quilt the
HANDBOOK Revised 3rd Edition
JUDITH BAKER MONTANO
12 Updated Step-by-Step Projects Illustrated Stitch Guide, Including Silk Ribbon Stitches
Crazy Quilt the
HANDBOOK Revised 3rd Edition
JUDITH BAKER MONTANO
Text, photography, and artwork copyright © 2014 by Judith Baker Montano
Publisher: Amy Marson
Creative Director: Gailen Runge
Art Director: Kristy Zacharias
Editors: Lynn Koolish and Joanna Burgarino
Technical Editors: Helen Frost and Nan Powell
Cover Designer: April Mostek
Book Designer: Rose Wright
Production Coordinator: Zinnia Heinzmann
Production Editor: Alice Mace Nakanishi
Illustrators: Tim Manibusan and Judith Baker Montano
Photography by Judith Baker Montano, unless otherwise noted
Published by C&T Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 1456, Lafayette, CA 94549
All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyright hereon may be used in any form or reproduced by any means—graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or information storage and retrieval systems—without written permission from the publisher. The copyrights on individual artworks are retained by the artists as noted in The Crazy Quilt Handbook, Revised 3rd Edition. These designs may be used to make items only for personal use. Donations to nonprofit groups, items for sale, or items for display only at events require the following credit on a conspicuous label: Designs copyright © 2014 by Judith Baker Montano from the book The Crazy Quilt Handbook, Revised 3rd Edition from C&T Publishing, Inc. Permission for all other purposes must be requested in writing from C&T Publishing, Inc.
Attention Copy Shops: Please note the following exception—publisher and author give permission to photocopy pages 62, 63, 66, 68, 70, 71, 73, 75, 77, 80, 83, 84, 86, and 88.
Attention Teachers: C&T Publishing, Inc., encourages you to use this book as a text for teaching. Contact us at 800-284-1114 or ctpub.com for lesson plans and information about the C&T Creative Troupe.
We take great care to ensure that the information included in our products is accurate and presented in good faith, but no warranty is provided nor are results guaranteed. Having no control over the choices of materials or procedures used, neither the author nor C&T Publishing, Inc., shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in this book. For your convenience, we post an up-to-date listing of corrections on our website (ctpub.com). If a correction is not already noted, please contact our customer service department at [email protected] or at P.O. Box 1456, Lafayette, CA 94549.
Trademark (™) and registered trademark (®) names are used throughout this book. Rather than use the symbols with every occurrence of a trademark or registered trademark name, we are using the names only in the editorial fashion and to the benefit of the owner, with no intention of infringement.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Montano, Judith Baker, 1945-
The crazy quilt handbook : 12 updated step-by-step projects - illustrated stitch guide, including silk ribbon stitches / Judith Baker Montano. -- Rev. 3rd edition.
pages cm
ISBN 978-1-61745-032-7 (soft cover)
1. Crazy quilts. 2. Patchwork--Patterns. 3. Quilting--Patterns. 4. Fancy work. I. Title.
TT835.M658 2014
746.46--dc23
2014014421
Printed in China
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
DedicationTo my special family—
a United Nations under one roof.
You make my life complete.
Acknowledgments
Ornamentations, by Judith Baker Montano, 40˝ × 46 ,̋ private collection
This book is the result of years of study and work with the support of many people in my private and public life.
Heartfelt thanks go out to my wonderful students. I owe them a great deal for my amazing career. I will always be grateful to them.
Lots of gratitude and thank-yous to my husband, Ernest Shealy, who is always there for me with encouragement and support. Living with an artist is not for the faint of heart!
I owe so much to the late Imelda DeGraw, textile curator of the Denver Art Museum, where I worked as her assistant. The textile department sponsored my first museum show in 1988. While I was writing the original version of The Crazy Quilt Handbook, she granted me access to the museum’s research and crazy quilt collection.
