During the latter years of the nineteenth century the best know quilt style was the Crazy Quilt. Crazy quilts were handmade quilts made of abstract shapes that were sewn together. Usually the quilt maker then used embroidery to embellish the crazy quilt. First fancy stitches were sewn along the seams of the now considered antique quilt. Often the seamstress also added embroidered motifs on the crazy quilt that included flowers, birds, trees and figures to convey their thoughts and wishes. Sometimes part of a crazy quilt is haphazard while other parts are placed in a planned pattern. Crazy quilting was quite the fad during this period in America. Magazines encouraged women of this time to make crazies. Young women were particularly eager to make them. These quilts were seldom used as bed coverings. Instead crazy quilts were made smaller and without batting to be used as decorative throws.
Today, collectors of Folk Art anxiously seek out these truly unique crazy quilts. The intrigue comes a lot from the story the quilt is telling.
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