Allie and Valerie effectively combine their expertise to provide the reader with a wonderful foundation for constructing crazy quilts. A variety of techniques for piecing and appliqueing blocks are included, as well as innovative and complete instructions on stitching and embellishing by hand or machine. Ten projects are included to get you started on creating a crazy quilt of your own. Machine Quilting Unlimited, November/December 2014 Aller (Allie Aller's Crazy Quilting), a Washington state quilter, and Bothell, a Kansas crazy-quilting teacher, endeavor to marry old traditions of crazy quilting with today's technology 'to show that crazy quilts can be functional.' The result is a smashing success with equal parts fun and function, serious instruction, and delighted execution. Techniques outnumber projects three to one. In other words, Aller and Bothell put most of their energy on the how versus the what. Preceding the projects are general instructions: for piecing, including crazy-quilt blocks and borders and Judith Baker Montano's fan methods; for appliqueing using freezer-paper or card stock templates; and for interfacing, which is especially important on wall hangings. After pieces become blocks, embroidery begins, whether by hand or machine. The authors offer ideas on designs and transfers; on needles, tension, and thread weight; and on stitches, from feather to Cretan to blanket. To illustrate the construction, they pull from the 10 projects (some with patterns), including Bothell's Oriental Garden and Aller's Morning Chores with its dairy feed sack center. Publishers Weekly, 2/17/14 If you combine traditional quilting, crazy quilting, some favorite pieced quilt patterns and today's machine-quilting methods, you get crazy fun, even if you don't like handwork. The authors offer you clever ways to make traditional quilts a little bit crazier. Photo instructions are included for 15 crazy quilt and silk ribbon embroidery stitches, plus lots more. Quilter's Digest, June 2014 If you have ever wanted to make a crazy quilt but did not know where to start I would like to recommend this book. Quilting...just a little bit crazy. The authors, Allie Aller and Valerie Bothell, join forces and share their skills and knowledge to create 10 projects that vary in size from small wall-hangings to large quilts. You will start by learning how to create crazy quilt blocks. Some of the techniques used include freezer paper template applique, free-form applique, flip and sew, Montano piecing methods and crazy piecing long borders. There is a good discussion on assembling your blocks into a quilt top using some not so traditional methods. The rest of the book is devoted to finishing techniques, stitching and embellishing. Each author brings her own unique perspective and you will find yourself excited to try some of the methods presented. Val loves hand embroidery and she also shares hints on stitching with silk ribbon. Allie delves into the world of machine embroidery by combining stitches from your machine along with hand embroidery and embellishment. There are photo instructions for 15 crazy quilt and silk ribbon embroidery stitches. You will also learn new ways to layer, quilt and bind crazy quilts. The Applique Society Newsletter, July/August 2014 This collaborative effort shows how crazy quilting techniques can be used to enhance traditional quilts to varying degrees, even if the quilt-maker is not a handwork fanatic! Includes 10 projects ranging in style from vintage to modern, and in execution from hand to machine, each with a clever dose of crazy. Generation Q, Spring 2016 This is a comprehensive book aimed at those people wanting to create crazy quilts with a little more structure. The quilts here retain the order of pieced quilts but the blocks that make them up are more spontaneous. Divided into two main sections, the book looks at the mechanics of crazy quilting and explores different approaches to creating blocks, whether it be with freezer paper templates, cardstock or from starting in the centre and piecing fabric outwards (some of these techniques were introduced by Judith Baker Montano). An overview of assembling and finishing quilts is covered in this section and is then followed with a look at good crazy quilting stitches, either by hand or on the sewing machine. A handy aid is also introduced. In her book 'Embroidered Crazy Quilt Seam Coverings', Kelly Gallagher-Abbot included four templates, called Crazy Quilt Grids, which you can use to mark stitch placement and ensure an even finished line of stitches. Alternatively, Tiger Tape can be used (this can be bought in the UK).Moving onto the projects, there are ten included in the book and these show a good mix of traditional with crazy quilting. Crazy Bow Ties intersperse Bow Tie blocks with blocks created in the methods covered at the start of the book. A variety of fabrics, materials and sources are used to make each quilt interesting. Wool felt, plaid, silk and flannel are all used to create very different quilts and the Amish-inspired ones are particularly striking in their use of bold colour. It is a good book to have if you are interested in taking a small step away from wholly traditional quilts, wanting to inject a bit of life into its construction without abandoning the security of the old ways. This book shows that you can retain this without sacrificing spontaneity and colour, and it's a refreshing approach to take. Workshop on the Web, September 2014
