Saturday, September 8, 2012

Sixty Three Double Knit Polyester Blocks, part 1

This block reminds me of an arial landscape
I've been looking at my double knit polyester Crazy Block quilt from Idaho, and wanted to see what the blocks looked like as individual images, so I got the camera out and started clicking away. As I suspected, it was an exercise worth doing. This blog includes the first 15 blocks, from the far left column and part of the 2nd column from the left. Enjoy!

Full view of the Crazy Block quilt, c. 1970s, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
I "heart" this design, even though you can see through the tan fabric.  
A plaid football?
A bold mix of print and solid fabric, all outlined with "x" stitches
Groovy fabric at the bottom
The football floating in the river is loved. ;)
No idea what she was thinking, but I love it!
The odd shapes are wonderful and original
A swell in the polyester ocean
These interesting shapes are partially pieced, partially applique.
Mitten, or boxing glove?
Some of the forms remind me of modern sculpture
Aqua shooting star with plaid trail and black leaf. Wow!
Double-knit mountain range. 
The other side of the river?
One of the interesting things about the construction of this quilt is the mix of applique and piecework. Some of the patches include a little of both, as if it was partly pieced, but then appliqued down where extra fabric overlapped another part of the block. A very unexpected but sensible way to use double-knit.

So, that's the first 15. Stay tuned for more blocks!

11 comments:

  1. What a great quilt! No problem dating a quilt made of poly.

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  2. This one is crazy good! Those funky knits! A perfect example of quilt history from the 70's. Looks like all raw edge applique? Love the stitching.

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    1. It's a mix of raw edge applique and piecework. Very interesting. Innovative for its time, and way ahead of its time. Raw edge applique is something we see today, and it seems like a recent trend. It makes perfect sense looking at this quilt, though. If you're gonna do raw edge, wouldn't it be advantageous to use materials that don't fray?

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    2. Yes, these knits are perfect for raw edge...no ravel, no fray! Such a great range of patterns and textures in them too! This quilt is a beauty!

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  3. Thanks! I was missing the tactile part of these quilts. Since I can't see and feel them in person, seeing the close-ups is the next best thing.
    Alice

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  4. So, if three women teamed-up to make this quilt, each would've had to do 21 blocks. Just thinking out loud. Makes more sense that it would've been a group project. 21 is a lot more manageable than 63!

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  5. Love this quilt. The assembly of crazy pieces ricochet from modern sculpture to scenic panoramas. A woman strongly influenced by her surroundings, Iʻd guess. Also, very deft stitching too, with the amusing bonus of those tiny after-thoughts. Like stickers!!

    A fine quilt, Bill!
    nyima

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    1. I hope I showed you this quilt in person, but if not, next time!

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  6. Thank you!! These are SO entertaining! It looks like hand embroidery. Or is it done by machine? My grandmother had one of the newer machines that could make a stitch like this.

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    1. I'm not sure. The stitching is very even in most places, but there are some spots where it varies a little. If I knew more about the machines that could do that type of stitch, maybe I could say more definitively.

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    2. Looks like machine stitching to me. I remember my old Viking 6000 had a variety of different stitch cams. I kick myself to this day for letting that machine go. It was the sewing machine I learned to sew on back in the 70's!

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