Quilt-As-You-Go Crazy Quilt Block
This tutorial will show you how to make a quilt-as-you-go crazy quilt block (or panel) using the Join and Flip Quilt As You Go Method.
There are lots of different ways to make ‘crazy quilts’. This particular method is done entirely by machine and is best for:
- Large panels/blocks that can be used as cushion covers; placemats; coasters; mug rugs; bags, etc
- Progressive crazy quilts that you add to over time as you collect scraps of fabric and batting.
Table of Contents
Materials Needed
- A pile of coordinated fabric scraps (palm-sized or larger). I used a range of quilting cotton, corduroy, velvet, and denim.
- Batting scraps (palm-sized or larger).
- Scraps for backing fabric (similar sizes to the pile of scraps you will use for the front of your piece).
What is a Crazy Quilt?
A crazy quilt is a concept that has been around for a long time.
It was popular in Victorian times and involves using irregularly shaped patches of fabric of all types from velvet to silk and more.
They were traditionally stitched on to a foundation and joined with embroidery stitches to cover the raw edges.
They were often used as memorial quilts or to commemorate important events. They were often decorative rather than functional but not always.
My Version of a Crazy Quilt
The concept of crazy quilting has evolved over time and today you will find a myriad of versions of the ‘crazy quilt’.
This tutorial is how I approach the ‘crazy quilt’ but it is neither the most traditional nor the most used method out there!
Back in the day, crazy quilts had ‘crazy’ colors, but I like to pick color ‘families’ so that what I end up with is more pleasing to my personal taste. But anything goes so if you want to go totally random – go for it!
I developed this method for my crazy quilts when I was playing with my favorite quilt-as-you-go method. I wanted to see if I could use the same method for a crazy quilt so that is where this came from.
NOTE: I don’t give precise measurements for this method – it is closer to an ‘improv’ or crumb quilting approach.
Step 1: Quilt Your First Patch
Start with a patch about the size of your palm or a little larger.
Find a batting and backing scrap of a similar size.
Sandwich the 3 layers together and quilt as desired. This is a great opportunity to test out quilting ideas, fancy stitches on your machine or just practice a quilting technique you haven’t done a lot on a small scale.
You’ll notice from the images that the batting and backing are not cut precisely. This is fine as there is a trimming step before we add the next patch.
Traditional crazy quilts don’t tend to have these additional quilting lines inside the patches but I like the look and I think they give an added element of whimsey!
We want to start our ‘crazy’ quilt off with a piece that has some odd angles so if your quilted patch is a square cut some angles into a couple of the corners to make it a 5 or 6-sided patch rather than 4-sided. This will help give you the ‘crazy quilt’ look.
Step 2: Add Your Second Patch
To add your second patch find a scrap that is a similar length on one side to one of the sides of your starting patch.
Find a piece of batting and backing that is a similar size to patch 2.
Make a sandwich in this order:
- Backing fabric for Patch 2 right side up.
- Patch 1 above that backing side down.
- Top fabric for Patch 2 right side down.
- Batting for Patch 2 at the top.
You need one straight edge where all of these layers can line up with each other.
Use a straight stitch with a 1/4″ seam (and your walking foot!) to stitch all of these layers together.
If this is your first time using the Join & Flip Quilt as you Go Method – see this post for more. Also see the video tutorial at the end of this post.
When you open up the two patches front and back you will find that the raw edges are encased inside the join.
Optionally you can trim the batting in the seam before opening or even leave the batting out of patch 2 unit this point and then slide it in before quilting. [See the video tutorial below for more on this]
Step 3: Embellishing Stitches
Pick a fun stitch on your sewing machine – this could be a zig zag stitch or an embroidery stitch – and sew directly over the seam line between the two units – this will give that crazy quilt look to it.
Then you can optionally add additional quilting lines on Patch 2 or add other ‘crazy quilt’- type embellishments like the year or a name.
Finally, trim your unit of the two joined patches so that you have straight edges on all sides, remember to add some odd angles here and there to keep your piece ‘wonky’.
Step 4: Repeat for as many Patches as desired
To continue your block you simply repeat step 2 on different sides of the unit.
Each time you add a new patch:
- Use the join & flip method to hide the seams
- Pick a fun stitch to quilt over the seam line – fell free to change this to a different stitch each time and use up the ends of funky colored threads you might have cluttering your space!
- Add additional quilting lines or embellishments if desired
- Trim your unit so you have more straight edges to join another patch to
- Remember to cut in some funny angles to keep the wonky look going
- Alternate the sides you are joining to each time to make the whole piece take shape in every direction.
You can keep building your panel to whatever size you like.
Step 5: Squaring Up & Finishing
If you have a size in mind it is worth measuring every now and again to see how much larger you need to make it before you square it up.
This is my finished block which I cut to a rectangular size.
I like how you can see all the different quilting designs on the back. I used all the same fabric for my backing, but if you used different fabrics for the back you would have a totally reversible crazy quilt!
You can of course square your blocks up to a set size, 10″ or 12″ for example, and then join them using a quilt-as-you-go method that uses a version of joining strips – you can see more on different QAYG methods here.
I personally don’t like using joining strips though, so I wouldn’t use this method in that way. I would either use it for smaller projects or continue one block into an entire quilt.
I am giving a QAYG Crazy Quilt Zoom Workshop at the beginning of December 2024 where I will be going into more detail about how you can expand on this method to make a full quilt. You can get more details here.
For this piece however, I decided to make a cushion with my crazy quilt panel.
I trimmed my panel to 20″ x 16″ and used more velvet scraps to make an envelope backing for my cushion.
I also made my own cushion insert and stuffed it with the scraps from this project as well as other batting scraps from around my sewing room.
I love how my cushion turned out and I am looking forward to chatting more about this method and how to use it in my upcoming workshop.
