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Writer's picturejo morphett

Crazy Quilting Inspired Slow Stitch

What happens if you combine Slow Stitching and Victorian Crazy Quilting? Colour and Texture galore! Check out this Crazy Quilting Inspired Scroll.

a hand holds a small crazy quilt style scroll

I love how seeing it wrapped hints at the colour and texture within and how it is almost asking to be opened. Here is the Crazy Quilting Scroll unfurled:


two hands hold a crazy quilting inspired stitched scroll

The Stitched Scroll is full of colour of texture and enhanced by a variety of trims. So, how do you make a Slow Stitched piece inspired by Crazy Quilting?


Check out the full length video for all the details. And read on for a quick step-by step.



The first step is to create a fabric collage.


brightly coloured fabrics collaged onto a base

Pin all the pieces in place on a base and then baste them down.


The next step is to gather all kinds of trims, cording, lace and ribbons.


a selection of lace, trims and cords

After pulling out the trims, begin to audition them, placing them on the border between two pieces of fabric.


various trims on top of a fabric collage

Then it's time to begin sewing, couching and stitching the trims in place.


Start at one end and choose which method seems best for attaching the trim.


holding fabric in one hand and needle in the other and hand sewing a project

This cording was silky and round so it seemed like couching was the best approach. To couch the cording, you stitch over the cording without stitching into the cord.


You can choose a matching colour or a contrasting colour of thread to couch.


hand placing lace on fabric patchwork

Continue adding trim were two fabrics meet. Here a bit of lace is being added to the border of a floral and a more solid coloured fabric.


After the trims are in place, it's time to add birds, insects or animals.


hand holding miniature animal template cut outs

I chose a bird from my Mini Animal Template Set to add to the piece because it was the perfect size to fit onto a bit of green patchwork.


hands holding a pen over fabric collage with a bird template place on top

I used an erasable pen to trace the bird and then stitched the outline of the bird in white.

The next step is to embellish each patchwork section with slow stitching and hand embroidery details.


finger pointing to section of crazy quilting scroll with bird and daisies

I'm beginning to add hand stitching details by outlining the pattern of the fabric.


I'm even going to add some stitching all around the little bird.


But first, as a special detail, I will stitch a spider's web just above the bird.


finger pointing to a hand stitched spider web design

This is a nod to Victorian Crazy Quilting that often included a spider for good luck.


The web was created using the blanket stitch. Watch the full tutorial on how to create the spider's web.


a completed crazy quilting scroll with a bird and a spider web

Check out the completed scroll. This is the left section. Look how even simple stitches in varying colours add so much texture.


finger pointing to completed crazy quilt scroll with floral details

And here is the right side of the scroll. So many hints of floral here but again, just simple slow stitching to enhance all the colours and trims.


If this quick how-to has inspired you to make your own Crazy Quilt inspired slow stitching piece, check out the full tutorial on my YouTube channel to get all the details.


Happy Stitching!

~Jo

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