The crazy quilt was anything but "crazy." It began with necessity and ingenuity, the piecing together of any odd scrap of fabric that outlasted its first (or even second) use, and evolved into an art form in which the finest silks, satins, and velvets, stitched together with elaborate embroidery, attested to a quilters rich imagination and artistry. This beautiful book traces the bewitching history of the ever-changing but ever-popular "Crazies" from their earliest origins to the present day. Distinguished quilting teacher, lecturer, appraiser, and restorer Cindy Brick follows the crazy quilt through colonial times, the Civil War, and the Victorian era. She describes the crazy quilts influence on modern-day quilts. And she decodes the meaning of the curious images stitched into these quilts, from flowers to fans and farm animals. Along with this history, the book includes a detailed how-to section on constructing crazy quilts. Brick outlines approaches to planning, piecing, and embroidering or embellishing your quilt. She also offers numerous helpful tips that only an expert could provide. Exquisitely illustrated with images of crazy quilts over time, this book is as delightful to page through as it is instructive to read.