Carli The Quilter

Hi and welcome to my blog! If you want to start right now making a crazy quilt block use my tutorial link below. Crazy Quilt Piecing Tutorial No planning or real decisions should go into making a crazy quilt block. This is of course my opinion and each one of us makes different choices along the way, I just plunk down prints or plain fabric scraps that appeal to me, onto any sized foundation fabric and I get busy. Its important to have less bulk when machine embroiderying or using a regular sewing machine to do some fancy stitches along the seams. Once your original crazy pieced block is finished to your liking, then I pull fabrics to place around the block to proceed with finishing. At this point its just like you are finishing a regular quilt block or top. I usually try to make the border big enough that the center block is nicely framed. This alternate color print is too much for this block, it loses its loveliness in the busy print as seen be...

Progress on my book "Artisan Crazy Quilting" is going well, with so much behind the scenes that I cannot share just yet. I'm so glad to be back to a new Crazy Quilt project. A gift of handmade art for a special lady. I incorporated some favorite colors and was given the freedom to design. This little gem is soon be making its way across the ocean. I had to complete it in very  little time, you can see my special approach to crazy quilting is totally moving towards a different kind of voice within the world of crazy quilting. I am totally smitten with circles, they are finding their way into my dreams. Last night it was a Ferris wheel against a sunset! I was having such fun and in my dreams, I simply don't feel vertigo that I do in real life!! I will be place something on the corners, its all an experience every time I make a crazy quilt of any kind. I reused a luscious graduation gown into this piece. But the champagne color le...

Many of you out there online are just discovering crazy quilting . Some of you though are just as experienced as I am with this form of art. So do add your own spin in a comment at the end. I've been asked at workshops what makes my crazy quilted pieces look old fashioned. This was not an intentional act on my part, simply a happy accident. But from all the comments at workshops and this blog, its made me rethink what it is that I do. The following are my own thoughts on what makes a crazy quilt look 'old fashioned.' I rarely use only 100% cotton. I love slippery fabric with some stretch to it. I often include bits and pieces of used clothing into my work. I mix and sort through shades and I do use a color chart occasionally. I often don't really "THINK" about it. I believe that this thinking about is what turns people off. I also don't believe in calling a quilt "crazy quilting" just because you may have done some embroidery on th...

Everyone has a different slant on traditional foundation stitches. In this photo, you can see that the yellow ribbon is actually yellow fine gauze type of fabric. I liked it so in it went into this piece. Machine embroidery is another way that you can embellish your cq's with and many it have done professionally or do it themselves. It falls into "machine embroidery embellishment." I don't use a lot of machine embroidery of this a large design, but I think it looks really funky in the right setting. My fish-mates found solace in books on this rainy day of fishing. I turned to my stitching projects. I think this is "true" embellishment in the purchased netting of orange and beige, bottom right. In the center of this cq piece, I've used some sparkly braid from my upholstering materials. It fits right in and with crazy quilting, I do not believe in boundaries. The freedom to create is what I think crazy quilting is all abo...

Just a wee bit of non-thinking goes into this piece. STARTING WITH NOT THINKING AT ALL. LET THE CLOTHING DO THE TALKING AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. TRY IT! It started with the challenge #makedoquilt on Instagram. Now comes the stitching. Happy Quilting to my faithful followers, who have stuck by my side through all of this moving and unpacking business!! You Rock!

Hello everyone, thanks to those who emailed me inquiring about my whereabouts! That is so cool, that people are paying attention and wondered about me, so sweet! I am back and have this fun little quilt that is coming out in a new pattern next week!   This little crazy love started out as a fun crazy project and suddenly it became a table runner. I've put my book aside until the new year. This frees me up to concentrate on gift making and finishing up a few other projects too! I have only one small area to finish up with the hand quilting, then I'll move onto the outer border with free motion machine quilting. This has been really fun to do and so many ideas popped into my head doing this one. The cream fabric is 100% organic cotton from my shop long ago and the darker fabrics are from Daisy Janie line. And this little quilt top became a table runner because as a baby quilt, it just didn't do anything for me! Even though many of you thought the c...

Early last winter, I decided to check into the Google + communities and was surprised to find no one had started a page for crazy quilting. And so, that is how I became an owner of this community- Crazy Quilting Community. Now, onto the reason why I started the community? I have spent loads of time looking around and seeing who is doing what. I have come to find some dedicated crazy quilters and many of them are doing lots of gorgeous embroidery. For me, its all about the embroidery. Really it is. But embellisment is really a super individual choice on what is used and how. I tend to gravitate towards those crazy quilts with more hand embroidery than frilly embellishments. I know you'll love joining up and posting on my new Crazy Quilting Community Page. And its growing so fast, its amazing how fast one of these grew really! So some small rules are in place. I didn't want to restrict people from sharing what they are working o...

This little piece is coming along. I want it to be a total secret when its done.

I'm not going to say  "where"  on the block you should start. But I choose to start in the middle almost 100%. Then I decide on another color for the 2nd piece. I place good side down on top of one side of the original center piece. Pin it down and sew, clip threads not too close. Then add another good side down, etc. But this one adds a little pizazz to the block. sew down until you are happy with the new potential shape is created. The fold over this new section so you can see that a "V" has been created. See where I've put a sticky "STOP" and then you take this yellow section, fold over and see where you are. The I decided to go to the other side of the new CQ piecing expedition and placed the blue piece in, sew it down, making sure to always cover ANY raw edges. After the blue is sewn down, pressed, onto the next flowery fabric, again cover all seams, sew it down and press. I am a total believer in sewin...

I n an effort to get some projects done, I've decided on these for June, wish me luck! These little cuties were intended for project and didn't quite get done yet. I have several crazy quilted projects on the go. This was the project I participated in with Paper Pieced Bowls and my salmon. This at least has a name, Pretty Petals but yet unfinished. This is winter crazy block that does need to be done. This is a recycled wool wall project. This is my version of Midnight Over the Oasis of Jen Kingwell's pattern. I'm off to give this bunch a good go at completing these for June. Happy Quilting everyone! Carli

I know many of you are admirers and makers of crazy quilts. How do I know this, I follow a lot of blogs and many of you are happily making awesome crazy quilting pieces and so a new community on Google + was really necessary. This post is all about why would you want to participate? 1. Crazy quilts are very popular. 2. If you make crazy quilts, even one, then we'd love to see you post with a description and a photo. 3. Crazy quilting is something that maybe you'd attract one more person to start a little crazy projects. 4. People love to see crazy quilts and the variety of crazy quilters is astounding and we are sure to attract viewers. 5. Heck, I started the google+ community-Crazy Quilting just last weekend and already we are 44 strong! 6. Do read the guidelines for this community because this community is not about selling your work, but rather sharing your joy of making the crazy piece. Come one, join us, its already a merry bunch!! C...