A loving thank-you goes to my children: Jason Montano, Madeleine Montano Morack, Tara Ohta, Dana Whitfield, and Kristen Szilagyi, and their wonderful spouses,
Nicole Boucher Montano, Tony Morack, Yoichi Ohta, Eric Whitfield, and Jim Szilagyi. Together they have given me five amazing grandchildren—Nicole, Rie, Gen, Kelse, and Paloma. I am a lucky woman.
Thank you to my supportive friends and relatives: Karen and Jim Baker, Valerie Bothell, Jack and Ann Brockette, Phyl and Neil Drew, Kaffe Fassett, Brian Haggart, Candice Kling, Kathy Koch, Dulany Lingo, Brandon Mobley, Christine Nyberg, Karen Osatchuk, Di Pettigrew, Cindy and Alvaro Pisoni, Robin Richards, Anne and Peter Riseborough, Babs and Brent Seawell, Justin Shultz and Ricky Tims, Faye and Tom Walker.
A special thank-you to my wonderful editor, Lynn Koolish. She is always there for me with a calm and reassuring manner.
Thank you to my dear designer, Rose Wright. Kudos to my technical editor and longtime friend, Helen Frost, and to the C&T team.
Phot
o by
Rob
ert V
alen
tine,
Gic
lee
Prin
t Net
, Inc
.
ContentsHow Much Fabric You’ll Need 26
Choosing Supplies 26
The Montano Centerpiece Method 27
Problem Solving 32
Creating Curved Bridges • Fussy Cutting Special Fabrics • Overlapping • Piecing Together Blocks
Preparing for Embroidery 35
Placing Lace, Ribbons, and Trims
Joining Together the Blocks 36
The Finishing Process 36
Borders • Backing • Tacking • Binding
Embellishments Galore 39Embroideries 39
Cross-Stitch • Outline Embroidery • Satin Stitch • Combination Stitches • Silk Ribbon Embroidery • Punchneedle Embroidery
Calligraphy 42
Coloring the Fabric 42
Fabric Painting • Fabric Dyeing • Painting with Dyes
Photographs on Fabric 45
Australian Photo Method • Inkjet Printer Method
Ribbons and Roses 47
Embellishment on Ribbons • Meandering Ribbons • Wired Ribbons • Ribbon Ruffle Flowers • Ruth’s Ruched Ribbons • Twisted Ribbons • Gathered Flowers • Ribbon Leaves • Concertina Roses
Beading 50
Needles and Thread • Beaded Highlights • Sewn Beadwork
Knots, Cords, and Tassels 51
Chinese Button Balls • Knotted Loops • Tassels • Braided Cords • Twisted Cords
Buttons 53
Lace, Doilies, and Hankies 54
Preface 6
The Crazy Quilt Handbook Revision • Crazy Quilt Definitions
Recollections 7Trailblazers • Links with the Past
Historical Perspective: The Crazy Quilt Legacy 10
Crazy Quilting Today 15Home Decor • Family Memories • Friendship Quilts • Clothing and Accessories
Style, Color, and Fabric 18Create Your Own Look 18
Country Casual • Softly Feminine • Sophisticated Drama • Victoriana
Color 19
The Color Wheel • Color Combinations • Understanding Color • Choosing Colors • The Montano Color Theory
Fabrics 21
Solids • Textures • Patterns
Before You Get Started 23Hints for Successful Crazy Quilting 23
Using Plastic Window Templates 23
Hiding Seamlines 24
Adapting Crazy Quilting to Garment Patterns 24
Design Elements for Successful Crazy Quilting 24
Repetition and Balance • Design Placement
Student Work 25
Crazy Quilt How-Tos 26Preparing the Foundation 26
Projects 59Crazy Quilt Chatelaine 60
Pansy Needlecase 64
Weeping Heart Pendant 67
Victorian Picture Frame 69
Oval Needlecase 72
Garden Shed 74
Chicken Bumble Pincushion 76
Floral Swing Purse 78
Heirloom and Postcard Collage 81
Victorian Christmas Ornaments 82
Cottage Garden 85
Sabre Party Pouch 87
Stitch Dictionary 89Embroidery Stitches
Buttonhole Stitch 90
Buttonhole Closed Stitch 91
Buttonhole Circular Stitch 91
Chain Stitch 92
Chevron Stitch 92
Colonial Knot 93
Couching 93
Cretan Stitch 93
Featherstitch (Single and Double) 94
French Knot 95
Fly Stitch 95
Herringbone Stitch 95
Lazy Daisy Stitch 96
Pistil Stitch 97
Running Stitch 97
Satin Stitch 97
Stem Stitch 98
Straight Stitch 98
Fans 98
