My Crazy Quilt Bedspread

In September I bought all of this fabric to make a new bedspread for our bed. I had been stewing all summer about what kind of bedspread I wanted to make. I finally decided that because I am a crazy quilt teacher, it seemed appropriate that I have a crazy quilt bedspread! The fabric sat in this sack until after the Victorian Stitchery Retreat was over in November. I was just too busy to even look at it, but I was still mulling over how I was going to make this crazy quilt bedspread. There were many variables to think about such as the design and how I was going to hold all the layers together when I was done.

When Allie Aller was here, she reminded me that she had blogged about a bedspread that she made for her bed. If you want to read up on that, here is a link to her bedspread http://alliesinstitches.blogspot.com/search/label/projects%3A%20Bars%20and%20Stripes. She has made several bedspread's over the years but I was totally inspired by the all silk one that she made for her sister-in-law. I just love it! With kids and pets it isn't practical for me to make an all silk bedspread but I decided to use the square design of that quilt.

About two weeks ago, I washed the fabrics so I could begin piecing and then here they sat.

The muslin I was going to use for the piecing of the squares did not wash well at all! I decided that life was too short to deal with all of the wrinkles that appeared when it was washed and it probably wasn't a good candidate for the foundation of my bedspread. I remembered that I had some white sheets that we weren't using anymore and they had been washed many times, so that is what I am using. The thickness of the sheet won't matter because I am not embellishing this quilt at all for the same reason that it won't be made out of silk!

Last night I finished the center section of squares and placed them on my bed. I was not happy at all! The one solid piece of fabric I choose to use just stuck out like a sore thumb and I just couldn't live with it! Sorry for the weird lighting in this picture.

I took the blocks apart today and did them all over and I am much happier! It was worth all of the effort.

Here is a close up of one of the blocks before.......

and one after. The difference to me is just huge! This quilt violates all rules about not piecing pattern against pattern, so it has been a very different experience for me. I also don't use cottons ever when I crazy quilt, so that has also been different but refreshing. I'll keep you posted with progress in the next few days!