Traditionally, the embroidery is this quilting. If the embroidery is holding together a sandwich, then as long as it's equally spaced, it should be okay.

After you put your sections/blocks together, you can stitch in the ditch if you feel it's necessary, but I'd think the embroidery would be enough (if it's holding a sandwich together).

We'd love to see pictures, and that may help give more suggestions, too.

I do not have enough strength in my fingers to embroidery through 3 layers. Is there another option? I suppose I could leave some seams unadorned so that I could quilt in the ditch but still not my preference.

How do I get myself into these messes! I have a book that says to do all of the adornment and then use the tie method but no appeal there either.

Rather than embroidery, could you use a machine zig-zag or decorative stitch to hold your layers together? Try googling Crazy quilts and look at images. There are several examples that look like machined decorative stitches.

Good luck!
Sue

What a great Idea! You girls are sharp. Thank you.

Traditional crazy quilts are not quilted, and actually not sandwiched. If you are sandwiching it, I'd just tie it and the knots can be incorporated in fancy buttons or turned into part of the embellishment. I did that with one and it turned out just scrumptious. You have a lot of lee-way with crazy quilts and the way they're made now is not a lot like the way they were made even back in the 20s and 30s much less the victorian ones. It gives you room to be creative. No way is the 'right' way. I do mine always on a foundation. But they don't have to be. You can piece, inset, flip and sew. It's your call.

Another great idea. Calliope, question. I am not using I am not using a foundation. So do I need to use a light batting or no batting. Thank you so very much for your help. N

I think you might find a thin layer of pre-shrunk cotton flannel might make an adequate 'batting' for you. It's extemely easy to quilt through and perhaps even embroider through. Or you might just do your embellishment through the quilt top and light-weight backing and forget the batting entirely. It depends on how you plan to use your crazy quilt........ie as a bedspread opposed to a heavier quilt. Heavily embellished crazy quilts are not all that practical as a 'working' quilt since they tend to be laundered more and it's hard on the embellishment. If it's a showpiece you intend to remove and fold when you get ready for bed, why worry with the warmth factor? I may not be the best person to advise you, as I am a self-taught quilter who clings to the traditional methods and what I like and what works for me. Crazy quilts are my bag, however, and how I use up my scrap materials. I am not so much into embellishment, but that doesn't mean I don't like to look at it. There is a lot of great reference material on the method on the web. Others may have great input too. But, embellishmed quilts are not usually quilted, other than to perhaps fill in the solid parts of the background.