Webs 99
Spiders 99
Free-Form Trees 100
Silk Ribbon Stitches
Threading Up 101
Bullion Tip Lazy Daisy 102
Iva’s Rose 102
Japanese Ribbon Stitch 103
Joyce’s Fargo Flower 103
Judith’s Curled Leaf 104
Loop Flower 104
Montano Knot 104
Plume Stitch 105
Rosette Bud 105
Ruth’s Rosettes 106
Spider Web Rose 107
Whipstitch Curved 107
Framing Ideas 108
Resources 108
Index 110
About the Author 111
6 The Crazy Quilt Handbook, Revised 3rd Edition
Preface
The Crazy Quilt Handbook RevisionTwenty-eight years ago I wrote The Crazy Quilt Handbook,
hoping it would last for a year, and it was in print for fifteen
years! Next came The Crazy Quilt Handbook, Revised 2nd Edition,
in print for thirteen years. Much has changed for me over the
years, but crazy quilting persists as a favorite art form. I have
progressed as a teacher, discovered new techniques, and
explored ideas for the beginning crazy quilter. So with
more than 230,000 books sold, it is time to present the
third updated edition!
This new edition features new patterns and up-to-
date photographic how-tos and information. It
presents concise text and illustrations without
losing its basic form. I hope you enjoy this third
edition of The Crazy Quilt Handbook as much
as I enjoyed creating it.
Crazy Quilt Definitions
Crazy quilting is the method of
sewing varied shapes of fancy fabrics
to a whole cloth foundation.
The fabrics form a collaged asym-metrical design. After the foundation is
covered, each seam is decorated with embellishments and embroidered stitch
combinations. Unlike a traditional quilt, a crazy quilt has no batting and is tacked to a whole cloth backing.
—Judith Baker Montano, 1986, 2001, and 2014A patchwork quilt without ordered design
—Webster’s Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary
A patchwork quilt of a type
traditionally made in North
America, with patches of
randomly varying sizes,
shapes, colors, and fabrics;
a disorganized collection
of things: colonial America
was a crazy quilt of laws.
—Oxford Dictionary
7Recollections
Recollections
Crazy quilting is a constant love of mine, the answer
to my many interests. I am drawn to the beautiful,
outrageous crazy quilts that remind me of mysterious,
glittering jewels, the gypsy cousins peeking out from a
patchwork of traditional sister quilts. They are the wild,
black-sheep children, tolerated by conservative relatives;
perhaps that’s why I relate to them. Not only beautiful,
the crazy quilt combines many skills—embroidery, sewing,
appliqué, embellishing, beading, painting, and color design.
When living in England during the early 1970s, I observed
Victorian crazy quilts at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
They sparked my interest, but my research turned up very
little information. I continued on with traditional quilting
but never lost the desire to make a crazy quilt. I was
fascinated with these quilts.
With crazy quilting, I basically had to teach myself, and I
came up with a machine method of piecing that is now
known as the Montano Centerpiece Method. I’ve kept my
first attempt as a lesson in humility—a vest made from old
ties with cotton floss for embroidery (shown below). My
first wallhanging was my pride and joy, and I keep these
pieces to see the progress I have made over the years.
Yesterday, by Judith Baker Montano, 30˝ × 40˝
My first crazy quilt wallhanging
Through trial and error, I perfected the Montano Centerpiece
Method and mastered the basic Victorian stitches. A few
years later Karey Bresenhan (founder of Quilts, Inc.) hired me
to teach at her shop. Only three students signed up, and
two were my friends! Today my classes are filled and have
waiting lists, interest is worldwide, and crazy quilting is
accepted as a true art form.
