Crazy Quilts Are Quilts Too!

Its a new year and I have plans to do what I can to promote crazy quilting this year!  Thearica at Pigtales and Quilts has a cyber show that features nothing but crazy quilts!  Can you imagine??  Sooo, in the spirit of thinking "outside the box", I decided to create some cq jewelry. This is just the beginning with more shapes coming! I used many batiks in the piecing along with dupioni silk. I hand dyed lace, used some silk ribbon on some pieces and used vintage buttons along with adding hand embroidery and a border of  beaded picot stitching on the edge of all the items to give them some extra pizazz! These items are light and fun to wear, quick to create and are wonderful accessories in your wardrobe! Here is a peek of one of the neckalaces! 

To participate in this contest, I needed to share a little about me.....  I live in Windsor in the beautiful state of Colorado!  I am in the northern portion of the state with wonderful views of the mountain range.  I can often see all the way south to Pikes Peak!!  Anyway,  I have been stitching since I was approximately 5 or 6.  I dabbled in many types of needlework, always LOVING embroidery, was a member of EGA for several years and then saw Judith Baker Montano's work and was hooked on cq and have been "crazy" ever since!  VBG!! I entered my first contest at a local quilt store with my art bra and won!!  I created an online cq group for Colorado residents, helped found a cq group, Rocky Mountain Crazy Quilters in Denver and was a co-owner of a large international crazy quilt cyber group for many years!

At CQI, I participated in round robins, swaps, coordinated the yearly retreat along with charity work for breast cancer and later for Japan  In reflection,.  I have done quite a bit of charity work, with first venture being to create a block for the "All That Jazz" project.  Quilts were created from donated blocks and auctioned off with the proceeds going to helping those affected in New Orleans by the hurricane.

I also created several blocks for the Art Bra Quilts that were placed in breast cancer facilities to pay homage to our "sisters" battling with this awful disease.

The very first actual large bed size crazy quilts I have ever made were for the Making Memories organization and were displayed in the International Quilt Festival in Houston.  For this, a number of memvbers of an online crazy quilting group CQI, created a block with wedding dress materials and then embellished them within the specified color parameters.   

In the following years, I made several more collaborative, smaller quilts that were auctioned off for breast cancer and then this past year completed 20 quilts for the Hearts and Hands For Sendai project.  A few are featured here!!

I have completed several wall hanging size quilts comprised of blocks from round robin's.  This one being a favorite of mine!

So, my passion continues as I develop my embroidery and design skills!  I have moved on to create my own international cq group and am entering four quilt shows this year and hope that in this small way I will help to further exposure for crazy quilting!!  Be sure to stop by Pigtales and Quilts to see what others are up to!  I hope you enjoyed your visit!