'Crazy Quilts' were a fad that started in the Victorian Days. The 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition was a big event in Victorian society. One of the most popular exhibits was the Japanese pavilion with its fascinating crazed ceramics and asymmetrical art.
That was the origin of crazy quilting, wealthy Victorian women started the fad with expensive silk thread and fabric making art pieces for the home based on oriental motifs using the variety of stitching patterns thus showing off their needle work skills. After getting great exposure in magazines of the day, everybody started to do it.
http://www.womenfolk.com/quilting_history/crazy.htm
The thought of working some of this stuff just makes me want to hyperventilate...slightly overwhelming! But I think I have a great assortment of styles above, to incorporate into my own heirloom.
