• Table of Contents
• How to Embroider With Silk Floss
  • Preventing tangling or knotting problems...
  • Rough Hands 
• Tools for Organizing and Storing Threads
• Crazy Quilt Block Patterns
• How to make a crazy quilt block by hand - flip and sew method
• How to make a crazy quilt block by hand
• How to make a crazy quilt block by machine 
• How to make a crazy quilt block by paper piecing
• Crazy Quilt blocks embellished
• How to assemble crazy quilt blocks into a quilt top
• How to quilt a crazy quilt
  • Hand Tying Quilts
  • Machine Tying
  • Hand Quilting in the Ditch
  • Machine Quilting in the Ditch
• Crazy Quilt borders
• Chinese Embroidery

How to Embroider With Silk Floss

Preventing tangling or knotting problems...

Things You'll Need:

Rough Hands 

The most common issue stitchers have with silk threads and fine fabrics is rough fingers that snag the threads. Apply a non-greasy lotion made for fabric and thread work, then buff your hands on a clean towel until smooth and dry.  A special lotion is available at fine fabric shops and worth the few extra $ they cost. For handling and sorting my threads, I also like to wear my quilting gloves.

Step 1 – thread length

Your silk threads are "twisted silk" flosses.  Cut a 12-inch length of thread.  A good working length of thread is the distance from your thumb to your elbow and that length should separate into two strands by un-twisting the thread gently.  So carefully untwist the twined strands that make up the length of thread until you have the separate lengths of silk floss needed.  If tangling is problematic, use a shorter length until you get comfortable with it; shorter lengths also 'wear' less as you use them. 

Step 2 – dampen separate strands

Separate out one strand, hold it taut between the thumb and forefinger of each hand, and pull it back and forth across the damp sponge to wet it through. This will loosen the crinkles in the floss caused by the tight twining technique used to form the thread, allow a straighter strand that will be easier to use. Repeat with all remaining lengths.

Step 3  -  # of strands

Combine two to six lengths of strands, side-by-side, to make a 12-inch length of floss. Use more strands for thicker stitches or satin-stitch work, fewer for fine details.

Step 4 – embroidery hoop or frame

Secure your fabric into an embroidery hoop or frame that’s large enough to encompass your entire embroidery design. Silk embroidery will be damaged if you move the frame or hoop over each work area as it is completed.

Step 5 – thread the needle with the grain

Thread the floss strands into a sharp crewel needle with the grain of the thread. Select a needle with an eye only slightly larger than the combined floss strands, so that the floss will stay in place as you stitch. If the floss strands slide back and forth inside the eye as you stitch, it will fray the floss, making it increasingly difficult to slide the fine threads through the fabric. 

Thread has a 'grain', so if while embroidering you get tangles or knots; remove the thread from your needle and thread the other end of the thread into the needle. 

Beeswax is used to coat embroidery threads. The wax strengthens the thread and gives it a smooth coating. If tangling or knotting are still problems, try running the length of thread through the slot in the plastic wax case before separating.   Brush off any excess wax from the thread before sewing with it.   The beeswax is especially good for gold work so that the metal threads are less likely to snag on the sewing thread and shred it. 

Step 6

Straighten and flatten the floss strands before each stitch, and make tiny stitches for the prettiest, most delicate embroidery, and to maximize the lustre and shine of the silk.

Tools for Organizing and Storing Threads

 How you organize and store your silk threads really comes down to personal preference, but below are some recommendations, and some online sites that show various tools for the job.  Organizing these is a great project while watching TV.   

 Thread bobbin cards stored in plastic divider cases. Wind your thread gently onto each bobbin and file in your case according to your color organizing scheme. This is a great ‘at a glance’ selection option; but it is time consuming to wrap the 461 colors on bobbin cards; but so worth it.  These products are readily available at more craft and fabric stores, and are reasonably priced.

DMC Floss Organizers and 3" DMC Metal Rings -    to organize, sort and store  threads.  Each plastic holder usually has 14 holes to hold embroidery floss and come in various shapes and colors (butterfly, horse, etc.)  Several holders can  hang on each 3" ring by colour groups; and the metal ring also has a hanger hook.  The plastic holder shapes are readily available at fabric and craft shops, as well as the $store.   

 Floss-A-Way Econo Pack With 3" Ring - 100 Bags – consists of 100 small zip lock bags and a 3” ring with hanger hook.   Personally, I don't use the little zip-lock bags as I find them too small for easy access and you have to scrunch up your threads. The snack size bag is easier to use, and you can hang these on a ring if you punch a hole in them yourself.  The $store carries small zip lock bags, but verify they have the punched hole.  

