Going Crazy, part 2

On Wednesday night, the Sewphisticuts continued their topic of Crazy Quilting by trying to make their own crazy quilt pieces.  Most used the flip-and-sew method, attaching one piece at a time in such a way so as to cover some of the raw edge of a previous piece.  One of us used the fusing method for a small item with correspondingly small pieces.   By the end of the night, the group had a couple of pieces finished, or nearly so.

Four different takes on crazy quilting

 During the business part of the meeting, we decided on a slight schedule change for our calendar since we had nothing planned for the May meeting (left blank originally in case we had to cancel a meeting through the winter).  After some discussion, the group decided to move the July program up to May, so next month we will be sewing post-surgery pillows to donate to the local hospitals.  In July, we will probably be making personal hygiene kits for donation to Days for Girls (click on the name to open the link for more information).  So next month will be another "bring your machine" meeting, either sewing machine or serger.

We also had some Show-and-Tell.  Pictures follow.

Peggy's bag

Maura's fleece sweater

Maura's Moto jacket

Connie's quilt

A memory quilt from Connie

Judy' s vacation slacks: she's prepared to overeat!

Judy made a belt.

 

Cotton shirt from Peggy.

Peggy's convertible bag/backpack

Hello HV - ASG members!  Do you remember Margaret Hubert?  She was our speaker as last year's Annual Chapter meeting and we enjoyed her so much that we've invited her back!  

In this class, Margaret is teaching us how to create your own Free Form Bag....she'll have lots of hints & tips.  There is a small amount of easy and fun prep work, and you decide whether to use crocheting, knitting, or both in your own creation.  See the flyer below for the details and sign up ASAP.  Don't miss out on this opportunity.  (Registration will be opened up to non-members after April 1.)  Happy Spring Everyone!

Going Crazy

For our March meeting, the Sewphisticuts learned about crazy quilts.  Maura presented a brief history and some information about crazy quilt characteristics.  To summarize, crazy quilts as we know them today were first popular in Victorian times when they were a status symbol, showing that you were wealthy enough to be able to afford the luxurious fabrics.  It also indicated that you had the leisure to devote time to a purely decorative item, as these quilts were rarely used for beds, serving more often as decorative lap robes or throws to drape over a sofa or piano.

We also heard about and discussed several different techniques for making these quilts, from the original way of appliqueing pieces onto a backing by hand to more modern methods of fusing and machine-stitching.   Crazy quilts are distinguished by the use of elaborate embroidery along joins as well as in the middle of patches.  Today's embroidery machines would make it very easy to embellish a crazy quilt quickly.   Modern uses for crazy quilt pieces range from an actual bed quilt to placemats, totes, pockets, insets on clothing, Christmas ornaments, bookmarks, and other small decorative shapes.

There are numerous links online (Youtube, Pinterest, Instagram, images from any search engine) to learn how to make crazy quilts or to see a variety of designs.   Here are a few links of interest:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c79bE_djGuA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbK09aT9mJ8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5MYNqUc9kA  

Next month we will try our hand at making some crazy quilt pieces, using whichever technique each person prefers.  It will be interesting to see the results!

We also had Show and Tell:  pictures follow here.

Pat's pillow made from pieces she got from a fabric exchange friend

Shopping bags

Terry's evening bags

Peggy's loose-fit pants

Slippers

Cyndy's pull-over in a fantastic snakeskin pattern fabric

Judy's top with a twist

 

 

Teetering on the Edge

Don't worry!  No one fell off anything.  This month the Sewphisticuts were thinking about edgings, concentrating on the crocheted kind.  Group members brought along samples of crocheted trims, edges, inserts, etc.  Some were made by members while other items had been purchased or handed down through family members.  These were passed around for everyone to inspect closely.  Photos here show the variety of items we looked at.  We also had several books and articles on the topic, from trims to crocheted buttons to needle lace.  The most fantastic item was Mary D's wedding dress, which she graciously sent along even though she could not attend the meeting.  The entire dress was crocheted in an open-work style which was worn over a slip dress.  She sent along a couple of wedding photos to show the dress on that big day - thank you, Mary!

 Discussion included how to attach crochet trim to a garment edge.  I think all of us learned a little and perhaps have been inspired by some of the items we saw.  We informally decided to challenge ourselves to make some crocheted trim and use it on some other item (t-shirt, pillowcase, tablecloth, etc) before the year is out.

Crocheted embellishment made by Peggy's mother

Crocheted insert in a tablecloth

Adding crochet trim to a woven wool

Heirloom linens with crochet trim

Crochet trim livens a t-shirt sleeve

Mary D's wedding dress, crocheted by a friend.  Fabulous!

Crocheted leaves and beaded trim

Delicate trim on a pillowcase

We also had some Show-and-Tell items:  photos are included here:

Kaleidoscope quilt in the works

Chef's apron with adjustable bib strap

Boy's pajamas

Vintage knit fabric made up into a sweater jacket

Fake fur Cossack-style hat

Dresden Plate quilt

Quilt block turned into wall hanging

Embroidered tablecloth

Beautiful Christmas embroidery

Knit Reader's shawl