Foolproof Crazy Quilting

Clouston, an Australian quilt teacher who grew up in South Africa, presents her fabulous crazy quilt composed of colorful fabrics cut in hexagons, then embroidered, beaded, and beribboned. In her introduction, she explains the imprint of her family and their varied lands on her, and she briefly describes the history of crazy quilts: what began as garish in the age of Queen Victoria became a “gentle art”; nevertheless, she allows, it “is time-consuming... and a little indulgent.” Clouston lists her preferred threads and needles, cites no-no’s (avoid too many patterns), offers tips, and instructs in methods such as foundation piecing. The body of the book details the 25 blocks in her hexagon-based quilt. She then describes how to take each stitch, whether threaded with perle cotton or twisted silk, whether Colonial or French knots, whether embellished with beads or rickrack. In the closing gallery, Clouston pictures variations—bags, box, and cozy— on the crazy quilt theme. Throughout, pictures and graphics (hexagon patterns are given in the back) are maximal; text minimal. (Dec.)