BellaOnline Forums Hobbies and Crafts Quilting 1st Crazy Quilt. Please help.

Hi, I've never done any quilting before, but I would like to make a crazy quilt from some of my daughters baby clothes. The trouble is I don't really know where to start.

Could anyone give me any advice as to how to start, or recommend something I could read, bearing in mind I am in the UK and we do not always get the same publications, so online might be better.

I had thought of overlocking (serging), the peices I wanted in a contrasting colour, then sewing them straight onto a backing of cotton. Once I filled the backing I could add wadding and a backing fabric.

I don't know if I'm upto quilting by hand, (my old sewing machine certainly isn't), but thought I could either use a series of pretty buttons sewn through the layers or a friend mentioned a tying method using narrow ribbon.

The fabrics will be a mix of all fabrics, so I know there will be a risk of it puckering, however I am hoping this will be reduced by the fact that they will all have been washed so many times already.

Can anyone see any serious problems with this idea, or should I just go ahead and see what happens? As I said, this is my first project so I am aware I could have a big hole im my plan...

Any advice or thoughts appreiciated.

Thank you.

Any thoughts? Anyone? Please.

Hi junerose,

Here are some links that might help:

[url=BellaOnline ALERT: For anti-spam reasons, we restrict the number of URLs allowed in a given post. You have exceeded our maximum number of URLs.

your idea of sewing the pieces onto a backing material...in effect making 2 layers of fabric (least thats how I unnderstand it) will reduce the amount of puckering as will sewing through them slowly. My Great Great Grandmothers quilts are all - of course - done by hand...especially the bits of thread that hold the batting in place. I personally like the idea of using buttons - particularily if they are from the original articles of clothing to hold the batting et al together. Another point would be to decide how big you want to make it. Do you want this to be something that she can use now, or are you going to save it and add on as she gets older and give to her say at her wedding or her own baby's shower? What I mean is crib sized versus a doouble bed size.
just things to ponder....Good Luck!!

Thank you for the links, the first one is pretty much what I was planning, but I feel alot more confident now.

Thank you Wendy Tall One, for your help. I was worried I was missing something really obvious to someone with more experience.

She will be moving into her first big bed in a few weeks, so I'm planning on making it into a throw for the bottom of the bed. I think I will do a couple of smaller ones first to make into cushions, and see what happens.

I will let you know how I get on.
Thanks again.
Junerose.