My first crazy quilt project
8 The Crazy Quilt Handbook, Revised 3rd Edition
TrailblazersDuring the early years while I worked in my sewing room, three trailblazers helped bring crazy quilting
back to public attention. They are Dixie Haywood, who specialized in machine crazy quilting and
published Crazy Quilting with a Difference (1981, Scissortail Publications); Dorothy Bond, who printed
the delightful stitch book Crazy Quilt Stitches (1981, Dorothy Bond); and Penny McMorris, author of
Crazy Quilts (1984, Plume), a historical research book.
Over the last 28 years, I’ve done my best to carry the crazy quilt banner. Today there are crazy quilters
all over the world, an international crazy quilt society, and countless crazy quilt groups. Some of my
students are now writing books on crazy quilting, and that makes me proud.
Phot
o by
Rob
ert V
alen
tine,
Gic
lee
Prin
t Net
, Inc
.
Australian Memories, by Judith Baker Montano, 28˝ × 39˝
9Recollections
Madeleine’s Journey, by Judith Baker Montano, 36˝ × 36 ,̋ courtesy of Madeleine Montano Morack
I made this vibrant wall-hanging for my daughter Madeleine using jewel-tone colors and geometric embroidery stitches. Notice the use of the curved bridges (also see Creating Curved Bridges, page 32) and the striped ribbon that weaves in and out of the fabric patches.
Links with the PastI believe that our background and upbringing dictate our special interests. The nature of my background
has a lot to do with my love for crazy quilting.
I was raised on the historical Bar U Ranch in Alberta, Canada. My mother excelled at needlework, crafts,
and music. She tried to teach us needlework, but I did not appreciate her efforts and would hide in the
horse barn. I was her worst student.
Our ranch was situated next to a Stoney Indian reservation and a Hutterite colony. As a girl, I loved to
visit our neighbors with my father. From my Indian friends, I developed an appreciation for rich, vivid
colors and beading. From the Hutterite women, I gained an admiration for needlework. From my father,
I developed a love for the land. Many of those Alberta sunsets find their way into my fiber art today.
Years ago my aunt Lola opened a trunk filled with inherited handiwork. Nestled between embroidered
tablecloths were two crazy quilts created by my grandmother Baker and my great-grandmother Burns.
They are wonderful links with the past and validate my passion for crazy quilting.
Phot
o by
Rob
ert V
alen
tine,
Gic
lee
Prin
t Net
, Inc
.
10 The Crazy Quilt Handbook, Revised 3rd Edition
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: The Crazy Quilt Legacy
Because needlework was one of the few
“acceptable” occupations for women,
crazy quilts were a natural outgrowth.
They combined opulent colors, lush
fabrics, and unrestrained pattern,
serving as sentimental depositories of
memorabilia.
Through a Victorian crazy quilt we
can view life as it was. Bits of local and
national history combine to give an
overall impression of nineteenth-century
life and customs. Lush velvets, satins,
and rich silks mix with colorful glazed
chintz and cottons. Crazy quilts portray
the fabrics of life—those used every day
and for special occasions. Mementos of
special occasions decorate the quilts,
and embroidered stitches mark impor-
tant dates and the initials of the maker
or loved ones.
Antique table runner from author’s collection, 30˝ × 30˝
Phot
o by
Rob
ert V
alen
tine,
Gic
lee
Prin
t Net
, Inc
.
The Victorian era dates from 1837
to 1901, coinciding with the reign
of Britain’s beloved Queen Victoria,
who gave her name to an age. At this
time, Great Britain had great power,
with dominions on every continent,
and exerted sweeping influence.
Queen Victoria married Prince Albert
and had nine children, but Albert died
at a young age, leaving Victoria to live
out her life in perpetual widowhood.
She collected endless mementos of her
beloved Albert, until she lived amid
the chaos of memorabilia. In the end,
Victoria held court in the corridors of
Windsor Castle because her rooms
were too crowded.
