Crazy quilts were all the rage after the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, where visitors flocked to the Japanese Pavilion to view the arts. The name derives not only from their “wild” appearance, but also from their resemblance to crazing lines-the crackled glaze-on Japanese pottery. They are showcases for the maker’s embroidery, which edges each piece.

Typical of 1930s frugality, Eva Stacey’s crazy quilt top is composed of fabric scraps leftover from other sewing projects and applied to foundation blocks of well-worn sheets, shirts and blouses. As the donor herself points out, it evidences exquisite embroidery, creative individuality and a sense of humour. Some shapes are the usual crazy quilt shards and squares of fabric, but others are small slivers or curvilinear forms–disrupting regularity or “invading” rectilinear areas. The piecework goes beyond availability of fabrics (which are bright examples of period patterns), and the need to fill a space, to convey exuberance and fun in the overall design.