Home-made Rigid Plastic Sheets with punched holes – hang on the 3” metal rings   You can use is a rigid plastic sheet with large holes punched. Insert the thread through and loop-tie to loosely secure.   Punching holes ¼” to ½” may require a special paper punch or a drill bit.  (Rigid plastic cutting board sheets are available from the $store)  For short-term use, substitute cardboard; but it is not for long-term storage as cardboard & fibres aren’t compatible.  
 

Stitch-bows filed in plastic sheets placed into a binder....  great for traveling to the cottage or classes.  This may be an expensive option, and time consuming to wrap the 461 colors on separate bows.  These supplies are readily available at fabric & department stores in the embroidery section.

 Snack-size zip lock bags  Divide floss into small colour-groups and put them into snack-size zip lock bags so they don’t get tangled or soiled.   This can be temporary while you organize your threads or it can be as good a way as any for permanent sorting and storage. Clear plastic shoe boxes are good for filing the baggies. 

STORING ... I recommend storing your floss as you would your fine fabric:  in a cool dark place, such as in a closet or a drawer.  This protects against light fading and dust.

 
A few suppliers for various storage tools ....

Arts & Crafts stores, fabric stores, department stores, the Dollar Stores, etc.   Search for the various tools through your favorite on-line search engine.

Crazy quilt is an expressionistic quilt using randomly pieced fancy fabrics which are then embellished with embroidery stitches on almost every seam and patch.

Crazy Quilt Block Patterns

The inspiring and informative books on Crazy Quilting by J. Marsha Michler  and  Judith Baker Montano  provide you with several  templates for blocks and teach you how to devise your own attractive variations.

Sharon Boggon's wonderful crazy quilt site will provide tons of inspiration is designing your own crazy quilt blocks.

http://inaminuteago.com/cq-samplerquilt/quiltindex.html

One of many web sites for more blocks, stitches, and crazy quilt projects:
http://www.nmia.com/~mgdesign/qor/styles/crazy/crzayqlt.htmries

How to make a crazy quilt block by hand - flip and sew method

How to make a crazy quilt block by hand

http://henriettashandbags.com/crazy_quilt_pattern.html

Antique Method of Crazy Quilting - This is called the "antique method" because it is believed that this type of crazy quilting was used for the antique quilts that still exist today.   Start with a foundation – I recommend muslin in a 14" x 14" square just to get the feel of what you are doing. Start by cutting and laying a piece of fabric in the corner of your muslin. Lay a second patch either underlying or overlying the first piece by a little more than 1/2". Continue until the entire piece of muslin is covered with pieces of fabric that you pin in place.

Now go back to the first piece of fabric and press under the overlapped edges and pin in place. Continue with each patch, pressing and pinning until every patch is finished. If you want any trimmings, such as lace, ribbon, etc., now is the time to add this special touch to your design by also pinning it in place. Now sew you pieces together and to the muslin foundation.   Your square is now ready for embellishment and decorative embroidery.

Landscape Method of Crazy Quilting - Using the Landscape Method is easier than the "Antique" Method because you don't have to constantly make decisions on which edges will be turned under because each patch is finished as you go. Patches with 90 degree angle or other large angles are better to use in this method because the corners will finish easier. The term "landscape" comes from the way the patches used in this method tend to look like a landscape, giving the impression of rolling hills.

Start at one corner and place your patch, pressing under the edges. Continue placing patches and fill the bottom of your foundation piece of fabric (muslin, cotton, flannelette). When placing your quilting patches, tuck one side under another and press the edges that are exposed. Keep patching until you have filled up your muslin.

Continue adding patches in this manner and keep sewing with your machine. If it becomes impossible to use the machine, turn them under and press with your iron and sew by hand.

How to make a crazy quilt block by machine 

Sew and Flip Method by Henrietta Timmons - Start with a foundation such as muslin measuring no larger than 12" x 12". Your beginning patch should be about 4" x 4" and 5 sided.  Take your second patch and lay it on the first with right sides together. Sew along one side leaving about 1/4" at the ends of this fabric patch. Do not backstitch because you may have to remove some stitches from the ends.

Keep adding patches and cut away any excess fabric from previous patches. Have all your fabric pieces with straight edges for ease in sewing and continually iron to keep your fabric from puckering. This is the fastest method but you don't have as much control over your pattern.

How to Machine Piece Crazy Quilts
http://www.loopylace.com/crazyquiltstudio/lessons/piecing.htm 

How to make a crazy quilt block by paper piecing

Paper Pieced Crazy Quilt Blocks

Materials:
Tracing paper: I recommend using tracing paper, or a thin typing paper, or plain newsprint from a pad.  There is also tear away paper sold specifically for quilting.