Queen Victoria dominated the fashion
of the times. Women wore tight bodices
over huge hoop skirts, topped in the
back by large bustles. Ribbons, laces, and
ruffles appeared in profusion. At home,
too, more was better, and the best
decorators emulated the queen’s clutter.
There is debate among historians as
to whether the crazy quilt can be
credited to American scrap quilts or
the Victorian era. I believe it must
be credited to the Victorians. The
practical, hardworking pioneer woman
“originated” pieced quilts, salvaging
every precious bit of cloth to make
into bed coverings. Quilted or tied,
these were strictly utilitarian, for the
pioneers had no time or materials for
frivolous decoration.
After the Civil War (1865), when the
nation came of age, fabrics were readily
available and women had more money
to devote to sewing for pleasure.
Victorian crazy quilts were made only
for display, to be admired and to high-
light the decor. They were produced in
all forms, from table runners, cushion
covers, and piano drapes to sofa throws.
Sometimes they were displayed on the
wall. Many were framed with velvet
borders and silk ruffles, or highlighted
with borders of elaborate crochet.
The Centennial Exposition of 1876 in
Philadelphia marked a watershed in the
development of crazy quilting. In the
popular Japanese Pavilion, a silk screen
depicting a Shinto priest on a paved
walkway fascinated viewers. Several
historians believe that needleworkers
tried to emulate the paver stones with
crazy quilt piecing. Others say the
Japanese “cracked ice” china, popular
at that time, was the inspiration.
11Historical Perspective: The Crazy Quilt Legacy
Through a Victorian crazy quilt we can view life as it was.
“”
Crazy quilting became the first American commercial needle-
work craze, lasting about ten years. Every woman had to
have a crazy quilt, and the more intricate and busy it was, the
better. The craze hit every demographic group, from poor to
wealthy, rural to metropolitan.
Crazy quilting was a boon to many manufacturers, who
encouraged its popularity. Silk factories produced new fabric
designs along with silk packets, silk threads, and metallics just
for crazy quilting. Women’s magazines were full of advice on
making crazy quilts and the art of homemaking. Companies
manufactured all types of supplies, patterns, and designs for
painting on velvet and embroidery.
Embroidery books of Kate Greenaway children and Oriental
designs were especially popular. These books contained
patterns that could be transferred to fabric. Using a sharp
needle, a paper pattern was pin pricked along the outlines.
A stamping pounce (small powder puff) filled with powder
was gently tapped along the perforated line, creating a white
trace on the fabric.
Heavily embroidered antique crazy quilt, 84˝ × 104 ,̋ from author’s collection
Phot
os b
y Ro
bert
Val
entin
e, G
icle
e Pr
int N
et, I
nc.
Antique quilt, 78˝ × 88 ,̋ from author’s collection
During this time, cigarette manufacturers placed small
rectangular silk ribbon premiums in cigarette and cigar
packages. The ribbons featured celebrities of the era—actors,
opera stars, politicians—and flags, flora, and fauna. Victorian
women, not allowed to smoke, encouraged male members of
the household to do so in order to collect the silks for their
crazy quilts.
Table cover, c. 1880, United States, Denver Art Museum Collection, gift of Mrs. Andrew Anderson, 1968.41, © Denver Art Museum 2001
Approximately 37˝ × 37 ,̋ this table cover is made entirely of yellow cigar silk ribbons, sewn into squares and set together in a Log Cabin Barn Raising pattern. Silks were offered as premiums in boxes of cigars, and many Victorian ladies had large ribbon collections.
12 The Crazy Quilt Handbook, Revised 3rd Edition
Detail of a Kate Greenaway design used in a Victorian crazy quilt. Miss Greenaway (1846–1901) was a popular English painter and illustrator, best known for her drawings of children.
Antique quilt top, 28˝ × 28 ,̋ from author’s collection
Cigarette silks are silk prints depicting flora, fauna, flags, and famous persons of the time, found inside cigarette packets. They were collected and used widely by Victorian women.
The Victorian-era woman did not have an easy life. She went
from belonging to her father to belonging to her husband.
