Crazy Quilt Color Studies and Crazy Patchwork Stitches

Crazy Quilt Color Studies and Crazy Patchwork Stitches

Here are some examples of crazy quilt designs in color from around the 1884-5 time frame, the height of the crazy quilt era.  As you can see, there is no 'color palette' or 'theme' in the color schemes - just random colors of the day tossed together in haphazard fashion.  Sometimes the trade cards were printed in more than one colorway.  Not all of them had crazy patchwork stitch designs on the back side.  Some were specific to the product they were selling, others were sold as 'blanks' so advertisers could have them printed up with their specific information.

 

The silk thread manufacturer, Brainerd and Armstrong had trade cards, art needlework and color study books, along with a sheet of stitch designs that was sent out with their waste silk embroidery thread packages.

 

Dry Goods stores and other companies provided complementary fliers with quilt designs and stiches.  Most had stitch designs similar to the Weldon's Practical Patchwork Series booklets.

 

Here is a listing of the items pictured above.  For the most part, they are all part of my quilt ephemera collection.

 

The Patchwork Ladies – a series of 4 trade card designs, featuring young girls surrounded by crazy patchwork, to be personalized by businesses. [A]

 

Crazy Quilt Series – Trade card advertising Attractive Stationary with a crazy quilt design. [B]

 

Turkish Delights cigar box labels, featuring a young Turkish girl surround by crazy patchwork. [C]

 

100 Crazy Patchwork Stitches Trade Card, most widely recognized for its ad image of Singer Sewing Machines. [D]  The center front can also feature a girl or other business info. [E]

 

150 Crazy Patchwork Stitches Trade Card, Singer Sewing machine -  stitch designs on the back looking more like the Brainerd & Armstrong designs. [F]

 

Brainerd & Armstrong dancing spools – set of two designs, with the same stitch patterns on the back. [G]  Also the Crazy Patchwork Stitches tissue insert from the Waste Silk Embroidery package. [H]

 

Ladies Art Company had two version of stitch pages in their catalogs, both share similarities to Brainerd & Armstrong designs. [I] and [J]

 

Oversized promotional broadsheet/ads were given complimentary to customers – Barr Dry Goods (Sapolio) [K], R & J Gilchrist Dry Goods [K], Durkee Select Spices [M], and American Chemical Mfg & Mining Co. [N]

 

Weldon’s Practical Patchwork Series [O] also used the ‘stitches on line’ layout, as do  many of the ads and trade cards of the period; many use the same format and stitch designs. 

Eva Niles 1884 book, Fancy Work Recreations have the same stitch designs.