Fabrics: silks, satins, velvets & other fancy fabric worthy of an embroidered heirloom quilt.

 Sewing Thread: Excellent quality machine quilting thread. (Absolutely, do not use bargain threads on a quilt you put a lot of work into and want to last.)

STEPS:

Print out the crazy quilt block pattern on your printer, in the block size you wish to try. 

Put a piece of fabric face up on the center. Make sure the fabric hangs over the edges of the seam line.

Put another strip of fabric face down on top of the first piece of fabric. Set your sewing machine stitch to fairly small (this will perforate the paper to make it easier to remove later).

Sew the two pieces together along the seam line.

Open the fabric so both pieces are facing up, and press/iron to flatten them.  Use a pressing cloth to protect your fabrics.

Repeat this process with other scraps of fabric, working clockwise around from the center to the outside. Iron, iron, iron.

Press each seam and repeat this process until the whole square is covered with fabric. Make sure there is no part of the paper showing!   Using a pressing cloth,  iron completed quilt blocks on your quilt from the back first and then lightly from the front. Do not apply pressure because this may stretch and distort the fabric. Instead, rely on lots of steam.

Okay, now the square looks funky, right? Not really like a square exactly, anymore.  Turn over and trim excess fabric.  Admire your new cool square!

Now, the real fun starts with the embellishing of the blocks. It is highly recommended that you add most of your embellishments before you sew your blocks together.  Obviously, embellishing the block joint seams must be done after!

To make a quilt, sew these squares into rows. Then sew the rows together. (Try to match up the seams between each square with the seams of the squares next to them.)  See below for more details for assembling the quilt top.

Crazy Quilt blocks embellished

How to assemble crazy quilt blocks into a quilt top

Before sewing your completed blocks together to form the quilt top, decide how many blocks you need to form a row, and how many rows you need to form the quilt top.  Allow for borders and binding in your quilt top measurements.

Before you start to sew, lay out your quilt top on a clean surface that is large enough to accommodate the entire top.  Place the blocks in rows that make a pleasing arrangement, color coordinated if you wish.  Once you have arrived at the final layout you are almost ready to start sewing. 

Next, I would take a digital picture of the quilt top, upload it to the computer and review the design to determine if further changes are required to enhance the final product.  Once you are satisfied, number the rows.

Stack each row's blocks together in order, and place each row in a bag, and write the row # on the bag.

Sew the blocks together to form rows. Press the seams. Fold and place back in the row numbered bag until all the rows are finished.

When all rows are finished, sew the rows together in your predetermined number order. 

Press the completed quilt top before basting it to a batting and backing. Do not press a quilt once the batting has been added, because this will flatten it.  Not all crazy quilts have batting added to them.

After following one of the quilting methods reviewed, give your quilt a finished look by adding a lovely border.

How to quilt a crazy quilt

Quilting -- stitching that goes through all three layers of a quilt -- is both functional and decorative. On a crazy quilt it is more functional than decorative as it is used to hold the batting in place and attach the backing to the quilt top
whether batting is used or not.  

Crazy quilts can be quilted using any of the three methods:  tying, hand quilting, or machine quilting.

Tying, hand quilting or machine quilting would be done “in the ditch” of the block seams prior to embellishing those particular seams.   Crazy quilts are so heavily embellished with embroidery, beads, ribbons, buttons, and motifs that decorative overall quilting designs would detract from, if not ruin, the effect of the embellishments on the quilt top.

The following methods have been slightly adapted from the an article on this at  http://home.howstuffworks.com/quilting-techniques.htm

Hand Tying Quilts

The fastest way to secure the layers of a quilt (top, batting, and backing) together is to tie them.

Baste as usual with quilting safety pins, starting at the center and radiating to the outside edges, placing your pins out of the line of sewing so they do not interfere with your stitching.

Thread a needle with a long piece of embroidery floss, yarn, or pearl cotton.

Using a deeply curved needle, at regular intervals and at seam joints (every four inches, at most) take a single stitch through the three layers of quilt.  Continue with this running stitch in rows, up and down your entire quilt, adding new thread as necessary.  When you finish your running stitch for the quilt, cut the thread mid-way between your single "tying" stitch.  

After you have clipped the threads, tie the "tying stitch" thread in a double square knot and trim the thread to a consistent length, usually 1/2 or 1 inch.

Machine Tying

If you prefer, you can tie your quilt by machine. Baste as usual with thread or with quilting safety pins.