She could not vote, there was no birth control, and a family
averaged ten children. Not encouraged to attend university,
she was schooled in “womanly arts” such as household
management, painting, needlework, and cooking. Crazy
quilting allowed her to show off her skill in needlework.
Victorian-era women were busy from morning to night with
large households and families. The Age of Industrialization
made cloth readily available and life was a bit easier, but it
brought about a dilemma for the Victorian woman. One thing
related to wealth is leisure time, and related to leisure time is
needlework. So behind an ambitious man working his way
up the ladder of success was a woman working in her spare
time to produce a crazy quilt, just to prove how successful
they were!
Women from the farms and countryside did not have easy
access to silks and other fancy fabrics, but this did not
diminish their love for crazy quilting. Their humble crazy quilts
were made mostly of wool, cotton, and a few special fabrics.
Some farm women worked in the fields like men but still
found time for needlework. Their crazy quilts are tributes to
every woman’s basic need for beauty in her surroundings.
Souvenir ribbons of campaigns and special events were often sewn into crazy quilts.
13Historical Perspective: The Crazy Quilt Legacy
Printed silks, such as this one from an antique Victorian quilt, were quick and easy ways to achieve a pictorial effect. Any fabric print, appliquéd and edged with embroidery stitches, can be used this way.
Outline embroideries highlight each fabric piece on this Victorian crazy quilt.
My grandparents emigrated from
the United States to take up farming
near Cayley in Alberta, Canada. My
grandmother, Bessie Burns Baker, was a
country woman who loved needlework,
and she made a crazy quilt in 1932.
Though she worked hard all day, she
spent her evenings stitching by lamplight
on her quilt.
Some of the fabrics are now deterio-
rating, but the stories remain. Past
memories and future hopes are woven
into this crazy quilt. Fabrics from her
dresses mingle with fabrics from my
grandfather’s suits and shirts. One
piece, from a baby dress, belonged to
their first daughter, Agnes, who died of
pneumonia at age five. A special hand-
kerchief, sent back from the Great War
by an uncle, is proudly displayed.
My grandmother’s crazy quilt, while
not as fancy as some crazy quilts, is a
historical tribute to a young farmwife
who labored to create something
beautiful for her home.
My grandmother, Bessie Burns Baker, holding my father, Colonel James Allen Baker
14 The Crazy Quilt Handbook, Revised 3rd Edition
Phot
o by
Bill
O’C
onno
r
This crazy quilt was made in the 1930s by my grandmother, Bessie Burns Baker. Courtesy of Mr. and Mrs. S. Lange
Phot
o by
Bill
O’C
onno
r
World War I souvenir handkerchief from my grandmother’s quilt
Antique Method of Piecing
In some Victorian crazy quilts, the individual pieces were left unturned and tacked down with the embroidery stitches. This was not very satisfactory, as the edges raveled with use and time. In most cases, edges were turned under and appliquéd down.
Curved lines were thought to be more desirable than long, angular lines. Some Victorian pattern books suggested that larger pieces could be basted in place on the foundation and the smaller pieces fitted in. Remember the paver stones (page 10)?
Just as we do today, the Victorians sewed the fabric pieces to a foun-dation. The foundation shapes were squares or rectangles, usually scraps and old pieces of fabric. These foundation shapes made for easier piecing and embroi-dery. After the embroidery was complete on the pieced shapes, the foundation pieces were sewn together and the joining seams were also embroidered.
Vintage crazy quilt showing foundation fabric
US $27.95
CRAFTS/Quilting
11103
Also available as an eBook
• The best-selling crazy quilting guide from
world-renowned expert Judith Baker Montano
(over 230,000 copies sold!)
• Includes 12 beautiful projects, a dictionary of
37 embroidery and silk ribbon stitches, and
instructions for additional embellishments
• Benefit from Judith’s wealth of knowledge on
colors, fabrics, piecing, embroidery, appliqué,
embellishing, beading, photography, painting,
dyeing, and more
The classic guide to crazy quilting,
Judith Baker Montano
now with new projects, stitches, and techniques
