Crazy quilt block finished!

It has taken more than a year, but my first crazy quilt block is done. I learned a lot working on this--making my first ribbon flowers, trying to build up beaded coral, experimenting with buttonholed herringbone stitch, and learning about crazy piecing. It was a great experiment, although my stitching isn't necessarily the best; I was too eager to get on to the next motif!

New from the last time I featured this block are the two dragon flies, the herringbone seam stitch, the beaded flowers, and the finished seaweed around the crab. When I return to Denver, I will make it into a purse.

I noticed that my block is quite mangled from all the stitching. Good thing I left some extra fabric so that I can cut it square again. I hope that my next project can help learn how to control my tension a little more.

 

Next month I will make 4 new hexagonal blocks. My plan is to make them in summer, winter, autumn and spring themes and make a pillow with them when I am done. Although I can't often go to my crazy quilt group due to my travel schedule, they are starting to stitch from Foolproof Crazy Quilting by Jennifer Clouston and I will stitch along. I was a bit resistant to the idea of using a stitch guide for my embellishments, but the project is a learning piece and there should be enough creativity in the interpretation of the motifs to make it satisfying. I'm itching to get started. I wish I had a sewing machine in Rhode Island! Since they will be taking 2 months for each block, I should be able to keep up and share my work when I am in Denver. I am looking forward to the new challenge.

 

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