Your machine “tying” will be done with a “bartack” stitch at seam junctions or where it does not interfere with your decorative stitching.  If your machine makes decorative stitches, you can make the ties more decorative by using one of the many decorative stitches instead of the bartack stitch. 

If your machine does not have a “bartack” stitch, you can simulate it with the following instruction:  Set the stitch length and width at 0. Take several stitches and then increase the stitch width to a wide setting. Make about eight stitches and return the stitch width to 0. Make several stitches and clip the threads.

Place the basted quilt on the machine and make sure all the layers are smooth. 

Just as with most quilting, start in the center and work your way outward.

Using whichever tack or decorative stitch you have decided upon, stitch it until it is complete. Raise the pressure foot, move to the next spot on the quilt, lower pressure foot and stitch the tack stitch.  Don't cut the threads, just keep moving and tacking until you have 1/4 of the quilt done. Then turn the quilt and do the next quarter, working from the center out, and repeat with the other half/two quarters until the whole quilt has been tied.

Remove the quilt from the machine, and spread it on a table. Using FrayStop (it dries clear, and soft and doesn't wash out) put a very small dab on each tack stitch and let them all dry.

Once they are dry, very carefully clip the threads from one side of the quilt, going from stitch to stitch as they were sewn, then flip the whole thing over and trim them on the other side.

Hand Quilting in the Ditch

Baste as usual with quilting safety pins, starting at the center and radiating to the outside edges, placing your pins out of the line of sewing so they do not interfere with your stitching.

Again, with a heavily embellished crazy quilt, even the hand quilting will be done “in the ditch”.   

Some quilters hold their work unsupported in their lap when they quilt. Most quilters, however, prefer to use some sort of quilting hoop or frame to hold the quilt stretched out. This makes it easier to stitch with an even tension and helps to prevent puckering and tucks.

Use quilting needles for hand quilting. The smaller the needle (higher numbers like 11 and 12), the easier it will be to make small stitches. A quilting thimble on the third finger of your quilting hand will protect you from needle sores.

Use no more than 18 inches of quilting thread at a time.  Longer pieces of thread tend to tangle, and the end gets worn as it is pulled through the fabric. Knot the end of the thread with a quilter's knot. Slip the needle into the quilt top and batting about an inch from where the first stitch should start. Pull the needle up through the quilt top at the beginning of the first stitch. Hold the thread firmly and give it a little tug. The knot should pop into the batting and lodge between the quilt top and backing.

The quilting stitch is a running stitch. Place your free hand (left hand for right-handed people) under the quilt to feel for the needle as it pokes through.  At first, focus on making evenly sized stitches. Also, make sure you are going through all three layers.  

Machine Quilting in the Ditch

Make a few trial runs before starting to stitch on your completed quilt. On the test swatch, adjust the tension settings for the machine so that the stitches are even and do not pucker or have loose loops of thread.

Baste as usual with quilting safety pins, starting at the center and radiating to the outside edges, placing your pins out of the line of sewing so they do not interfere with your stitching.

The easiest machine stitching is long straight lines. These lines will be in a grid, stitched in the ditches formed by seams joining the crazy quilt blocks together.

Machine sew from the center of the quilt to the outer edges.  Plan the order of stitching. Your plan should minimize the need to start and stop as much as possible.

Before placing the quilt on the sewing machine, roll the sides in toward the center and secure the rolls with pins or bicycle clips. Use an even-feed walking foot for straight lines of stitching.  

To begin, turn the hand-wheel to lower and raise the needle to its highest point. Pull gently on the top thread to bring the bobbin thread up through the quilt. Stitch in place for several stitches. Gradually increase the length of each stitch for the first 1/2 inch of quilting until the stitches are the desired length. This will secure the ends of the threads, making it unnecessary to backstitch or knot them. Reverse these steps at the end of each line of quilting.

When quilting with the even-feed walking foot, place your hands on either side of the presser foot and apply an even pressure. Keep the layers smooth and free of tucks.

Crazy Quilt borders

Square or butted corners:  Add quilt borders simply by sewing strips of fabric (of the desired width) to the long sides of the quilt. Trim the ends of the strips even with the short sides of the quilt. Then stitch strips of fabric to the short sides, stitching across the borders previously applied.

Press the borders and the seam allowances away from the center of the quilt. If there is more than one border, apply the borders in the same order for each.

Embroidery is still practiced in many sections of China. Suzhou is well known for the quality of its work. Additionally other areas have a reputation for embroidery but few can match the precision, art and charm of the work produced in China prior to the Modern period.