I've been thinking lately of how I piece crazy quilts and how I would teach a beginner and thought it would be nice to blog about the process. Hopefully it will help some beginners or give someone the confidence to try it out for the first time.
There are no rules in CQ so everything that I will share is what works for me. You may like it or not, since there always is more than one way to do something I encourage you to find the method that works best for you.
When I first started out I began with an 8 inch block, and had a terrible time figuring things out. Even though it turned out well, I later on made some 6 inch blocks and thought they would have made a better beginning size. Because of my experience, I recommend getting your feet wet with a small 6 inch block. That way you get to learn without being overwhelmed.
First I start with some muslin, you could use old sheets just as well, but muslin is pretty inexpensive and lightweight to use.
(***If your project is to be washable, make sure you prewash the muslin)
It's a good idea to have excess muslin around your pieced block, it makes embellishing easier and gives your hoop something to grab onto.
For a 6 inch block I like to have a 10 inch square of muslin. This will leave 2 inches of muslin around your block, you can always make the muslin larger to have more room around the edges, depending on your preference.
There are no rules in CQ so everything that I will share is what works for me. You may like it or not, since there always is more than one way to do something I encourage you to find the method that works best for you.
When I first started out I began with an 8 inch block, and had a terrible time figuring things out. Even though it turned out well, I later on made some 6 inch blocks and thought they would have made a better beginning size. Because of my experience, I recommend getting your feet wet with a small 6 inch block. That way you get to learn without being overwhelmed.
First I start with some muslin, you could use old sheets just as well, but muslin is pretty inexpensive and lightweight to use.
(***If your project is to be washable, make sure you prewash the muslin)
It's a good idea to have excess muslin around your pieced block, it makes embellishing easier and gives your hoop something to grab onto.For a 6 inch block I like to have a 10 inch square of muslin. This will leave 2 inches of muslin around your block, you can always make the muslin larger to have more room around the edges, depending on your preference.
I snip the fabric at the 10 inch mark.
Then I tear the muslin, this is easier and faster than cutting.
Then I rotate the fabric.
Measure 10 inches.
Again I snip the muslin at the 10 inch mark.
Then tear.
Then you will have a 10 inch square of muslin to work on.
Next I measure out a 6 inch square inside the muslin and mark it.
I also mark 1/4 inch out all around from the 6 inch mark. You could also make the mark 1/2 inch out or more if you feel you might need more room for seam allowance.
When finished marking there will be a 6 inch square marked and a 6 1/2 inch square marked.
Now the muslin is ready to start piecing onto.
3 comments:
Do wash your muslin first it will shrink ut to 2% sometimes
Thank you Dee for your advice! I've never washed anything I've made so I did not know that. I do spray it with water and iron it though.
Great idea, the tutorial, I am just obsessed with crazy quilting, just not enough nerve to try it on a larger scale. It started when I was gifted with a lot of velveteen pieces, ended up with a boot box full of laces my mom had collected for the last 50 years. Throw in my late aunt's button collection and now mom gave me all my dear sweet late dad's neck ties. Now to just start somewhere I suppose.
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