How to sew an easy Crazy Quilt block

It is ungodly hot outside, so it seemed like a pretty good day to sit in the basement and play with my sewing machine... and on days like this I tend to go for Crazy Quilt blocks, which look awesome, are super easy, and require very little actual measurement (jackpot!). You can use these super interesting-looking blocks in typical things like quilts, but they are cool enough to stand alone in a throw pillow, wall hanging, or tote bag.

Step 1: Supplies

Muslin
Cutting mat & Rotary cutter (but just plain ol' scissors will do, as well)
Sewing machine
Iron
Ruler
Basic sewing gear
Lots and lots of fabric scraps, cut into 2" strips

It doesn't matter what sort of fabric you use in these blocks. If you're just starting out, I'd stick to cotton, as it is the easiest to deal with. But I've done these out of silks and velvets and they turn out awesome (but definitely not for the beginner!) Get a good variety of fabric, so you have lots of diversity in your square. And just remember that you only need tiny little pieces of fabric, so it's a good way to use up scraps from other projects, or to trade with a friend.

Comments

[HappyHarrigan]

Fabulous thank you,as a self taught patch-worker I wondered how to do crazy patchwork on a machine. Great pics easy instructions.WELL DONE!.

[linrodann]

Love it! I can't wait to try it. ^_^

[jlongworth]

You have absolutely MADE my day ! :) Thank you SO much !

[skyisblu]

Love, love, LOVE how easy this quilt is to make! I have always wanted to compile all of my unruly fabric scraps into a beautiful crazy quilt, but have never had the patience to cut all those perfectly measured and even pieces. Thanks to you, I'm on my way! Here are my first 2 squares:

[rhaubejoi]

Gorgeous! I love it! You did a fantastic job! I look forward to making one myself soon....Think I may put a twist on it...I'll show it off when I do....

[abbyholverson]

I'm glad you like it! I look forward to seeing your project!

[ktp09]

Thanks for the great instructable. Here is a picture of my quilt top I recently finished. Now I am working on putting the backing and binding on. I used a variety of fabrics in my squares, including ties. Just thought I would share.

[abbyholverson]

That looks fantastic!!! I love it!

[ktp09]

Thanks! It's such an easy and fun type of quilt to make.

[WendylovesJed]

Soooo excited for my current project (this)!

[abbyholverson]

That's great! You should post a picture when you're done. :)

[cotofana]

Absolutely gorgeous. This is the kind of quilt I can fall in love with. :)

[lyonpridej]

Thank you for the great instructable! I have been saving boxes of my kids clothes for years with the idea of making quilts for them, but I wasn't sure how to go about it because I didn't want to just make plain squares. This is so much easier than it looks & I can't wait to try it!

[Lady Steampunk]

This looks fun! I finally have something to do with all those halloween scraps I cant stop collecting, yaaay.

[canida]

Excellent! I never knew it was so easy. And I second the request for a follow-up tutorial on assembly. ;)

[ChrysN]

Neat, I love all the bright fabrics!

[oweng4000]

Should that be 12 1/2" instead of 12 1/5"?

[abbyholverson]

Yeah, sorry about that!

[kcls]

That looks cool! Nice instructable.

[scoochmaroo]

Awesome! I never knew how this was done - it always looked so complicated. Will you teach us how to put them all together now? :D

[abbyholverson]

ha ha... give me a chance to make a few more, and certainly!!