Crazy Quilts

The Queensland Women's Historical Assoc.
Crazy patchwork quilt in velvets with cotton backing. "Possibly the maker intended to have a final backing layer." [Q.W.H.A.] Herringbone stitch in a silk thread is embroidered over the joins of the velvet pieces.
1372 x 864mm
Art Gallery of South Australia
Patchwork crazy quilt in silks, cotton and velvet has an appliquéd golden brown velvet star with black points in the centre. All seams have embroidery, mainly herringbone or feather stitch. The outer border is a light tan velvet. Quilt has a variety of appliquéd and embroidered motifs, including horseshoes, tennis rackets, kettle, cross tombstone, butterflies, hearts and an emu. Backing unknown. Handsewn.
2025 x 2680mm
Annette Gero
Small quilt probably made for a child's doll or for a pram. It is entirely made of white broderie anglais pieced in a crazy patchwork style. There is a wide lace border around the quilt.
740 x 580mm
Wanda McPherson
Patchwork Victorian style crazy quilt with 100s of irregular shaped pieces of velvet, silk, cotton sateen, brocade, ribbons and beading. Many pieces have been embroidered with decorative motifs or names. The centre olive green velvet piece is embroidered 'DC 1898', another 'Mother', two names are just readable - 'Louise' and 'Constance A Kenworth'. Several sprigs of raised wattle and leaves are also embroidered on black velvet. Patchwork has a 13cm wide border of olive green velvet with a twisted cord of 3 greens stitched to the edge. Padding is of white cotton flannelette, backing of mid brown cotton sateen.
1580mm x 1400mm
Pat Stevenson
Crazy patchwork stitched on to an old sheet. Machine constructed with 2 sides similar. It is made from left over dressmaking materials of the fifties. The 2 sides with cotton wadding in between are bound together with a 55mm pink and white gingham binding.
1803 x 1398mm
National Trust of Australia (WA)
Hand sewn crazy patchwork quilt, mainly cottons with some rayon and one nylon patch, mostly dress materials with some furnishing cottons. All seams are embroidered in feather stitch in blue embroidery thread stitched through to a calico backing. 3 sides have a wide border of mid green cotton machine stitched on.
2240 x 1670mm
Maria Finlayson
Crazy patch with frame centre set on point; worked in silks. Surrounding area pieced mainly in velvets and corduroys, with some more silks. A wide border of bright turquoise corduroy. Seams are covered with feather stitch. Quilt includes boy sout badge, union jack badge, Indian type medallion and initials 'IOR' in metallic thread. There is no padding and it is backed with green gingham.
1730 x 1325mm
Beverley Edmonds
Patchwork crazy quilt made from pieces of taffeta, brocade, grosgrain fabric and ribbon, silk velvet, and jacquard woven furnishing fabrics, mostly silk, with some cotton. The colours are a mixture of darks, brights, and light patches. Centre patch has crudely painted flowers and leaves. All seams are embroidered with feather stitch in cream cotton thread. Backing is of calico, which is stained. Handsewn.
1423 x 1372mm
Kathy Allam
"A crazy quilt, but even more crazy because each piece of fabric is stuffed with cotton wool. "[Kathy Allam] The quilt has cotton backing, and the seams are embroidered with a decorative feather stitch. Fabrics are plains and prints, most of the prints are florals. The main colours are yellows, blues, pinks, soft greens and dark browns and black, with a light blue/green binding and edge.
King Cottage Museum
Crazy patchwork quilt in silks, brocades, velvets and cottons, each piece outlined in double herringbone stitches worked in yellow silk thread. Some pieces are embroidered in long stitch in silk and feature flowers such as fuchsias, water lilies, daisies. There are also birds, oriental figures, Kate Greenaway figures. There is no padding and the pieces are stitched on to white cotton. The backing is polished black cotton and the layers are fastened with yellow ties. The quilt is finished around the edge with black cord with 2 loops and a black fringed tassel at each corner. 1580 x 1500 mm.
Helen Hancock
Fragment of a crazy patchwork quilt hand stitched in cottons, silks, silk velvets and silk brocades. Variety of fancy stitches including blanket, feather, herringbone worked in various kinds of cottons and some chenille thread. There is also some beading. The backing is red cotton. The fragment is now framed.
484mm x 484mm
Ida Blenkiron
Crazy patchwork quilt top for single bed, made from cotton patches in plains, checks, stripes and florals, machine pieced directly on to a backing of brown, yellow and white check cotton. A saxe blue cotton headcloth gathered skirt or flounce is on three sides, split at the sides. 1920 x 95omm
Pat Stevenson
Double sided quilt constructed from large irregular shaped pieces of dress materials from the fifties. They are machine sewn onto old sheeting and there is a turquoise and white print binding 45mm wide. The padding is cotton wadding.
1245 x 712mm
Amanda Smith
Quilt pieced from scraps machine sewn on to calico pieces including printed bags. The backing is wholecloth, cretonne.
1423 x 1347mm
Benall & District Historical Society
Crazy patchwork quilt in mostly dark colours made from velvet and silk. Centre panel has a circular piece made from 9 triangles. This panel is in a grey [velvet] frame or border. Seams are stitched over with herringbone stitch in different coloured threads, and some other decorative stitches are used. Quilt is dotted with 'stars'. Backing is a cotton fabric printed with bunches of pink roses on a blue and white ground. Padded, and qulted with widely spaced rows of machine stitching. Quilt is edged with bias.
1520 x 1460mm
Di Tement
Crazy patchwork piece, probably a table runner. Each end is pieced differently. The backing is an open weave cotton. There is no padding.
900 x 435mm
Sally Mitchell
Crazy quilt of mainly synthetic dress materials. Top stitched by machine on to a mattress ticking base.
1450 x 1150mm
Miles Historical Village & Museum
Patchwork crazy quilt with patches of cotton, rayon, velvet and cotton blends. Colours are predominantly pastels. Red herringbone stitch joins each patch and also stitches it to the calico backing. No padding.
2261 x 1525mm
Diane Kern Hamilton
Crazy quilt made in 3 sections. Fabrics are wools, cottons, velvets and silks and there are some silk chintzes. All the seams have been stitched with either wool, silk or cotton using either herringbone stitch or other decorative stitches such as sun bursts and daisies. A few black pieces have been embroidered eg. an umbrella, pansies, a red butterfly. There is no padding and the backing is cotton in a small houndstooth pattern. 2040 x 1700mm.
Jeanette and Ian Hahn
Crazy quilt or wall hanging in mainly silks and velvets with elaborate decorative stitching over seams and embellishment with beads, braids, lace and crochet There are paisley and flower patterns and a central area with diagonally opposite patterns. At one border is an embroidered and patchwork grape leaf design with five leaves and a bunch of grapes of velvet covered material. Braided piping is around the entire edge. It is not padded. There is a cotton backing.
1480 x 810mms

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