When the Victorian needlecrafter found herself with odd pieces of fabric and free time on her hands, the result was often a colorful, beautifully stitched crazy quilt. At the zenith of their popularity between 1870 and 1900, these richly colored and lushly textured quilts were often made of fine but unlaunderable pieces of material and were seldom padded for warmth. Charming but impractical, Victorian crazy quilts were regarded, at best, as whimsical fabric collages.In this practical guide, quilt designer and author Dixie Haywood takes a contemporary approach to making crazy quilts. Her clear instructions and diagrams — along with modern, quick-and-easy piecing methods and valuable information on practical fabrics and padding — lead quilters through fourteen crazy quilt patchwork projects that are fast and fun.An introductory chapter offers "A Short Look at the Victorian Crazy Quilt," followed by sections on contemporary quilting and stitching methods. A final "project" section lets quilters select from a variety of items — pincushions, potholders, reversible toaster covers, lined shopping bags, Christmas wreaths and stockings, shirts, caftans, tablecloths — and, of course, a contemporary crazy quilt.