Crazy quilts became popular during Victorian times. Each block of a crazy quilt is made from asymmetrical pieces of fabric arranged abstractly. Fabrics used in early crazy quilts were usually silks, velvets, and brocades with decorative stitching on each seam. Embroidery was added to the crazy quilts with motifs such as flowers and animals. A spider was often embroidered into the crazy quilt for good luck. Because of all of the hand work and expensive fabrics, these quilts were often used as decoration rather than for their functional value. Later crazy quilts were made with more common fabrics and personalized with embroidery or remembered clothing scraps.
Today’s crazy quilters abide by the original premise of abstractly arranging asymmetrical pieces of fabric and including embroidery in the blocks, but also take advantage of the many different fabrics and motifs that are available today. Karla Upton, a Marie, West Virginia quilter and art teacher, will present nine modern examples of crazy quilt blocks at the Giles County Historical Society on Friday, July 10th beginning at 1:30pm. Each block has stories and memories to enjoy along with their beauty.
Upton enjoyed working in pastels and acrylics prior to catching the crazy quilting bug and her expertise is apparent in the blocks she will show. “Embroidery thread is my paint,” Upton said when discussing the depth of color within her embroidered motifs. “I had a rule, that if I used a printed fabric, I had to do something to it.” said Upton. The results are embroidered paisleys, cats, deer, flowers, and, in one case, a bee alight on a flower in a print. The embroidery colors often closely match the colors of the original print, though sometimes the colors are changed slightly to improve the colors or hide an oddity in an original fabric. For example, a cloud is added to cover a portion of a repeating motif that looked odd out of context. Upton’s crazy quilt blocks exhibit a wide range of colors and textures created by the fabric and embroidery. Included are the more typical satins and velvets as well as neck ties and a piece of her mother’s handkerchief. Smooth satin stitches and groups of bumpy French knots or bullion stitches create greatly varied textures. Applique is also used.
The Giles County Historical Society and the Giles Arts Council invite you to attend Karla Upton’s presentation to enjoy her beautiful work and get some inspiration for your own projects!
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